The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-11-05
David Grieves
for AbSalom
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 8, 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper

GOLDEN TENT-"A foolish son 10 |
grief to his father."-Prov. 1925.
TTME.-Three months after our last !
lesson.
PLACE.-Jerusalem and Mahanaim. a /
fortified town east of the Jordan. near
the Jabbok, memorable for Jacobs
wrestling in prayer. Half way between |
;he Dead sea and the Sea Of Galilee. The |
battlefield was in the Wood Of Ephraiin
In Glead. east of the Jordan. within one
day of Mahanalm
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The day that David left saw Absa
lom taking possession of the throne.
Rejecting the shrewd advice Of
Ahithophel, he waited till he could
gather a great army with which to at
iack and overcome his father.
This was fatal David and his tv'
generals. the greatest in all lsrse
planned and organized their forces fc
defense only, so far as David was
concerned.
Absalom reigned three months, ant
during that time not one good thin.
is recorded concerning him.
lie was as great a failure as a kint
as he was as man; and for the SAM
reason-he was selfish. He wanted to
be king for his own pleasure. He hao
no kingly aims or ideals.
Apparently self-conceit was the rea
son why he followed Hushai's advice
for that willy enemy of his put before
him a picture of himself at the head
Of an immense army, like a world-con
queror, and all the nations, as 1t were
singing Hail to the Chief"
Among many other significant de.
vices, some beyond the seas have
picture of q man, with a full-blowu
bladder on his shoulders, anothe
standing by and pricking the bladder
with a pin; the motto: How sudden.
ly!" limiting thereby the sudden down.
fall OF all worldly greatness. -
spencer.
A man selfish In his inmost soul can
never attain true success. Selfshness
ruins health, ruins conscience, ruins
| judgment.
Amidst the scattered fight Absalom
was separated from his men, and as he
fed from a party OF the enemy, the
mule on which he rode carried him
beneath the low branches OF a spread
ing terebinth. and left him hanging by
| The head, probably In a forked bough
Perhaps, also, his long, thick hair got
cnl angled, but there is nothing to sup
lort the common idea that he was sus
ended merely by the hair" Josephus
says distinctly that Absalom's haiI
was entangled. The first soldier who
came up spared his life because of the
kings command, and went to tell Joab
The unscrupulous chief hurried to the
spot and thrust three javelins into
Absalom's heart. There was prob
ably a true regard for the king ant
kingdom in this act OF Joab. He knew
that Absalom could not with safet,
be suffered to live, and that It woulC
be difficult to rid the state OF 81
foul member at any other time thar
now, when a Just right to slay hin
had been earned In open battle" -
Nitto. Absalom's body was cast int
great pit, and a great heap o
stones was cast upon him, either II
detestation OF his memory or as a mon
ument to distinguish the place
V, 33. Went Up to the chamber.
To be alone in his sorrow. The deer
est sorrow "treads the wine.pres
alone" And wept." Tears are tn
safety-valves of the heart" 20 my so
Absalom!" There is not in tn
J whole of the Old Testament a pas
) sage of deeper pathos than this. Tn
, simple beauty of the narrative Is eI
quisite we are irresistibly reminde
, of him who, while he beheld the rebe
lious city of Jerusalem and though
: of the destruction 1t was bringing upo
: itself, wept over 1t Uuke 19:4D."-
: | Cook. Would God had died for thee
so Moses (Ex. 32:32), and so S
8 Paul (Rom. $50, would have sacr
D ficed themselves, had it been possible
8 to save others. His wish to die 1
Absalom's stead was no mere extrav
gance OF grief"
Absalom and His Sin.-He We
young; he sinned with his whole n
ture; he kept on SHINING to the en-
with no hint Of repentance, with no q
. deviation OF character. He did not r
: pent even as much as Esau, who r
gretted the consequences OF his actic
with strong crying and tears.
DaVids sin was an lncident-a vel
!, terrible incident-in avery great ar
: useful life. II was a dangerous edd
! like the whirlpool below the Niaga
: falls; but It was brief, It was not Il
? main current OF his life. He repente
y and all his after life showed slime
. the way OF repentance, the posslbl
ties OF repentance and restoration.
has been sermon for almost 80
:. years on the tender mercies and Il
- giving love OF our Father in heave
= Absalom from out the far-off past
:, still pointing our modern youth
certain great lessons his care
teaches us:
% THE way OF transgressors
hard"
., (2) The success of the wicked
- short, and then he is like chaff whi
:, the wind bloweth away. mot cons