Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-11-05
David CrieVes
for Absalonn
Sunday School Lessen fss Nsv. 3, 1905
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TENT Samuel ls:2i-s3.
Memory verse, 81.
GOLI,EN TEXT.-"A foolish son 10 q
prlof to his fathcr."--Prov. I7:25.
TINE-Thrce months after our last
LESSON.
PLACE -Jerusalem and Mahanaim. a
fortified town east OF the JORDAN. near
the Jhbbok, memorable Tor jacobs
wrestling IN prayer. Half way between
,he bead sea and the Sea Of Galilee. The
battlefield was in the Wood OF Ephraim
in GiI."h. east Of rs Jordan WITHIN one
day of Mrhnnaim.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The day that David left saw Absa-
lon taking possession Of the throne.
Rejecting the shrewd advice or
%Ahi,hophcl he waited till he could
gather a great army with which to at
tack and overcome his father.
This was fatal. David and his two
generals, the greatest in all Israel,
planned aud organized their forces for
defense only, 50 far as David was
concerned
Absalon rcigned three months, and
during that time not one good thing
IS recorded concerning him.
lie was as great n failure as a king
as he was AS a man; and FOR the same
roHsun-hc was selfish. He wanted to
be king for lis own pleasure. He had
no kingly aims or ideals.
Apparently ~selfconccit was the rca.
son why h." followed IiuShai's advice,
for that willy enemy Of his put before
lin II picture of himself at the head
Of an immense army, like q world con
Gucror, and all the nations, as 1t were,
singing Hail to the Chief"
Among many other significant de.
vices, some beyond The seas have a
picture Of a man, with a full blown
bladder on his shoul iors, another
standing by and prlckjng the bladder
with a pin, the motto: How sudden.
~ limiting thereby the sudden down.
fall Of all worldly greatness. -
Spencer.
A man selfish in his iumost soul can
never attain true success. S~cliishncsS
ruins health, ruins conscience, ruins
judgment.
Amidst the scattered fight hb%alOm
was separated from his men, and as he
fed from a party of the enemy, the
mule on which he rode carried him
beneath tie low branches Of a spread.
ing t"rcbin'h and left him hanging by
the head, probably in Il forkcd Dough.
Perhaps, also, his long, thick hair got
cn'nnyl"d, bat there Is nothing to sup.
pOr, ia" Common idea that II" was sus.
pended merely BY the hair .JOscphus
says distinctly that AbSalum's hair
was cniaugl"d, "Th" fist soldier who
came W spared his life because of the
king's command, and went TO tell Joab
TIL" INSCRIPTIONS chief hurried TO the
spot and thrust three jayrlinS into
Ahaalom'S heart. There was prob
ably "A tru" regard for the king and
kingdom in This act Of JUab. He knew
that AlsaIum could uO' with safety
be suffered to live, and that it would
b" difficult 10 rid the state Of Sc
fonI a member at any other time than
np", when Il just rirhD TO Stay him
had been earned in orrn battle
klt'0. AbsalOm's body was cast into
It great pit, and a great heap OF
stones Was cast upon him, either In
d"l"s'aiinn 81 his memory or as a mon
nIn"nt T." distinguish the place.
'. -. went Up TO the chamber
To b" alone in his sorrow. The dcep
est sorrow "tr"ads the wine.prcst
alone And wcpt." Tears are The
saictr-"al|r8 Of the heart" 20 my sol
Absalum'' There Is not I'm The
Who'll" Of the Old Testament a pas
sag" Of deeper rathOs than this. The
slmlI" beauty of the narrative Is cx
qH!sI'"i We are irrcSisDibly reminded
Of him who, while he b,hcld the rebel
l!ous city Of Jerusalem and though
Of III" destruction ii was bringing upol
l'H"li, "rpi over II lukc l9:4D -
COOK. Would God had died for thee.
Moses 'EX, 32:3ZJ, and 30 81
ianl 't"m. 3:3), would have sacri
feed themselves, had 1t been possible