Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-07-23
GT7e,
S"7ooY-Scf7oo(
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR JULY 20.

Subject: Saul Rejected by the Lord,
Samuel 15-Golden Text, Josh.
24:24-Commit Verse 22-Read
Chapters Is, 14-Commentary.
TINIE.-A. D. 1921 B. G. PLACE.
-Gilgal.
EXPOSITION.-I. Samuel Rebukes
King Saul, 1910. God had revealed
His purpose to make Saul king first
to Samuel, and to Samuel God first
revealed His purpose to depose Saul
because of his disobedience. There
was no other man in all Israel whom
God could so trust and OF whom He
could make such conf1dant. Samuel
grieved greatly over Jehovah's re-
lection of Saul, he spent the whole
night in tears and prayer w. III,
but he rose early to perform the duty
that God had put upon him, unwel-
come as it was. He will deliver Gods
message and deliver it at once. Saul
greets Samuel with great parade of
piety. A guilty conscience often leads
men to louder hallelujahs. Saul ut
tered a bare-faced lie, but it is not
likely that he admitted even to him
self that it was a lie. Many man
fancies that he is sincere when he
says, II have performed the COM
mandment of the LORD" though in
his inmost heart he knows that he has
done nothing of the kind. Samue!
was not in the least deceived by Sauls
loud professions. 1t Is impossible to
deceive the man who is in Gods con-
fidence. Furthermore, the bleating
of the sheep and the lowing of the
oxen betrayed Saul's falsehood. There
is no use trying to hide our sins
prov. 2S:13; Nu. 1929. The only
way to get our sins covered out OF
the sight of man is to open them to
the gaze of God FPS. 1921, 5: l Jno.
1:9). In all that had to do with
obedience Saul says "I and we,
in all that had to do with disobedl-
ence Saul says they" and the peo-
ple." 1t is always the other fellow
that Is to blame, but IL 1t is a question
of credit. that belongs to us. The
basest sinner can always invent a
good construction Of his vilest deeds.
Saul would make an act of grossest
disobedience to be an act OF devotion.
1t is not uncommon for rebels against
the holy will of God to decorate the
qualification of their lust with the
pretense of religion. Why Saul and
the people really spared the cattle Is
evident Tvs. 8 and 19). To give
part of ones ill-gotten wealth to the
service of God will not set ones DISC
bedience right with God Tvs. %. 23).
Samuel did not venture to tell Saul
what he thought of his actions. lie
did something infinitely better, he
told him what God Himself had said.
Saul listened. Samuel always COM
manded respectful attention, because
men had learned that he spoke not
his own mind but the mind OF God.
Samuel first recalls to Saul's mind the
wonderful grace of God towards him.
The Bible constantly enforces oLr
duty towards God and our guilt in
disobeying God by bringing to our at
tention Gods goodness towards us.
1t was when Saul was humble. when
he was little in his own eyes, that
God exalted him (Lu. 14:1D. Je-
hovah had appointed him to the very
first place. and he had repaid God by
gross disobedience. What 1ngrau'
tude! But not so great as ours when
we disobey the God who has made US
His own heirs. Saui's commission
was to destroy the Amalekites "ut.
terly." The Amalekites were type
of the flesh, and God will have no
mercy on the flesh 1t must be put to
death, the death of the cross (Gal.
5:24; CT. 3:13). Many professed
Christians deal with the flesh just as
Saul dealt with Amalek. God sets
them aside just as He set Saul aside,
Samuel sweeps away all Saul's soph'
istries with a single question, why
didst thou not obey the voice Of the
LORD?" No possible reasoning can
excuse disobedienCe to God.
II. Saurs Worthless Excuse, 20.
23. Saul put on very bold face and
stoutly asserted that he had "obeyed
the voice of the LORD" He hoped
to lie himself out Of his difficulty, but
he failed lamentably. He has many
imitators, but none ever succeed. Be.
fore God got through with Saul he
was forced to say II have sinned" ".
3O). Every sinner has to come tc
this point sooner or later. The sooner
he comes to 1t the better. One should
never disobey God; but II one does
disobey, the thing to do is to make a
clean breast of 1t at once. Saul ad'
mits that the sheep and the oxen
should have been utterly destroyed.
but again says that 1t was the peopl:
that had spared "the chief of them,
and that too with a good purpose.
ito sacrifice unto the LORD" Then
he adds, with the vain hope Of con.
ciliating Samuel, "thy Cod II Saul
had been as cunning as some of our
modern scholars who find something !
inconvenient in the word of God, he
would have told Samuel, Il do not
believe in a deadly liberalism in inter !,
preting the word Of God. have kept
the spirit of Gods command, even II !
not the very letter." Many In our
own day are seeking to substitute |
sacrifices and services of their own |
invention for simple obedience to the !
plain commands Of God. God does
not ask US to invent, but to hearken |
and obey. Witchcraft Tin all it's
forms) and "idolatry and Teraphim"
are exceedingly hateful to God, but
rebellion" and "stubbornness" are
Just as hateful. All disobedience to !
what God has said is rebellion" and
"stubbornness" There was just one
cause of Saul's ruin, he had rejected
the word OF the Lord"
New York shows Fight.
Prohibitionists of New York City
welcome the news that tho liquo.' in.
terests are going to enter actively i'll
TO the Presidential campaign. Chair /