The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-07-22
Sunday School Column
Side Lights on Next Sundays Les
son for Teachers and Pupils.
sunday School Association omeer,.
BY CHAs. K. MEYERS.

President. w. C. Van Ness, Denison.
Vice President, j. B. Alfred. Manila
| Secretary and Treasurer. Chas. K. Meyers
| Oenison.
\ department, Mrs. Pierce, Denison. Normal de
partment. Prof. E. w. Fellows. Denson. Hous.
t. house Mrs Harper per Dow City, Primary Mrs
Denison. Missionary Miss Sadie Medley, Manila
July &c. Saul Rejected by the
Lord l Sam. 15:l3-2S.
The lesson of this date when view
ed in all its bearings brings to US
mighty warnings. 1t contains one of
the greatest verses of the Old Testa-
ment. one which if engraven on the
hearts of all readers would prove
powerful in shaping their lives. Here
it is. To obey is better than sacri-
fee and to harken then the fat of
rams. :"
Some may at first not understand
the full import of this verse. but it
means that God looks at the heart ::
that to obey Him is the first need !;
that Gods wisdom generates all
hypocrisy and the real motive of the
heart is what counts, and not the
mask ones wears before the world.
1t means that heart worship of God
true obedience, classes as pure gold.
and outward formality of worship
great pretensions of religion and holi-
ness as putrid filth. To offer sacrifi-
ces and to burn the fat of rams, was
in the ancient days the showing of
great respect and love of God, but
far above the outward things ranks,
OBEYlNG GODS COMMAND
MENTS.
Now for the lesson story: 1t will
be remembered that Saul a country
boy was made the king of Israel !;
that at the beginning he was humble
and obedient. Tracing his history
along we find HIM assuming the
priestly Office of Samuel before the
Lord. as bible students will find in
Sam. 1888. and that then he was
warned that he did foolishly, in that
he had not kept the commandment of
the Lord his God. Later he is told
to act in the capacity of a sheriff to
execute justice on tribe of people
who were bandits. cruel marauders,
and to spare them not, because their
history. and life showed them not
worthy to live. Saul was to step
forth as did the United States into
Cuba to destroy the cruel Spaniards
if they would not desist from their
horrible doings. Saul was not to
enter into this war for the sake of
the enrichment of himself or his peo-
pie. The sheriff was not to take
possession of the criminals watch,
his money. his clothing. Saul was
to return with no snols of war.
Saul disobeyed. he took captive the
king of the bandits to show him off
before an admiring people. he
brought back sheep, oxen and plumb
er. for triu1nphal return from war.
The prophet Samuel goes to meet him,
and Saul extends greeting to Samuel
showing him great honor. and COM
mends himself in that he has done
what God had commanded. When
confronted with the property of the
bandit in his possession, Saul puts ur
the excuse that this was the fault OF
the soldiery. and that anyway the
spoils were to be sacrificed unto
the Lord
Then Samuel said "To obey i.
better than sacrifice and to barker
than the fat of rams. When Sau
saw his false pretenses were of nc
avail. he broke down and said he
had sinned and asked Samuel to par.
don his sins. Alas, then it was toe
late. he had sinned away his day Of
grace and it was decided that anothe,
should be king over Israel in Saul.
place.
1t is the same awful, old. old stor,
of sel6shness. pride, grasping for
gain, desire for glory from men
overcoming what one knows is the
path of honesty and rigid obedienc,
to Gods commands AS in Old Tesla
ment days it was no excuse aftel
getting things wrongfully to say
81 will give them to the Lord s,
the despoiler Of his neighbors at thu
present day cannot put in success
full justification that he took to civ,
to God. So it will again be seen tina
a lesson taken from the history Of tn,
Jews 1000 years before Christ wa
born. has most vital bearing on GU
conduct this day.
Wanted. capable men with som,
money to work with us in North.
eastern Iowa. Good profits in this en-