The Tupelo journal., 1908-08-14
SAUL TRIES TO
KILL DAVID
Sunday School Lesson for Aug. Is, 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper

$500 T'% - @A'tAhS 1880
TIME.-B. c. 1867 tUssher), soon after
the victory over Goliath.
PLACE.-The capital, probably at Gil
beah, Hive or six miges north of Jerusa-
lem.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
David'S victory over Goliath had sey.
eral issues which affected his whole
life.
/. 1t led to the blessed friendship
which bound together the hearts OF
David and Jonathan as With hooks of
steel" Tvs. Ia.
2. 1t led to David's advancement to
the head of the army, and his training
In the arts of war, for the defense OF
his country (v, 81.
3. 1t led to- his long and difficult
training in dealing with men of all
kinds. to ]self-control and wisdom. This
il put last in the story, because of its
connection with Saul, which requires
considerable detail Tvs. SD.
" 9. And Saul eyed David kept
his y on David in suspicion
and dislike."-Int. Crit. Com. We often
speak of jealousy as the g~reen-eyed
icuoICi liz Do Clhobioio ohcV' OhOii
selves more Enthusiastically in the eye.
Envy and Jealousy. l.. They are
most unhappy vices. OF all the pas
siops jealousy is that which exacts the
hardest service and pays the bitterest
wages.-Colton, in Lacon.
g.. They are the fruit of selfishness,
Of making self ones god, ones SUI
preme object of love:
g.. The cure of jealousy is to seek
first the kingdom of God, and test
evrything, not by it's effect on our
selves, but by its power to aid or to
hinder Gods kingdom. He that does
this will rejoice in its coming, even
though it be through others. So John
said of Jesus, He must increase, but
l must decrease"
4. Therefore overcome evil with
good; overcome it In it's very begin
| nings, for there is nothing which
grows so rapidly.
V. 10. The evil spirit from God
came upon Saul" made use of this
malady which opens wide the door for
such Influences, and all evil passions
of the king find easy expression. And
he ~prophesied," that is he went
through the ~frenzies and terrible strug-
giles and commissions which charac-
terized a certain form of prophesying
among the heather very different
from anything done by the Biblical
p%rophets).
An eyewitness, in describing the
Egyptian dervishes, says of the devo-
tees that some writhe in agony, some
swOon, some are in fits, while still
with foaming lips they strive to muir
muir the praise of Allah,"-Gordon
Cumming.
1t survives among the fakirs of In
dia and sheiks, or dervishes, of Mo
hammedanism. They rave" (margin
of T. W, they foam, and throw them
selves into many an unnatural posture.
They become dangerous, not only to
others, but also to themselves when
so frenzied; still, loOkers-on regard
them as performing religious exercises
or prophesying.-Shweir, Mount Leb-
anon, Syria.
First Attempt to Murder David, ".
II. Saul cast the javelin,' or short
spear. Twice did David escape by his
agility.
Second Attempt to Kill David, v. 10.
Saul sent David away and made him a
colonel of a regiment:
Ostensibly, to promote David, and
conquer the kings enemies.
Really that David might be slain by
the Philistines.
The result was to bring out David's
virtues more conspicuously.
After this Saul tried to make David
disaffected, by refusing to keep his
promise to make him his son-in-law;
and again through the love of his
daughter for David.
A Hero in Trial. - VS.. 1916.
% V. IA. David behaved himself
wisely" prudently, skillfully, with all
the wisdom of goodness and love.
There was no treachery in him. He
learned self-control and grew in wis
dom and knowledge and grace.
CD One of the sources of this wis
dom was in his singleness of heart.
his devotion to right and duty at any
cost, absolute u~nSelhShneSS.
The wisest course in time of danger
is to do faithfully our daily duty, and
leave our case with God"
Cd And the Lord was with him"
The Lord is with everyone as far as he
is willing to receive him, and yields
to his guidance. All past experience
in serving and loving God, every act of
faithfulness and love, every good habit
formed. every victory over selfshness,
every sincere prayer, every act of con-
secration to God, in all the past life,
is a preparation for receiving and
using the presence of God. The better
instruments we become, the more per-
fectly can we and will we be guided
by our Heavenly Father, into all truth,
into the wisest actions, into the fullest
life.
(4.) When We are wise and faith
full and the Lord is with us, Their all
things. all trials, all difficulties, all
sorrows, all opportunities, all infu-
ences, good or bad, are compelled to
work together for good.
CD V. 16. "All Israel and Judah
loved David" And this was preparing
the way for a successful reign when
the time came. David was social, not
conceited, went among the people as
n of them. The power to win love
is n of Gods greatest gifts. But only
the loving, the unselflsh, the pure in
heart and purpose can wiald n in tho