The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1908-07-23
SAUL REJECTED
BY THE LORD
Sunday School Lesson Tor Jsly 70. 1905
Specially Prepared for This Paper
Specially Prepared for This Paper

| Memory Verse. 81.
| GOLDEN TEXT-'The Lord our God
will serve, and his voice will we obey"
| Joshua 2424
T1ME.-About 1919 B. C. Ussher, about
| rs years after Saul began to reign. The
| Revised Chronologes place II later.
| PLACE.-Gilgal in the Jordan valley.
| Both reflections were at this place Saul's
capital was Gibeah of Benjamin five or
| six miles north of Jerusalem The re-
| ligious center was at Shiloh, IS miles
| north of Jerusalem.
| PERSONS. Samuel at Ramah. over 20
years of age. Saul holding court at Gil
beah, about so years old. Jonathan,
| Saul's son, young prince, able to go TO
| war
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
In our last lesson we left Saul well
established on his throne, with wise
counsellor in Samuel. Several years
were spent in organizing the army, ar
ranging the government, in resisting
the encroachments of the Philstines,
and in various victorious campaigns in
selfdefense against the surrounding
nations. Saul showed himself to be a
skillful general, and proved that he
had In him the possibilities of a great
king. Only the warlike Philistines
were able to resist him and his peo-
pie, and these were very troublesome
| and oppressive. There are hints of a
royal court, and those kingly exactiOns
of which Samuel had forewarned the
people Compare l Sam Sill with
Sam. IA: so.
The Long Waiting-In their des-
perate circumstances neither king nor
people dared make a move without the
sanction of God Samuel had agreed
to come within seven days and offer
sacrifices and make known the will of
God. Six days had gore, and the sew
enth day was passing, yet no Samuel
appeared. To commander like Saul,
who saw his army melting away like
snow in spring, and knew that the
enemy might swoop down upon them
at any hour like the eagle from his
eyrie, or the wolf upon the fold; that
every moments delay weakened his
own forces and strengthened the en-
emy-such a delay was almost intoler
able. The temptation was very strong
| to be his own priest, to offer the Offer
| ings, contrary to Gods law and his
| agreement with Samuel, and press In
to action. He yielded to the temptation
at the last moment, and offered the
burnt offerings.
, The Sudden Appearance of Samuel.
The prophet had delayed his COM
| ing probably on purpose to test Saul,
or he may have been unavoidably de-
tanned.
Suddenly he appeared on the scene.
Saul had failed in the hour of trial.
He did not trust God. He openly be-
| fore Ill the people disobeyed a clear
| commandment of God. Samuel an
nounced the consequences to the king.
The kingdom could not continue in his
| family, nor reach it's highest success
under him. A portion of his posi-
| bilities was lost; only 1.-The second
best" remained to him. But he was
not deposed; other opportunities were
open to him. Possibly he might re-
trieve what was lost If he would.
A powerful nomadic tribe roaming
over southern Palestine and the desert
beyond, even as far as Sinai and the
Egyptian frontier-the Amalekites-
were a continual danger to Israel and
to all that Israel stood for in the
| progress of the world. Descended from
Esau's grandson, Amalek a fierce, I'M
tamable race Of wanderers, Israel's
most harassing and unconquerable
enemies, these fierce marauders "con-
stantly lowered on the borders,
| ha
| lowed in the rear, like Tartar hordes,
pillaging and massacring, and as the
Israelites had no cavalry, retreated
without loss to the security of their
deserts"
The Command.-Under Saul for the
first time, the nation was strong
enough to assume the aggressive.
Samuel brought a commandment OF
the Lord to Saul that he should utter
ly destroy them and all their posses
sions, as one would destroy wild beasts
and poisonous serpents, or any rob
bers that were running homes, ravish-
Ing wives and daughters, corrupting
morals and religion.
Why was this right?
For the same reason that 1t is right
to punish criminals In all wars. in
all punishments of criminals, their
wives and their children suffer great
". 1t is not the fault of the executors
of the law, but the fault of those who
break the law, and bring all these sor-
rows upon their families.
An Ancient Testimony.-"Such OF
the wicked as escape immediate pun
ishment receive, not after long time,
but during a long time, not slower,
but longer punishment. Such an one
is kept in life as in prison that has
no outlet or mode of escape; yet he
may enjoy frequent feasts. may tran
sact business, may receive presents
and kindnesses, like the men who play
with dice, or at draughts in prison,
with the rope hanging over their
heads. "-Plutarch, in The Delay OF
Divine Justice"