The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-04-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson ll.--Second Quarter, For
April II, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of tho Lesson, I Sam. xvi, Ats.
Memory Verses, II, ts-colden Text,
Sam. xvi 7-commsntary Prepared
by Rev. o. N. Stsarns.

! sam. xvi, 7-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. o. N. Stsarns.
le Is certainly restful to be In the
hands of Him who worketh all things
after the counsel of His own will (Eph.
!, I'D and who says, ~ will work, and
VINO shall let It" (hinder, or turn back)
llsa. Kill, lS), provided we have no
VIII or our own In the matter. Even
samuel seems not to have been fully
one with the Lord concerning Saul, for
he continued to mourn for him after
the Lord had rejected him, SO that the
Lord had to say to him, How long
wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing
have rejected him from relgning over
lsraelg When we can say, Even SO,
Father" Just and true are thy ways"
because We are certain that "As for
God, His way is perfect" Matt xi. 26;
Rev. XIV. 3; Ps. will, 3O), we have en-
tered upon a restful life. Then It's
continuance depends upon our living
In the perfect will Of God moment by
moment. Note the messages to Sam
uel in verses 1-S: II will send thee to
Jesse. I have provided me a king. l
will show thee what thou shalt do.
Anoint unto Me him whom l name
unto thee" This left nothing for Sam
uel but simple obedience to Him who
was managing.
But Samuel had an objection, "If
Saul hear 1t he will kill me-" The
Lord Quieted him. and matters pro-
ceeded, and Samuel did that which the
Lord spake and came to Bethlehem to
meet Jesse and his sons (verses 4, 81.
The elders Of the town seemed to re-
gard Samuel almost as God Himself
or they must have had very guilty con-
sciences, for they trembled at his COM
ing until assured that he came peace
ably. Those who are walking with
God need have no fear of visit from
man of God nor of the coming of the
Lord Himself, for 1t is possible so to
abide that We shall net be ashamed
before Him at His coming q John II,
2S). Having called Jesse and his sons,
Samuel thought that he saw in Ellab a
ft successor to Saul. but the Lord told
him not to look ON his outward appear
ance (verses 8, y. When we consider
Ehab's contemptuous and uncalled for
treatment Of David a little later xvii,
2S) we do not wonder that the Lord
refused him, for He knew what was
in man John ii, 25). Seven of Jesses
sons passed before Samuel, all who
had come to meet him, but the Lords
choice was not among them, so that
Samuel had to ask, "Are here all thy
children?" Then he learned that the
youngest had been left at home to keep
the sheep. and Samuel said, Send and
fetch him. for we will not sit down
till he come hither" oversees S-11).
am interested to know how David
felt that day when left at home and
all the other brothers went to meet
Samuel, for, knowing what We do of
David, we can easily imagine that he
would be more desirous to meet Sam
uel than any Of his brothers would,
even though there might be nothing
especially for him in it. Some. day In
the kingdom we may talk with him
about that particular day. l never
read or write this story or think about
It that 1 do not rejoice to see the
Lords way in 1t. The young man left
at home because he was seemingly Of
no account on this great occasion, and
then all the older brothers set aside
and compelled to wait till he came,
and then to see Samuel take the horn
of oil and anoint him in the midst Of
his brethren.
think l can hear Eliab say to some
of his brothers as they went home
ward, "The old prophet must be in his
dotage" There is nothing to 1t, for
they did not hear the Lord say to Sam
uel, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he'
(verses II, 49,. The comfort l get from
1t Is that the Lord looketh on the
heart, not on the outward appearance,
and when he wants you for any work
He will find you and get you there in
spite of all obstacles. 1t is ours to keep
quietly on minding our sheep, like Da-
vid or Moses: thrashing our wheat.
like Gideon; plowing, like Elisha; doing
housework, like Mary OF Nazareth;
mending nets, like Peter and John, or
whatever else is our regular Occupa-
ton. The Spirit of the Lord came upon
David, but departed from Saul because
of Saul's failure to obey Q3, 14). God
allows us 20 choose, and If we choose
the evil anHnot the good we have no
one to blame but ourselves.
BY the advice of Saups servants he
sought some one to quiet him when
the evil spirit was upon him, and they
recommended David. the son of Jesse,
as a cunning player on the harp. q
valiant man Of war, prudent man, a
comely man, and they also said that
the Lord was with him oversees 1928.
Being sent for, Saul loved him greatly
and made him his armor bearer. How
strange 1t all seems! God moves in a
mysterious way. What a wonderful
chapter! How can we refrain from
saying, lord. take control of me and
all my affairs and work out in and
through me all thy good pleasure" 1t
would seem that Jesse was an old man
at this time. and his family consisted
of eight sons and two daughters xvii
IL: Chron. II, 10, but Davids moth
er's name is not given.
The whole story is an illustration Of
the truth of Eph. II, 10, that God has
the. life and service of His redeemed
all Manned beforehand and will work