The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-04-28
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES
Side Lights on Next Sundays
Lesson for Teachers and Pupils
Edited by Charles X. Meyers.

of David and King Saul in the days Of
eleven hundred years before Chris:
was born. Those who have been III
touch with the previous lessons know
that Saul was the first king of the Is
raelites; that while starting out well
as king he soon fell into ways OF dis
obedience to Gods EXPRESSED CON-
mands, and so his power and influence
as the head of affairs began to wane.
4 In cattle with the enemies OF his peo-
pie, the Philistines, Saul was greatly
aided in their overthrow by young
shepherd lad, David, who killed the
leading Philistine. Goliath. Saul saw
that such young man was useful III
his Kingdom and SO asked him to be-
come Il member of his household. Saul
made David general or leader over
the army. Such was his popularity
that Saul finally became jealous OF the
young man, degraded him in rank, but
the young man acted wisely as the
Lord was with him. Saul finally be-
gan to fear David, but did not dare
send him away from the army, but to
hold him to the fortunes Of the King
gave his daughter, Michal, for wife.
Envy, hate, dislike, fast breeds plans
for Kidding the supposed offending one
from places of influence, and finally
plots for death. The opening verse OF
of the 18th chapter OF |. Samuel re-
lates that Saul told Jonathan, his sen
ara servants, that they should kill
David. At this point comes into the
limelight the remarkable bible char
acter, Jonathan. While the son of
! Saul and thus it might de presumed
possessed OF his hatreds and loves, he
appears as one OF marked individual
ity of makeup. Jonathan had taken
most extraordinary love and friend
ship for David, and was ready even to
sacrifice his life and ambitions on be-
half OF the one on whom he had be-
slowed his affections. In the lesson
!. of today and the next Sabbath the
friendship OF Jonathan has prominent
Fart.
1t takes nerve frmness Of charac-
ter, to come right out in the open
against known prejudice on behalf of
a friend or a cause. Most of us try
to shape our way along the lines OF
least resistance, but Jonathan was not
built that way when he saw that in
Justice was about to be done. Despite
the fact that he had been told to kill
Iaavid, he went to Saul and made an
argument on behalf OF his friend which
might have cost him his life, from the
enraged father. Jonathan reminded
Saul that David had been most useful
in the overthrow OF the Philistines;
that in all things he had acted rightly
end fairly and begged him not to take
innocent blood without cause. Such
was the earnestness OF his appeal,
Saul relented and with an oath call
ing God to witness declared Gle shall
not be slain" The example OF Jona-
than is worthy of following. David
was thus returned to the seeming fav-
or OF King Saul and ate with him and
played the harp in his presence. The
sight of the young man and noting
that he was growing in favor with the
people caused a return OF the old hat
red, and one day Saul set about to
himself end the life of David by hurl.
ing at him the great javelin held in his
hand. David saw the act in time to
move himself quickly and tie blade
went into the wall and not through
his body. Saul was SO intent on now
ending the life Of tie young man that
ne had him pursued to his home and
surrounded, and escape was only made
through the deceptive work done by
his wife, Michal. David made escape
to the home of Samuel, and there Saul
went with deadly intent, but was IN
able to reach his prey.
There first stands out in this les.
son the friendship OF Jonathan to
David. Even when reminded by his
father that the popularity OF David
meant that he might not succeed to
the kingship he did not falter in de-
votion Jonathan remained faithful to
his side. but nevertheless held to the
purity Of the life of David. Next Sun
day we shall see what he did.
Saul as the devout servant OF God
would have loved such young man
as David, but as rebellious against
God, he hated him for the very purity
OF his life. Some OF the most. deadly
hatreds are those which come from
dislike of those whose very presence
4 convince one Of wrong doing and sin.
Bad men and women are not happy iii
the presence of those whose life am
billions are pure. In such cases it does
not take. long to make UP reasons why
the pure one is in the wrong, corrupt,
deceitful, full of hypocrisy, and ac-
cordingly to form hatred. This frame
of mind should be. resisted Be}man-
1y and right seeing enough to acknowl-
edge where the fault lies, reform
yourself to do good, and the hatred for
others will go away This dislike for
Cody people is with us all the time;
if We are in sinful ways. Their pres
encc is reproach to us, with them
we have nothing in common. Tie
fault is in truth with ourselves.
There is nothing in the bible record
to show David did ever ought but
good to Saul. Although chased from
place to place by the king, yet he did
not seek his life, but in fact saved it,
wheh Saul went to sleep in the fore
part of q cave in which David was hid
ing. In ]. Sam. "a, after David showed
Saul how he had him in his power and
yetcspared his life Saul made this con-
fession, "Thou art more righteous than
I; thou hast rewarded me good, where
as | have rewarded thee evil" This
was one of the great trllmphs of the
life of David. Such triumphs car
come to everyone, il they refuse to re-
turn evil for evil. but the rather give
kindness for bad treatment. 1t IS
an awfully hard thing to do, but in di-
rect proportion as we Go, we become