The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-03-17
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson XII.-First Quarter, For
March 21, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, ! Sam. xiv, 1.13.
Memory Verse, 7-GoIden Text, Rom.
xiii, 12-commentary Prepared BY
Rev. D. M. Stearns.
Our first Introduction to Jonathan.
the son of Saul. IL in chapter Kill. >.
where We find him the captain Of d
thousand men shifting garrison Of the
Philistines and thus melting them to
gather against Israel in numbers a.
the sand which IL on the seashore
xiii. 3-n. causing many in Israel to
hide wherever they couid-in caves.
rocks. high places and in pits and to
fee over Jordan. while those with
Saul followed him with trembling. II
was sad indeed and reproach to God
to have His people In such distress.
hut the fault was wholly with them.
Let us lay 1t to heart that when be-
levers are cast down or overck1e In.
stead of victorious it Is rerruuch to
our God.
Samuel had instructed Saul to wait
Mt Gilgal seven days until he should
! come and offer sacrifices ;aId show him
what to do (chapter <. 81. Saul waited
|. seven days. but not quite the full time.
! and. as be said. forced himself and Of
| fered the burnt offering. and just as
Re had finished Samuel came md re-
I proved him and told him that his king
dom would not continue. but that the
Lord had sought Him man after His
own heart tchapter xiii. S-I4,. Did
|. you ever wait all but the time that
would have brought the person or thin.
ycu expected and then grow restless
and just missed it? II so you can prob
ably sympnthiZe somewhat with Saul.
But next tine wait more patiently and
the full time. for. though he tarry. He
will surely come in the fullDess of time.
, whether 1t he for some deliverance In
your daily life or to the mir for us all.
Jonathan Is one of the most beanti.
: ful Of all the characters In the Bible
and his love for David one Of the most
beautiful Of l0ve StUripS--a rare man
indeed. seemingly raised UP by God ~
, be true friend and comfort to David.
} But we shall meet him again in our
J studies. In our lesson verses be Is a
) real hero and. with his armor bearer.
starts a wonderful deliverance for Ia.
rael. His reliance was on the Lord
and his courage most UNUSUAL. for
what could two men expect to do? He
must have remembered Deut. XXI. 80.
and the assurance that one should
chase q thousand and two put ten
thousand to flight. for hear him en-.
courage his nrmor bearer with the
, words. 1T may be that the Lord will
work for US. for there is no restraint
to the Lord to save by many or by
few" (verse o.. 1t may have been that
he thought Of the great deliverance by
Gideon's three hundred (Judg. vii. 4. u.
and possibly Asa long afterward was
encouraged by the remembrance OF
Jonathan I'll Chron. xiv. III. ] have
been personally strengthened and en-.
couraged by each Of these records and
expect some day in the kingdom to
have good fellowship with Gideon and
Jonathan and Asa und lots Of Others
whose records have greatly helped me.
Jonathan's helper must have had the
same spirit as his master and greatly
helped him with his good words. do
all that Is in thine heart: behold. am
with thee according to thy heart"
(verse u. They sought guidance OF
the Lord and received the token they
asked for II He would have them 90
forward verses 10. 12'. 80 they brave
ly scaled the rocks. just these two. and
the Lord wrought victory and fought
with them by great earthquake
Nerses 1916. When Saul and bis men
heard Of the battle and the noise OF
victory they, with those who had been
IN hiding. took part In the defeat OF the
PhiliStineS. and 80 the Lord saved Is
rael that day" (verses 1929 The rest
of chapter xiv tells Of what looks like
a great mistake Of Saul's. which caus-
ed much trouble and but for the inter-
ference Of the people oh behalf of JON
athan might have resulted in bis death.
Saul had evidently begun to so astraE.
as shown in his not waiting the full
time appointed by Samuel and also IN
his receiving no answer from God
when he asked counsel Of Him.
: When one has ceased to be controlled
by God there is no knowing what he
may do. for If God IS not controlling
1t Is the devil. Even In the record OF
,, Simon Peter when he testified Of our
Lord. "Thou art the Christ. the Son of
the living God" Jesus said. My Fa-
ther who is in heaven revealed that to
thee" In the same chapter 1t Is re-
| hol k1 fn him