Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-06-02
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR JUNE s
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text Of the Lesson. III sam. Nj, ID To
MI, 1a-Mcmory Verses MI, >, u,
IA. Golden Text, rs. III, f0-Com-
mcntary Prepared by Rev. ID. VI.
StcnrnS.

/ Instead of assigning W. Il helpful les
| son, such rs chapter wifi. which we
briefly touched upon in our last. or the
{ beautiful story of Davids kindness 10
the son Of Jonathan tchapter ixl. the
/ committee has given lis in this lesson
one of the worst phases of the human
heart. which is always and only de-
ceitful above all things and desperately
wicked (Ier. xvii, o. 10. He who alone
knows and can search the heart has
| caused this and all similar records to
/ be written that we might see more
clearly that all are sinners and that
there is none righteOus-no. not one
but that Jesus Christ came into the
world TO save sinners and that the
| greatest sinner may he saved and the
/ greatest backSider forgiven and re-
stored. To find such development OF
our sinful human nature in such a
man as David after all that the Lord
had done for him is truly humiliating
and should lead us all to say, Woe Is
me- for who is there TO whom the
| prophet might not say concerning this
or some other phase OF our sinful ma
ture, Thou art the man" (xil, a.
When we remember that 1.-The thought
of foolishness is sin" and that Il sinful
look is in the sight of God equal TO a
sinful act prov. xiv. 8; Matt. V, 2S)
and that. as G. III. Sturgeon said,
Whatever the Lord Jesus Christ
would not think or say or do is sim" II
leads one to cry out, God be merciful
to me, Il sinner" and to say. IF thou.
| Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, .
| Lord. who shall stand?" luke xviii.
| IL; Ps. cXxX, 3. H. But the comfort is
that He can make the vilest whittier
than snow 0Ps. H. y. 1t Is interesting
TO note that, while the child yet lived,
David TASTED and wept and lay all
night upon the earth, for he said
"Who can tell whether God will be
gracious 10 me, that the child may
liveT" But when the child died and
the will of God was known then he
said: Wherefore should fast? Can
| bring him back again? | shall go
To him, but he shall not return 10 me"
oversees 15-23l When those dear TO us
will of God is for them and us it be
comes us to wait earnestly upon Him
for their health. but always in sub
mission TO His will When He has
made plain His will whatever II may
be. II becomes Us To say, Even so, Fa-
Their" for we know that las for God.
His way Is perfect" Matt. xi. 2G; Ps
. haN
the two names OF Bathsheba's uext
child. Solomon and Jedidiah. The lat
ter. rs i'm the margin, signifies "be-
loved of the Lord for the Lord loved
him and sent by the hand Of Nathan
10 name him. The Lord called him
Solomon before he was born, saying
to David. Behold, a son shall be born
TO thee who shall be man OF
rest. and | Will give peace and
quietness unto Israel i'm his days" Il
Chron. xii. -. He said. His name
shall lie Solomon" which, according
To the margin, means ''peaceable."
There are just seven men in the Bible
story who were named before they
were born-fve in the Old Testament
the others and consider them. Let us
give the rest of our time to the very
suggestive story of Mephibosheth In
chapter tx.
When David came to the kingdom he
made inquiry for any who might be
living Of the house of Saul that he
might show them kindness for iona
than's sake. He found that there was
son of Jonathan who was lame on
both feet. his nurse having let him
fall when he was five years old as she
took him up to flee with him at the
time OF his fathers death QI Sam. iy,
A.. His being lame because OF the
fault OF another reminds us that the
whole race Is lame on both feet be-
cause Adam let us all fall. He was at
this time at I.o-debar. which signifies
no pasture. and that Is where all sin
ners are His name also signifies the
condition Of every sinner David sent
TO where he was and brought him into
his presence, and Mephibosheth fell on
his face and did reverence. SO the
sinner when brought face to face with
the Saviour that IL by faith feels like
saying IA Peter did when overwhelm-
ed with loving kindness, Il am sim
full man, O Lord duke V, g.. David's
restoring to him all that he had for
feited because Of Saul reminds us that
all we lost in Adam and more Is given
back 10 Ms in Christ and all in grace
for His names sake.
How beautiful to see Mephibosheth
dwelling In Jerusalem and eating con-
tinually at the kings table, even
though he continued lame ON both his
feet Dix. 13. Every saved sinner Is
privileged to dwell 10y faith In Jeru-
salem, City of Peace. and to feast upon |
the good things provided by the king, |
but while we stay In these mortal
bodies we will never get over our lame
moss lint will have Ia say IN the end !