The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-03-31
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES
Side Liahts on Next Sundays
Lesson for Teachers and Pupils
Edited by Charles X. Meyers.

April Saul Rejected by the Lord.
IgSam. is. Easter Lesson. Matt %,
ITO.
While the principal thing to be
spoken OF this week is the great
4 thought of the resurrection of Jesus
from the dead, yet it is well to devote
the opening paragraph of the talk to
Z, the portion u the Jewish history
found in the 18th of / Samuel. 1t will
be remembered that Saul, low1y
farm boy, was chosen by God to be the
first king of the Israelites. At first
he was humble and submissive to the
commands of God as made known by
the prophet, Samuel. In time he be.
came arrogant toward God, and not
ready to fulfil to the letter what had
been told him. At the conclusions OF
one of his numerous wars Saul and
the people saved some OF the best OF
the cattle and goods for grand spec
tacle of conquest. They planned in
the end to use the cattle in great
sacrifcial offering of victory. This
might seem to be natural and there
be nothing wrong about it, but it APP
peared that definite instructions We're
given Saul not to do this thing and
that he knew he was disobeying when
the return was made with the cattle.
Samuel met him on the way home. He
was asked as to the presence OF the
immense herds. Saul knowing what
he had done, and wishing for an ex-
cuse, reported that the people spared
the best OF the sheep and oxen to sac
Al. y@tN fh0
answer Of Samuel:
Hath the Lord as great delight
in burnt offerings and sacrifices
us in obeying the voice of the
Lord? Behold, to obey is better
than sacrifice, and to hearken than
the fat of rams.
Thus was declared one of the most
important truths of the Old Tesla
ment. Towering above all forms and
ceremonies is the need to obey the
essential commands of God. There
was rebellion in the heart of Saul
when he brought back the spoils of
war, there was cowardice there when
lie tried to put off on the soldiers
what had been done. He was prompt
ly told that the Kingdom would be TAX
Ell from him and his family for dis
obedience.
We turn with JOY to talk for time
of the celebration of Easter and what
the rising from the dead means to
each one of us. 1t is needless to dwell
at length on the events of that Yon-
derful morning when Mary and the
women went early in the morning at
ter the Jewish sabbath to the sepul-
cllre where Jesus had been laid after
His cruciffxion, to annoint the body
with preserving oils, and thus show
their love for the Master. The account
in Mark chosen for the lesson tells
how the angel of the Lord came down
in the night and rolled away the great
stone before the door of the enclosure,
and so when the women came the
gfava was open and they could look
in and enter if they wished. This
they did and an angel proclaimed to
them and to the world those remark
able words, "HE IS RISEN"
Thus was made known one of the
great events Of all time. Other men
have led religious reforms and died
as martyrs with meekness and resig-
nation, put none nave risen again TO
life on earth. Here was the stamp of
divinity here was one not of the Or
binary kind.
You and / are most vitality interest
ed in the resurrection of Jesus. He
Himself declared, Because l live We
shall live also" Standing on this
promise we have the right to consid-
eT as fac. that everlasting life be-
longs to us that physical death is not
to be dreaded, but is but the opening
to our possession of life free from
sorrow, pain, tears and an enjoyment
of companionship with God Himself,
and the precious loved ones gone be-
fore.
Whatsoever liveth and believeth in
Ne shall never die" said the Savior