Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-04-28
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR APRIL Is
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Text of the Lesson, l Sam. XIX, I-12.
Memory Verses, 4, 5-Golden Text,
Prov. xxx, 25-Commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. ID. VI. Stearns.


The work OF the devil Is not a pleas
ont meditation, but Il is necessary that
we should know our great adversary
SO as to successfully resist him. The
topic OF the lesson today Is Saul trying
To Kill David. and ever since Cain
killed Abel the devil has been very
In Heb. ii. IA. as having the powes OF
death but. although he has been per-
mitted To follow his occupation so long
the time will come when he shall be
sent 10 the lake OF fire forever and
there shall be no more death on this
earth REV. Xxx. 10. xxi. 4: Cor. XIV.
POI. Meantime Ii IL the believers priv
ilege 10 be delivered from fear Of
death and from all bondage in connec-
ton herewith Matt. X, %: Heb. II.
10, All envy nd jealousy and strife
are also of the devil and should not be
tolerated in Il believer JAS. iii. 14-16:
Eph. Nv. 80. 81.
Although chapter xix or part of IL
is our lesson chapter, we must look at
xviii for the connection. The first four
verses of chapter xviii are thrillingly
beautiful in their assurance and mani
festation Of the love OF Jonathan and
David, but we shall come TO that topic
in our next lesson. After Davids vic
tory over Goliath Saul set him over
the men OF war. and he was accepted
in the sight Of all the people, and the
women sang his praises, magnifying
him much more than Saul xviii. so.
This made Saul angry and jealous. and
twice he tried 10 kill David with
javelin. but each time David escaped
xviii. SID. While God may allow His
saints 10 be sOrely tried, prosecuted
and even slain. no real evil can befall
them, for in the resurrection they shall
be as manifestly without injury as
were Daniels friends when they came
out of the furnace or Daniel himself
when he came out OF the lions den.
Because the Lord was manifestly
with David and he behaved himself
wisely tor prospered xviii. 3. IA. mar
GIN Saul became afraid OF him. re-
moved him from being head Of the
army and made him captain over
thousand. But all Israel and judah
loved David xviii. l2-l6). The rest
of chapter xviii tells how Saul sought
to get rid of him by subtlety: but. fail
ing in that scheme, he became David's
continual enemy. Chapter xix opens
with command To Jonathan and to all
the servants that they should kill Da-
vid but Jonathan advised him 10 hide
a little while until he could talk with
his father The result of this inter.
view was that Saul swore to Jonathan
that David should not be slain. so Jon
athan brought him back. and he was
In Saufs presence as In times past
Xix. 10. So far so good. but u man
liable TO give way to an evil spirit at
any moment cannot be trusted. How
sadly suggestive the opening words OF
verse 3. And there was war again"
So 1t has been. and so 1t shall be until
the devil is removed from the earth
and the air. and the whole age in
which we are now living is described
by our Lord as a time of wars and ru-
mors of wars, famines. pestilences and
earthquakes Matt. xiv. q. -. but the
time will come when the nations shall
learn war no more. for He who alone
is able to do IL will make wars to
cease unto the end OF the earth
In the war with the Phiistines Da-
vid was victorious again and slew
,;tl he
Lord wrought another great salvation
for all Israel verses 3, 81 But there
was war again in Sauls heart and
home, for the evil spirit was yielded
to, envy and anger had control, and
the javelin almost did its deadly work
with David verses 8. 10). Again the
Lord was his shield and deliverer. and
the weapon did not prosper Qsa. liv.
10. AS some one has said, the devil
Is very persistent. and so David had
not much peace. Now he seeks to
kill David i'm his own house. and his
deliverer. helping him to make his es-
cape through a window and putting an
image In his bed, for when she said to
the messengers that he was sick Saul
then sent TO bring him on his bed
Saul was so angry when he found how
his daughter had deceived him that he
spake OF killing her verses HID.
What fearful control of Saul the dew
II did obtain. And 1t Is so still that II
the Spirit OF God is resisted the ad-
versary comes In with great power. II
people will not receive the truth God
allows them TO receive a lie Oh Thess.
II. 1912. David, seeing himself 80
persistently prosecuted. fed to his
friend Samuel at his home In Ramah,
and they both went and dwelt in Nal
9th. Three times Saul sent to take
him there. but each time the Spirit of
God hindered and even took hold OF
Saul himself as he went after him
oversees 1924. We have a right to sing
from the heart: III God be for us who
can be against us?" The Lord Is my
light and my salvation Whom shall I |