The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-04-08
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson ll.-SeGond Quarter, For
April II, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

"iSH'S' 80 S-Sy ~ Io--SSiuGsi ENt
| Sam. xvi, 7--Coa1menrary Prepared
by Rev. D. NJ. Stearns.
1t is certainly restful to be in the
hands Of Him who worketh all things
after the counsel of His own will (Eph.
i, IL and who says, Il will work, and
who snail let it, (hinder, or turn back
lisa. xiii, 49,, provided we have no
will of our own i'll the matter Even
Samuel seems not to have been fully
one with the Lord concerning Saul, for
he continued to mourn for him after
the Lord had rejected him, SO that the
Lord had to say 10 him, How long
wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing
have rejected him from reigning over
Israeli When we can say, Even SO,
Father Just anu true are tiny ways"
because we axe certain that As fOr
Cod His way is perfect" Matt. vi, %;
Rev. Ky, .; Is. vii, GOJ, We have en-
tered upon Il Iestiu life. Then it,
continuance depends upon our living
in the perfect viii OF God moment by
moment. Note the messages to sam
uel in verses Is: i viii send lhee to
Jesse. l have provided me Il E.ng
will show thee what thou shalt DO.
Anoint unto Ne him whom l name
unto thee" This left nothing for sam
Tel but simple Obedience to Him who
WAS managing.
But Samuel had an objection, II
Saul hear it lie viii kill me" The
Lord quoted him, and matters pro
ceeded. and Samuel did that which the
Lord spake ana came 70 Bethlehem to
meet Jesse and his SOUS (vcrScs i. 81.
The elders Of the town seemed TO re-
gard Samuel almost as God Himself
or they must have had very guilty con
sciences. for they trembled ut his com
ing until assured thar he came peace
ably. Those who are walking with
God need have no fear Of visit from
a man Of God nor Of the coming of the
Lord Himself, for it is possible so tn
abide that we shall not be ashamed
before Him ut His coming q John ii,
2S) Having called Jesse and his sons.
Samuel Thought that he saw in Eliab
fit successor to Saul. but the Lord told
him not to look on his outward appear
ance Oversees 6, =. When We consider
Eiiab's contemptuOus and uncuiied for
treatment Of David little later CXyii,
2SJ we do not wonder That the Lord
refused him, for lie knew what was
in man (John ii, 20. Seven of Jcssc's
sons passed before Samuel, all who
had come to meet him, but the Lords
choice was not among them, 50 that
Samuel had to ask. Are here ali thy
children: Then he learned that the
youngest had been left at home to keep
the sheep, and Samuel said, Send and
fetch him, for we will not sit down
till he come hither' oversees SID.
l am interested to know how David
felt that day when left at home and
all the other brothers went to meet
Samuel, for. knowing what we do CT
David, We can easily imagine that lie
would be more DESTROYS to meet Sam
uel than any Of his brothers would.
even though there might be nothing
especially for him in it. Some day ia
the kingdom we may talk with hiM
about that particular day. ! never
read or write this story or think about
it that | do not rejoice to see the
Lords way in it. The young man left
at home because he was seemingly OF
no account on this great occasion, and
then all the older brothers set aside
and compelled to wait till he came,
and then to see Samuel take the horn
of oil and anoint him in the midst Of
his brethren.
l think | can hear Eliab say TO some
of his brothers as they went home
ward, The old prophet must be in his
dotage" There is nothing to it, fol
they did not hear the Lord say to Sam.
uel, arise, anoint him, for this is he
Oversees -, 49,. The comfort l get from
it is that the Lord lOoketh on the
heart, not on the outward appearance
and when he wants you for any work
He will find you and get you there il
spite of all obstacles. 1t is ours to keer
quietly on minding our sheep, like Da
yid or Moses: thrashing our wheat
like Gideon; blowing, like Elisha; doing
homework. like Mary Of Nazareth
mending nets, like Peter and John, OF
whatever else is our regular OccUpa-
ton. The Spirit of the Lord came upon
David, but departed from Saul because
of Saurs fixture to obey Q3, IA. God
allows us to choose, and if we choose
the evil and not the good we have no
one to blame but ourselves.
BY the advice of Saul's servants he
sought some one to quiet him when
the evil spirit was upon him, and they
recommended David, the son of Jesse,
as a cunning player on the harp, a
valiant man of war; a prudent man,
comely man. and they also said that
the Lord was with him Oversees 1928.
Being sent for. Saul loved him greatly
and made him his armor bearer. How
strange It all seems! Cod moves in
mysterious way What a wonderful
chapter. How can we refrain from
saying, Lord. take control of n.y. d
all my affairs and work out in ANA
through me all thy good pleasure" /.
would seem that Jesse was an Old man
at thi time. and his family consisted
of eigl. sons and two daughters xvii.
70; | Chron. ii. 1Gl. but David's moth