Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-04-21
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR APRIL IS
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text of the Lesson, ! Sam. XVII. So
81, Memory Verse, 45-Golden
Text, Rom. VII. 31-Commentary
Prepared by Rev. ID. VI. Stcarns.

j scriDes the state Of affairs at the open
/ ing OF this lesson oversees 10. 20. 36).
/ have just read in the papers of u
deficit Ia each OF two mission boards OF
over $25OSuO and of one denomination
/ that has lost 100000 members in six
/ years Does there seem TO he any
] parallel. and ii 50 where is the David
for the OCCASION We have reason to
thank God for Il man like Rev. William
1 Sunday. who is rescuing more souls
/ from the hands of the enemy and Stay.
! Ing more giants than any other man
in America today MAY. 1910. as far
/ as We are able to judge. because he
! has learned how 10 sling stones with
| deadly aim in the name OF the living
/ God. We cannot but thank God also
/ for such witness as Daniel Crawford.
/ from the heart of Africa. who has been
/ standing for the living God before the
! preachers and students and hundreds
of thousands OF the people of our land.
! Oh. for more such Davids and Daniels!
| Who is willing To he another such?
/ How pitiful TO see the men OF Israel
sore afraid and fleeing from one def
ant PhiliStine. Verse % The words
Of Joshua are applicable, 80 Lord.
what shall ! say when Israel turneth
their backs before their enemiesf"
! Josh. vii. 81
DaTid, the shepherd boy. OF no ac-
count IN the eyes OF his brethren. found
this condition Of things when he came
TO the camp. sent by his father To see
how his brethren Jared and To bring
them some good things from home
VERSES 1918. he having returned from
being Saui's armor bearer TO feed his
fathers sheep ut Bethlehem. Eliab.
his eldest brother. misjudged him and
spoke unkindly to him. but he meekly
replied, Is there not Il cause? VERSES
%. 29I David's inquiry as TO why
! this man should be allowed To defy
God and reproach Israel was told to
Saul. and he sent for David. and he
said to Saul: Let no mans heart fail
because OF him. Thy servant will 20
and fight with this Phiiistine The
Lord that delivered me out of the paw
OF the lion aud out of the paw OF the
bear, He will deliver me out OF his
hand Oversees 32-37l.
Saul armed David with his armor-
his helmet. his coat Of mail and his
sword (what snapshot that would
have made ?l--but he could not go thus,
FOR he had not proved il. So he put il
all OFF him. and with his sling and FIVE
smooth stones. which he knew how to
use, and with his staff I'm his hand he
went forth TO meet the giant. the great
mass Of disappearing flesh and blood
VERSES 3S-40. The giant disdained
him and cursed him, which is about
the way that flesh always acts toward
the spirit. or mocks. as IShmael did
Isaac verses If. Gen. XXI. 6: Gal.
v, III. How grand are the words Of
David. Il come TO thee I'm the name of
the Lord of hosts. the God OF the
armies OF Israel. whom thou hast de
fed" (verse 40 The invisible God was
much more real to David than this
visible giant. who made Israel to trem-
BILE. He reminds us OF Caleb and
Joshua. to whom giants and walled
cities were nothing. because they saw
and believed God. Moses also endured
as seeing Him who is invisible Most
people, however see the difficulties and
see themselves as graSShoppers fNum.
xiii. 33l.
Then notice David's one desire that
all Israel and all the earth might know
the God whom he knew. the living
God. the God who could deliver from
an actual lion and bear. He had no
thought OF himself nor desire for any
glory for himself. but he honored the
Lord. and the Lord did honor him. ac-
cording to Sam. ii. 80. Ii Is great to
see no man any more save Jesus only
and TO say from the heart: The Lord
is my light and my salvation. Whom
shall | fear?" Mark tx. 8: Ps. xvii. ID
Nothing can he compared TO such a
confidence in God as David had. Now
see him running toward the giant.
placing stone in his sling, and with
prayer TO his God sending Ii I'm the
name Of the Lord OF hosts and for the
honor OF His name. DO you wonder
that 1t went straight and struck hard,
sank into the giants forehead and fell
ed him to the earthf The eyes OF all
the thousands Of Israel and OF the
Philistines were upon David as he ran
to meet his enemy. but he gave that |
no thought. for his eyes were upon !
the livin- God. and Gods eyes were
upon him. according TO II Chron.
xvi. o.
David had no weapon. so he ran and /
stood upon the giant Cant you see
hlmO and. taking the giants sword.
cut of his head and carried IL away I'm
triumph. first TO Saul and then to Jeru-
salem. He took the giants armor also
verses 1859 This was al written
for your benefit and mine that we
might learn TO Ice strong I'm the Lord
and In the power Of His might do
hot understand how neither Saul nor
The captain OF his host knew who Da-