The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-03-30
now ONE THRONE WAS LOST.
,b. International Sunday School Les
.on for April 4, Is saul Rejected
bx the Lord Sam. ch. Is.
Nv WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

Not Tor q generation nave people
,.en so ready as today to consider the
aaaIings of God with nations. In all
t.,ds the thoughts Of mankind are
Ring called back by the present crisis
,n the elemental truth OF a Supreme
gsipg. whose purposes are somehow
hsing worked out in human history.
This lesson story OF a trageoy IA
old Israers life will be read with I'M
,,opted interest. For we now are all
eqger to learn the lessons which God
So written in the past for the pres |
"nt what does Jehovah require to- |
sav If nations and their rulers
i handsome big king a the Jews
cot for themselves, in order to be in
the fashion of the times. HEAD ana
sb,plders above his fellows was Saul. |
nat the head was easily turned. The
con- ~ Kish. who at his election was
az modest that ne hid himself among
rho Baggage had become a thorough
nnnvert to the doctrine Of the divine
rights of kings. He felt himself com
natent 10 revise the mandates of Gods
nrophet, and the will OF the L1ord
himself. Probably Saul would nave
fnund our own times ~cOngenial, for
Ue are nowadays particularly fond OF
disnissing, with a wave of the hand,
ol nf the law of God which does not
please out fancy. A popular pastlme
is 10 sit in easy Judgment upon the
Judgment of
Wi.en the Powerful PatrOnize o
The Golden Text of the Old Testa-
nent. found in this chapter. is the key
an whole story: Beloved, to obey is
hetter than sacrifice" Many men in
our day are patronizing the Lord OF
Hosts. paying him compliments, max
ing gifts to his causes, endorsing
church. and speaking favorable words
about the Bible, but not for a ONE
yielding their own lives in obedience
fallen INTO the blunder Of King Saul,
being. like him, so s~elf-infiated hat
they fail to perceive the arrogance
and insolence and irreverence or their
assumption that God a receive
compliments from such as they.
over many a public subscription to
a righteous cause from a godIeSs
man; over many a inSu.u-
ton or foundation similarly establish
ed, may be written these burning
words spoken by Samuel. Behold. to
obey is better than sacrifice" Nobody
can do any acceptable service to COO
until ne has first yielded him obed.
fence. To attempt to honor by WORD
or deed the great God whom we re-
fuse to honor by discripleship is in
siderable presumption.
Would that the image OF foolish,
vain and o%verthrown Saul might stalk
amid the rich and self-cOmplacent
non-Christian patrons OF religion IN
this generations; and would that the
heric figure Of the prophet Samuel
repudiating with blazing scorn such
insults to the Almighty, might arise
before the Eyes Of all h sycophan.
tic and time-serving leaders in the
church who fawn for favors upon tht
rich and the mighty. Until a mar
has yielded himself to the Lord, tn
Lord wants nothing fromh i'm. Verify
thls old story is pertinent to u owl
times.
The King Who Did Not DO His Err
rand.
The popular pastime Of revising tn
program of God is not new. TIL
men whow ould eliminate hell from
tehBton and justice from Gods deal
mas With man. making the Create
ana Ruler of the universe merely
sort Of incarnate Good Nature, whom
1ear, are in line with some Old Tesla
meht figures. Of whom King Saul is
conspicuous sample.
fFen our BOOT wisdom can see sea
son and justice in the divine com
mand TO Israel to exterminate tn
An'aIckites, those first prosecutors Q
the Children of Israel. The sam
SS JootiCS -
murderer to the electric hair ma
uecree the punishment of a nation
-" 4 sacred duty. Saul was ordered t
GrSlroy the Amaltekites, maxim
Hlgah ana their possessions a "devt
teo thing. This is. no spoil was t
NJ taken and no prisoners capturet
nus was not a mere military foray, t
~ rewarded by loot and triumph;
processions. The expedition belong
nigh realm OF the execution of
''i, decree of Jehovah.
iU' saul thought he knew bette,
- as there are thousands OF oil
.''" countrymen who are today r.
'tH.hE the decalogue. SO far as the
WV PERSONAL conduct goes. The o
'"I$ notions of Gods just deere
'3"i not be held without modific;
l"n ~ such n wise and liberal al
""Nht monarch as Saul. So he blu
''iled and interlined his instru
'.9 from God. He ould make
@7'Fliicc Of q portion. OF course. b