The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-04-30

LESSON
Oy = o. sEIxERR. Acting Director e
Sunday School Course, The Moody Bible
Institute. Chicago. my
LESSON FOR MAY z
SAUL TRIES TO KILL DAVID.
GOLDEN TExTLWhoso putteth HI.
9use In the Lord shall b safe.-Prov.
Altnoush anointed by Samuel. VIC
tof1ous In arms and promoted at court
David was many years In reaching his
.nione. At frst both court and army
oid him honor (ch. 1879. yet he con-
Quoted himself with great modesty,
t1S:ls. 2a). He also obeyed the king
explicitly though he knew fully that
ne was the God-appointed successor
OF saul. Escapes ~ wonderful and as
providential as David's occur in the
lives OF most of us II we could but
know them.
!. David and Jonathan. w. is. Tho
story OF the love Of David and iona
Is q classic. With such close
family relations and a soniplaw 30
successful at arms it is strange that
Saurs anger should vent itself upon
David. At first Saul was much at
ach to David but the admiration Of
the people for David aroused his jeal-
ousy. (ch. 1850 and jealousy Is pecu-
nariy a soldiers disease. The slave OF
jealousy never has peace. As sin and
disobedience developed in his life Saul
became subject to flts of insane rage
during one Of which. as David played
upon his harp and endeavored to quiet
the monarch's spirit. he hurled .
javelin. which served as his scepter.
at the harpist (ch. 1910. Saul felt
that David was divinely protected and
he knew that God had departed from
Ids W life (15:23: 1910. Saul did
not keep his grief and rage to himself
Tor Jonathan and the nation alike
knew all about II. Jonathan gladly
accepted Gods decree. willingly gave
up his rights In the kingdom yet he
was loyal to his father. It is a tender
and touching story OF Jonathan's love
for his friend David. and at the same
time his loyalty to his father Saul.
He delighted much in David" ". -.
gave full. explicit warning to David.
and also sought to intercede with Saul.
u. Saul and Jonathan, w. ~. Il
took courage and self-sacriice on
Jonathan's part to speak on behalf OF
David. Prudence and principle arc
combined in Jonathan's plea. Those
who envy include in their hate and
anger all who speak kindly in behalf
of their enemy. But Jonathan's argu-
ment wv. 4, 81 is unanswerable.
David had not sinned against Saul; It
was Jehovah who wrought q great
salvation for all Israel" on the day
David look his life in his hand and
overcame Goliath. Jonathan pleads for
God as well AZ for his friend. He
called to Saul's memory his former
Joy at seeing Jehovah's victory
through David and for the time being
Saul was persuaded ". 81 and made
another of those impetuous promises
which proved so leeting. Ushered by
Jonathan Matt. 5:9) David returned
to Saul's presence. entered once more
upon the discharge Of his duties and
desisted only when he saw that his
presence only aggravated the king and
that he was uselessly exposing his life
In Saul's presence. David was faith
full to God and to Gods anointed king.
III. MIehai and David, w. s.12.
Saul's hatred was too deep to be per-
manently overcome. David went out
and won a great victory over the Phi
listines and as he followed his courtly
duty. Saul burst out with a fresh at.
tack wv. g.. 81. David had married
Michal when about t~wenty-one years
of age and Saul's attacks occurred dur
ing the next three years. The evil
spirit mentioned raj a demon (18:10;
Acts 16:16-18; Mark 1:23-26), q mes
senger of Satan permitted by God for
Saul's discipline Oh Cor. 12:7). God
permits evil to come upon men not to
tempt them-solicit them to do wrong
but to bring them to repentance or
to refine them as pure gold. Thus evil
may be said to do Gods work (ch.
4:1) ito be sent from Jehovah"
On the other hand II men will not
have the good spirit, the spirit Of
truth, then God gives them over to
error and evil spirits Oh Thess. 2:1O-
12). Doubtless David was on his
guard for when his insanity caused
Saul again to attack him he fed ".
1O). Messengers were at once dis.
patched to his house ". 11) and
Michal lowered David from a window
at some unguarded point, and as the
spies escaped from Jericho. and Paul
from Damascus, SO he escaped from
his dangerous position. There ara
suggestions in the Psalms which
would indicate his grief over these
experiences.
Michal's stratagem wv. 1910 was
"one not necessarily sanctioned BY
God, though he bore with 1t for 1t oc-
CURED at that time Of Ignorance
which God overlooked. "-Edersheim.
". Summary. All who envy arr
murderers at heart (Matt, 27:18; I John