The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-04-28
LESSON FOR MAY 2
SAUL TRIES TO KILL DAVID.

LESSON TEXT Samuel 1s:1-12.
GOLDEN TEXT-whoso putteth his
1925. 0''
Although anointed by Samuel. vic
torious in arms and promoted at court.
David was many years in reaching his
throne. At first both court and army
did him honor (ch. 1922. yet he con-
Quoted himself with great modesty
C1S:1S, 23). He also obeyed the king
explicitly though he knew fully that
he was the God-appointed successor
of Saul. Escapes as wonderful and as
providential as David's occur in the
lives of most of US if we could but
know them.
!. David and Jonathan, w. f-s. The
story of the love of David and Jona-
than is a classic. With such close
family relations and a son-in-law so
successful at arms it is strange that
SauPs anger should vent itself upon
David. At first Saul was much at
tached to David but the admiration of
the people for David aroused his jeal-
ousy, (ch. 1850 and jealousy is pecu-
liarly soldiers disease. The slave of
jealousy never has peace. AS sin and
disobedience developed in his life Saul
became subject to fits 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
his own life Q5:23, 1919. Saul did
not keep his grief and rage to himself
for Jonathan and the nation alike
knew all about it.
n. Saul and Jonathan, w. AT. It
took courage and self-sacrifice on
Jonathan's part to speak on behalf of
David. Prudence and principle are
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 a great
salvation for all Israeli on the day
David took his life in his hand and
overcame Goliath. Jonathan pleads for
God as we'll as for his friend. He
| called to Saufs memory his former
joy at seeing Jehovah's victory
through David and for the time being
Saul was persuaded ". 6) and made
another of those impetuous promises
which proved so fleeting. Ushered by
Jonathan Matt. 500 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 SauPs presence. David was faith
full to God and to Gods anointed king.
III. MichaI and David, wv. s-12
SauPs 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. 8, 81. David had married
| Michal when about twenty-one years
of age and Saul's attacks occurred dur
ing the next three years. The evil
spirit mentioned was a demon (1S:10;
Acts 16:16-1s; Mark 1:23-26), a mes
senger of Satan permitted by God feI
Saul's discipline QI Cor 12:O. God
permits evil to come upon men not to
tempt them-solicit them to do wrong
but to bring them to repentance ol
to refine them as pure gold. Thus evi
may be said to do Gods work (ch
AID ''to be sent from jehovah
w. Summary. All who envy ar,
murderers at heart (Matt, 27:1S; Johr
1912, 15). The present day murderer.
hurl their javelins of slander, lyins
and vituperation against the reputa
ton of the men whom they hate. o.
else they hurl unfair and unjust bust
ness methods at others that they may
perpetuate their power or else buil(
themselves up upon the ruins of those
whom they envy. Saul missed Davi(
but he was no less a murderer. SataI
always overshoots the mark when h
assails one of Gods anointed, choseI
ones. Saul could not harm DaviC
though he wished to ever so mucl
Cps. 1892, 33; lisa. 54:17; Luke 4:30
10:39). Saul's hatred stopped not ever
at the threshold of David's house bu
invaded the sacred precincts of hi
home Envy is blind, it assails al
that a man has, spares none will
whom he is connected and colors ev
cry act and relation of life even to tn
relations of father and child. Sau
was frustrated by his own children
Jonathan and Michal David's DANCE
was imminent, hence his speedy es
cape.
Men are strong in so far as the,
see Gods purpose and discipline II
their lives.
Saurs experience at Naioth wv. q
24) was a response of his emotiona
nature to a religious appeal, anothe
time when God was waiting to b
gracious.
Divested of his arn1or and QUITE
robes Saul lay in a trance, overcom
by the power of him who turns tn
hearts of men as rivers of water.
The wrath of man is made to prais
him, the life of the prophet is pr
served and likewise the life Of hi
servant David.