The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-06-30
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Third Quarter, For
July 4, 1916.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, II Sam. Xviii, lis.
Memory Verse, Golden Text, Eph.
vi, documentary Prepared by Rev.
D. NJ. Stearns.
Our lesson title is "Absalom's FAIL
ure," but "Absalom's sin and over
throw" might perhaps have been bet
ter. There is not SO much OF profit In
the lesson verses as there Is in what
precedes and follows, and as this is our
last lesson In this book we must gath
er all we can in the space at our dis
posal. Our last lesson was In chapter
XII, and because OF David's great sin
he was told that the sword should new
er depart from his house and that the
Lord would raise up evil against him
out of his own house (xii, 10. III.
There is always a reaping from all
sowing, either good or bad gal. vi, Z;
hos. viii. q. Chapter xiii tells Of the
beginning OF his household troubles
and of the fight of Absalom and his
sojourn three years in Geshur. Chap
ter xiv tells of the plea of the wise
woman Of Tekoa and OF Absalom's re-
turn to Jerusalem and reconciliation
with his father after dwelling two
years there without seeing his face
xiv. 2S-33). Absalom's remarkable
beauty is described in verses %, &c.
The utter helplessness of the sinner
and the great mercy of God are most
suggestively mentioned by the wise
woman in verse IA.
Chapter XIV describes Absalom's re-
bellion and the plight of the king, and
would have been a much more sugges
tive and helpful chapter than the one
assigned us. David's crossing the
Kidron and going up by Olivet oversees
%, 30) is SO suggestive of our Lords
doing the same thing because Of the
rebellion Of His son Israel John xviii.
u. The notable words of devotion on
the part Of David's servants and of
Ittai the Gittite oversees Is, 2I should
be our continual heart words to our
Lord Jesus. See also the devotion of
Hushai, David's friend, In verses 32-37,
and David's submission to the will of
God in verses %. 26. Chapter xvi tells
Of Sinners cursing and how David
left him wholly to God. Chapter xvii
describes the suicide of AhithOphal be-
cause the counsel of Hushai was pre-
ferred to his. 1t also tells Of David's
friends who so kindly cared for him
at Mahanaim- Our lesson, chapter
xviii, tells of the battle between Absa-
lom's army and that of David and of
the defeat of the former and the death
Of Absalom. 1t is truly pathetic to
listen to David's instructions to the
leaders OF his hosts. Deal gently for
my sake with the young man. even
with Absalom" (verse 81, and then to
hear his heartbroken cry when he
learned that Absalom had been slain;
20 my son Absalom. my son. my son
.Absalomi Would God / had died for
thee, o Absalom, my son. my son"
Verse 49, See also xix. 4. Does II
not help to make more real the love of
God In giving up His only begotten
Son to die for us? Gohn iii. 16; John
I'll, 16; Nv, o. 10; Rom. wifi, 30.
The folly of seeking to make n name
for oneself Is seen in verse Is. A grand
illustration Of the significance of the
command in Hab. ii. 2. is seen IN les
son verses 1892. The words are. Write
the vision, and make it plain upon Ia
bles, that he may run that readeth 1t, -
but they are generally misquoted. that
he that runs may read" as If one
could take 1t In as they do the adver-
tisements by the roadside when trav-
cling sixty miles an hour by train.
The true meaning evidently is, get the
message correctly and then run and
tell It In our lesson Cushi had the
message, for he had seen what he was
to tell. Although insistent. Ahimaaz was
the heetest messenger, he knew moth
Ing. and his running was in vain
oversees 81, 20, 30), and he had to stand
aside. And there are many running
today whom God never sent They
know nothing. but the worst of 1t Is
that they take pride in not knowing
and yet insist that they. have been
sent. 1t Is blessed to be able to say.
THAT which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you" I'VE cannot
but speak the things which we have
seen and heard" q John 1. 8; Acts
", 20).
After Absalom was dead all Israel
longed for David, and said one to an
other, why speak ye not word Of
bringing back the kingr David him.
self sent to the priests and elders OF
judah. saying. "Why are ye the last
to bring the king back to his houseT
Then as one man they sent the mes
sage, Return thou and all thy serv-
ants" So the king returned xix.
Old. Shimei, who had cursed him.
was one Of the first to meet him and
confess his sin and seek forgiveness
(xix, 1929. Mephiboshath had mourn
ed for him all the time that he was
gone and was so glad to see him back
that he was content to let Ziba have
all the inheritance (xix, 24-3O). Bar
zi1lai, who had taken care OF the king
at Mahanaim, saw him safely over Jor-
dan. but would not go to Jerusalem, as
David desired, saying that he was too
old But he asked David to take
Chimham and show him kindness,
which thing David was glad to do
(xix, 31-4O). It'would seem from Jer.
XII. IT. that David conferred on Chin
ham his personal patrimony at Beth
lehem, and It may have been there that
the Messiah was born. on Chimham's
property.