The Brinkley argus., 1915-04-23
INTERNATIONAL. SUNDAYSOlOOL
 LESSON (By B. O. SELLERS. Acting Director of q Sunday School Course. The Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Ill)
LESSON FOR APRIL 25
DAVID AND GOLIATH.

LESSON TExT-I Samuel 17:3-5l. | GOLDEN TEXT-If God be for us, who l Is against us?-Rom. 8:31 R. V.
 For forty days (v. 16) Goliath defied
 Saurs army, encamped near Bethle- | hem Three of the sons of Jesse were
 in Saurs army and to them David Is sent with food (vv. 13, IS, 19). These brothers scornfully reproached David ! when he expressed a willingness to fight Goliath, accusing him of pride and l reminding him that he was but shep- herd (vv. 26-29). David's words are
 carried to Saul and he Is introduced to the king.
 | 1. BoastfuI Pride, w. 38-44. Fear | and dismay were aroused at the very | sight of this proud PhiIistine (vv. II, "A, 32) yet such fear was foreign to David, fs. his eyes were not upon man l but upon God (v 37). He related to Saul his exploits not as boasting but as giving him assurance that God was able to deliver him out of the hand of | this Philistine Saul, who had once d as much in fear as any of his army. l David was perhaps about twenty years | of age and verse 56 calls him strip | ling" hence it was that SauPs armor would not fit him (cf. 10:23). Human l ly speaking, it was an impossible thing David offered to accomplish single handed Even Saul (v 32) sought to dissuade David, but David was not 1 trusting in man nor depending upon the armor of the king (v. 39; Ps. 27:1 8; Isa 12;2; Rom 8:3D. David took his familiar staff and sling (see Thess. 5:21) and sallied forth, strong in the Lord, not in himself; armed not
 with steel but with faith" Crossing "the valley" (v. 40 marg) he prepared his sling, with which every 1sraelite was skilled (see Sam. 13:19-23). On came the giant, a man about nine feet tall (v. 4), "a stalking mountain, over. laid with brass and iron," preceded by his protector (v. 4D. Why such sol dier after his period of triumph should desire this added safety is not quite clear. It suggests, however, the sim ner's timidity which reveals his essen tial weakness in that he trusts him. self, takes no chances, and is even sus- picious of his own supporters. What contrast This armored giant and this ruddy-faced, unarmed youth, car rying only the staff, wherewith he was wont to fight wild beasts, and his sling! When God calls man he uses that weapon with which the man is most familiar, and when the church or the Christian soldier seeks to fight in the armor of another or by using the weapons of the world, 1t Is foredoomed to failure (Ex. AZ; Judges 3:3D. II. conquerlng Humility, w. 45-51. David acknowledged GOliath's su- perior armament, yet armed with the name of the God of the army of Israel which Goliath had insulted, his conf- dence overtops that of the Philistine and he hurls back his proud boast. Furthermore, the victory was to be an
 immediate one. this day" Czech. 4:6
 James 4:O. With calm assurance he informs Goliath of the outcome of their conflict, but takes no credit to himself. David had naught but naked faith and the sense of a just cause to strengthen his arm. He would do to Goliath and the Philistines the things
 that Goliath had boasted he would do
 to David (vv. A and 46) that all the
 earth may know that there is God
 in Israeli" see also V. 47. David's
 seemingly insufficient preparation is
 now revealed to be abundant, for he
 had four stones more than he needed
 tv. 4O). It is thus that God chooses
 the weak things to confound the mighty
 q Cor. 1:27).
 III. Summary. We have before us
 three lessons. First the lesson of indi-
 vidual responsibility A sinful king had
 paralyzed the effectiveness of the
 army of Israel. David, "a man after
 Gods own heart" refused Sauls ar-
 nor, crying out T cannot go in these"
 Saul, bound by tradition, must use
 conventional weapons. Every great
 advance in the history of the church
 has been led by some man who struck out Doluiy, iuStfi0iDie dllht tO tne COIL ventionalsm of his friends and the gibes of the enemy. God would have every man work according to himself, not copying, not initiating, but with his own equipment. Second, all the giants of sin have not yet been overthrown.
 We still have the giants of Intemper- | ance, Unchastity, Graft, Selfishness, . Ambition and the Inequalities of our
 civic and social life. These can only
 be overcome in the strength of God. Bunyan mentions three giants,
 Pride, Grim and Pagan; to these we
 may add, Anger, Untruthfulness, Self ishness and Sullenness
 Third, Our Helper. See Golden
 Text. Of all the graces David pos | sessed, faith was the root of each one faith in a living God.
 l His active faith caused him with
 nimble feet to attack this blasphemous
 enemy (v. 4S).
 | His faith in God characterizes his
 entire life, resounds in his songs and
 strengthened his life of service for Je-
 hovah.
 l It is such faith that strengthens the l arm of the true saint of God, that en- ! ableS him to "oyercome" in his own