Middletown transcript., 1920-06-12
LESSON FOR 1ueE;113.
4 SHEPHERD BOY cHosEh KING

W, -.-------.,' = tt-.! !, :
4 SHEPHERD BOY CHOSEN: .lNo
LESSON TExr-I Sam, le:1-1a. =
GOLDEN TEXT-The Spirit Of the Lord
came, upon David from that day forward;
ADDIT1oNAL MArERIA1-Ps. 3 - !.
PRIMARY ToP1c-The story Of = snsa-
herd Boy.
JUNIOR roP1c-A Kingly Sheppard
INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOPIC
1.-The Road to Promotion:
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT 1OFlC
The Possibilities Of Youth. -,
/. The Lord Rehuked Samuel ~
Excessive Grief ". y.
It was a bitter experience tor Sam
uel to pronounce Gods judgment upon
Saul. The cause Of Samuers grasf
was threefold: -
1. The wreck Of promising nfe'
In all history, perhaps, a lie Wild
greater promise cannot be found. anu
yet It affords no example OF q more
wretched failure.
"A personal loss. , No doubt %
the spiritual adviser Of the king, sam
uel found many things In him to ad'
mira His removal. therefore, samuel
most keenly felt
s. Anxiety fos the nattonA veatar~
Samuel knew quite we'll that 4 ch4nse
Of dynasty oftentimes meant severe
var ana the reign Of anarchy. This
would very sertously weaken the a.
ready weak Kingdom. Hts eonceGn
for the peoples good was therefore q
part OF his grief. Ong un feadIy
see why Samuel should mourn, but -
q prophet Of God he should not have
induleed 10 excess. The Lord's QueS
ton How long viii thou mourn Tor
Saul7" has tn It q rebuke for Samue1.
Grief for others Is q sacred thing. bus
whenever It Is carried 20 far as To- ~
terfere with ane'ss duty It becomes
sinful.
II, Samuel Sent to Bethlehem 70
Anolnt sauPs Successor wv. 1-S).
Though Saul failed. God Is able to
provide a successor, who Is better
than he. Samuel Is directed to 60 to
Bethlehem and from among the sons
Of Jesse choose q successor. Samuel
again showed his weakness tn express
ing his fear lest Saul. should kill him.
If God sends a man on an errand
what matters it though thousand
Saul's be waiting to kill hint Even
though it means death. If God sends,
who dare refuse or offer excuse! Coo
instructed him to avoid publicity By
the concealment Of his real purpose.
Some may question the diplomacy OF
Samuel. but we must remember that
no one Is under obligation to tell all
that he knows, especially to parties
who have no moral right to know.
To withhold truth which Is necessary
morally to tell Is duplicity which dare
not be practiced. God allowed Sam
uel to hide his true errand under the
cloak Of a sacrifice IN order to shelter
bis weakness. The whole matter was
already decided; the moral acts were
already committed: the issues were
already faced. The exposure OF Sam
mel to the murderous hatred Of Saul
would have only made matters worse
~. The Method os ood's cho'es
wv. e-12):
The elders Of Bethlehem were some
what alarmed when Samuel came,
he. in the exercise Of his judgeship.
went from place to place. and at
times he doubtless had to deal IN
severity with the people. He calmed
their fears by assuring them that he
came peaceobly. even to worship God
While the preparation for the sauines
was being made, Samuel seems g
have had the interview with Jesse
and his sons. When the eldest Of
Jesse's sons passed before him he de
cided that this stalwart young man
must be Gods choice, but God told
him that man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looketh on
the heart. We should learn. like Sam
mel was obliged to do. that the quail
flcations In Gods sight for workers
are inward. not bodily. The one who
does Gods work must do It by lean
ing upon him, not through personal
strength or endowments. To the ut
ter surprise Of Samuel and Jesse.
David the shepherd boy, was chosen.
~. Samuel Anolnts David ". 1S).
When this stripping Of boy came
before Samuel, the Lord indicated his
choice. Samuel proceeded to anoint
him. This amounting typifled the en-
dowment Of tho Holy SpIrt, which Is
essential for any and all service for
Cod The preparation which David
needed for the Office Of king was Just
what he got as a shepherd boy. Gods
choices are not arbitrary. As king.
his responsibility was to defend, feed.
and lead Gods flock, and this he had
learned to do as he attended his IA
theirs flock. This promotion Of the
shepherd boy should be an encourage
ment for boys Of lowly station in life.
The Strength Of Peaees
To c+o<o NJ neac, the sOul lives as