Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-22
SABBATH SCHOOL
LESSON
For July as, 1890
II sam. lilly and 5:l-5
BIZ DIR. MARION M'H. HULL

Gh1ne own understanding" FfoVerns
3:5.
Did you ever know young man
thirty years old who had been
through all the experiences of Da-
vid? Think this through; it will give
you a new appreciation of the man:
Chosen of God while yet a boy, and
annointed by Samuel for the highest
office in the nation; continuing as
one of the laboring classes, tending
his fathers sheep in the mountains;
communing here, however, with God,
and developing the talent that made
him the most noted musician in the
world; fighting Goliath and other
Philistines, and doing military ex-
ploits, that were regarded by Saul as
impossible, until his praises as q
military leader were on the lips OF
every man, woman and child in the
from rock to cave, from Philistra to
Moab, from wilderness to city; eX-
lied from home; suspected by friend
and foe alike; fearless in the face of
kindly in his dealings when his enc
mics were at mis- mercy-this was
David at thirty years of age. Has
he a parallel in history?
But David has his dark days. After
sparing SauPs life the second time
and took things into his own hands.
He went back into Gath into the
country of his nations enemy, and
made Achish believe that he was his
friend. He could not be the friend
of Philistine and an Israelite at
made a mess of his life at that time
Among other things he married Maa-
chah, the daughter of the king of
Geshur. She was the mother of Abb
solom; and you may imagine some OF
the heartaches that Absolom caused
him in later years. When the ANAL
kites raided Ziklag and took away all
the women and children, including
all of his wives too, his own men
turned against him and wanted TO-
kill him. But David had recognized
before this the mistake that he had
made in trying to direct his own life,
so he leaned no longer on his own
understanding. But strenthened his
heart in God. God spared him from
his own followers and gave to him
an and child and vast amount of
booty besides.
God spared him from a more dam
gerous position also. He had gotten
himself into a place where he would
either have had to be traitor. to his
own nation and fight against his own
people, over whom he had been an
nointed to be king-and thus he
would have been a traitor to God
alsomor he he w9 95 ,1 have had to turn
:
araitor to ,Achish who trusted him
implicitly God delivered him from
this predicament, into which he had
gotten himself, by making the Phil
fstine lords suspicious of him and
refusing to let him go into the bat,
he heard how the battle Jared on Gill
boa. He had been two days back
from the capture of the Amalakites,
and had had no news. They were
49, =
believe that he was much in prayer
that God would give the victory to
Israel, for his heart was still with
his people, and Saul, the Lords an
nointed, as we'll as Jonathan his
friend were concerned in their sue
cess.
Gods Answer
Finally the news came. An ANAL
kite runner brought it. The battle
had gone against Israel He had
seen Saul pierced with a spear, NOR
tally wounded, but not dead, and
him, he himself had put an end to
his suffering. (Some think that this
was a lie on his part, made up to
gain David's favor; it may have been,
but David believed him and slew him
on the strength of his own 11oi state
but one of Saul's sons had fallen;
there had been a great slaughter Of
the people, Israel had suffered defeat
and many of her cities had been
taken.
This was Gods answer to David's
his heart in the song of the bow,
which he had the nation learn and
sing often, to commemorate the good
things of Saul and Jonathon. In 2
Sam. 1:18, the words the use of"
are in italics. showing that they have
been supplied by the translators. All
agree that this should be, "also he
babe them teach the children of Ju-
dab the song of the bow" Study 1T
and see in it the nobility of David.
He has forgotten everything ugly in
Saul's life, particularly bis cruel per-
only of his lovely qualities. Is not
such an one better man to be king
over Israel than Saul? Is not God
answering David's prayer for his
people by removing an unworthy
leader to make room for worthy
tasted and mourned a whole day
upon hearing the defeat Of one who
had been making your life a desc
lation? Would you have punished
severely the one who had claimed to
have caused your prosecutors de-
feat? Would you have taught your
children song concentrating your
prosecutors good points, and utterly
ignoring all his faults?
Now David did not know this; but
when the Philistines came up against
him, Saul inquired of the Lord and
suited fortune teller, a spirit med
ium (she may have used a ouija
board at times)-and God had no
further need of man of this kind
as the head of His people. In set
ting him aside, in allowing him and
h. fln
way for David, the man of His
choosing, and thus, but in differ
ent way from what David thought,
God was answering David's prayer
for his people Israel.
David had learned his lesson we'll
Outstanding again; he had made such
a muddle of it. So he inquired of
the Lord as to what he must do
should he go up to any of the cities
of Judah? And Gods answer was,
Go up. David needed more detail
though; he had lost all confidence in
and would take no step
without Gods direction. Into what
city, of Judah should he go? And
Gods answer came, Unto Hebron"
The Amounting
SO to Hebron they went-David
and his two wives and his men. 1t
is worthy of note that David had
influence enough with his men to
bring them and keep them, for they
dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
There the men of Judah came and
Amounted David king over Judah
They were convinced that he was
the only one who could lead them In
this time of distress because of the
Philistines; they were sure that he
had been Amounted by God to lead
them, and their amounting acknowl-
edged Gods previous choice.
His first act as king was one Of
kindness. He heard of the way that
the men Of shGilead had shown
their gratitude to Saul for his kind
nesses to them when he had first be
gun to reign, and David rewarded
them and prayed Gods blessing on
them. 1t was good politics, but that
was not primarily in David's mind. 1t
showed the friends of Saul that he
had no grudge against Saul, but that
was not his first consideration. 1t
was the big heartedness of this
Young man Of thirty: he was wise in