The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1924-03-08
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Lesson
fBy REV. p. b. F1TZwATER. DID,.
Dean of the Evening School. Moody
Bible Institute of ChicagoJ
Lesson for March 9
H REIGN OF SAUL

LESSON TEXT Sam: 15:13-23.
GOLDEN TEXT-Behold, to obey IL
better than sacrifice.-I Sam. 1872.
PRIMARY TOPIC-A King Who Dis
obeyed God.
JUNIOR TOPIC-A King Who Lost
His Kingdom.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
lC-Sauls Successes and Failures.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
tC-Lessons From Saul's Reign.
In order to properly present this
lesson, a survey of chapters 8 to Is OF
Samuel should be made.
l. The People Demand a King Il
Sam. 8:1-22).
l. Their Reasons wv. 1-5)
ID Samuel vas incapacitated by
old age.
~ The unfaithfulness of his sons
whom he had appointed as his sue
cessors. Samuel greatly Numbered In
this, for the Office of judge was not
hereditary.
90 The desire to be like other ma
lions. Since the surrounding nations
had kings as leaders, they wanted a
king who would fight their battles.
2. Samuels Protest wv. 6-1S). He
took the matter to the Lord in prayer
and the Lord instructed him to sol
EMMY point out to the people the
meaning of their action.
ID The king would make slaves of
their daughters and make their sons
to serve in his army and do all kinds
of hard work on his farms and In his
house.
(2) He would take their lands, even
those inherited from their fathers, and
give them to his favorite officers and
servants. Not content with that. he
would take the tenth part of their
produce to give to his favorites.
3. Protest D~isregarded wv. 1920.
Having made up their minds, they de-
liberately shut their eyes to the truth
and madly rushed into the experiment.
II. Saul Chosen as King II Sam.
Old.
1. The King Pointed Out 20 lilo :16).
Saul was sent to search for his ia
TIERS asses that had wandered away.
While on this errand, Samuel found
him and anointed him. Saul and his
father were acting freely in this mat
ter, yet at the same time Gods pur-
pose vas being carried out.
2. The King Chosen at Mizpeh
(10:17-2D. Saul was chosen because
of his fitness. If they would have a
king, the Lord gave them the one best
fitted for their needs.
Q) A fine physique. He was head
and shoulders above the--rest of the
people.
(2) Modesty. (3) Self-control. (4)
Military instinct.
The method of choice was BY lot.
When the choice was made, part of
the people enthusiastically cried, "God
save the king" Others Knocked and
refused allegiance.
Ill. The King Confirmed at Gilaal
Il Sam. ~.
Saul took advantage of the great
victory over the Ammonites to get all
the people to crown him king.
~. SauI's Failure Il Sam. 15).
This is one of the saddest pictures
in all history.
l. The Command to Saul wv. 1-3).
He was commanded to utterly exter-
inmate the Amalekites. The reason
assigned was their evil treatment OF
Israel after they came up out of Egypt
(Exod. II IS; Deut. 25 I'D.
3. The Dlsobedience of Saul wv
40. The commandment was carried
out only in part. Agag, the king, was
spared, and the best of tho goods ap-
propriated.
3. Saul Rejected by God wv. 1925.
(1) Samuel cried to God ". ~.
The news of this disgraceful affair
greatly disturbed Samuel, moving him
to cry unto God day and night.
~ Saurs hypocritical pretense wv
1916. This p%retense carried a lie
upon its face. Though disturbed by q
guilty conscience, he tried to concili.
ate Samuel, but the very bleating OF
the sheep and the lowing of the herds
betrayed him. He then tried to put
the blame upon the people.
(3) Samuel rehearses before Saul
Gods dealing with him wv. 1929.
Samuel met his hypocrisy by bringing
him to squarely face his sin. God is
more concerned in having His subjects
render obedience unto His command
ment than He is for them to offer unto
Him sacrifice.
4. The Judgment Upon Saul wv.
26-35). For the presumptuous offering
of the sacrifice, the dynasty passed
from Saul's house, and for this act of
fragrant disobedience, the kingdom
was rent from him. He confessed his
sin and begged Samuel to still honor
him before the elders of the people.
Samuel forsook him and left him alone