The Winslow mail., 1924-03-07
IMPROVED UNlfORM INTERNATIONAL
Sl111}daySchool :
' Lesson '
By REV. P. B. FITzWATER, DID,,
Dean Of the Evening School. Moody
Bible Institute of ChicaSo1
60, 1894, Western Newspaper Union)
Lesson for March 9
THE REIGN OF SAUL

JUNIOR TOPIC-A King Who Lost
His Kingdom.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-SauIs Successes and Failures.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-Lessons From Sauls Reign.
In order to properly present this
lesson, survey of chapters to 10 of
Samuel should be made.
|. The People Demand a King q
Sam. 1922.
l. Their Reasons (vv. 1-6:
(D Samuel was incapacitated by
old age
(2) The unfaithfulness of his sons
whom he had appointed as his sue
cessors. Samuel greatly rblundered in
this, for the office of judge was not
hereditary.
CD The desire to be like other ma
tions. Since the surrounding nations
had kings as leaders, they wanted a
king who would fight their battles.
2. Samueps Protest (vv. 6-18). He
and the Lord instructed him to SOL
emnly point out to the people the
/, meaning of their action.
~ 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) BE 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 Disregarded (vv 19-2O).
Having made up their minds, they de-
liberately shut their eyes to the truth
and madly rushed into the experiment
IL. Saul Chosen as King Q Sam
9-1D.
1. The King Pointed Out e lilo :16).
Saul was sent to search for his IA
ther's 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 was being carried out.
2. The King Chosen at Mizpeh
Q0:17-2D. Saul was chosen because
Of his fitness. If they would have a
king, the Lord gave them the one best
fitted for their needs.
sQ) A fine physique. He was head
and shoulders above the rest of the
people.
(2) Modesty. (3) Self-control. az
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 mocked and
refused allegiance
Ill. The King Confirmed at GllaaI
Q Sam 11).
Saul took advantage of the great
victory over the Ammonites to get all
the people to crown him king.
~. SauPs Failure q Sam. 15).
This is one of the saddest pictures
in all history.
1. The Command to Saul wv. 1-S).
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.
2. The Disobedience of Saul wv.
4-9). The commandment was carried
out only In part. Agag, the king. was
spared. and the best OF the goods ap-
propriated.
8. Saul Rejected by God wv. 10-25).
G) Samuel cried to God ". III.
The news of this disgraceful affair
greatly disturbed Samuel, moving him
to cry unto God day and night.
(2) Saul's hypOcritical pretense wv.
1919. This pretense carried q lie
upon its face. Though disturbed by a
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 (vv. 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 (vv.
! 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
| to suffer In disgrace.
Holy Life.