The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-08-20
Great PROMISES
OF GOD'TOLD IN
Bible LESSON
David Did Not Keep His
Religion Separate From
Life.
The International Uniform Sunday
School Lesson for Aug. u: Gods Great
Promises--l Chron, l1:l-ls>
BY VIVA. e. GILRoY, ID. d.


Editor Of The Ccrgregs tionalist
David, whatever may have beer
his faults, was man of keen prac-
ticality and perception. His inn
pulses and the temptations asso-
{, ciated with them often swept him
away from his better instincts ans
purposes. But unlike many people
in the modern world, he did not
. keep his religion and the rest OF
his life in separate compartments
In his best moods he realized the
nature of his sins, and he deplored
them. The hypocrite, or the man
whose religion lacks perception,
keeps his slnfulneSS in q separate
compartment and is never greatly
worried because of some dis
crepancy between his practice and
his profession.
There are people who do not
seem to notice that they live in
fine and beautiful houses, while
shabby and disreputable. Often
the church that they attend is
those who spend the most upon
themselves and upon their homes
are least willing to spend upon
making the church clean, beautiful
and attractive.
David Wanted Temple
David was troubled that he
dwelt in a house of cedar while
the Ark of the Covenant was still
in a tent. 1t did not seem to him
fitting that that which symbolized
the presence of God should be less
worthily housed than himself. So
there came to him the idea of
building a temple. II seemed a
worthy idea, and the man who
originated it naturally ought to
have been the man to carry it out.
But God is represented as opposing
the fulfillment by David of these
plans and the postponement of the
building of the temple until it shall
be built by one of David's sons.
How did this revelation come?
Nathan the prophet at first APP
proved of David's plan, and then
we are told that the same night
the word of God came to Nathan,
How did the word of God come to
men of old? Was it through a
dream, or was it in some such way
as the word of God comes to men
today-by reflection upon Gods
purposes? We must remember that
in reading the Bible we are con-
stently in the atmosphere Of East
erin imagery and expression. To
read it with literalistic, prosaic
mind is to miss alike it's background
and it's significance. At any rate
it became clear to Nathan that
David should not build the temple
and the reason for delaying his
plans is interesting.
David was a man of war, his
hands we're bloody with constant
battle, and it is instructive to note
that though these wars were repre-
sented as for the guarding and
upbuilding of the nation, war itself
is represented as wrong and de-
plorable thing.
1t is worth while to mediate upon
this distinction SO long ago ex-
pressed, for the distinction is not
always by any means clearly marked
in our modern life, and in the OBJ
securing Of the distinction lies the
great weakness in relation to the
problems and prospects of world
peace.
The simple matter of fact is that
church and school have been alto
gether too largely exploited in con-
ncction with military things. 1t
would be a profound gain if these
institutions that inherently have to
do with peace and civilization could
be kept free from the desecrating
environments of war and bloodshed
For we must not forget that war is
bloodshed. 1t is the terrible bust
ness of killing, and as such it il
opposed to all the finer instincts oil