Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1951-05-04

Ieo Iot voItoVb
good reasons. Some
may b artists.
some may b SOL
Aters. others states
men o. prophets.
Once h . while .
lman b born who u
greet In more ways than ons.
Osvi1 the Ideal King
OUCH . man was David. King Of
~ Israel and one Of the worlds
most famous men. The United
Kingdom Of Israel had q short his
tory. only three kings reigning over
5t-Saul, David and Solomon OF
tie three. David was by all odds
The greatest man and greatest king
Neither Saul nss ssIsmsn Was
sspeble Il bslding fer . lifetime
- . high Neal. Neither WAS
capable q whele-hearted deve-
~ - Csd. Neither one could
sain saA hsld The loyalty u the
nAltea-
II was only David who could do
i1hese things. II Is no accident that
forever after, when . Hebrew
thought Of the IDEAL king. he would
think neither Of IIrsefs hrE king
nor Of the wesl,hiesi. bu, Of David
ths best ard most beloved.
Military Genius
lnAvID was great, In par. because
- Of his power In battle What no
one since Joshua had been able TO
DO. David did: be welded the quar-
ISelins. jealous. weak tribes Of Is.
rsel into . single sword" The
times called for military genius.
and David had IT. He gave Israel
49, ~sissssy nsisa. tina, was es-
sential for their peace and pros
lperity.
s.. often since Davids time.
there have been great soldiers
who have used their military
genius not for conquest In IL
seh but In order 70 win some
pasce In the sun for peace
Loving nations. One thinks Of
Charles Martel. who saved Eu-
rope from barbarian conquest;
q william u Orange who set
The Dutch free from spanish
tyranny; Of Washington, ia
TIER" Of . great nation; and Of
many others.
Ths great soldiers Of history have
been more than professionally
skilled and successful killers Of
men: they have been like David.
men whose skill was used TO pre-
serve nations. nc. TO destroy them.
Lsvsble Leadership
TN OUR times Hitler brought the
! word Leader" under q shadow.
because his leadership was In the
wrong direction. But there 10 such
q thing as noble and wise leader
ship, and David had this quality in
u high degree. ..
II 10 true, success has some
thing 10 do with II. Men will
neck v . winner whs would
have nothing 10 do with him II
hs were . loser. But still II
10 . fact that most Of the worlds
great leaders who have come
Up from obscurity. ~ David did,
have arisen ~ the head Of
groups Of devoted men who have
followed them Loyalty through
The darkest times.
So II was with David. During his
years as leader OF the under
ground Literally so, since for some
time his headquarters were In
great limestone cave, he developed
the hard core Of the army he COM
manded at q later time, a core OF
men who would rather lose with
David than win against him.
Leader In Faith
nAvID had yet another quality OF
- greatness, and for this he 10
perhaps best remembered. He was
q man Of deep religion. But religion
for him was not merely personal
matter; he carried his faith into
public life, he made his faith con-
tagious. He did his best to make
faith in God central, as II had
never been, In the life Of his ma
ton.
Religion for him was not
stick with which 10 beat other
people about the head, but
rod and staff TO lean upon. II
was not q secret locked In his
swn heart but something he de-
sired TO share with all his peo-
pie. II was not q device TO
keep his subjects contented; II
Was an acid test for his own
life.
And though he sometimes slipped
and terribly fell, he could always
rise again, for his religion gave
him that rarest Of all qualities In
great men: humility before God
and man.
tCspyrisht 1851 ~ the Division Of
Christian Edseatisn, Hatissai Countu
- he I'M en- ot 6Vt In m q a
states VI America. Released BY WNu
- Hsatufss)