Part 8

Samuel was an old man now, and grey-headed; and he ruled over Israel, and everyone honored and loved him, because he was so good and just. Saul was very much surprised when the great and good Samuel met him, and led him into the house, and put him in the chief place, and gave him a choice of meat that had been set apart for him. Saul could not think how Samuel knew anything about him. And he was still more surprised the next morning, for then Samuel came out of the city with him, and sent the servant on before. Then Samuel took some oil, and poured it on Saul's head, which was what was called anointing, and told him that God had chosen him to be king over all the people of Israel.

Was not this wonderful news for him? And you see, God had led him to Samuel to be made king, though he so little guessed what was going to happen when he set out to look for the asses. And God still makes everything happen, even the least thing; it is all for our good, even though we do not quite see why.

So Saul was the first King of Israel; but he was only to be prosperous as long as he would take care to obey God.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was the first King of Israel? 2. Did Saul expect to be a king? 3. What did he set out from home to do? 4. Where did he come? 5. Who was in the city? 6. What did you hear about Samuel last Sunday? 7. What age was Samuel now? 8. What did he give Saul? 9. What surprised Saul? 10. What did Samuel do to him the next day? 11. What is anointing? 12. What was he to be? 13. But what must he do if he would get on well?

SECOND READING.

"There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few."--_1 Sam. 14:6._

SAUL was the first king of Israel. But just at first, when he was appointed king, the people were in great distress; for their enemies the Philistines had overrun the whole land, and held all the strong places, and were very hard to the Israelites. They would not even let a smith live among the Israelites, that they might not be able to have swords or spears made to use in fighting, and the Israelites had to go into the Philistines' country to get their axes and ploughshares made, and to sharpen the goads, or long sticks tipped with iron that they drove the oxen with.

THE PEOPLE MUCH FRIGHTENED.

Nobody had a sword or spear but Saul and his good son Jonathan; all the rest of the people had nothing better to fight with than axes and mattocks and goads, and they were very much frightened, and came trembling after their new king.

But Jonathan trusted in God, and he and one young man set out creeping along a rugged steep path to see what the enemy were about, and by-and-by they came below the high rocky hill where the Philistines were encamped.

One of the Philistines looked out and said, "Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves;" and he called out to Jonathan, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing."

Now, Jonathan knew, as he said to his friend, that the Lord can save as easily by few men as by many, so he was not afraid; and he and the other young man climbed up on their hands and knees till they came out among all the Philistine soldiers. Then they began to fight at once, and the Philistines were so surprised at these two men beginning to fight with them, that they most likely thought all the others were behind, and they began to run away.

The people in Saul's camp heard all the noise, and went out to look, and saw the Philistines running away, so they went after them, and killed many, and drove them out of the land, and got free of them once more.

So God blessed and helped the good Jonathan, because he trusted in Him; and Saul became a great king.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was the first king of Israel? 2. Who made Saul king? 3. Who was Saul's son? 4. Who were the enemies of the Israelites? 5. Why would not the Philistines let the Israelites have any smiths? 6. What is a smith? 7. What tools does a smith make? 8. How did the Israelites get their iron tools? 9. Who were the only ones that had swords and spears? 10. Why were the people afraid? 11. Who crept out to see the Philistines? 12. What did Jonathan know that God could do? 13. Where did he climb up? 14. What happened? 15. What became of the Philistines? 16. Who became king?

THIRD READING.

"Intreat me not to leave thee."--_Ruth 1:16._

ONE fine summer day, a good man named Boaz went out into his corn-fields where his reapers were cutting down the wheat. "The Lord be with you," he said. "The Lord bless thee," they answered. Then he saw a young woman gleaning, whom he had never seen before.

He asked who she was. He heard that her name was Ruth, and she was a stranger and a widow. Then why had she come there? Because she could not bear to leave her husband's mother, Naomi, alone in her old age. She knew that if she kept with Naomi she must be poor and forlorn, and away from all her friends; but she loved her mother-in-law so much, that she said, "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: * * * where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried."

When Boaz knew that Ruth was poor and a stranger, he told his reapers to drop some handfuls of corn in her way; and he told Ruth to keep among his young maidens, so that nobody might be rude to her, and that she might rest and eat among them when they rested in the heat of the day.

Ruth carried home plenty of corn to her mother-in-law. And soon it was found out that Boaz was their nearest friend; and he married Ruth, and Naomi lived with them; and Ruth was no longer poor and a stranger, but was happy as a wife and mother in her beautiful home.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the name of the mother of whom we hear to-day? 2. Whose mother was she? 3. But who was good to her? 4. What did Ruth do for Naomi? 5. Where did she go to glean? 6. Who saw her? 7. What did Boaz bid his men do? 8. How did Boaz speak to his men? 9. How did they answer? 10. How was he kind to Ruth? 11. What did she find out? 12. Whom did Ruth marry? 13. What became of Naomi? 14. Why was Ruth so happy?

Twenty-first Sunday.

_THE REIGN OF SAUL._

FIRST READING.

"Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.--_1 Samuel 15:23._

LAST Sunday you heard how God chose Saul to be king of Israel, and promised to help him if he would obey in all that God commanded him.

Now, there were some cruel robbers that lived in the mountains, and used to fall upon peaceful people and kill them; and take their cows and sheep and camels and asses, and gold and silver, and all they had. So God sent a message by Samuel to Saul and his brave men, to destroy these cruel people; but God said that none of all their prey and riches, that had been gained by such wicked ways, was to be kept by His people; it was all to be made away with; they were to have none of it for themselves.

They won the battle, and killed the robbers, as they were sure to do when God helped them; but then when they saw such fine cattle and choice things, they would not obey God, but went and took it all for themselves. They left only the poor and mean that they did not care for, and helped themselves to all they liked.

And then, when Samuel came to meet them, Saul made as if he had done just what he was told, and said, "I have obeyed the voice of the Lord." But Samuel said, "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of oxen which I hear?"

Saul wanted to make excuses; but it was not the first time he had been disobedient; and he was only frightened, he was not really sorry; so Samuel was obliged to tell him, "Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king."

Saul would not do as he was told, and so God punished him. Remember that. Your parents and teachers, or nurses, give you orders; and you have to mind them exactly--not only to do what you like, and miss out the rest. Saul did what he liked when he fought the robbers, but he would not obey when he took the spoil. Then God was angry with him. Do not you be like him; but obey when you do not like, as well as when you do like.

QUESTIONS.

1. What is the Fifth Commandment? 2. What must we always do? 3. Who did we hear of to-day who did not do as he was told? 4. What was Saul told to do? 5. Who told him? 6. Who was Samuel? 7. Who was Saul? 8. What was Saul told not to do? 9. How far did he obey? 10. In what did he disobey? 11. Why was it wrong of Saul to keep the robbers' cattle and sheep? 12. What did he say when Samuel came? 13. Was this true? 14. What did Samuel hear that showed that this was false? 15. Whom had Saul disobeyed? 16. How was Saul to be punished? 17. Why was Saul not to keep the kingdom?

SECOND READING.

"I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him."--_Psalm 89:20._

THE hills that lie above Bethlehem have green slopes where the sheep feed. There, one day, a flock was feeding, and a boy with blue eyes and shining hair watched them, and perhaps sung as he watched. He was the youngest of eight brothers, and all the rest had gone down to a great feast; for Samuel, the great Prophet, was come to visit their father.

But the youngest must stay out with the sheep. No one would want him. But see a messenger is coming up the hill. He calls--David is wanted. The Prophet has called for him. So the boy is obedient, and rises up, to run down the hill at his father's call. Perhaps he stopped to wash his face in the clear well of Bethlehem before he went up to the place of the feast, the same place where Boaz had brought his bride Ruth, for Jesse, David's father was Ruth's grandson.

There stood the Prophet, with his long white hair flowing down; and as soon as young David came in, he stepped forward with a horn in his hand, and sweet-smelling oil of olives mixed with incense was flowing upon David's golden hair. He was the Anointed of the Lord. In time to come he would be king, but he must wait long and patiently first.

Yes. Each of his seven brothers had passed before Samuel--tall goodly men--but God had spoken to Samuel, and forbidden him to choose them; for Samuel could only see their fine handsome faces and figures, but God looked at their hearts, and knew they were proud men, who would soon have been as fierce and headstrong as Saul himself. So he had sent Samuel to choose the youngest and least thought-of of all Jesse's sons, and anoint him to be king of Israel. Yes; and above all, to be the forefather of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was sent to Bethlehem? 2. Who used to live at Bethlehem? 3. What was Samuel to do? 4. Whose son was he to anoint? 5. What does anointing mean? 6. What was anointing to mark him for? 7. How many sons had Jesse? 8. How many came to the feast? 9. Which did not come? 10. Where was David? 11. Were his brothers anointed? 12. Why not? 13. Who saw their hearts? 14. Who was sent for? 15. What did Samuel do? 16. Why was Saul to be punished? 17. Why was David chosen? 18. Was he to begin to reign at once? 19. How was he to wait?

THIRD READING.

"I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel."--_1 Samuel 17:45._

THOUGH King Saul had beaten the Philistines, still they used to come back again and try to conquer the Israelites.

Once they came with an army, and Saul had an army too. The Israelites were on one hill and the Philistines on another hill, and there was a valley between. Then out in front of the Philistines' camp came a giant named Goliath; for there really were giants then, and Goliath had three brothers as tall as himself.

Goliath was nearly twice as tall as any man we ever saw, and he had a helmet on his head, and armour on his breast, and an enormous spear, and a shield, and a man carried a shield before him. He stood out, and called to know if any Israelite would fight with him. Then if Goliath conquered the Israelite, the Philistines should be the lords over the Israelites; but if an Israelite conquered Goliath, then the Israelites should be lords over the Philistines.

But nobody felt bold or strong enough to go out to fight with this great man; and day after day he came and walked up and down, and laughed the Israelites to scorn for not daring to come out, they who called themselves the servants of God.

At last a young shepherd boy came to the camp. He had three brothers among Saul's soldiers, and his father had sent him to take them some loaves of bread, and see how they were. The shepherd boy's name was David. When he came he saw the proud Goliath walking up and down boasting against the Israelites; he asked the soldiers about him, and was so eager that at last they brought him to the king; and Saul asked him how it was that he, who was only a youth, could dare to think of fighting with a man of war like Goliath.

David answered that when he was keeping his flocks a lion and a bear had come and tried to take away a lamb. And God had made him strong to kill both the lion and the bear, and saved him from danger; and he trusted that in like manner God would help him if he fought with the giant.

So Saul wanted to dress David in his own armour, but it was too large for him, and he would not use it. All he did was to choose five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them into his shepherd's bag. And he took his sling, a long strip of leather, the ends of which he used to hold in his hand to throw stones farther with, when he wanted to drive beasts away from his flock. And with only his sling and his stone he went out to meet the giant.

Goliath was fierce and angry when he saw such a boy, and he thought it was only laughing at him to send no better warrior to fight with him. But David said, "Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, * * * whom thou hast defied."

Then David took one of his stones and slung it out of his sling. It struck the very middle of the giant's forehead, and went deep in, and down fell Goliath. All his great strength was of no use to him, and David ran and stood upon him, and drew out his great sword from his side, and cut off his head.

All the other Philistines fled away, and David gave thanks to God for his great victory.

By-and-by David came to be king instead of Saul; and he loved God, and trusted in Him so faithfully that God Himself called him a man after His own heart.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who were the enemies of the Israelites? 2. Who was the giant? 3. What is a giant? 4. What did Goliath wear? 5. What did he call the Israelites to do? 6. Who was the only one that would come out to fight? 7. What was David? 8. Why was not David afraid? 9. What had David killed before? 10. What did David take with him? 11. What was a sling? 12. What did David say? 13. Who helped David? 14. How did David attack Goliath? 15. What happened to Goliath? 16. What did David do to him then? 17. What became of the other Philistines? 18. What did David come to be? 19. What did God call David? 20. Why did God love David?

Twenty-second Sunday.

_KING DAVID REIGNING._

FIRST READING.

"How are the mighty fallen!"--_2 Samuel 1:19._

THE last thing that has to be told about Saul is very sad. You know he would not do as God bade him, but chose to go his own way. Then God forsook him, and left him to grow worse and worse. Then his enemies, the Philistines, came up against him, and his army came together on the hills to meet them.

But God was not with Saul, so his men could not fight, and he was beaten back step by step up into his own hills, close to his home; and there, when he found he could go no further, and that the Philistines would soon be upon him, he did the saddest thing of all--he threw himself on his own sword, that they might not take him alive.

He did not quite kill himself; and when a young robber came by, trying to get garments and weapons from the dead bodies, the unhappy king begged for a death-blow as he lay. The robber gave him the last stroke, and then took the crown from his helmet, and his bracelets, and brought them to David, to show that he was dead.

The robber thought he should have a reward, but David put him to death for having dared to strike the king: and David grieved and mourned for Saul, who had been a great and noble king once. But he had come to this miserable end because he would have his own way and will.

Then, when Saul was killed, David was anointed to be king; and he was a very good man, and served God with all his heart. So God blessed him, and made him great and powerful.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Saul? 2. What was Saul's fault? 3. Who came out to fight against Saul? 4. Where was he driven? 5. Who came after him? 6. What dreadful thing did he do? 7. Who killed him entirely? 8. What did the robber take? 9. To whom did he carry Saul's crown? 10. What did David do to him? 11. Why? 12. Who was to be king now? 13. Why did Saul come to such an end? 14. Whose way should he have followed? 15. Can anyone go on well who is self-willed? 16. Who was king after Saul?

SECOND READING.

"I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."--_2 Samuel 12:23._

KING David had a little son, a baby, whom he loved very much; and this child fell sick. While it was sick King David grieved for it, and prayed that it might be made well. But it was not God's will to make the little boy well, and he died. And then David was patient, and knew it was God's will; and he said, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

For David meant that one day he should die, and then his soul would go to be with his little son's soul in the happy place of rest; and by-and-by their bodies will rise again out of their graves, and be joined to their souls again, and live for ever and ever.

King David used to sing the Psalms to praise God; indeed, he first made most of them; and in one he says, "My flesh also shall rest in hope." That was, the hope that he should rise again from the dead, and always live in God's holy home in heaven. Heaven is the happy place where we all hope to meet and live by-and-by, and that is the comfort that good Christians have when death takes away friends whom they love.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was David's sorrow? 2. What did he do when his little boy was ill? 3. Did the little boy get better? 4. What became of him? 5. How did David bear his death? 6. What did he say? 7. Where did he hope to go to his little son? 8. When would his soul go to his child's soul? 9. When will their bodies rise? 10. What does David say of his flesh? 11. What is his flesh? 12. What hope does he rest in? 13. When will our flesh rest? 14. What do we hope to do? 15. Where in the Belief do you say we hope to rise from the dead? 16. What people will be happy then? 17. What are David's songs called?

THIRD READING.

"O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"--_2 Samuel 19:4._

GOOD King David had more sons besides the little one who died. One was named Absalom. He was a very fine, handsome young man, and had most beautiful hair; but he was fierce and proud, and wanted to be king.

And when David was old, this wicked Absalom gathered men together, and drove his father away, that he might be king instead. Good King David had to go away, weeping and barefoot, down the steep rocky pass, for fear of his wicked son; and cruel men called him names, and threw stones at him as he went, while Absalom was made to reign in his father's palace, and did all he pleased there. But God will not let wicked men prosper; and all David's faithful old soldiers came together to help him. They had a great battle with Absalom and his men; and Absalom was beaten, and fled away on a mule.

But when he came into a wood, his thick hair was caught in an oak tree, and he could not get it loose; and his mule went away, and left him still with his hair caught in the tree.

Now, though Absalom had been so wicked, his father loved him still, and had begged all his men to take care not to hurt the young man Absalom. So when one of the men saw Absalom caught by the hair in a tree he would not hurt him, and only went and told Absalom's cousin, Joab, who was the captain of David's army.

Joab had no pity; he thought Absalom richly deserved to die, and he was afraid the king would pardon him; so he went at once, with three darts in his hand, and killed Absalom as he hung in the tree.

King David was grieved to the heart. No words can say how sad he was to think that his son had died in his sin, and never asked his pardon. He wept, and cried aloud, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" It was not like his grief for the innocent little baby he had lost before; for Absalom had been a bad man, and for that there is no comfort.

And when all the people came joyfully to bring King David home to his palace, to be king again, still his heart mourned for his son Absalom.

QUESTIONS.

1. What is the Fifth Commandment? 2. Do you hear of any one to-day who broke the Fifth Commandment? 3. How did Absalom break it? 4. Who was Absalom's father? 5. How had David to go away? 6. What did cruel men do? 7. Who came to help David? 8. What did he charge them? 9. Who won the battle? 10. What happened to Absalom? 11. Who saw him there? 12. Whom did the man tell? 13. Why did Joab kill Absalom? 14. Did Absalom deserve it? 15. How did his father behave? 16. What did he cry out? 17. Why was he more sorry than for his baby son? 18. What is sadder than even dying? 19. How should you behave to your parents?

Twenty-third Sunday.

_PREPARING FOR THE TEMPLE._

FIRST READING.

"Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price."--_2 Samuel 24:24._

WHEN David was king his people did wrong again; and there came a plague upon them, so that a great number of them died all through the land of Israel.

David and his priests, and all the good men, fasted and prayed, and entreated that God would turn His anger away. And while they were praying, David saw the Destroying Angel standing with his drawn sword over Jerusalem; but the plague had not begun there. Then David prayed the more; and God made known to him that he must offer up a sacrifice on the threshing-floor of Ornan, just by Jerusalem, and then the plague should be stopped.

A threshing-floor was a flat rocky place on the top of a hill, where the sheaves of corn were laid out, and oxen drew boards, with the under side covered with spikes, to knock the grain out of the ears. Oman's threshing-floor was upon Mount Moriah, where Isaac had been so nearly sacrificed. He was threshing wheat on it when David came and desired to buy it for the sacrifice.