  THE REIGN OF SAUL. FIRST READING.
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 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 TEARING THE ROBE OF SAMUEL.—1 Sam. 15:27, 28. 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.
DAVID ANOINTED BY SAMUEL.—1 Sam. 16:11, 12. SECOND READING.
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. Samuel goeth to BETHLEHEM The Elders Alarmed 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 QUESTIONS.
THIRD READING.
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. DAVID SLAYING GOLIATH.—1 Sam. 17:50, 51. 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 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. SAUL CASTING HIS JAVELIN AT DAVID.—1 Sam. 19:9, 10. 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." THE PARTING OF DAVID AND JONATHAN.—1 Sam. 20:42. DAVID AND ABIGAIL.—1 Sam. 25:32, 33. Then David took one of his stones and slung it out of his 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.
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