Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1915 — SAUL’S LAST BATTLE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SAUL’S LAST BATTLE.

a Samuel t-S.—Slay 13.

Distressed, He Asked Aid of the Witch of En-dor—Deceived by Evil Spirits. The Battle Lost—Saul and Jonathan Slain—The Song of the Bow, or Saul’s Dead March—David King of Judah. Later, King of All Israel. "Jehovah my Strength an Shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped.”— Psalm 28:7. PERSECUTED and hunted by King Saul, uo place was safe for David. The Philistines, desiring him for a friend rather than a foe, gave him and his followers the city of Ziglag. While residing there, David's were over the Amalekites. Meantime, the end of Saul's reign was nearing. A fresh Philistine invasion required all the army he could muster, and he felt very dubious respecting the results. Although, in harmony with the Divine regulation, he had ordered alP'who claimed to communicate with the dead to leave Israel, nevertheless some remained. In his extremity, King Saul visited the Witch of En-dor. The witch got into communication with the fallen angels, who she sup-

posed, as spiritualists still suppose, were the spirits of the dead. But the Bible assures us that “the dead know not anything.” Samuel was sleeping with his fathers, awaiting the resurrection Morning. Then as now’, evil spirits through mediums personated the dead and an-

swered as Instead of the dead. In this case, the answer was that on the next day the king and his sons would be defeated and slain. The Bible clearly teaches that the dead are dead and can give no information whatever; that they are simply in a state of suspended animation, awaiting the better Day when Messiah will bring the knowledge of God’s glory to all, as the result of His Ransomsacrifice at Calvary. The teaching that the dead are alive contradicts God’s Word, and is the foundation of the grievous errors which have distressed Christians. None would pray for the dead or say masses for their release from Purgatory, if they knew that their dead were merely sleeping until the resurrection. “Th® Song of the Bow.” When David heard of the defeat, his sympathy for Saul and Jonathan was expressed in a beautiful poem (2 Samuel 1:17-27). The Dead March from Saul is an attempt to put into modem music David’s Song of the Bow. In the battle Saul’s sons w’ere killed, including Jonathan. Saul himself was wounded. Fearing lest the Philistines w’ould torture him to death, he finally suicided. A young Amalekite brought David the news, telling that he had dispatched King Saul at the latter’s request—probably, however, manufacturing this part to bring honor to himself. But David commanded him to be put to death. " Realizing that the time had come to move from the Philistine country, David inquired of the Lord by the jriest and the ephod. The answer was that he should go ,to Hebron, in Judea. Thither David and his companions removed with their families; and the tribe of Judah, his own tribe, promptly recognized him as their king. King Saul’s son Ishbosheth had survived; and Abner, Saul’s chief general, had him anointed king of Israel. Finally Abner, angered with King Ishbosheth, proposed to become David’s vassal. King David appreciated the proposition, doubtless considering it the Lord’s will. However, the matter did not carry out; for Joab, David’s nephew, slew Abner deceitfully. Instead of rejoicing in Abner’s death, the king mourned for him and denounced his nephew’s wrong course. King of All Israel. Shortly after this, others, misunderstanding King David, slew King Ishr bosheth and brought his head to David, expecting to be rewarded. They also were condemned, and slain. All these

things endeared the king to the people, who perceived that he was broad-minded and gene rou s. He seems to have had a great appreciation of Justice, and also a breadth of sympathy for his enemies. z I'inall.v the othei eleven tribes invit-

ed David to become king over all Israel. This was probably seventeen years after his anointing by Samuel. Faith and patience mark every step of those, years, and reveal King David’s character as we could not otherwise have known it. Its grandeur was chiefly manifested in his devotion to God and his submission to God’s will. Meantime King David bad grown strong in conquering his enemies—the Lord's enemies. God had declared that the iniquity of the Amorites had come to the full, and that they should be de stroyed. Whether destroyed in battle, by pestilence, famine or war. the, divine sentence must be carried out. Those who died by Israel’s 4 word will awake in the Millennial Kingdom. They will then be freed from ignorance and superstition, with Messiah’s Kingdom ready to help them back to human perfection, lost in Eden, redeem ed at Calvary.

David Anointed King.

David inquiring of the Lord.