Lesson 35. MAKING THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION. David Among the Philistines

(Taken from I Sam, 27:1-28:2; chs. 29, 30.)

I. THE TEACHER'S PREPARATION. The Method of Teaching. In Gregory, The Seven Laws of Teaching, study pp. 65-80 and write answers to the following questions: 1. Explain the philosophy of the Fourth Law. 2. What bearing has this law on the selection of the point of contact? 3. State in brief several practical helps suggested to you in this lesson.

The Material for Teaching. Do all the work assigned in Lesson XXXV of the Junior Bible. Consult Montefiore, Bible for Home Reading, Part I, pp. 216-219; Graetz, History of the Jews, Vol. I, pp. 101-102; Kent, Founders and Rulers, pp. 108-114; Shepard, Young Folks' Josephus, pp. 145-146; article "Philistines" in the Jewish Encyclopedia.

The Religion of Israel. In Addis, Hebrew Religion, study pp. 72-88 and write answers to the following questions: 1. What was the conception of God held in the days of Moses? 2. What marked advance was made in this conception after the settlement in Canaan? 3. Discuss the origin of the Sabbath.

II. THE AIM.

Jealousy so warps the mind of man that he is unable to form an unprejudiced estimate of anything associated with the object of his jealousy. For this reason, Saul totally misjudged David; and that misjudgment forced the young champion of Israel, after undergoing innumerable hardships, finally to seek a haven of safety among the enemies of his own dearly beloved Judah. In telling the story of David among the Philistines, so dwell upon the pernicious results of Saul's bias as to prevent your pupils from forming unjust judgments either of individuals or of races.

III. POINT OF CONTACT.

Why do some people dislike Jews? Yes, because these people have a prejudice. What does prejudice mean? To pre-judge to render a verdict before you have heard the evidence.

James was a little Scotch boy. His school companions used to think that he was lazy because he did not spend much time in studying his lessons, and they therefore liked to make fun of him. A little girl, however, who knew James better than any one else did, was accustomed to encourage the boy; for she was certain that he could learn more by observing and thinking about the things he saw in the world, than by reading in books. One day when he was sitting alone before the fire-place, his aunt entered the room, hastily concluded that he was wasting his time and said angrily, "James, do not sit around here idle; do something useful." She did not know that he was intently watching the steam in the kettle cause the lid to rise and to fall. Soon, James' father came into the room, and said sharply, "Doing nothing, again, Lazy Bones? Out of doors with you!" He did not know that James was saying to himself, "If a little steam can raise the lid of a kettle, why can not more steam raise much heavier weights?" The boy's full name was, of course, James Watt; and it is he to whom the greatest honor is due for inventing the steam engine.

Just as James' comrades and even relatives prejudged him, so did Saul prejudge David; and we will see in the next two lessons how great was the evil that resulted from this prejudgment.

IV. EXPLANATORY NOTES.

Ethical Topic-Judging Justly.

Date. From about 1013 to 1011 B.C.E. David is probably about twenty-eight years old.

Places. The land of the Philistines from Gath to Ziklag, and also the plain of Esdraelon.

U. & U. Stereographs-10809, "Bedouin camp in the wilderness where Saul pursued David"; and 10856, “Gaza, lowland stronghold of the Philistines."

DAVID DRIVEN INTO EXILE.-Three times Saul broke up the home of David. First, the jealous king compelled the young bridegroom to desert Michal at Gibeah; secondly, to convey his parents for safety's sake from his boyhood home in Bethlehem to Moab; and now to flee from Maon

where he had only recently been married to Abigail.* The fear had long been in his heart that ultimately he would be driven to seek refuge in the land of his country's enemies where further pursuit by Saul would be impossible. With this end in view, before David left Maon, negotiations had doubtless been entered into between him and the Philistines; otherwise, they never would have offered an asylum to the man who not only slew their champion, Goliath, but who also was famed for having brought death to tens of thousands of their ordinary soldiers. Their suspicion was probably the more easily allayed, because they were persuaded that David' was coming over to them with the purpose of wreaking vengeance on his relentless pursuer. Even so, their king Achish (A-'kish) insisted that these fresh recruits from Israel be stationed, at least for a time, in the capital Gath, that they might be more directly under his own eye. It appears that the final terms of agreement between the Philistine king and the outlaw chieftain were somewhat as follows: In return for a haven of safety, David agreed to enlist his six hundred seasoned warriors under the banner of Achish, to obey orders from the Philistines, to render a report of all battles to the king, and to turn over to him a large portion of the plunder taken in the raids. Thus, because of his distorted judgment, Saul lost what Achish gained-the greatest military leader of the age.

DAVID AT ZIKLAG.-Since David had now withdrawn his patrol from the outskirts of Judah, and Saul had taken no steps to safeguard this exposed district, the inhabitants were being constantly pillaged by the wild tribes living in the region between Telem on the southern boundary of Judah and Shur, as the protecting wall on the Egyptian frontier was called. These tribes were the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites; and there seems to have been some sort of loose alliance between them and the Philistines. Despite this fact, David was impatiently awaiting an opportunity to punish these plunderers of his home country. Partly for this reason, and partly also to prevent his soldiers from yielding to the seductions of a foreign religion, he, after having lived at Gath for eight months *See Lesson XXXIII.

under the constant surveillance of Achish, and having won the confidence of the king, asked permission to be transferred with his men to one of the cities on the southera border. Thereupon, he was assigned to Ziklag, an outpost near Gaza. No sooner had he settled in his new quarters than he began to attack the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites, to despoil them and to give to Achish the designated portion of the plunder. If the king asked him for a report of the battle, David would say that he had been fighting against Judah, or against these friends of Judah, the Kenites and the Jerahmeelites (Je-räh'-me-el-ites); but was careful to leave no man alive who might make the truth known in Gath. For sixteen months, he carried on this warfare ostensibly against his own country and its allies, until Achish was thoroughly convinced that David had made himself hateful to Israel and would be forever loyal to Philistia.

AN ESTIMATE OF DAVID'S POLICY.-The time has happily gone by when the religious school teacher feels it to be her duty to defend every act of every hero or heroine in the Bible. In the present case, David told a lie; yet were the exigencies of his situation such as make his course justifiable? This question might be assigned as a subject for debate. In his behalf, it can be urged that it is difficult to see how he could have adopted any other policy, that he was making the best of a very bad situation, and that in his efforts to be faithful to two conflicting duties, he always chose the higher one-that of loyalty to his own country. It is to be noted further, that in deciding to go over to Philistia, he did not follow his usual custom of first seeking to learn the will of the Lord, but acted entirely on his own judgment; and also, that although his conduct was successful in so far as it enhanced his popularity in Judah, it almost brought him to his ruin when, as we shall soon see, the Amalekites took vengeance on him by sacking Ziklag.

DAVID IN A PREDICAMENT.-Confident of David's loyalty, Achish was now emboldened to declare war against all Israel with the purpose, not as heretofore, of merely making a raid, but with the aim of completely subjugating the entire country. Taught by experience, the invaders, in

stead of trying to enter the land through the narrow and dangerous defiles of the southern mountains, marched northward to the real gateway into the interior—the plain of Esdraelon. Obedient to orders, David joined the Philistine army; and in response to the implied question as to what part he would play in the battle, returned the noncommittal answer, "You shall know what your servant can do." Achish, either because he misinterpreted the significance of this reply, or because he desired to place the young commander on his honor, assigned to him and his six hundred men the position of highest trust-that of acting as the royal body-guard. Let the pupils discuss freely the questions as to what they think David intended to do, and what they would have done in his place. After their curiosity to find out what he actually did do has been thoroughly aroused, continue with the story.

THE REVIEW AT APHEK.-The armies of Israel and of Philistia were both encamped in the plain of Esdraelon; the one in Jezreel, the other a few miles to the south in a place called Aphek (A'-phek). Here Achish mustered his forces, and decided to hold a grand review just before going into battle. First, the Philistine troops marched past, drawn up in companies and in regiments; in the rear, rode the king surrounded by his body-guard of Hebrew soldiers. Instantly, the suspicion of the native generals was aroused,. and they entered a protest against this division of foreign troops. In reply to them, Achish explained that he had placed David and his men on a two years' probationary test, and had found their loyalty unquestionable. This explanation by no means satisfied the Philistine commanders, who took the position that in his heart David was still a foe, and that he would make the most of any critical moment in the impending battle to help Israel, and in this way, to gain again the favor of Saul.

DAVID DISMISSED FROM THE ARMY.-Thus overruled, Achish with great reluctance invited David to an interview, assured him of the royal trust in the Hebrew body-guard, but went on, as tactfully as possible, to make known the groundless suspicions of the other generals. The completeness with which he had won the confidence of Achish is but another tribute to the attractive personality pos