The Bible Story Part 85

Then David marched up and drew the giant's great sword out of its sheath and cut off his head.

What a shout arose from the army of Israel when they saw that the great giant whom they so much feared, was dead! And this is the way a brave boy killed a great boastful giant, with all his bragging words and his bra.s.s armor.

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THE "TOMB OF RACHEL" WITH BETHLEHEM IN THE DISTANCE

From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether, and used by her kind permission.

This picture is chiefly interesting for the beautiful view it gives of Bethlehem, lying white against the hillside in the distance.

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DAVID AND KING SAUL

After David had killed the giant Goliath, King Saul would not let him go back to his father's house at Bethlehem, but made him stay at the court, and gave him a high command in the army. King Saul was not well. He had a disease of the mind which made him at times almost, if not quite, insane. At such times he was very sad and gloomy. David could play very sweetly on the harp. When the king felt this trouble in his mind, he would send for David, who would play on the harp and the playing would soothe and calm the king so that he would be himself again.

David was a poet; he not only played upon the harp but he wrote some of the beautiful songs or psalms which he sang. In some of these songs he told about the love of G.o.d, who cares for his children as the shepherd cares for his flock.

The poet Browning wrote a beautiful poem about Saul and David and how the skillful playing of the shepherd had helped the king. Here {152} is a stanza of the poem. David is supposed to be telling someone about his playing to the king.

"Then I tuned my harp,--took off the lilies we twine round its chords Lest they snap 'neath the stress of the noontide --those sunbeams like swords!

And I first played the tune all our sheep know, as, one after one, So docile they come to the pen-door till folding be done.

They are white and untorn by the bushes, for lo, they have fed Where the long gra.s.ses stifle the water within the stream's bed; And now one after one seeks its lodging, as star follows star Into eve and the blue far above us, --so blue and so far!"

But in spite of David's playing the king's health grew worse. He became very jealous of David. David was young and strong and handsome, and a favorite with everyone. Saul at last came to hate him. Once he threw his spear at David, but missed his aim and David escaped. David was afraid that the king would kill him, so he gathered a few bold men about him, and became an outlaw. Day after day Saul and his soldiers pursued David but he always managed to escape, hiding in caves by day and marching by night.

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THE CONVENT OF MAR-SARBA IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA

From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public Library, and used by kind permission.

It was in this wild and desolate country on the eastern edge of Palestine that David hid in caves and ravines when pursued by his enemy, King Saul.

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More than once David had Saul in his power and might have put him to death, but he was too brave and generous to take advantage of his weakness, and besides he felt that it was wrong to harm the nation's king. One night Saul and his soldiers had encamped near the place where David and his men were hiding. The night was dark. All the sentries were asleep. Quietly, David and one of his men stole into the camp, and came to the spot where Saul lay asleep with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. The soldier wanted David to kill his enemy, but he would not do it. He took Saul's spear and the water skin which was beside him and crept safely past the sentries and out of the camp again.

When he had gone to a safe distance, he stood on a hill and shouted and awakened the men in the camp, and told them to look for the spear and the water skin. So they knew that David had truly been in the camp and had spared the king's life.

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DAVID AND JONATHAN

While David was living at the king's court his dearest friend was Jonathan, Saul's son. These two young men loved each other as soon as they met, which was after David had killed the giant. They went everywhere together. They hunted and played their games together. They were like two brothers. Jonathan was never jealous of David. He wanted him to be liked by others. He gave him the best that he had himself.

He was a very kind hearted and generous young man. It made him very sad because his father was so cruel to David. He could not believe that his father really wished to kill his friend.

At last David did not dare to come to the king's court nor to take his place at the king's table. Still Jonathan did not believe that his father really meant to do harm to his friend. To test the king they planned to leave David in a hiding place in the field while Jonathan went home to see his father. When David did not take his place at the table, the king grew very gloomy. "Where is David?" he said.

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WINNOWING IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE

From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton, and used by her kind permission.

In the East, after the grain is threshed out by the trampling of cattle or by driving over it with sledges, it is tossed up in the air by a kind of fork. The wind blows the light chaff away, while the heavier grain falls in a heap. This explains many of the allusions in the Bible.

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"He asked permission to run home to Bethlehem to offer the sacrifice with his family," replied Jonathan.

At that the king grew furious in his rage. He told his son that David wanted to steal the kingdom away from him (for Jonathan was the oldest son and would be king when Saul died).

Saul was so angry that he even threw his spear at his own son, and so Jonathan knew that his father had determined to kill his friend.

David was hiding behind a great rock in the field, and, according to a plan they had made beforehand, Jonathan came out the next day with his bow and arrows and pretended to shoot at a mark. He had a little boy with him to run for the arrows.

The plan was this: If Jonathan said to the boy, "The arrows are on this side of you," David would know that all was safe. But if he said, "The arrows are beyond you," he would know that he was in great danger.

Jonathan came and shot his arrows, and cried, "The arrows are beyond you."

So David knew that the king intended to kill him. They waited until the boy had gone and then David came out, and Jonathan told {160} him how sorry he was that the friend he loved so much must go away. In many other ways Jonathan showed his great love for his friend.

At last both Saul and Jonathan were killed in a great battle with the Philistines. Then David mourned deeply for Jonathan and he made a song of mourning about their friendship. This is a part of it:--

"Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.

How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!

O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places!

I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: Very pleasant hast thou been to me, Thy love was wonderful, Pa.s.sing the love of women.

How are the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished!"

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WINNOWING OF GRAIN AFTER THRESHING IN EGYPT

Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.

After the grain was threshed it was winnowed. The mixture of grain, chaff, and broken straw was turned over and shaken with a wooden fork. It was thrown high in the air so that the wind might carry away the chaff. This work was often carried on at night to take advantage of the night wind, which was usually stronger than during the day. After the first process another was carried on by the "fan," a kind of shovel by which there was a still further separation of impurities. The final cleansing was accomplished by a sieve. The chaff was burned or blown away by the wind. In the picture the blurred appearance is the chaff which has just been tossed up and is being blown away.

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