Preparation for teaching; a standard course for teacher training

Foreword

The rapid development of teacher-training ideals and the adoption of a standard course have made obsolete courses prepared even so late as 1905, when "The Westminster Teacher Training Course" was published. To meet present day requirements an entirely new volume — "Preparation for Teaching" — has been written by one whose long and successful experience in the work of teacher training specially quahfies him for the task.

The volume has been approved by the Committee on Education of the International Sunday School Association, which requires that the standard teacher-training course shall consist of not less than fifty lessons, at least twenty of these being devoted to the study of the Bible, and at least seven each to the study of the pupil, the teacher and the Sunday school.

It will be noted that the maps printed in connection with the lessons are mere outlines. They have been crudely made in order that they may be the more easily reproduced on the blackboard.

In offering to our Sunday schools this new course' of teacher-training lessons, the publishers feel that they are putting within their reach a book which will prove valuable and helpful.

How to do Successful Teacher-Training

Work

Determine to have a class. You can do it. The plans are practical and can be adapted to any school.

Remember that it is important to start right. A half-hearted, poorly considered effort will inevitably be a failure.

Read carefully the general teacher-training leaflets. Confer with those who know the work. Secure all available information. Write to the Sunday-school department of your denomination or to the Superintendent of Teacher Training of your state Sunday-school association.

Do personal work. Enlist the interest of the choicest people in the church. They may need the course of study least but will appreciate it most. Through these, others will be reached.

Call a meeting of the teachers and officers. Show a copy of the text-book, and teach a sample lesson. Decide to inaugurate the teacher-training work at once.

Secure the most competent teacher available, not necessarily an expert, but some one who will be a leader, earnest, sympathethic, tactful and patient. Do not postpone the time of starting the class because the skilled teacher is not at hand. Use the best man or woman you have.

Organize one or both of the following classes:

1. A Class for Present Teachers. If possible, an entire evening should be devoted to the class work. If this is not feasible, the class may meet in connection with the regular teachers' meeting, before or after the midweek prayer meeting or at some time on Sunday. OflScers of the school and the Christian workers will find it profitable to join the class.

V vi Preparation for Teaching

2. A Permanent Teacher Training Class in the Sunday School.

With the help of the teachers select from the Senior and Adult departments of the school a group of choice young people and form them into a class which will meet during the regular school session. Sometimes it may be found desirable to change an entire senior or adult class into a teacher-training class.

If possible, give this class a separate room, or have it meet with the main school during the opening exercises, and then in the church auditorium or a near-by home for lesson study, which may then be continued during the time devoted by the school to closing exercises. This class should be continuous. New pupils should be allowed to enroll when any one of the five sections of the book is completed. Thus one who begins with Part IV would first take Parts IV and V, and then make up Parts I, II and III when the book is begun the second time. Thus if care is taken to enroll recruits at every opportunity, there will be no difficulty in making the class continuous.

The members of the training class should not be called upon to act as supply teachers. The class work should not be disturbed till the course has been completed.

A Mixed Class. It is sometimes found desirable to begin with a mixed class of both present and prospective teachers. Union classes made up from a number of schools, have been quite successful in many places. However, the permanent class in a single school will usually be found to be best.

EnroU the class with the denominational and state teacher-training officials, and then prepare to secure the help and inspiration that will come from them.

TEACHING HINTS Secure the co operation of every member of the class. Ask questions

and assign subjects for special study. See that each student has a text-book, and that the lessons are studied.

Use the blackboard. Write out the lesson outhne and simple diagrams.

Review constantly. Make sure that every lesson is thoroughly mastered.

Give written reviews occasionally. These will show the weak places in the knowledge of the students and wiU enable you to help them.

Be sxire that the class takes the official examinations provided by the

Teacher-Training Work vii

denomination or the state Sunday-school association. The text-book is divided into five sections of ten lessons each. An examination will be given at the end of each section; this will be final for that part of the book. Classes preferring to take fewer examinations may combine two or more parts for examination. These examinations are an incentive to good work; the receipt of good grades for a section of the work will be a decided encouragement to continued effort.

Graduation exercises are a fitting recognition for faithful work and do much to impress upon the church and community the importance of Sunday-school teaching.

The students passing the examinations will be entitled to the inter-! national or the state first diploma and will also be accorded denominational recognition.

Individual students may study the course, take examination and receive recognition.

Contents

Page

Foreword iii

How TO DO Successful Teacher-training Work v

Part I Lesson THE OLD TESTAMENT

I. The Old Testament Books 1

II. The New Testament Books 2

III. The Period of the Patriarchs 4

IV. The Period of the Patriarchs (Continued) 7

V. The Period of the Patriarchs (Continued) 9

VI. The Period of the Great Leaders 11

VII. The Period of the Kings 14

VIII. The Period of the Kings (Continued) 16

IX. The Period of the Foreign Rulers 18

X. The Old Testament World 20

Part II

I. The Early Life of Christ 27

II. The Ministry of Christ 29

III. The Ministry of Christ (Continued) 32

IV. The Ministry of Christ (Continued) 35

V. The Ministry of Christ (Continued) 38

VI. The Church in Jerusalem 41

VII. The Church Extending to the Gentiles 43

VIII. The Church in AU the World 45

IX. The Land Where Jesus Lived 49

X. The Places Visited by Jesus 51

Part III BIBLE INSTITUTIONS AND THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

I. Places of Worship 59

II. Sacred Services 62

III. The Sacred Year 64

ix

X Contents

Lesson Page

IV. The Sunday School 66

V. The Interrelation of the Church, the Sunday School and

the Home 69

VI. The Purpose of the Sunday School 71

VII. The Sunday School Organized and Equipped 73

VIII. The Sunday School Graded 75

IX. Methods of Building Up the Sunday School 77

X. The Sunday School and Missions 79

Part IV

I. The Importance of Knowing the Pupil 83

II. Knowing the Pupil by His Play 85

III. Infancy. The Cradle Roll and the Beginners 88

IV. Infancy. The Cradle Roll and the Beginners (Continued) ... 90 V. Childhood, Primary and Junior 93

VI. Childhood. Primary and Junior (Continued) 95

VII. Early Adolescence. The Intermediates 98

VIII. Early Adolescence. The Intermediates (Continued) 101

IX. Later Adolescence. Seniors and Adults 103

X. The Child Prepared for the Teaching. 106

Part V

I. The Teacher's Teacher Ill

II. The Teacher and His Text-Book 112

III. The Teacher and the Pupil 115

IV. The Teacher's Personal Preparation 117

V. Teaching Principles 119

VI. Methods of Teaching 121

VII. Preparing the Lesson 124

VIII. Illustrating the Lesson 127

IX. The Teacher's Responsibility 129

X. The Complete School for the Trained Teacher 131

PART I The Old Testament LESSON I The Books of the Bible

The Bible is God's written revelation of his will.

It consists of sixty-six books.

Written by at least thirty-six people.

During a period of sixteen centuries.

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, excepting a few short passages which are in the Aramaic language. About one hundred years before the Christian era the. entire Old Testament was translated into Greek. The New Testament was written in the Greek language. Our English Bible is a translation from these original languages.

It is important that the Sunday school teacher be thoroughly famihar with the name and location of every Bible book.

THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS

The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament may be conveniently grouped as follows:

The Books of the Law. Five. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

The Historical Books. Twelve. Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First and Second Samuel, First and Second Kings, First and Second Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.

The Poetical Books. Five. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.

The Major Prophetical Books. Five. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezeldel and Daniel.

Useful Drills. Give the names of the Old Testament books, backward as well as forward. Choose books at random, and locate each in its division, telling the names of the books before and after it — precisely as you would "bound" a state or a coimtry. See how readily you can turn to the various books.

TEST QUESTIONS In what language was the Old Testament written? How many books are in the Bible?

How many books are in the Old Testament?

About how many persons wrote the books of the Bible? Through how many centuries did the writing extend? Name the books of the Law.

Name the Historical books of the Old Testament. Name the Poetical books of the Old Testament. Name the Major Prophetical books.

Name the Minor Prophetical books.

O. T. Books 39

Languages

36 Authors

16 Centuries

Law. G. E. L. N. D.

History. J. J. R. 1 & 2 S.

Poetry. J. P. P. E. S. of S.

Major Prophetical. I. J. L. E. D.

Hebrew Aramaic Greek

LESSON II The New Testament Books

The New Testament was written to set forth the character and teachings of Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant, by at least eight men, four of whom — Matthew, John, Paul and Peter — were apostles, two — Mark and Luke — were companions of the apostles, and two — James and Jude — were brothers of Jesus. The different books were written at various times during the second half of the first century.

The following is a convenient division of the New Testament books:

The Four Gospels, or Biographies. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Historical Book. The Acts of the Apostles.

The Pauline Epistles. Fourteen. Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, First and Second Thessalonians, First and Second Timothy, Titus, Philemon and Hebrews.

The General Epistles. Seven. James, First and Second Peter, First, Second and Third John, Jude.

The Prophetical Book. Revelation.

TEST QUESTIONS Suggestion for review. The leader may conduct this review as a written examination, dictating the questions to the class, and pausing while the answers are written.

When was the New Testament written? by whom?

In what language was the New Testament written?

Name the four Biographies of Christ.

Name the Historical book of the New Testament.

Name the Pauline Epistles.

Name the General Epistles.

Name the Prophetical book of the New Testament.

Biographies. M. M. L, J. History. A.

Pauline Epistles. R. 1 & 2 C. G. E. P. C. 1 & 2 T. 1 & 2

General Epistles. J. 1 & 2 P. 1, 2, & 3 J. J. Prophetical. R.

LESSON III Old Testament History

The Bible is God's revelation to men. Its central theme is salvation through Christ. Bible history unfolds the reHgious meaning of events, and represents God as active in the affairs of men.

Old Testament history may be divided into four periods:

I. The Period of the Patriarchs. Adam to Moses.

11. The Period of the Great Leaders. Moses to Saul.

III. The Period of the Kings. Saul to the Babylonish Captivity.

IV. The Period of the Foreign Rulers. The Babylonish Captivity to the Advent of Christ.

I. The Period of the Patriarchs

Adam to Moses

The Bible Account. The Book of Genesis.

This period reveals the preparation of the people of Israel for their great mission of giving the knowledge of the true God to the whole world.

The subdivisions of this period are:

1. The Godly Line.

2. The Chosen Family.

3. The Tribes of IsraeL

1. THE GODLY LINE

In the beginning of this earliest age there were no nations. God's grace was revealed to a few select men, who preserved the knowledge of him on the earth. In the meantime the world was becoming more and more corrupt.

The godly men of the age were Adam, Seth and his descendants, notably Enoch, who ''walked with God: and he was not; for God took him," Noah who built the ark, and Shem and his descendants.

The leading events of this subdivision are:

(a) The Creation.

(b) The Fall and the Promise.

(c) The Flood.

(d) The Dispersion,

(a) The Creation. (Genesis, chs. 1, 2.) God called all things into being by the word of his power. His creative work was progressive : first, the world of matter was created; then, the system of life, and finally man, the crown of creation.

Because of his interest lq his creatures, God followed his work of creation with his work of government and preservation.

(6) The Fall and the Promise. (Genesis, ch. 3.) Adam and Eve were created in a state of innocence, but strength and permanence of character could be theirs only through resistance of evil and choice of the good. They were tested under most favorable circmnstances. God endowed them with a clear mind and pure heart and with ability to do right. He also gave them his own presence and fellowship. The test of their loyalty was to be obedience to him.

Satan appeared in a fascinating aspect , and tempted them to doubt God's wisdom and love and to disobey his

commands. They yielded to the temptation, and sin entered the world. In mercy God promised one who would redeem men from sin. (Gen. 3 : 15.)

(c) The Flood. After the fall God gave the world a new beginning in Seth, through whom the promises would be handed down. The descendants of Seth married with the Cainites and became impure. The wickedness of men increased until there remained but one righteous man, and he was in great danger of being carried away by the corruption around him. God's patience was most wonderful. The Holy Spirit had striven with men. Noah had warned them, and even after Noah had entered the ark there was a respite of seven days before the flood came, but God's mercies were refused and men perished. (Genesis, chs. 6, 7.) Noah was saved from the flood by the ark, and from the evil in the world by the flood. ^Tien he came out of the ark, he erected an altar a^ a pledge that his saved Hfe was henceforth consecrated to God's service. (Gen. 8 : 20.)

(d) The Dispersion. (Genesis, ch. 11.) After the flood the world was given another new start, but as the people multipHed, men increased m wickedness. They built the tower of Babel in defiance of God They sought to establish a world-wide empire that would be inde^ pendent of God, and for this the Lord scattered them in many lands Ihen, m the providence of God, there arose tribes, nations and different languages.

Four great nations were estabhshed, Egypt in North Africa, Phoenicia on the .viediterranean coa^t, Chaldea between the Tigris and the iLuphrates rivers, and Assyria north of Chaldea.

TEST QUESTIONS Name the four periods of Old Testament history. Give the Hmits of the period of the Patriarchs, ^liat Bible book tells about the period of the Patriarchs? Give the subdi\Tsions of the period of the Patriarchs. Name the noted men of the first subdivision.

Name four leading events of the subdivision, "The Godly Line." Give the three stages of God's creative work. How was Adam's loyalty to God tested?

Why did God destroy the world in the time of Noah? Describe the dispersion of mankind.

t|- S^ J^*">r^ A.toM. in. The Kings. S. to B.C. IL ihe Great Leaders. M. to S. IV. The Foreign Rulers. B. C. to C.

f (a) The Creation Book

^u n ^1 T . ^^) ^^^ Fall and the

ihe Godly Line \ Promise

(c) The Flood

(d) The Dispersion

L The Period of the Patriarchs

Genesis

LESSON IV I. The Period of the Patriarchs

2. THE CHOSEN FAMILY

The method of grace by which salvation was offered to the entire race, had failed because of the wickedness of the human heart, so God limited his gracious promises to a single family in order that, through it, the whole world might eventually receive his grace. We are now to note the series of providences that led to the making of God's people.

The great events of this subdivision are:

(a) The Call of Abraham. (6) The Wanderings of Jacob, (c) The Advancement of Joseph.

(a) The Call of Abraham. (Gen. 12 : 1 to 25: 10.) God called Abraham to leave his home in idolatrous Ur of the Chaldees to go to an unknown land where God would make him the father of a mighty nation.,

Abraham obeyed and journeyed first to Haran, where he tarried till the

death of his father Terah, and then completed the journey to Canaan. At Shechem God told him that this was the land of promise and that it should belong to him and to his seed after him. Though he was not permitted to settle in one place, as he traveled through the land he jii\flM

<^Bf?ftHAM:s J'OUI^NE.^ showed his faith in the divine promises by erecting everywhere altars of worship,

God signally honored the faith and character of Abraham by revealing himself to him in special ways, by entering into a sacred covenant with him and by caUing him "my friend." (Isa. 41 : 8.) His family became God's pecuUar charge. God dealt with them as with no other people.

(b) The Wanderings of Jacob. (Gen. 25 : 19 to 36 : 43.) Through Isaac the promises of God were passed down to Jacob who, despite his many faults, valued God's covenant blessing. Jacob in his wanderings suffered for his sins, and through the chastening became a good man. The divine blessing that he tried to secure from Esau by fraud, in the end became his undisputed possession on the ground of his real worth.

(c) The Advancement of Joseph. Joseph was one of Jacob's youngest sons and therefore was seemingly without prospects, as leadership in a family was inherited by the eldest son, but God was with Joseph and he could not be kept down. He was sold as a slave by envious brothers, falsely accused in Egypt and cruelly imprisoned, yet all these adversities were but steps to a position next to that of Pharaoh. Through his rare wisdom, his purity of Hfe and strong character, he became God's agent in bringing his father and his brothers into their training school, the land of Egypt. (Genesis, chs. 45, 46.)

How did God change his plan of bringing salvation to men?

Name the three great events of the subdi\dsion " The Chosen Family."

What promise .did God give to Abraham?

How did God honor the faith and character of Abraham?

"VMiat good results followed from the wanderings of Jacob?

Who was Joseph?

Name at least three of Joseph's trying experiences.

Name three elements in Joseph's character that made him a successful man. \

What important result was brought about through Joseph's elevation?

The Old Testament BLACKBOARD OUTLINE f (a) The Creation

Book

(6) The Fall and the r 1 . The Godly Line \ Promise

(c) The Flood

L The Pe-

1 (d) The Dispersion riod of the f (a) The Call of

Genesis

Patriarchs

Abraham

2. The Chosen Family ^WThe^,:,-t^

(c) The Advancement of Joseph

LESSON V I. The Period of the Patriarchs

3. THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

In this period the chosen family developed into the tribes of Israel; thus we reach another stage in the progress of God's plan. At first he dealt with select individuals, then with a single family, then with tribes, and later on with tribes organized into a nation.

The family of Abraham became the twelve families of the sons of Jacob. Each family was the nucleus of a tribe, and during the stay in Egypt the tribal life was fully established.

The great events of this subdivision are:

(a) The Descent into Egypt.

(b) The Growth and Training of the Tribes.

(c) The Unifying of the People.

(a) The Descent into Egypt. It was necessary that the people be separated from the corrupting influences of the Canaanites before they could be prepared for their mission under favoring circumstances. Egypt afforded the best civilization of that day, and no more pleasant home could be found than Goshen, near the Nile River. By his providence God had brought Joseph to this land and had made him so famous that the Pharaoh was glad to welcome Jacob and his children, and to give them the best the land produced. (Genesis, chs. 46, 47.)

(6) The Growth and Training of the Tribes. The children of Abraham were too few to take possession of the land of promise; they must have time and opportunity for numerical growth. (Ex. 1 : 1-7.) Secluded in a fruitful and happy land for several hundred years, the Uttle company of seventy people grew to be twelve tribes, nimibering at least two million people.

During these years the simple-minded shepherds were instructed in the schools of Egypt, and were trained in useful industries and in

methods of seK-government. This schoohng was an important preparation for their hfe in the wilderness and in Canaan.

(c) The Unifying of the People.

In the course of time unfriendly Pharaohs sat upon the throne of Egypt, and, fearing the rapid growth of the people of Israel, they sought to prevent further increase in the population by oppressing them heavily. (Ex. 1 : 8-14.)

These common and long-continued sorrows welded the people together and awakened longings for the promised land. They thus became a united people, and were ready to leave Egypt to carry out God's purposes.

eEElT5MEB^

Name four stages in the development of God's plan.

Name the three great events of the subdivision, ''The Tribes of Israel."

Why was it necessary that the children of Israel should leave their home in Canaan?

Why was Egypt a desirable home for the people?

Why was it important that they remain so many years in Egypt?

What training did they receive?

Why did the Pharaohs oppress the Israelites?

What effect did their sorrows have upon the people?

I. The Period of the Patriarchs

L The Godly Line

2. The Chosen Family

3. The Tribes of Israel

(a) The Creation

(b) The Fall and the

Promise

(c) The Flood

(d) The Dispersion

(a) The Call of Abraham (&) The Wanderings of

Jacob (c) The Advancement

of Joseph (a) The Descent Into

Egypt (6) The Growth and

Training of the

Tribes (c) The Unifying of

the People

Date

Israel

in

Egypt

about

Book Genesis

LESSON VI II. The Period of the Great Leaders

Moses to Saul (About 1317 B. C. to 1030 B. C.)

The Bible Account. Exodus to I Samuel.

In this period the twelve tribes were merged into one government and the Israehtes became a nation.

The four great epochs of this period are:

1. The Exodus.

2. The Discipline of the Wilderness.

3. The Conquest of Canaan.

4. The Rule of the Judges.

1. The Exodus. When the people were sufficiently experienced to become a nation, God raised up Moses to be their leader. His life may be divided into three periods of forty years each.

(a) Forty years of education in Egypt. Adopted by Pharaoh's daughter and treated as her child, he had every educational advantage and became learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. (Ex. 2 : 1-10; Acts 7 : 22, 23.)

(b) Forty years of spiritual training in the desert of Arabia. The forty years in Egypt had made him a scholar and statesman, but his education was not complete till he became a man of God. In the desert he conmiuned long with God and ripened in character.

(c) Forty years' of service as leader of Israel, as the great lawgiver and as the organizer of the nation. When he was prepared for his mission God sent him back to Egypt. (Exodus, chs. 3,4.) By means of the ten plagues, culminating in the death of the firstborn in the Egyptian homes,

Pharaoh was made willing to permit the Israelites to leave the land. (Exodus, chs. 7 to 12.) Note especially the account in chapter 12 of the institution of the feast of the passover, observed to this day by every careful Jew.

After the miracle of crossing the Red Sea the wilderness life began.

2. The Discipline of the Wilderness. The

Israelites marched to Sinai, where, during the one year of waiting, they received from God: (a) The moral law as a guide to daily conduct. (6) The ceremonial law as a directory of worship, (c) The civil law for the government of the nation. The tabernacle was erected and God's worship was fully established. In order that the people might be cured of idolatry and learn to trust him, God led them by the glory cloud through a pathless, barren wilderness, and fed them with manna from heaven.

At Kadesh-barnea they rebelled against God by refusing to enter the land, because they beheved the false reports of the spies, and were required to wander in the wilderness thirty-eight years longer. (Numbers, chs. 13, 14.) These forty years of training prepared them for the next step in their advancement.

3. The Conquest of Canaan. Of all the fighting men who left Egypt with Moses, only two remained at the end of the wilderness journey, the faithful Caleb, and Joshua, the son of Nun, a descendant of Joseph. (Deut. 1 : 35-38.) At the time of the Exodus Joshua was forty years old. All through the wilderness wanderings he was closely associated with Moses, and was thus thoroughly equipped for the high office of leader.

Under Joshua the people crossed the Jordan and the conquest began. Joshua planned three campaigns. After taking Jericho he attacked the forces in the center of the land, with a view to preventing the enemy in the north and south from combining for mutual protection. He then fought the tribes in the south, and finally met the combined forces of the north and defeated them. (Joshua, ch. 11.) The Canaanites were subdued, but not wholly driven from the land. After the conquest came the division of the territory among the tribes.

4. The Rule of the Judges. Joshua had no successor. After his death, each tribe acted independently. There was no capital and no fixed government. There w^as no unity of action except in time of danger, when the tribes combined for the common good. When the people sinned against God, their enemies defeated them and ruled them. When in their distresses they sought the Lord, he sent great leaders, called judges, who delivered them. (Judg. 2 : 16-19.) The leading judges were Gideon, Deborah, Samson, Jephthah, Eli and Samuel, the last and best of them all.

TEST QUESTIONS Name the four great epochs of this period.

Into what periods may the Hfe of Moses be divided? How long did the period of "The Great Leaders" last? 2,-1 J What did the years in the desert of Arabia do for Moses? What means did God use to make Pharaoh willing to let the people go from Egypt?

What laws were given the Israelites at Mt. Sinai?

What was the sin of the people at Kadesh-barnea?

How were they punished for their sin?

How w^as Joshua trained for his position of leader?

What three campaigns did Joshua carry out for the conquest of Canaan?

How w^ere the people ruled after the death of Joshua?

Name the six leading judges.

On w^hat occasions were the judges raised up?

Preparation for Teaching BLACKBOARD OUTLINE

II. The Period

of the Great Leaders

1. The Exodus from Egypt

2. The Disciphne of the Wilder-

ness

3. The Conquest of Canaan

4. The Rule of the Judges

Dates

Exodus

to I Samuel

LESSON VII ni. The Period of the Kings

Saul to the Babylonish Captivity (1030 B. C. to 587 B. C.)

The Bible Account. The books of Samuel, Kings, Chronicles and the Prophets.

This is the period of the rise and decline of the kingdom. We have seen that in the beginning of sacred history the knowledge of God was preserved on earth by a few godly men, then God's blessing rested upon the chosen family of Abraham. This family became the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribal life developed into national life, and the nation reached its place of highest opportunity in the kingdom.

The subdivisions of the period are:

1. The United Kingdom.

2. The Divided Kingdom.

1. THE UNITED KINGDOM

Under the rule of Samuel, the last of the judges, the enemies of Israel were subdued and there was peace throughout the land. But the people were discontented. They wanted a king, that they might be Hke other nations, and God gave them a king after their own hearts. (I Sam. 8 : 6.)

Saul, the son of Kish, the first king, reigned forty years. He was a man of fine personal appearance and of good ability (I Sam. 9:2; 10 : 23 24), but selfish and rebellious against God. He began well, and was successful in some w^ars with the Philistines, but rapidly departed from God, and, finally, defeated in battle by the Philistines, committed suicide. (I Sam. 31 : 1-6.)