, 1876-01-02
SuEDAY.sCHOOl LESSON.

JAN. Z, 1910.
/, Samuel, 1u,1 to 23.-Jehovah WAS tho source
of all authority and power. He always h.d men
OF ability whom He inspired, j. O., men to
whom lie sent His viI aod orders, giving them
inclination and ability to publish them to tho
people, especially to Ills peculiar people, tho Is
raelites He WAS King Of K:ags. He had
purpose end plan, which ue intended to execute
by tneso Inspired men. Now Sa:ncel was one OF
these inspired men. God talked with hin. !. e.,
God impressed upon his mind Vhnt He wished
him TO say aad co. When ha YES very youns
child God talked with him End told lin soma
things, which uos even tho leading men Of tho
day knew anything ABOUT He always ohcyed
the Great Commander, who seems to hare had
she greatest confidence il him. Truthfulaess
and fAithf,lncss always command re5Pect and
coufd.nco.
saal was not known very much until he went
to inquire Of Samuel, the Seer. If lie could tell
him where his fathers asses weso. A. this tl!no
God authorized Samaei to aaoiut him as the
teacher q HIS people. Israel. LII oil the a1my
there was no goodliar man taan he. He "A5 Il
inches, or more, taller than any one Of the peo-
pie His commanding person. his rrepSssess,ng
aoEcaraure, aod h;a conspicuous military genius
secured for him the acmLasion and enthusiasm
Of neatly the eot,,e People. lie had an army OF
over 200, 600 ,neu. This. then, WIS the right
tp' So s. s,uaai eae ated DS tno army and and
people to Gilgnl, where tho confirmation
was madc With great solcannity and pomp. saul
WAS now firmly seated Oh Ills throne as the 1rss
King OF Israel. For sonle years Saul had been
successfully fghtias his restless neish5ors. He
had rare body Of soldiers, and had been left to
act at his own discretion. as II he Was not re-
sponsible to tho King Of Kings, sud need not in
guiro o1 Him through His prophet Samuel Eut
now GOD bad special dutJ tor him TO perform,
1F.t
must have been conscious that in former days
l1s had not obaved tho Crest Commaoaar, and
he must havc felt tina. now he had chance OF
retrieving his character. .
God told Samuel that the lnqM!F OF tho
A1u.,ckilcs was 50 grea! thh. the tina was fully
come when the old sentence passed 509
yeafs ago must bo executed. They mnst DO
utterly exlernEatej. Iou Tem6mber AoY
they annoyed your forefa;hers, as they were
coming out Of Egypt. They net them On tn
then promised that when you Israelltes had con
quered all YOUR enemies in the land which had
beon given you ~ m Inheritance, then you
should blot OUT tIle rernen orance OF Anlalek'
So it scsms God did not forget it il they did.
Thego Amaleki:es were q powcr!ess Tribe,
living south Of Canaan, nnd near the Philiattnea.
Tuer woro old and cruel enemies Of Israel. They
bad been nonladic race, plunderrg and pi!lag-
s Il hg aa aav aa 90 ne as aeass
required and the King Of Heaven decresd, that
they should be destroyed
Saul was charged with the execution OF this
decree. Els commission. as delivered to him by
Samuel wcs e1Froseed IN the most aosot;lIe
terms. 1ie must not spare anything that lad
breath He had no discretionary power, as Ae
had had for several yeals. God had found
Saal to be disooedient, so that nov lie seems
to be resolved to put him under strict orders.
Therefore the King Of Kings issued This order:
Al C,,:A Au,a1a.ita@ and utterly CpEfIOT all
they have and sp:lro tlsm not, but eiay man.
woman, infant. OK, sss. sheep aud CAMEL" 1hls
command is definite and impela atra. One would
suppo5e that SAIL bad DO room for varyipg a.
Sanl did repent his wonted sin OF disohoylnE
God. to whom he Wad under so many very great
Saul ca1ed upon tho people to assemble and
he would form them into er.ud army under
tho Hing of Kings, and would ut once lead
then to a glorious victory, and utterly de-
3;roy their old. cruel, and relentless enemy,
Saul did not forget the old friends Of bis fore
fathers. the ken.tes who wero very k1nu 70 the
chijscn OF Israel when they came out Of Egypt.
So lie sa'd to taem, 8 Leave the Amsieaases, les'
ritz. Saul led his army into the country Of the
Amalekites, waited in the valley, made good
dis.os.tion of his forces. seized the Strong
holds, attacked the enemy aud routed then,
took Agag alive, and utterly destroyed ali me
Doodle Anu kHG1I hdiAEAEoo EcOA9s A~@~
the army took Agag and all the valuable
sroi;s, the oxen, asses. sheep aud lambs
and conveyed them homewards. Thus SAUL
disobeying the Great Commander ana the Great
Commissioner under whose sign and seal was
his aurho.i:y, took Aeag and the rich sPols OF
t1e Amalesites, and carried them to Eastera
Carmel, on the southwestern borders of the
Dead Sea.
Then God said to Samuel, "Saa1 has not obey
ed my orders. III. deeree has not been exc
cuted. Saul has stolen Azag and the boht OF the
apoils. They vera all mine, wisn TO destroy
them utte.ly, aud appointed Saul to do it"
Samuel was grieyed SO mach that he cried unto
the Lord ali night. Possibly Samuel, who had
always been very otedient to the Great Co1l'
msnder of Heaven. felt that lie might suspect
that His seer had nos been faithful end had not
delivered HIS imperative message. Early IN the
morning Samuel found that Saul lad gone to
Gi:sai; so Samuel went to Saul. who said to
biui, ..I have o5eyed the Lord. I have utterly
destroyed tho Ama!eKises and, their goods,
Saul thus showed hi1nselt TO ba hypocr7:e and
8 har. Samuel eau tho truth. md d5nounced
Saul for bis rebellious spirit and obstncte dis
~ ala ~, In md