Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-10-17
Che freeman.
Sunday School Lesson Notes.
BY REV. j. o. SHERBURN.

result of having KING as their ruler
Though the matter was put before them
in clear, strong light, they persisted
saving, 1--WE will have king to reign
over u.s." Samuel, under divine direction
had privately anointed Saul, of the tribe oi
Benjamin. TO be king; but the matter had
not been made public, neither had he yet
in any sense, assumed the leadership o.
the people. God was working to prepare
Saul for tie place, as we find from the
first of the 10th chapter, and Samuel was
preparing constitution, doubtless under
divine direction, for the new government.
When all was in readiness, Samuel called
the people together at Mizpeh, and pro
ceeded TO address to them words, not his
own, but from the mouth of the Lord. In
this address God reminds his people of the
signal deliverance he had wrought for
them in the very beginning of their
nationa! existence. From that time for
ward, he reminds them that he has deiv.
cred them from all their oppeessors. and
has been their constant defense. Now in
seeking king they have rejected God.
Their desire for king is to be grattied ,and
now, though the people are not taking the
most direct course to national strength and
prosperity, God commands them to assem-
BILE together by tribes and by thousands.
This last expression has reference to the
decimal division of the people, first made
when Moses appointed subordinate judges
for the people, in accordance with the
suggestion of his father.in.law Exodus
1929.
This gathering at Mzpeh was, proba.
bly,. only gathering of the heads of
tribes and the rulers of the people. When
all were assembled before the Lord lots
were drawn to ascertain of what tribe the
chosen king should be. The tribe Of
Benjamin was taken. Again they cast
lots for the particular family or branch of
the tribe from which he should be taken
1t is probable that two other lois were
drawn, as was the case when Achan was
found out by the same method, though
the scripture here would seem to indicate
that the third drawing revealed the chos-
en- man. This procedure by lot was only
necessary to satisfy the people. God had
before made known his choice to Samuel
and Samuel had anointed Saul and declar
ed to him the rank to which he was TO be
exalted. Bnt it must be made clear to
the people that Saul was the chosen of
God 1t had been long before prophesied
that Judah should be the ruling tribe, but
the people first had Moses of the tribe of
Levi, Joshua of Ephraim, and now king
is chosen from Benjamin: but though the
predctiod was unfulfiled, it was not
forgotten, and at this very time an infant
son in Jessies house is being reared up TO
fill the divinely appointed place when it
wa, announced that the lot had fallen on
Saul the son of Kish, and search was made
for the man, he was missing. Saul know
ing what the result would be, had mod
estly Withdrawn himself from the crowd,
and was most likely giving attention to
the animals or effects which his party had
taken with them on coming up TO Mizpeh.
The work of drawing lots being com.
pcte. "they inquired further of the Lord"
The people are here spoken of, though
their inquiry was no doubt made through
Samuel. The import of their question was
.'s Saul present or will he be here later?'
God directed them to where they might
find him, and he WAS escorted to the
assembly. When he came forth among
them the people saw that IA man of giant
stature had been chosen. Chapter @:
tells Us that there was not among the
children of Israel goodlier person than
he. In height he was neck and head
above the rest Of the people. The times
were gross, and the thought of the people
would naturally demand king of great
physical powers. When they saw such a
man they shouted forth their delight.
Their exclamation has been a little tor
tured to meet the custom of the English
people in greeting their kings. What
they really said was ''Live the King" 1t
does not appear that there was any cere-
mony like coronation; indeed there was
no crown in existence TO put upon the
head of Saul, and no real, we'll organized
government at the head of which he could
be placed. Samuel presented Saul to the
assembled people as heir king, he then
told the people the manner of the king
dom. or. as we would say, read the
constitution, which without doubt defined
@gggl, ''.,-.; ing and people; then the
assembly was dismissed, and the people
went quietly TO their homes, and the new
king as quietly to his home.
Samuel was careful TO have the consti-
tuition written out and 1t is said that he
laid it up before the Lord; probably near
an altar 10 the Lord, either at Mizpeh, or
mt Ramah.
1t appears that in the very beginning
the appointment of king caused dissatis
faction and division Of sentiment. 1t is
quite likely that many OF the peop'e were
in sympathy with Samuel, and did not
desire king; while others saw hope for
the nation in no other way. 1t is said that
a band of men accompanied Saul to his
home. These were probably some of the
first men of the kingdom, who, at the first,
constituted a kind of kings council. 1t is
indicated that these men followed Saul
because they were divinely moved to
loyalty to the king. OF the other party an
opposite report is given, and they are
called sons of Belial, because they spoke
disparagngly of the king, and took no
measures to support their newruler. Sam
uel, if we consider him the author of this
book, had evidently become royalist
or, better, he had determined to support
the God appointed ruler. Saul showed
rare prudence in that he held his peace