Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-09-05
Sunday School Lesson Notes.
BY REV. J. o. SHERBURN.


1t is pleasant to find, in the midst q
general departure from God, some who
are devout and faithful. The world will
never realize the debt it owes to the mer
and women, who have stood by their con
victions, and remained constant to duty
when the multitudes have gone in the
way of evil. In no place does the rellg
ion of the bible better manifest itself than
in the home. 1t is cheering to find any.
where household where God is honored
Such picture is before us in the presen,
lesson.
This home was Levites home, situated
in Mount Ephriam. We have no real
history of the family save bare outline o.
its ancestry, running back to Kohath the
son of Levi. 1t does not appear tina,
Elkanah was. at the time of this lesson
filling his place among the Levites, in the
service of the sanctuary, but it would
rather appear that he was engaged in
agriculture or grazing. 1t has been con.
jectured that at this time he was past fifty
years of age, at which time the Levites
we're excused from further service at the
altar, (Num. 8:25.) The name, Elkanah,
signifies purchased of the Lord" and
seems to have been fIvorite one among
the Levites.
Ekanah was wont to visit Shiloh yearly,
and to bring hither the sacrifices enjoined
by the law. He added to this commend
able habit the other excellent trait that he
took with him his wnole household. On
the particular year of which the lesson
speaks he had also vow to pay unto the
Lord. 1t is not certain what particul ar
favor from God he had vowed to
remember by special offer ings, but it is
natural TO suppose that it was the favor
shown in the gift of his son, Samuel. The
expression event up to offer unto the
Lord" is the usual one in scripture; the
house of the Lord at Shiloh and afterward
at Jerusalem, stood upon high ground,
hence every worshipper was said to ego
up" The women were not bound by the
law to appear before God in these yearly
festivals, but many through devout desire
did so. and it appears to have been tht
custom of this wife of Elkanah, Hannah
to go up every year. 1t may be presume,
that his other wife did also, but the nara
tive we have does not follow that part Of
the household. This year, however,
Hannah went not up to Shiloh, giving as
her reason that she would remain until
her child, Samuel, was weaned, and then
she would 60 and present him unto the
Lord, and leave him to abide in the Lords
house.
Some critics have supposed that this
annual gathering TO Shiloh was not tht
first after the birth of Samuel but that the
child was by this time three years old, anc
hey support this suppostion by reference
to the habit of eastern mothers who nurse
their male children often to the age of
four years. There is nothing in scripture
really to decide such question. 1t is
stated that when the mother did present
Samuel at the house of God he was yet
young, but that decides nothing. The
language used would indicate that very
soon he was old enough to aid Eli in the
ministrations of the sanctuary; see chapter
I'd. verse II.
Elkanah willingly acceded to his wife's
plan, only expressing his anxiety that the
conservation of the child should be per-
fected and the promise they had made to
God be faithfully kept. Such is the pur-
port of his language. "Only the Lord
establish his word" Hannah was doubt
less moved to remain at home by dutiful
wish to care for her child. and we may
we'll suppose that there was with this a
maternal desire 10 keep him with her as
long as possible. 1t does not appear,
however, that this desire caused her once
to swerve from her purpose to give Sam
uel unto the Lord; for in little time we
find her, with costly offerings, on her way
to Shiloh to fulfill the promise she had
made before bis birth.
There is some doubt among scholars
whether we ought to read "three bullocks,' y
or three years old bullock. The reading
given in our version is more likely to be
correct, however, and the quantity of -four
brought indicates that more than one
animal was sacrificed. Three tenths of an
ephah was the quantity required to one
bullock. The ephah was about 4 1-2
gallons. By a bottle of wine we are to
understand skin full, which would be