Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-07-04
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON FOR SUNDAY JULY =
" Samuel Called OF Godn 1 Samuel 8
1>14-GoIden Text 1 Sam. 8. 10
Commentary.

Mark we now return to the study Of the
book which Jesus loved and from which He
always preached, ''expounding unto them in
oil the Scriptures the things concerning Him
self" luke xiv, 27.)
l. Sand the child Samuel ministered unto
the Lord before Eli Our last Old Testa-
ment studies were in the book of Judges and
closed with the incidents Of the book Of
Ruth. We are now about to study the life
Of the last Of the judges, who was also q
prophet, as 1t is written In Acts xiii, 20:
He gave unto them judges about the space
of -four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel
the prophet"
2, 3. 1.-THE temple Of the Lord, where the
Ark OF God was.n Tho temple here mentioned
is the tabernacle which Moses had built in the
wilderness, and which had now been for so
long time ut Shiloh, in the inner room Of
which, or Holy Of Holes, was the Ark of the
Covenant Of the Lord Of all the earth Josh.
iii, 11), and in the outer room or Holy Place
was the table Of shewbread, the golden altar
of incense, and the golden seven branched
candlestick or lamp stand, the lamps of which
were lighted every evening and dressed every
morning (Ex. xvii, q; xxx, Z, 81.
4. ''The Lord called Samuel, and he an
swered, Here am l." Samuel is supposed by
Josephus to have been at this time about
twelve years of age; on this particular morn
ing he is awakened by hearing his name
called and Immediately replies "Here am
l." That God should be so near us and yet SO
! seldom speak to us in an audible voice may
seem strange; but is it not more strange that
He should speak to- us as he does In His word
and in the events of every day, and we be so
slow to heor or heed His voice?
g.. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Hero
am !, for thou calledst me-" Thinking that
Eli had called him, he rose up quickly and
| ran to him with these words, but Eli not
| having called him and not seeing that it was
the voice Of the Lord, bids him to lie down
again, and Samuel obeys. How quickly the
| boy responded to what he supposed was the
call Of Eli; what promptness, what denial to
self Of the qualification Of little more slum-
Der; great lesson for all.
| @. Sand, the Lord called yet again Sam
uel." How patiently and perseveringly tho
Lord continues to call those whom the Father
has given to Him out of this sinful world:
for God sspeaketh once, yea, twice yet man
perceiveth it not.
2. "Now Samuel did not yet know the
| Lord, neither was the word OF the Lord yet
revealed unto him." He knew the Lord
through the words Of Moses and Joshua and
ministered unto Him as thus revealed, but up
| to this time the Lord had not spoken directly
to Samuel. This was the first Of many COM
| munications directly from the Lord to the
people through Samuel.
g. Sand the Lord called Samuel again the
third time" And again he arose and went to
Eli with the same words: "Here am I; for
thou didst call me-" What parents heart
would not be made glad by such son; what
unwearied though apparently fruitless obe-
| dience; but it shall be rewarded. Eli at last
perceives that it is the voice Of God and that
the Lord has actually called the child; the
only recorded instance in which the Lord
spoke in vision in an audible voice to little
boy; but let all the children know and believe
that when they read the Bible or hear it read
God is asreally speaking to them in His word
as when He spoke to Samuel.
0. Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." :"
Eli now instruets the child that he is to lie
down again, and if again he is called, he is to
make this reply, for it is God and not man
that is calling him. With such q prayer as
this In our hearts let us 60 about our work
every day and we shall often hear His voice
IN the ordinary events Of every day life; but
lets us also never open the Bible without Of
fering up from the heart either this prayer OF.
the one in Ps. cxix., 1S: ''Open Thou mine
eyes that may behold wondrous things out
Of Thy law"
10. ''And the Lord came, and stood, and
called as at other times, Samuel Samuel.
Then Samuel answered, Speak, for Thy SER
want heareth." The Lord knew that Samuel
did not know His voice, and so He came
again and again SO lovingly and patiently
|
that it was the voice Of God, and then with
entire surrender of soul the boy yields him.
self to the word and will Of God,
II. "And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold,
] will do q thing In Israel at which both the
ears of every one that heaTeth it shall tingle {"
He announces that judgment is about to
come in Israel and that people shall be
amazed at and tremble; The expression ''ears
tingling" is only found twice elsewhere in the
Bible II Ki. xxi, IL; Jer xix, 81 and is in
each case in connection with coming judg-
ments. ~a :.
IL. SIN that day l will perform against
Eli, all things which have spoken concerning
his house; when I begin will also make an
end" Having made the general statement
that He would do Almighty work of Judgment
In Israel, it might be asked where LordP In
He Immediately indicates where it shall
strike, even upon the very head Of the nation,
Eli and his house, and He indicates that it
shall be short and complete. Eli being Gods
representative as judge of the people, should
have been in all respects faithful represen-
ative, and the guilt of any acts of omission or
commission on his part was just SO much
greater by virtue of his high position. TIL,
principle implied in Amos ill.,, Q, gives somt
light upon it; 'sYou only have known Of az
the families of the EARTH therefore ! win
| punish YOU for all your iniquities"
IS. "For have told him that viii iudgt
his house forever for the iniquity which b
knoweth; because his sons made themselvea
vile, and he restrained them notn God nevet
exercises judgment without mercy. He i
long suffering and always gives abundant
warning, IL perchance there may be repent.
ance and thus the judgment be averted. Ht
had warned Eli (chap. H., 27-9@ years befor{
this, but the warning had been lnheeded, and
now the time of mercy had passed and thu
time Of Judgment had come. Eli knew the
iniquity Of his sons and although he rebuked
them and warned them, he did not restrain
them. -U
IA. "And therefore have sworn unto the
house Of Eli, that the iniquity of Els HOUSE
shall not be purged with sacrifice nor Offering
forever" not because there is not atonemenl
sufficient to reach and remove the sin of Elf
house. but because Of the lack of repentance
ON their part. Jesus Himself said that al
manner Of sin and blasphemy shall be for.
given unto men; but He also said that the
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall moi
beforgiven unto men (Matt. xii., 31); which
If understand it signifies the persistent and
continued resistance Of the Spirit until death
or until He withdraws and leaves to himself
the person thus resisting Him; and when q
person is thus left by the Spirit it viii bs
found impossible to approach them upon the
Helper. Aa.s
At Tennille, Ga, a few days ago some
eggs were taken from under asetting hen
and thrown away, as they were thought
to be unproductive. Charlie Lancaster,
/ = L. k