The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-09-25
REVIEW OF THE QUARTER.
LESSON XIII, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. 80.

The lessons that have been considered dur
ing the quarter just brought to close have
covered one of the most important eras of
the history of the chosen people of God.
Lesson had to do especially with the call
ing of Samuel by the Most High. Samuel
was the son of Elkanah and his wife Ham
nah, to whom he had been given by the Lord
in answer to Hannah's prayer. And accord
ing to the vow Of his mother the life Of Sam
uel was devoted to the service Of God. He
was placed In the hands Of Eli, the priest, as
soon as he had been weaned, and when the
sons of Eli had scandalized the people and
offended the Lord with their wickedness, he
was selected to be Ellis successor.
Now "the word Of the Lord was precious
in those days" There had been mo open
vision" before that vouchsafed to Samuel for
a long time. Perhaps herein lies one Of the
most valuable lessons Of the quarter-a lesson
for mothers. II you would raise up your
sons to be mighty men before the Lord, de-
vote them to Gods service from the first.
In Lesson II was told the sorrowful death
of Eli and the humiliating defeat of Israel
q defeat that can be clearly traced to DISC
bedience of Gods command. Israel had at
this time fallen away somewhat from the
worship of the one God. But when a war
arose between Israel and the Philistines,
Israel called upon Jehovah for help. But
howi The sacred ark Of the covenant was
taken from Shiloh, where its place was In the
Holy Of HOLES, to the field Of battle. But the
command Of the Most High had been vio-
lated; God did not fight with the ITaelites
and they were defeated, for the Phihstines
were desperate and fought with fury that
carried all before them. And it is now as 1t
was then-if you desire the Lord to help you
in the constant contest with the world you
must obey Him.
In Lesson III we were told of therepentance
Of Israel and the rescue Of His people, after
twenty years punishment, out Of the hands
of the Philistines by the Lord Of Hosts.
"And the hand Of the Lord was against the
Philistines all the days Of Samuel" In Les
son w is recorded the action Of the Israel
ties In demanding king. Samuel had grown
old and his SONS had been made judges OF
the people. These Sons had done even as had
the sons of Eli before them; "they turned
aside after lucre, and took brides and per-
verted Justice" But this was no just excuse
for the Israelites in their demand for king.
God had appointed the method Of govern
ment for His people, and there Is no doubt
but He, in His own good time and in His
own way, would have corrected the abuses
the people suffered and punished those by
whom the abuses came But nothing would
satisfy the Israelites short Of king, and So
as we are told In Lesson V-they were given
one in the person Of Saul .#
Saul had been sent to find some domestic
animals that were lost; he failed, and at Last
sought out Samuel, the man Of God. Sam
uel had been warned Of the coming Of Saul,
and had been told Of God that Saul should be
the king whom the kraelites desired. Saul
was "goodly young man." tall and strong
"a king in appearance-just what the Israel
ties desired. God was about to try His peo-
ple-to give them an opportunity to learn
that His ways were best. But even when
Saul had been shown to the people as he
whom the Lord would have to be their king,
they rejected him, and deridingly asked:
'Shall Saul reign over usq' But Saul de-
Hvered them out Of the hand Of the Ammon-
ties, and then they were convinced. In
Lesson vi we studied the last address Of
Samuel, that wonderful speech Of the pro-
phet In which he reviewed before the peo-
pie the history Of their nation, end set out
to them the everlasting doctrine that true
prosperity and unalloyed happiness only
come to those who serve God sincerely.
In Lesson VII we learned how the Lord
finally rejected Saul because Of the disc
bedience Of the latter. God had told him to
spare not the Amelektes or their cattle or
goods, but Saul had saved Agag, the king,
alive, and had kept alive the "best Of the
sheep and Of the oxen and Of the fatlings and
the lambs and all that was good" These he
had preserved for the use Of himself, and God
told Samuel that this was displeasfng to Him.
"Behold," !" said the prophet, Ito obey Is better
than to sacrifice" Saul, rebuked by the man
Of God, became repentant But 1t was too
Late
In Lesson VII we are told Of the anoint-
ing Of David as the chosen Of the Lord.
When Samuel saw Eliab, a son Of Jesse, who
was tall and strong and Of regal bearing, he
aid In his heart that here was the future
King, but God said not so. "The Lord seeth
not as man seeth; for man looketh upon the
outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on
the heart" Oh, blessed assurance, that Is
and will be ever kept in remembrance by
them that love Godl
David, the shepherd boy; David, the
youngest; David, whom Jesse had not
thought worthy to be brought before the
prophet - he was the chosen one. Truly,
Gods ways are not the ways of men.
In Lesson TX is told the story Of the killing
Of Goliath by this youngest son and shep-
herd, David, who went out before the two
armies to meet the most mighty man Of the
Philistines.
Nothing in all the Old Testament is in its
way more affecting than the story Of David
and Jonathan, which was the subject Of Les
son x. Saul had become jealous Of David,
for had not the women sung:
Saul hath slain his thousandsl
And David hath slain bis ten thousands!
Saul swore to be the death Of David, but
the bond Of brotherly affection between
David and Jonathan saved the shepherd boy.
In Lesson X1 is told the story Of David's
great heartednesS when he had Saul In his
power. David's magnanimity was prompted
by two fold motive. He would not smite O
sleeping man. He was too truly brave to do
so cowardly ON act Besides, Saul was still
the Lords anointed.
And in Lesson XII Is told the story of the
last days Of Saul The king had wept the
tears Of the crocodile when, as told In the
previous lesson, he affected to be reconciled
to David, and be had continued his pursuit
of the shepherd boy. But now Saul was to
racaive his nunishment War was raging he-
tween the Philistlnes and the Israelites, and it
went not well with the latter. Saul saw that
defeat, bloody, ignominious defeat, stared
him in the face, and he feared to meet It. To
run away would be to court additional igno-