The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-07-26
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JULY 2S.
Lesson Text: "IsraeI Asking for n
King" Sam. viii 40 Golden
Text: 4 Sam. viii fO.-Com-
mcn'ary on tho Lesson.

themselves together, and came TO Samuel
unto Ramah." After the defeat of the Phil
istineS recorded i'm the last lcssup, they trou
blcd Israel no more all the days Of Samuel
for tho hand of the Lord was against them
thero wos pcacc also between Israel aud the
Amorites Chap. vii, -, 10, 81 that their re-
pcntanco and reliance upon tho Lord
brought them victory over their enemies,
and peace and prosperity because the Lord
was with them. Samuel was tho Lords roi-
rcscntative in their midst and sought their
true welfare in the sight of God As their
judge he went in circuit from year to year
10 Bethel, Giigal and Mizpch, nni
had his home at Ramah. or Ramatham
Zophin, in Mount Ephrain, where
also his father nnl mother had lived
and where he in due time died and was buried
IL sam. l., |; XIV, ~ after having nnointc'i
to their Office the first two Kings over all
Israel Saul and David. Samucls house and
altar unto tho Lord at ltamah CHAP. vii, Ia
remind us of hhrahams tent and altar Gen
xii, s; xiii, lS,; rs pilgrims here we should
bc we'll content with any place Of SO jOurn tlIat
the Lord may give uS, but bc s,irc to have in
the homo an altar unto tho Lord, whole
hearted reliance upon the merits of His sac
rificc and constant communion with Him.
5. make us II King to judge us like all tho
nations" God had chosen Israel that they
might bc unto Him peculiar treasure above
all pcOplc-a kingdom Of priests, an holy ma
tion lex. xix, 3, ~, or, as Balnnm said:
''Tho people shall dwell alone and shall not
DO reckoncd among the nations Mum.
xiii, ~. God had made them higher tInn
all nations. lie Himself was their King; His
power was their strength, His presence their
glory, and this request was like saying:
"Wc do not care to he 50 different from
other nations; let us have n King that we can
sec and let us bc like othor people
q. ''Thc thing displcsScd Samuel, /" "
Samuel prayed unto the Lord" Samuel was
one with God; from child he had muistcrcd
to the Lord, and in this request he saw their
sin and downfall, and was ;;rirvcd for them
and jealous FOR the glory OF Grd
I. "Aud tho Lord said unto Samuel : : =
they have not rejected thee, Int they have
| rejected Me that 1 could not reign over
them" Their cnnduc, was not Il surprise to
Cod; He had furcsScn il all, and knew from
the beginning their evil hearts and how they
would treat Him DE. xvii, ~, yet lie lov""l
them, many n time He f"rEav" them, heard
them and delivered them when they cried
unto Him, sent them prophet after prophet {"
win them back to Him, and finally sent Ills
own Son as their Messiah hut even Tim they
rejected and cruciiic,l. ,ayinm: I'VE have no
King but Casnr.' Tie limo will yet come
when they shall receive the Lord Jesus rs
their King and rejoice in Him and lie in
them before all the nations of the earth der.
xiii, 5-S: Lu. l., 70, 3a).
\. "Thoy have forsakCn Nc and served
other gods; 50 they do also unto thee" Sam
ucl seems to hav" felt that they w"r" turning
against him, and that il was porr treatment
of him even II u" was told tn ask for n King
to take his place: this was u natural feeling,
and We arc all apt 10 give way la II. lut tho
servant of the Lord must remember that when
lie is dcSpiScd 81 rejected or prosecuted for ih"
truths sake, that il is the Lord who is thus
treated and not the servant merely, AMI tn"
Lord will -" to it u.ukc x, IL; Acts ix., !,
-. So the Lord encourages Samuel bv tell
| ing him that this conduct Of Israel is nothing
new, that it is Just the way they have acted
ever since they left Egypt, and that in his
hcinG thus treated hc is enjoying; fellowship
with the Lord whose servant he is
g. "IIcarkcn unto their voice, yet
protest sol"mnly." God wants cheerful will
ing service, the love Of Christ cunStrnining;
IL" does not love that which is don" i,rudg-
ingly. ''ihc Lord lovcth n cheerful Eivcr,'
IN spiritual ns we'll rs in temporal things;
hut WHEN He secs His people bent on having
their own way, II" sometimes gives them
their request though il brings lcaun"sS into
their souls Urs cvi., i5D
10, Samuel told all the words of the Lord
unto the people just us when, rs II child,
he told Eli every whit Of tn" Lords, message
cEap, ill.,, lSD, even though it was Il message
of judgment, 81 now II" declares faithfully
all the words of the Lord. lie is ne ,nnn
l'lca@r, he will speak the Lords message
faithfully Gal l., 10; Jvr. xiii, ~, leaving
results to God
II. This will he thc nanncr If the X iHfg,
tfut snail reign over you y God of love
will not let His people rush into ruin hndly.
Many year did Noah tell the pcopl" plainly
of the Judgments that would surely come If
they continued in their sins. Even pharaoh,
who boaStcd that he knew not Jehovah, was
not "vcrthrown without many n warning
If Israel will havca King in place Of God they
must know beforehand how he will treat
them and what they may expect from him.
ll-l,. "llc will take six times in these
verses are thr.H thrc" words repeated; it j.
tn" number of II perfect orprc,ssor as GGi is
tn" number of the last great opprcsSnr
Of the people Of God ere the Kingdom cnn,rS
/ ufcv xiii, lSl. Contrast the scvcn II wills"
of G"d in FIX. vi. G-S; Lev. XVI, :-I3 and
notice how God is always giving while this
King is said to bc always taking, and ,ot
once Ii Ii" spoken Of rs giving Not only will
he bH an opprCSsOr of the people but hr will
hc "ohl~r Of E",l, for il is twice sail Tvs
II, III that hr will TAX" the tenth. which,
f"d special portion IS,r' Lev. xvii, M, BY,
and appropriate il To himself If il should
10" asked: 'Nil man rob Goi?' see the
question AMI answer i'm NAL ill.,, s and ask
Your o"n heart if you are in any way aD-
pr'irmtinE To your own Uso, either of time
ur money, that which hctnngs t. Cod
~ And yr shall cry out in that dav, be-
cause "( your King, which We shall have
chosen YOU: and the Lord will not h.ar Won
IN that day" God fills His people with such
I'll sings that they cry ont and shout for JOY
lisa. Vii ~, bat this will h" Il cry because Gf
'iI'ECNsIrn and iuaSinuch ~ they Voluntarily
ncr"pt the "ppr, NS"r instead uf the lclivcrcr,
they are todd that it will l." vain for them To
cry unto th" Lord. prov. j., ?5-4N: ISa.
-: Mir. iii. =. rs we ~ow We must reap
Niai. vi. :; Iius viii. =.
IL. Nay, hut We will hav" q King over
r>.' Thus. Though fully turvwarnrl. thcy
persist III their mad carer determined to
lilv" their own way regardless Of crrs.-
I ll'n"i. Faithful Samuel Is - them a man
II past az. h" is behind III" times. god old
man, but in their estimation now i'm ms dot
~ II, IA If u. f1 ft.. .g..,.