Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-07-05
SAMUEL CALLED OF GOD.
LESSON |, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 7.


Rev. d. Nj. stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per.
mission Of II. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel-
phia.1
Having spent six months upon the life of
our Lord Jesus as recorded in the Gospel by
Mark we now return to the study of the
book which Jesus loved and from which He
always preached, "expounding unto them in
all the Scriptures the things concerning Him
self" luke XIV, 27)
1. "And the child Samuel ministered unto
the Lord before Eli" Our last Old Tesla
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 prophet as
it Is written in Acts xiii, 20, HE gave unto
them judges about the space of four hundred
and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet ~
We must think of Israel as having been in
the enjoyment of that good land which God
gave unto them over 400 years; the taber-
nacle is still at Shiloh CHAP. i, 8, ~, where
it had been set up in the days of Joshua
Josh. xviii, y; Eli is the Judge, and his sons,
HophDi and Phinehas, are priests Of the
Lord CHAPS ", 15-1S; 1, 3, but us we shll
see in our lesson today they are far from
being godly men. In these days of apostasy,
Eli being old and his sons wicked a certain
woman named Hannah asks and receives
from God a child, whom she promises to give
unto the Lord all the days of his life, calling
his name Samuel, which signifies asked of
Godr CHAP. T. II, 20.
2, 8. 1.-THE Temple of the Lord, where the
Ark of God wash The temple here men
toned is the tabernacle which Moses had
built In the wilderness and which had now
hoo forc "a limo M inf b. inn,
room of which, or Holy of HOLES, was the
Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the
earth Josh. iii, ny, 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.
4. 'The Lord called Samuel, and he an
swered, Here am II Samuel is supposed
by Josephus TO have been at this time about
twelve years Of age
5. "And he ran unto Eli and said, Here
am l, for thou calledst men 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 a little more SUM
Der; grand lesson for all.
Z. "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
8. 'And the Lord called Samuel again the
third time,n And again he arose and went to
Eli with the same words, "Here am |; for
thou didst call me-" What parents heart
would not be made glad by such a SON. what
unwearied though apparently fruitless Ole
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 u vision in an audible voice to a
little boy; but let all the children know and
believe that when they read the Bible or hear
it read God is as really speaking to them in
His word as when He spoke to Samuel.
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 lie came
again and again so lovingly and patiently
3 uutu CdIluei, through Eli, Quu Dtell uiubut
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. Does it not
remind us of Jesus Himself at the age of IL,
saying: "Wist ye not that l must be about
my Fathers businessr When we are thus
yielded, God will reveal Himself to us.
IL And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold,
! ! will do a thing in Israel at which both the
ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle."
He announces that judgment is about to
come in Israel and that people shall be am
azed at it and tremble. The expression ''ears
tingling" is only found twice elsewhere in the
Bible I'll XII xxi, II; Jer xix, 81 and is in
each case in connection with coming judg-
ments.
~. "In that day l will perform against
Eli, all things which have spoken concern
ing his house; when begin l will also make
an end" Having made the general state
ment that He would do a mighty work Of
judgment in Israel, it might he asked where
/ Lords In what tribe, or shall it reach the
who'd nationl He Immediately indicates
where it shall strike, even upon the very head
of the nation, Eli and his h.9use, and He indi-
Gates that it shall be short and complete.
l3 For have told him that will Judge
his house for ever for the iniquity which
. ne knOWttu. LIS sDllS IMMENSELY
vile and he restrained them not" God
never exercises judgment without mercy.
IA. And therefore have sworn unto the
house of Eli, that the iniquity Of Els house
shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offer
ing forever" not because there is not atone
ment sufficient to reach and remove the sin
Of Ellis house, but because of the lack of re-
pentance on their part. Jesus Himself said
that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be
forgiven unto men, but He also said that the
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not
be forgiven unto men Matt. xii, 81; 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 will be
found impossible to approach them upon the
matter of their souls welfare. Israel as a
nation afterward sinned 50 greatly that il
was said by the Lord; Though Moses and
Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could
not be toward this people" And again;
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel and
Job, were in it they should deliver but their
own souls by their Righteousness, saith the
Lord God" der XIV, |; Eek. xiv, ~. And
n