The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-07-26
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JULY -.
Lesson Text: Israel Asking for a
King" Sam. viii, 4-2O- Golden
Text: 4 Sam. viii 1O-Com-
mcnfary on tho Lesson.


themselves together, and came to Samuel
unto Ramah." After the defeat OF the Phil
tstines recorded i'm tho last lesson, they trou-
bicd Israel no moro all the days Of Samuel,
Tor tho hand Of the Lord was against them
thero was peace also between Israel aud the
Amorites Chap. vii, 13 1I), SO that their re-
Pcntahco and reliance upon tho Lord
brought thom victory over their enemies,
and peace and prosperity because the Lord
was with them. Samuel was tho Lords rop-
rescntative in their midst, and sought their
true welfare in the sight of God. As their
Judge no went i'm circuit from year to year
!" Soa bsthsl b;s %dmo Giiga n.nS and MRzpSn an
Zophim, i'm Mount Ephraim, where
also his father md mother had lived,
and whore he in due time died and was buried
q Sam: sam IL xxva XIV y after having anointed
Israel, Saul and David. Samuels house and
altar unto tho Lord at Ramah CHAP. vii, ~
remind us of Abrahom's tent and altar Gen.
xii, s., xiii, 1S); rs pilgrims here we should
be well content with any place of sojourn that
tho Lord may give us, but be sure to havo in
the houe an altar unto tho Lord, whole
hearted reliance upon the merits of His sac
rifice, and constant communion with Him.
s. Mako MS King to judge us like oil tho
might be unto Him a peculiar treasure nbovo
all peoplc-a kingdom Of priests, an holy 80.
tl0n uSx. XIX, 5, o., or, as Balaan, said:
THE people shall dwell alone and shall not
xiii, ~. God had made them higher than
nll nations. He Himself was their King; His
power was their strength, His presence their
glory, and this request was like saying:
other nations; let us have n King that we can
See and let us be like othor people"
q. "Ihe thing displessed Samuel, +"
Samuel prayed unto the Lord" Samuel was
ono with God; from child no had minstercd
to tho Lord and i'm this request hc saw their
sin and downfall, and was Gricvcd for them
and jealous for the glory or God.
z. And tho Lord said unto Samuel =
they have not rejected thee, bnt they have
rejected Me that I could not reign over
them" Their conduct was not surprise to
God; He had foresscn il oil, and knew from
the beginning their evil hearts and how they
would treat Him Ode. xviii, ~, yet lie loved
them, many time He forgavc them, heard
them and delivered them when they cried
unto Him, sent them prophet after prophet to
win them back to Him, and finally sent His
own Son as their Messiah, but even Jim they
rejected and crucifictl. saying: I'VE have no
when thcy shall receive the Lord Jesus rs
their King and rejoice in Him and Hc in
them before all the nations of the earth Uer.
xiii, SIS; Lu. l., sc, So.
8. ''They have fortnkcn Nc aud served
other gods; SO they do also unto thcu" Sam
ucl seems to have felt that they were turning
against him, and that it was poor treatment
of him even If lie WAS told TO ask for King
to take his place; this was q natural feeling,
and VIC arc all apt to give way 10 il, but tho
servant of the Lord must remember that when
lie is despised or rejected or pcrsecutcd for the
truths sake, that it is the Lord who is thus
treated ond not the servant merely, and the
Lord will sec to it U.ukc K, 16; Acts ix., l.
81. So the Lord encourages Samuel by 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
being thus treated he is enjoying fellowship
| NyI fhp V<t. l,..,
9. "Hearken unto their voice = yet
| protest solcmnly." God wants cheerful will
ing service, the love of Christ constraining;
| He docs not love that which is done grudg
| ingly. ''Thc Lord loveth cheerful giver,"
in spiritual as we'll rs in temporal things;
but when He sees His people bent OH having
their own way, Flo sometimes gives them
thc:c -c:iacs: .::oas!: :: brings ieauIiess into
| their souls. Vs. cvi., l5.)
10. Samuel told all tho words of the Lord
unto the people" Just as when, as n child,
he told Eli every whit Of the Lords message
tchap: ILL.,, 1S), even though it was n message
| OF Judgment, so now hc declares faithfully
all the words of the Lord. He is no man
pleaser, he will speak tho Lords message
faithfully Gal. l., 10; Jcr. xxii 2S), leaving
results 10 God.
II. This will be the manner of the King
that shall reign over you" A God of love
Many year did Noah tell the people plainly
of the judgments that would surely come if
they continued in their sins Even Pharaoh,
who boasted that he knew not jehovah, was
not overthrown without many warning.
If Israel will have King in place of God they
must know beforehand how he will treat
them and what they may expect from him.
11-l7. HE will take" Six times in these
verses are these three words repeated; it is
tho number of n perfect oppressor as G66 is
tho number of the last great oppressor
of the people of God ere the kingdom comes
utey. xiii, ls). Contrast tho seven 81 Wills
of God in Elk. vi, G-S; Low. XVI, 3-13, and
notice how God is always giving while this
King is said to be always taking, and not
once lis he spoken of as giving Not only will
he be an opprcssor of the people, but he will
be n robbcr of God, for It is twice said Tvs.
IS. 10 that he will take the tenth which,
and appropriate it to himself. IF it should
bc asked: "Will a man rob Gody" sec the
question and answer in Nal. ill.,, 8, and ask
your own heart if you are in any way ap-
or money, that which belongs to God.
Is. And yc shall cry out in that day, be-
cause of your King, which ye shall have
chosen you; and the Lord will not hear YOU
in that day" God fills His people with such
blessings that they cry out and shout for joy
lisa. xii, G), but this will be cry because Of
oppression, and inas,nuch as they voluntarily
accept the oppressor instead of the dcliverer,
they are told that 1t will be vain for them to
cry unto the Lord. q PROV. l., 1928; Isa. l.,
Gal. vi, z; Hos. viii, n.
10. NAY, but we will have King over
us" Thus, though fully forewarned, they
persist in their mad career, determined to
have their own way regardless of conse-
| lucnccs. Faithful Samuel Is to them a man
Of n past age. no is behind the times, good old
man, but in their estimation now in his dot
nge; SO like the people in the days of Jere-
miah they seem to say: ''As for the word
that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of
the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but
we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth
| forth out of our own mouth"
20. THAT we may be like all the nations. "
| Thus our lesson begins and ends They want
II man rather than God, a visible King to rule
| over them, go before them, and fight their
battles. In Deut. i, 80, it is written, r"The
Lord your God, which goeth before you, He
shall fight for You" so also in Ex xiv, II;
Josh. xiii, 10. But thoy take these very
words and ask for q man who shall do this
for them instead of God, deliberately reject
ing the Almighty who redeemed them and
asking for an arm of flesh to lean on; and
they were the people of God, exalted above
all the nations by His wonderful works on
their behalf, that they might magnify His
namc among men and glorify Him. But
they now ask to be excused from being such