The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-07-11
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
sUBJECr FOR SUNDAY, JULY "a
''1he sorrowiui Death OF Ein
sam,. ~. I f3-- .oidcn Text 4.
snni., III, t3-Notcs.

i. The word OF Samuel came 20 all Isrnolr
That is the word of the Lord through Samuel.
Tor Tor he as the Lords prophet would spcal;
Israel would know through him the will of
tho Lord. In studying any portion of tho
history OF Israel we must remember that
they were chosen by God from among all tho
nations Of the earth and placed in that good
land in order that He through them might
make Himself name and be magniilcd by
then, In the eyes OF all tho nations OI Sam.
vii, q; Chr. xvii, 81; Isa. xiii, 12). Ho
showing in every way that He had mado
thcm a peculiar people unto Himself (ISx.
xix, 81. "lsrael went out against the Philis-
tines 10 battle IL was during n forty years.
oppression of Israel by tho Philistines that
Samson was enabled by the Spirit OF God TO
do his mighty works, and IL was by the Phil
istines that Israel was defeated when Saul
and his sons were slain; IL we judge from
Sam. xviii, %, 45, we are 10 look upon them
Israel, over whom truo Isrnelites should a.
ways have the victory. (Deut. xviii, ~
! .. Israel was snitten before tho Phljs-
tines" This indicates that God was not with
them, for had He been In their midst victory
would have been certain; zone should chase
thousand and two put ten thousand To-
flight He had promised to fight for them
when He sent them forth (Dcut. L., 30; Ill,
~; xxxii., 30, so that this going out AGAINST
tho enemy and this defeat wns not the result
OF Gods leading. When they were defeated
at al It was because of sin in the camp, nui
the sin which Eli knew and did not put away
may have been partly the CAUSE Of this dc.
feat; but our next lesson will tell us that they
had as a nation forsallcn God (chnp. vii, q.
and this Judgment romindsu us that "thc hand
OF our God Is upon all them for good that scek
Him; but His power and His wrath is against
all them that forsalSc Him" Ezra viii, 23l
g. Let US fotch the ark Of tho covenant ~
the lord; II may save us" They
did not look ca the Lord to save them. thcv
were not Mt this time worshiping Him, but
idols, and tncy speak Of this holy vessel ms IL
1t were an idol which perhaps may have
moro power than the other idols which thcv
worshipcd; but their iniqutios had separated
between thom and God, and their sins had hid
His face from them lisa lix., Q: Jer. ", ~.
4. 80 tho people sent TO Shiloh, that they
might bring from thence tho ark OF tho cove
nnnt Of the Lord of Hosts. which dwollcth
between tho cherubim.n Thus they add sin
10 sin and are 80 blinded that they 500 not tho
enorinty of this sin. Consider tho signifi-
cameo OF this holy vessel, mentioned eleven
times in this chapter, and that it's place in
the tabernacle was in the Holy Of Holes into
which the High Priest alone entered but onco
year and never without the blood OF tho
sacrifice, typifying the blood OF Jesus Christ
consider also tho expression dwcllcth between
the cherubim' found here for the first time,
and only seven times In all Scripture III Sam.
vi, - III Kings xix, 10; Chr xiii, q: Ps.
Xxx, !; xcix., l; Isa. xxNvii., iG); carrying
us back 20 BN, XIV, 90, whore we find It's
origin. The Lord of Hosts will bo Cntrcatcd
by, and do great things for, every pcnitont
heart that humbly seeks Him, but when such
blind and blasphemous hands approach Him
they can only expect His wrath
3 "All Israel shouted with u great snout"
II was not like the great shout when the wall,
OF Jericho fell, or when tho foundation of tho
qQpDnI intnt,ln "a WuS IaiI lI,Sb vi
lib, for then il was n shout because tho
Lord was in their midst and tho work was
for His glory, but this was simply the shout
OF Israel without reference To the glory OF
God; II may have been louder shout than
on the other occasions, but il was oil noiso
with no power 10 il.
90. God Is come into tho camp When
tho Philistines heard the shout, and under
stood the cause Of IL, they wprc afraid sup
posing the ark was 1sraels God as Dagon
was theirs, but although they tromble at tho
possible results remembering what they had
heard OF the wonders in Egypt and in tho
wilderness, they are ready TO mako trial of
tho power OF their god against Isracls God
and urge their soldiers 10 be strong and quit
themselves like men, least they become SER
wants TO tho Hebrews. II is not to be won
dered at that the Philistincs know not tho
God Of Israel nor His mighty powor, whom
Israel knew not their own God nor relied
upon Him. Had He indeed como into tho
camp OF Israel TINT would have settled tho
matter.
10. "Israel was smitton: thcro
fell OF Israel thirty thousand footmcn.n Is
rael was chosen u rely upon God that llo
might show forth His power, and whenever
sho failed 10 do 80 her dofcat was sure. Two
thingswerc required OF her; that she should
be holy and by implicit reliance upon, and obc-
dience 10 her God, magnify His name. Tho
same two things arc required now of ovcry
Christian and " every church.
IL. "Tho ark of God was taken;
the two sons of ELI were slain Tho ncxt
two chapters tell Of tho journoyings of the ark
in tho land OF Philistinos and how tho hand
OF the Lord was against tho people wherever
II rested until they were glad to return II -
Israel with an Offering. God will SEQ 90 His
own glory and will care for His own ark
oven i His people despso Him and the enemy
seem for time To prosper.
LILY. ELI sat upon sent 10y tho waysidc,
watching, for his heart tromblcd for the ark
fGod." Only twice outside Of these first four
chapters Of Samuel do wo find the namo Of
Ell in the Bible (chap, xiv, 3; Kings, H.,
20, yet he lived to be yS years old and Judged
Isrnel forty years. He does not seem TO have
walked very closely with God or to have been
very intimate with Him.
Tho glory OF Israel was not tho house of
ELL OF which four died that day, nor oven tho
ark itself, precious holy vessel though il was;
but uOd hlnBclf, the Lord OF Hosts, tho God
OF Israel, whom no Philistine could touch,
and whom the death Of all tho priests and
prophets that ever lived could not affect.
Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, rely wholly
upon Him, keep His commandments, magni-
fy His name, seek His glory, and losing sight
OF self, or church. or denomination, except in
SO far rs they may honor Him, seek with tho
whole heart and all our might to hasten tho
compilation OF His church aud the coming OF
His Kingdom.
IL. when he made mention OF the ark OF
God he died" The man of Benja-
min who brought the tidings from tho field
of battle broke them 10 Eli as gently as pos
sibie, reserving the worst for tho last.
Israel Is fled, great slaughter,
thy two sons arc dead, = tho
ark OF God Is taken;" but IL is too much for
the old man. and when il is mentioned that
tho ark is gono he falls backward and dies;
and now the ears of all Israel are tingling be-
cause OF the Judgments Of the Lord upon tho
house or ELI, on account of sin tolerated in
high places. Chap. ill.,, 1l-1A. What shall
IT. be like when "the Lord cometh ont of His
place to punish the inhabitants OF the Garth
for their iniquity" lisa. XVI, 2l), and how
would You stand should He como today
Lesson Helper.
II nrlnK 10 maze me work." SAID young
man to an old gray headed man of 70 YES"
he replied, lit will. Thought just so. have
buried two boys in drunarkd's graves. am
an old man and feeble. | have spent COM