The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-07-11
DEATH or I'll.
ruternstional Sunday sohosa ksssea ~
July ~, 1850.

Iutofn0e100oA 0Um0oy sSCuO09 A0oU00 10
July ~, 1850.
Especially arranged from 8. 3. ouarseriy.'
LESSON Tnxr-I Sam. A. 1-1A
GOLDEN TnxT--His sons made themselves
vile, and he restrained them not.-I Sam.
S:1a
CENTRAL TRurH-we can not keep the sin
and escape the consequences.
TrME-B G. lila About twenty years
after the last lesson.
PLAoE-Q) Ebenezer, named from Sam
uels victory twenty years later Il Sam. q:
512). It was fifteen miles west Of Jerusa-
lem and twenty miles southwest Of Shiloh.
(2) Shiloh, the capital, few miles north OF
Jerusalem. u
SAMusI-Abouts 50 years old. ELr-Jddge
and priest for forty years. Now 98 years
old. He was . Levite, and descendant OF
Aaron through Ithamar. HoPHNI, 1.-THE
fighter" and PHINEHAs, "the brazen-
mouthed," degenerate sons Of Eli Samson,
In another part Of Israel, was just begin
ming his exploits, b g. 1ll61006. The
Philistine oppression had existed twenty
years and continued twenty years longer
(Judg. Is: ~
INrRouuc1roN-The fearful doom Of Elps
sons revealed to Samuel was not fulfilled
for twenty years. 80 much time was given
for repentance, but the result was In
preparation, and now the time had come.
HELPS OVER HARD PLACEs-1. The tcord
Of Samud. this sentence belongs to the
last chapter. It shows how wide Samueps
influence extended during the twenty
years. The Phtltsttnes: rich, war-like Ma
tion on the west coast Of Palestine. Ebene.
ser: see Place. Aphek: place near Eben-
ezer. Q. Let Us fetch tho Ark thinking
that God would protect the Ark, even II
with 1t He had to save them while still un-
repentant. Witch dpelleth bct,pcen M
cherubim: here God manifested His glory
between the cherubim over the Ark.
Hophnt and Phtnehds: see above. BY this
plan they were brought into the battle to
be slain. 10. Into his tent: |. g., home (Josh.
22:S). II. AK Of God taken: q proof that
God had departed from them. Hophnt and
Phtnehaa !. slain: the sign fulfilled,
foretold by Samuel (2:S). 10. RaH .
professional runner, accomplishing his
fifteen miles In the hours Of Daylight re.
naming after the battle. A tradition OF
the Jews says It was Saul fleeing with the
tables rescued from the Ark. 1S. Sect: .
Judgment seat or throne at the entrance Of
the city. 1t had q canopy over It, but no
U6Ch W Ju0 6c6Us 1os VUCSe tse v0uSSe Wsess~
tton Of the Ark: this shows how Eli prized
God and his religion above all personal
possessions.
LESSON FAcrs-Looking carefully at the
lesson text, we shall see that 1t really sets
forth great harvest. These are the gath
erings Of Israel to throw of the Philistine
yoke. Tell the scholars about the hrst futile
attempt to do this, as given In chap. Al, Q,
and about the vain hope that God would as
sist them II the Ark of the Covenant were
with them, irrespective Of their conduct
towards God. But all their expectations
were vain. The Philistines gathered cour-
age from despair, and fell upon Israel with
fury. Israel was smitten before them, and
fed every man to his tent Go on to draw
vividly the scene at the gate, where sat
poor, anxious Eli, waiting for tidings. In
comes man with torn garments and horri-
fed mien and announces the fearful defeat
Ell, old and blind, asks what 10 the cause
Of the tumult, and receives the message
with its trinity Of sorrows for him, thef
Israel 10 defeated, both his sons killed, snd
the Ark taken. At the mention Of the loss
Of the Ark Of the Covenant, the old mans
heart fails him, and he tumbles over back
wards from bis judges chair and 10 at once
killed by the fall.
CoMMENrs-Now return to the idea Of the
great harvest. (aD Israel reaped harvest
Of defeat. How did this come about Surely
not because they had not numbers enough
with which to fight the Philistines. For
Gideon with three hundred men had once
defeated q much larger army Of Midianites
than the Philistines ever assembled. Surely
not because God was not able to maintain
the honor Of His Ark. For soon after, the
Ark, unaided by any armies, was q source
Of bitter vexation to Philistine lords. No;
Israel reaped defeat simply because they
sowed disobedience. Recall to the scholars
what God had said to Joshua years before
''Observe to do according to all that 10
written lin the law), for then shalt thou
make thy way prosperous" Josh. 1: 81. As
often before, so now, Israel forgot this ful.
damental command Of God, and as result
reaped the harvest Of disaster. (b) Hophni
and, Phinehas resped an awful harvest
Rapacious, licentious, blasphemous, they had
profaned holy things. In common with
Israel, they mistook the mere outward sign
Of Gods presence for that presence itself,
and thus In reality trusted in the Ark, and
not In God. Like many In Israel later, who
took the serpent Of brass and began to wor
ship it, forgetting that 1t was only symbo
Of an underlying reality, 80 did these wicked
men. Such being the case, no one wonders
that their fate was what 1t was. We are
rather surprised at the long-sunering ol
God In spsring them a. long as He did
They sowed the wind and they reaped the
whirlwind. (c) Eli reaped sad harvest
His fate was by no means as dark as thai
of his two sons; for though his conduct
shortened his earthly life, he was Cody
man. His heart was bound up in the honol
and safety Of the Ark, even more than ir
his sons welfare. Still his end was sac
one, and his earthly career ended in dark
ness. Compare his death with the death oi
Joshua. and you will easily realize this
(Josh. "a: 29-3D. His sowing in the educa
tion of his sons had been faulty, and his har
vest was devoid Of any joyful song Of hsr
vesthome. A. +. Schaufler.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
1. Children may grow up bad amid goot
influences.
2. In disorderly families both parents ant
children are usually to blame.
8. God gives abundant time for repent
ance.
4. The most sacred religious forms win no
save us without the spirit of religion.
q n