The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-07-12
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JULY IL.
LES on Text: "rhc Sorrowfu Dcat n OF
EN-" Sam iv, 4 fS- Golden Text:
sam. 40 13-Commcn' AIRY
on tho Lee IN

That is tho word Of tho Lord through Samuel.
for nc, rs tho Lords prophet, would spoal;
the Lords message uIsg. T., ts; and thus oil
Israel would know through him tho will of
tho Lord I'm studying my portion of tho
history Of Israel we must rcmcmbcr that
they were chosen by God from among all tho
nations Of the earth and plncod in that f,ood
land i'm order that He through thcm might
make Himself namc aud bc magnifisd by
them i'm tho eyes of all the nations QI Snm.
vii, %; l Chr xvii, 81; Isa. xiii, l9, Ho
showing in every way that flo had made
them peculiar pcoplc unto Himself EN.
xix, -. "ISraCl went ont against tho Philis-
tines to battle" II 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 aud il was by tho Phil
istipes that Israel was defeated when Saul
and his sonS were slain; il We judge from L
Sam. xvii, 26, IL, VIZ arc To look upon them
dctirrs Of tho living God, tho God of
Israel. over whom true lsracliteS should III
ways have the victory. lDcut. xviii, a.
.. "lsracl was smittcn before tho PhiliE-
tines" This Indicates that God was not with
them, for had lie been in their midst victory
would have hcrn certain; ION" should CHASE
thousand and two put ten thousand To
flight" Ill" hal promised to fight for them
when he sent them forth tprut. l., 30; ill.,,
~; NxNi., 3c, ~ that this going out against
th" enemy AMI this defeat WAS not tho result
Of G"d's lcaltnE. When they were dcfcatc't
at Ai it was lSaus, of sin i'll the camp and
the "iu which Eli knew aud did not put away
m2y na'" hs'rn partly the C.:u'r ot this de-
fCnt; but our ncxt lesson will tell us that they
Lad ns n nation fursakcn God CHAP. vii, -,
and this Judgment reminds us that 'the hand
Of our God is upon all them for good that seek
Him: but His power and His wrath is against
all them that forSa'o Hun" EZRA viii, 81
3. "IlCt MS fetch III" ark of the covenant OF
the Lord: VI may save us" They
did not t,ok Ia the Lord to save them, thcy
were not at this time wnrsiiiping Him, but
idols and they Spiai of this holy vessel rs if
il were nu idol which perhaps may havu
morr power than the other idols which they
wurShipCd; but their iniquitics had separated
between them and God. and their sins hal hid
Ills face from them lisa. lix., .: ,Icr v, 25N.
:. so the people sent 10 Shiloh, that thcy
might bring from thence the ark of the cove
ncnt Of thc Lord of Hosts. which dwcllctl,
between the chrrubim." Thu; they add sill
to sin anl nr" ~ blinded that they seq not tho
cunrmity of this sin. Consider the sisniii-
cameo of this holy vessel mentioned eleven
times in this chapter. aud that its place il,
the tabernacle was in the Holy of Holes into
which the High Priest alone entered but once
n year and never without the blood Of tho
sacrifice typiiyiuG the blood Of Jesus Christ;
consider also tn" expression ''iwclcth between
the rhrruhim' found here for the first time,
anil only seven times in all Scripture Ul Sam.
vi, .; IL Kings Nix, Is: Chr. xiii, &; rs.
INK, !; Xcix, |; lisa. xxSvii., 10; carrying
origin. The Lord of Hosts will bc cntrcHtcd
by, and do great things for, every pcnitent
heart that humbly seeks Him, but when such
blind and hlasphemo,is hands approach Him
they eau only expect His wrath.
8. "All Israel shouted with great shout"
1t was not like the great shout when the walls
Of Jericho fell, or when the foundation Of tho
sccoud temple was lai,l tJosh vi. 20; Ezra ill.,,
ll-l:N, for then il was Il shout because tho
Lord was in their midst and the work
for His glory, hut this was simply the shout
of Israel without reference Ia tho glory OF
God: il may have hccn louder shout than
on the other occasions, but il was all noiso
with un power to il.
60. "Erl is come into the camp" When
the PhilistincS heard the shout and under
sto1d the cause Of it, they were afraid, sup
posing tli" ark was lSra"fs !io'i rs Da@pn
was theirs bui although they trcinble at tn"
pnSS~i'ic results, remembering what they hal
heard of the wonders in Egypt and in tho
wilderness, thHy are ready tn MAKO trial of
the power Of their gud against lSiaerS God
nnd urge their ,"l,li"rs to br strong and quit
themselves lik" men, least they become ser
wants 10 the Hebrews 1t is not IL !,o won
lrrcd at that the PhilistincS knew not tho
t;oI of Israel nor Ills mighty power, When
Israel knew not their own t::;'l iioT relied
upon him. Had He in'cct come into tho
camp Of Israel that would have settled tho
/. matter.
10 "lsruyl was smttcn: thcro
fell nf Israel thirty thousand fontmon." Is
rael WAS chosen to rely upon God that ll3
might shcw forth His power ami whenever
She failed to do 81 her lnt"at was sure. Two
things were required Of her. that she should
b" holy anil byimp!lcit reliance upon, and olc-
diencc {" her God, magnify His namc Tho
same two things are rcluire~l nvw Of every
Christian and II every church.
u. Til" ark nf Cool was taken: =
the tw" spn, OF Eli were slain I'll. next
two chapters tell "f the journcyinGs IF the ark
in tn" land Of phili>tinr> and how tn" hand
Of the Lord was against III" people wherever
il rested until they Were ;;lal 10 return II -
Israel with an Offering. Gud will SEQ to His
nwn glory and will care for His own ark,
even il His people dc:pi>' Him ami the enemy
seem for tune t. prosper.
12-l1. Eli sat upon II seat 10y the waysdc,
watching, for his heart trcmblcd for the arl;
fGol." Only twice outside Of thes" first f"n'
chapters Of Samuel do We find tho name of
! Eli In the SiDlc tcnap, xiv, 5: Kings H.,
e0, yet he lived to bo !S years old and judged
Israel forty years. He does not seem to have
walked very closely with God or to have been
very intimat" with Him.
Tho glory Of Israel was not the house of
Eli, "f which four died that day nor even the
lrk itself precious holy vessel though it was;
'ut God Himself, the Lord Of Hosts, the God
If Israel, whom no Philistinc could touch,
,nA whom the death Of oil the priests and
rrphct, that over lived could not affect.
Let uS fix our eyes upon Jc1iS rely wholly
Ilon lIim, keep His commandments, magni-
y His name, seek His glory, AMI losing sight
G self, OF church, or denomination, except in
90 far rs they may honor Him. seek with the
| whole hnart aud all our might to hasten the
."mpleti"n "f His church and the coming Of
/ His Kingdom.
Is. when II" made mention Of the ark of
/ ,;ud : = he died" Tho man of Benja.
min who brought the ti,lngs from the field
/ # haiti" broke them to Eli as gently rs pos
! ,ibl", rrS"rvug the worst Tor the last
! "lSracl Is fled, = great slaughter
! = Thy two sons are dead, = = tho
| Ork nf God Is taEen;' but il is too much for
he OLD man. and when il is mentioned that
/ .hc ark is son" he falls backward anl dies
| and now the ears Of ell Israel are tngliug hc-
cause Of tho judgments "f the Lord upon the
house Of Eli, on account of sin tolerated in
| high places. Chap. ill.,, ll-1H. What shall
! il bc like Whom ''iio Lord oon,ctb out of ITi'
place tn punish the inhabitants of the eartl
! G"r Their iniVuity'' lisa. XVI, 2D. and how
would Yen stand should He como today
| Lesson HriUCr.