Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-08-01
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SUBJECT FOR SUNDAY, AUG. 4.
saul Chosen OF the Lord III Sam.
tx 15-2T-GoIden Text, Prov
NiIi 15-Comments

After continued and persistent demand
Of the people for a king, that they might be
like other nations, Notwithstanding the de-
scription Of the way their king would treat
them, Samuel rehearsed In the ears Of the
Lord all the words Of the people, and the
Lord said: "Harken unto their voice and
make them a king" viii, 81, 22l. 1t would
then seem that Samuel, having sent every
one to his city, waited upon the Lord TO know
what next to do and how to find the king.
IS. ''Now, the Lord had told Samuel in his
ear day before Saul came, saying The
revised version says: 1.-THE Lord had re-
yealed unto Samuel Many words OF God
crowd to my pen as l think of Samuel
meekly waiting to know Gods Will ane
God, our Heavenly Father, so lovingly guild
ing His servant, who relied upon Him:
1.-The meek will He guide in Judgment and
the meek will He teach His way" u Win
instruct thee and teach thee in the way
which thou shalt CO." ''Thine ears shall
hear word behind thee, saying: This is the
way, walk We in it." I'm all thy ways ac-
knowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths"
Cps. XIV, 9; xxi, 8; Isa. xxx, q; Prov.
iii, 8. All these are true for us to-day,
and If we sincerely want to know the VIII OF
God that we may do it, we may be perfectly
sure that He will show US his way.
16. Tomorrow, about this time, l will
send thee man, Samuel was therefore ex-
pecting confidently to meet the man whom
God had selected; just where he should meet
him and how he would know him he left to
God, whom he served, but in confidence made
preparation for him. Now, as we read the
first part of this chapter, and see by what
series Of apparently most natural events Saul
was brought to Samuel, all unconscious or
what awaited him, we must surely be COM
PEELED to believe that there is God In whose
hand our breath is and whose are all our
ways; and that though a mans heart may
devise his way the Lord directeth his steps
II. 1.-THE Lord said unto him, Behold the
mani" All prophets, priests and kings in
Israel were as to their office mot their char
acter) types of the greatest prophet and true
Priest King, Jesus Of Nazareth; and as we
read of this first king chosen to reign over
Israel and hear the words: "Behold the
man." we are at once carried forward to q
day when the God of Samuel and Of Israel
stood in human form before the people for
their acceptance or rejection, and the Roman
Governor said: "Behold the mani Behold
your KingP' John xix, s, 14 and although
then and still rejected He shall yet sit on the
Jacob forever and the people shall be all
righteous. luke l., SO, 50; 1sa., lx., 21l
Is. ''Tell me, pray thee, where the seer's
| house is" A prophet was before time called
| a seer ". % that is one who sees what natur-
| al eyes cannot see. Saul and his servant
had given up seeking the asses and were now
seeking the man of God if perchance he
might tell them where the lost animals might
be found; and as they come near to the city
certain young maidens going out Of the city
| to draw water inform them that the seer is
Just before them having come to the city that
day, and that there is a sacrifice in the high
place Tvs. 11-19, SO Saul stands face to face
with the man he seeks, not knowing that
Samuel expected him.
| 10. 81 am the seer" How like this is to
the reply of Jesus to the woman at the well,
and to the blind man: II that speak unto
thee am He." sit is He that talketh with
with me to-day" How surprised he must
have been; as much so, perhaps, as zaccheus,
who only wanted to see Jesus, but was called
down from the tree to receive Him into his
house.
20. 'Set not thy mind on them; for they
are found" If we would consult Him who
lis perfect in knowledge and is always with us
Job. xxxvi., 4 we would more readily find
our lost things.
81. "A Benjamite, - = smallest Of
the tribes, = y my family the least Cd
all the families" benjamin, since the
slaughter of Judg. Xxx, 464S, was literally
the smallest of the tribes In point Of mum
bers, and it may have been in the same re
spect that Saul's family was also the least TO,
his father is said in verse to have been Z
mighty man of power or substance.
22-24. $50 Saul did not eat with Samue
that day" What q day of surprises fol
Saul! Samuel expects him, speaks to him O.
high place in Israel, invites him to a feast
gives him the chief place at the FEAST and tn
chief portion of the feast, portion special,
reserved for him, while all that Saul had il
view when he came to Samuel was that h'
might recover the lost asses Of his father
How many people are to-day intent upoI
earthly things, thinking Of nothing higher
while there is feast and a kingdom and grea
honor awaiting them, of which they ar
utterly ignorant.
rs. '1Samuel communed with Saul upol
the top of the house." This was after tn
feast when they were come down from tn
high place into the city, and Saul and Samue
were alone. We are not left in ignorance a
to the subject Of their conversation, for chap
ter K, 16. implies that the communion wa
concerning the kingdom. ..
26. Cup, that may send thee away" 81
spake Samuel to Saul, very early next moys
ing Just as the three apostles had soon [
come down from the Mount of Transfgurs
tion where they would fain have remained
so Saul must go forth from this holy plac
| va
ordinary affairs of life. Though by faith
Christ Jesus we are now children of God an
Joint heirs with Christ, seated with Christ /
The heavenliness Rom. viii, IL; Eph. H.,
yet we must go forth day by day into the Of
dinary affairs of life, there to glorify Go
while we wait for the kingdom.
o. "Stand thou still while, that ma
:, show thee the Word Of God" The servaI
F." was told to pass on and thus Samuel an
Saul were again alone with God Samu
then annointed him Captain or Prince q
W over the Lords inheritance, foretold fot
events which should come to pass that da.
and gave him certain commands until
should see him again and shew him what
do. The events foretold that morning, all I
which came to pass that day tchap. K,
teach me that as begin each new day, q
the events of the day, all the people shs
meet and all they shall say to me, are q
foreknown to God and foreseen by Him, an
therefore it becomes me to be still and kno
that He is God, and that He is making q
things work together for my good Ps XIV