Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-07-26
ISRAEL ASKS FOR A KING.
LESSON ", THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 90.

ID. Nj. Stearns.
compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission Of H. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel
phia]
4. Then all the elders of Israel gathered
themselves together, and came to Samuel
unto Ramah." After the defeat of the Phil
istines recorded In tho last lesson, they trou-
bled Israel no more all the days of Samuel,
for the hand of the Lord was against them;
there was peace also between Israel and the
Amorites CHAP. vii, 10, IA, so that their re-
pentance and reliance upon the Lord brought
them victory over their enemies, and peace
and prosperity because the Lord was with
them. Samuel was the Lords representative
In their midst, and sought their true welfare
In the sight of God As their judge he went
In circuit from year to year to Bethel, Gil
gal and Mizpeh, and had his home at Ramah,
or Ramathaim Zophim, in Mount Ephraim,
where also his father and mother had lived,
and where he in due time died and was
buried q Sam. /, /; XIV, y after hav-
ing anointed to their office the first
two kings over all Israel, Saul and David
Samuels house. and altar unto the Lord at
Ramah tchap. vii, N remind us of Abrams
tent and altar Gen. xii, 8; xiii, 49, as pill
grims here we should be well content with
any place of sojourn that the Lord may give
u.s. but be sure to have in the home an altar
unto the Lord, whole hearted reliance upon
the merits of His sacrifice, and constant COM
munion with Him Only as we see more Of
God than of man, and abide in Him, can we
be faithful servants of His in this present evil
world That Samuel's sons walked not in
his ways w. 81 is simply proof that right
eousness is not hereditary; consider the sons
of David, and also Manasseh son of Hezekiah
and impress it upon the children that they
must each one for himself accept Jesus as
their Saviour; that the fact of father or
mother being Christian will not save them.
5. make us a king to judge us like all the
nations" God had chosen Israel that they
might be unto Him peculiar treasure above
all people-a kingdom of priests, an holy na-
ton lex. xix, 5, 81, or as Balaam said, "The
people shall dwell alone and shall not be
reckoned among the nations" (Num. xiii, 81.
God had made them higher than all nations.
He Himself was their king; His power was
their strength, His presence their glory, and
this request was like saying, I'VE do not
care to be so different from other nations;
let us have king that we can see and let us
be like other people"
6. 1.-The thing displeased Samuel, =
one with God; from child he had minis
tered to the Lord, and in this request he saw
their sin and downfall, and was grieved for
them and jealous for the glory of God.
Z. "And the Lord said unto Samuel = =
they have not rejected thee, but they have
rejected me that l should not reign over
them" Their conduct was not a surprise to
God; He had foreseen it all, and knew from
the beginning their evil hearts and how they
would treat Him de. xvii, 14, yet He loved
them, many time He forgave 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 Him they
rejected and crucified, saying, 1--WE have no
king but Cesar The time will yet come
when they shall receive the Lord Jesus as
their King and rejoice in Him and He in
them before all the nations of the earth (Jer.
xiii, 5-S; Lu. 1, 80, 33). The great question
for my soul and for your soul, dear reader,
is, Am | cheerfully accepting Jesus as my
King and do | delight in His willy
s They have forsaken me and served
other gods; SO do they also unto thee.n Sam
uel seems to have felt that they were turning
against him, and that it was poor treatment
of him even if he was old to ask for king to
take his place: this was a natural feeling and
we are all apt to give way to it, but the serv-
ant of the Lord must remember that when
he is despised or rejected or prosecuted for
the truths sake, that it is the Lord who is
thus treated and not the servant merely, and
the Lord will see to it,
O. "Hearken unto their voice, =
yet protest solemnly." God wants cheerful,
willing service, the love of Christ constrain-
ing; He does not love that which is done
grudgingly.
10. Samuel told all the words of the Lord
unto the people" Just as when, as a child,
he told Eli every whit of the Lords message
CHAP. iii, 49,, even though it was message
Of Judgment, so now he declares faithfully all
the words of the Lord He is no man pleaser
he will speak the Lords message faithfully
Gal 1, 10; Jer. xiii, 80 leaving results to God
It is to be feared that many things are left I'M
said from many pulpits, because if said they
might offend some prominent people,
H. This will be the manner OF the king
that shall reign over you" A God Of love
will not let His people rush into ruin blindly
11-l7. "He will take" Six times in these
verses are these three words repeated, it u
the number of perfect oppressor as 666 Is
the number of the last great oppressor of the
people Of God ere the kingdom comes Rev
xiii, lS. Contrast the seven ~ wills" OF
God in Elk. vi, G-s; Lev. XVI, 3-l3, and no
tice how God is always giving while this king
is said to be always taking, and not once /.
he spoken of as giving. Not only will he be
an oppressor Of the people, but he will be @
robber of God, for it is twice said Tvs. 10, IN
that he will take the tenth, which is Gods
special portion (see Lev. xvii, 30, go, and
appropriate it to himself.
1S "And We shall cry out in that day, be-
cause of your king, which We shall have
chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you
in that day" God fills His people with suct
blessings that they cry out and shout for JOY
lisa. xii, O., but this will be a cry because OF
oppression, and inasmuch as they voluntarily
accept the oppressor instead of the deliverer
they are told that it will be vain for them tc
cry unto the Lord. prov. i, 25-2s; Isa i, Is
Mic. Iii, A. As We SOW we must reap Gal
vi, Z; Hos viii, \. How insane we must bt
II we refuse the goodness and the love Of
God and persist in sowing for ourselves that
which will bring harvest Of misery instead
of harvest of glory.
10. Nay, but we will have king over us.
Thus, though fully forewarned, they persist
In their mad career, determined to have theiI
own Way regardless of consanuanrD Faith