The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1889-07-26
ISRAEL ASKS FOR A KING.
LESSON ~, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 90.

NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 90.
Text of the Lesson, I Sam. will, d-2O-Com.
/ NIT to Memory Verses 4-7-Golden Text
Isam. wifi, 10-Commentary by the Rev
ID. NJ. Stcarns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission of II. S. Hoffman. publisher, Philadel
pha]
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, ~, 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 Zophin, in Mount Ephraim,
where also his father and mother had lived,
and where he in due time died and was
buried II Sam. /, 1; 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 Chap. vii, 10 remind us Of Abrams
tent and altar Gen. xii, s; kill, 1S); as pill
grims here we should be well content with
any place of sojourn that the Lord may give
US, but be sure to have in the home an altal.
unto the Lord, q whole hearted reliance upon
the merits of His sacrifice, and constant com
munion with Him. Only as we see more of
God than of mar, and abide in Him, can we
be faithful servants of His in this present evil
world. Tint Samuel's sons walked not in
his ways ". 81 is simply a 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.
8. Mako us king to judge us like all tho
nations" God had chosen Israel that they
might be unto Him q peculiar treasure above
all people-a kingdom of priests, an holy ma
ton Ex. xix, s, g, or, as BALKAN said, ssTho
people shall dwell alone and shall not be
reckoned among the nations" Mum. xiii, Or.
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, 1--WE do not
care to be so different from other nations:
let us have king that we can see and let us
be Ike other people"
6. 1.-THE thing displeased Samuel, + 4
Samuel prayed unto the Lord" Samuel was
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.
q. "And the Lord said unto Samuel 4 q
they have not rejected thee, but they have
rejected me that should not reign over
them" Their conduct was not surprise to
God; He had foreseen it all, and knew from
the beginning their evil hearts and how they
would treat Him De xvii, ~, 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 ctuciied, saying, 1--WE have no
king but Cesar" The time will vet 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-Si Lu. j, 50, S3). The great question
for my soul and for your soul, dear reader,
Is, "Am cheerfuily accepting Jesus Us my
King and do delight i'll His Wilt"
8. 'They have forsaken me and served
other gods; 50 do they also unto thee.n Sam
uel seems to have felt that they were turning
against him, and that 1t was poor treatment
of him even If he was old to ask for a 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 perseeuted for
the truths sake, that it is the Lord who is
thus treated and not the servant merely, and
the Lord will see to 1t.
8. "Hearllen unto their voice, = + +
yet protest solemnly." God wants cheerful.
willing service, the love of Christ constrain-
ing; He does not love that which is dono
grudgingly.
10. "Samucl told all the words Of the Lord
unto the people, Just as when, as child,
be told Eli every whit of the Lords message
Chap. iii, 1S), 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
Cali, lo;Jer. xiii, 2S, leaving results to God.
1t is to be feared that many things are left un-
said from many pulpits, because If said they
might offend some prominent people.
H. "Ths will be the manner Of the king
tnut sllt1l4 ielpu over you. lfOu or love
will not let His people rush into ruin blindly.
u-17. HE will take.n Six times in these
verses ale these three words repeated; i, is
the number of a perfect oppressor as Cog is
the number of the last great oppressor of the
people of God Gro the Kingdom comes (nev,
xiii, 1s). Contrast tho seven 81 wills'' of
God in Ex- vi G-S; Lev. XVI, s-13, and no.
tice how God is-always giving while this king
is said to be always taking and not once Is
he spoken of as giving. Not only will be be
an oppressor Of the people, but he will be u
robber of Cod for it is twice said Tvs. Is, IN
that he will take tho tenth, which is Gods
special portion tsee Low. xvii, so, 80, and
appropriate it to himself
Is "And ye shall cry out in that day, be-
cause of your king, which ye shall have
chosen you; and the Lord will not hear YOU
In that day" God fills His people with such
blessings that they cry out and shout for JOY
Elsa. xii, G), but this will be cry because Of
oppression, and inasmuch as they voluntarily
accept the oppressor instead of the deliveror,
they are told that it will be vain for them to
cry unto the Lord. prov. 1, 2255 -2s; lisa. l. Is;
Mic. Iii, AZ AS We SOW we must reap Gal.
vi, Z; Hos. viii, y. How insane we must be
if we refuse the goodness and the love Of
God and persist In sowing for ourselves that
which will bring a harvest of misery instead
OF g harvest of glory
10. Nay, but we will have king over usn
Thus, though fully forewarned tLey persist
III their mad career determined to have their
own way regardless of consequences. Faith