The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1889-07-19
Friday, July 10, 1889.
SAMUEL THE REFORMER.
LESSON ~, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 81.

H|E.f ANidA.'EW HI|j Nt f1EHtW EfH|| MN #I-#.U LIa"iE
Text OF tho Lesson, I Sam. vii, ~l-fs-Com-
nit to Memory vcrsOs 3-4-Goldon
1'oxt, lisa. !, 10, 17-Commcntary by tho
Rev. D.. NJ. Stcarns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per-
mission Of II. s. Hoffman, publisher, philadcl.
phiaJ
4. "And the mon Of Kirjath-jcariln camo
and fetched up tho Ark Of tho Lord.n This
holy vessel, the Ark of Jehovah, which was
tho most sacred vessel in tho Tabernacle, or
IN tho Tomplo, tho same Ark being used in
each, and which Is mentioned now ut least
thirty-1vo times since chap. iii, 8, Is to mo
ono of tho most interesting OF Biblo studies,
and speaks to mo Of Jesus both rs God and
man, Gods law in His heart, dclightlng to do
tho will OF God, fulfilling all righteousness,
tho end Of tho law for righteousness to every
ono that belicvcth, our mercy scat, our hidden
mamma, our High Priest chosen by God, tho
great head Of the church from whom tho
chcrubim aro formed. tho revelation to us Of
tho Fathers love and eternal nnrnosn; md
yet. though 1t thus talks Of all these glorious
things, tho full Significance Of it will not DO
known till the temple Of God is opened in
Heaven, and thcro is seen IN His templo tho
Ark Of His Covenant 0lcv. xi, 10.)
8. while the ark abode in Kirjath-jcarim
y 1t was twenty years; uni all tho
house Of Israel lanlentcd after tho Lord"
Wo know from II Sam. vi, 1-3, that tho ark
was In tho house Of Abinndab a very much
longer period than twenty years; but tho last
clause Of this verso may Indicate that this
was tho period that elapsed after tho return
OF tho ark before Israel was awakened from
her sin to gather together unto tho Lord.
3. Return unto tho Lord with all your
hearts, put nwny tho strange gods, 4 = =
prepare your hearts unto tho Lord, and servo
Him only" This was tho cxhortation Of
Samuel to Israel as they lninentcd after tho
Lord, and no assured them that If they would
thus sincerely turn to God Ho would deliver
them out Of tho hand of tho Philistincs.
6. II will pray for you unto tho Lord" In
Jas. ", 10, wonro told that ''tho eGcctual, for
vent prayer Of II righteous man a~vaileth
much" and wo now TINT Moses by his in
tcrccssion saved Israel from destruction moro
than once. In Jor. XIV, l, Moses and Samuel
nro associated as men mighty in prayer. God
told Abimclech that Abraham would pray
for him and thus bring blessing to him and
his house Gon. Xxx, 2, ~; and Abraham,s in
tcrccssion for Sodom tGcn. xviii, 20-33) is a
memorable occasion. 1t is to DO feared TINT
much prllycr is simply saying words, but TINT
only is true prayer which is asking from tho
hcnrt, In tho nanlc Of Jesus, for that which
"o Cti 81 ~ IlIS HlOry. ..a... 4N"
0. "They gathered together, drew water.
poured It out before tho Lord, tasted on that
day and said thcrc, Wo lavo silulcd against
tho Lord" Tho pouring out of water SYM
bolized thor helpless and penitcnt condition;
they wero as water spilt on tho ground,
which cannot bc gathered up again III Sam.
xiv, lf); they had nothing to plead but their
guilt ind their great need, and convinced of
this they turn with fasting unto tho Lord.
Z. "The Philistincs heard" Lot tho poo
pie OF God como together In truo humility to
sock Him and tho ononlics Of God will DO suro
to hear of 1t. 1t is surely truo that ''ssatnn
a trombles when ho secs the weakest saintnpon
his knees" and LIZ ono praying snint makes
hin trcmble a nation in true penitontinl
prayer must mako him nwfully afraid, so
TINT wo do not wonder that tho Philistinos
gather against Israel when thoy hear that
Israel hnvc gathered unto tho Lord. 1t is
not necessary to suppose that tho Philistincs
understood tho true meaning OF Israol's gath
cring, but tho devil understood it and he in
cited tho Philistincs onward.
O. "Cease not to cry unto tho Lord our
God for u.s." This was their prayer to Sam
uel 1t Is good to hear them say "tho Lord
our God" and they havc a right to say 1t
now since they havo truly turned to Him,
and lie Will undoubtedly provo Himself to DO
ID S"o Wv ShiO NOGt 1OI ITO StyS, 'CQl
npon me IN tho day Of trouble; r will deliver
thee md thou shalt glorify MOI Psalms /.
10. In the samo way Hozckiah asked Isaiah
to pray unto God for judah, whom they were
bcsicgcd by tho army OF Sennnchorib, and
God heard tIa,iah xxxvii, 4, y. Tho words
cease not" remind ns Of tho command 10
''pray without ceasing'' Il Tlles. v, n, and
wc remember that whom Moses hands wero
hold up Israel prevailed, and when they welo
lot down Amalck prevailed ok. xvii, III.
=! And Samuel took n sucking lamb and
offered a burnt Offering wholly unto tho
Lord, and Samuel cried unto tho lord for
Israel, and the Lord heard him." The burnt
Offering typi1es tho sacrifice Of the Lord
Jesus, who lis all offerings In ono. tho only
sacrifice for sin and reminds us that without
shedding OF blood thcro is no remission. and
that only In tho nalmo aud by virtue Of tho
merits OF Christ can We draw near or como
TO GOD. uIeb. TX, ~; Acts Nv, 12.) Samuel
did not approach God because lie was holy or
trusting In his merits, but only rs ono who
believed God and carno trusting In tho sacri-
fec; thus trusting no came with confidence
IN God and was heard. In I John v, II, Is.
wo read that ''This Is tho confidence wo havo
IN Him, that If we ask anything according to
Ills Will lo hearcth lis, and if we know that
lilo hear us, whatsoever wo ask, wo know
CiHu 70 l'Fo tho l'olillonS tnaC ~o desired OF
Him"
10. "Tle Philistincs drew noar to battle
against Israel; but tho Lord thundeYd with
O. grcnt thunder y = y and discounted
thcm." Tho Philistincs may hnve thought
that rs they conquered even when tho ark
was In the camp Of Israel, SO thoy would con
Quor now, but circumstances had changed
Atthat tlnlo Israel reliod Oh tho ark. and It
was simply n battle between mon and mon.
but nlss Israel was relying upon God, and it
was a conflict between tho Philistincs and the
God Of Israel, and consequently they could
not but DO smitten. Thunder Is tho voice of
Jehovah tps. xxx, 8, i; Job xxxvii, rs;
John XII, ~, 2N and whom Ho speaks In jndg-
mcnt mono can stand bcforo Him, nil Ills
enemies must fall. How thankful wo ought
to 10 that God in His mercy is speaking to us
SO lovingly in Ills word and TINT His judy
mcnts arc not yet made manifest; but lot
every teacher. show tho scholars from the
SOEH Or ({nI fhot fhopn 10 1r,,o ~, So. ri ..t.-