The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-07-18
SUNDAY SCHOOL,
suBJEcr FOR SUNDAY, July II.
samuel, the Reformer,r 4 Samuel
vii; t-f2-Golden Text, lisa 4
10-f7-Commentar

IN tho Temple, the same Ark being used in
each, and which Is mentioned now Mt least
thirty-fivo times since chap. ill.,, 3, il to mo ono
OF the most interesting OF Bible studies, and
speaks to me OF Jesus both ms God and man.
Gods law In His heart delighting to do tho
will Of God, fulfilling oil Righteousness the
end of the Inv for Righteousness to every one
that believeth, our mercy seat, our hidden
manna, our High Priest chosen by God the
great head OF the church from whom the
cherubim are formed, tho revelation TO us OF
tho Fathers love and eternal PURPOSE; and
yet, though IL thus talks OF all these slorious
things, the full significance of IL will not I've
known till the temple Of God is opened in
Heaven, and there Is seen in His temple tho
Ark OF His Covenant. Qicv. xi., 19.)
.. while tho ark abode in Kirjath- jearim
IL was twonty years; and all tho
house Of Israel lamented after the Bord.n
We know from III Sam. vi, 10, that the ark
WINS In the house of Abinadab very much
longer period than twenty years; but the last
clause OF this verse may indicate that this
was the period that elapsed after the roturn
of the ark before Israel was awakened from
her sin to gather together unto tho Lord
3. "Roturn unto tho Lord with all your
hearts, put away tho strange gods, = =
prepare your hearts unto the Lord and servo
Him only" This was the cNhortation Of
Samuel 81 Israel rs they lamentcd aftor the
Lord, and he assured them that " thoy would
thus sincerely turn TO God He would deliver
them out of the hand of tho Phlistincs ~
Joshua pleaded with the people ere he waA
taken from them Josh. xiv, 1i-23; and 50
Moses had instructed them DCut XXX . g.
l0, Let any believer determine that cvcrv
idol shall 60 that he will deny self, take up
his cross daily, and follow jesus, and he shall
surely have victory over all his enemies and
become great power for God.
4. Then tho children of Israel did pu,
! away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served thu
/ Lord only " Good In.irng a,,1
! nre no uso unless carried out: the prodignl
| son might have perished IL ho had only said
81 will arise and GO aud had not actually
arisen and gone; many Christians know that
thoy are far from enjoying fellowship with
: God because Of idols cherished in their
4 hearts, and they often resolve TO put thcm
/ away and I've whole hearted for Christ, but
there is nothing accomplished until, like Is
/ rncl in this verso, they actually do IL.
o. II Will pray for you unto the Lord" In
| jas. ", l6 wo are told that "thc ctfectunl,
feryent prayer OF righteous man nvailcth
much, and we know that Moses by his in
tercession saved Israel from destruction more
thnn once. In Jor. Nv., |, Moses and Samuel
nrc associated as men mighty in prayer. God
told Abimcech that Abraham would pray
for him and thus bring blessing 10 him and
/ his house Gen. NN., 7-l0; and Abrahan's in
torccssion for Sodom (Gcn. xviii, 20-33 is u
memorable occasion. IL Is 10 he feared that
much prayer is simply saying words. but that
| only is true prayer which is askin, Srom tho
heart, in the name OF Jesus, for that which
we really desire for His glory.
O. "Thoy gathered together, drew water,
poured II out before the Lord, tasted on that
day and said there, wa havo snncd against
tho Lord" The pouring out Of wator sym
bolized their helpless and pcnitcnt condition;
they wero MS water split on the ground
which cannot be gathered up again III sam
xiv, 14 they had nothing to plead but their
guilt and their great need, and convinced of
this thoy turned with fasting unto the Lord.
T. ''rhe Philistinos heard Let the people
sof God come together in true humility to
seek Him and the enemies of God will be sure
10 hear OF IT, II Is surely true that "Satan
trembles when he secs tho weakest saint upon
his knees" and II one praying saint makes
him tremble nation in truo penitentinl
prayer must make him awfully afraid, so
that we do not wonder that the Philstines
| gather against Israel whom they hear that
| Israel have gathered unto the Lord
Tho children of Israel were afraid of tho
Philistines." That was because of their sins
and wnnderings from God. Had they been
right with God they would have had no more
fear than David had OF Goliath.
s. "Ccas1 not to cry unto the Lord our
| God for Us.' This was their prayer ~ sam
uel. 1t IL good 10 hear them say 'thc Lord
our God, and thoy have II right 10 say il
now since they havo truly turned to Him,
and Hc will undoubtedly prove Himself 10 ho
! 'tho Lord their God, for llo says: "Call
| upon Mo IN the day of trouble: | will deliver
thee and thou shalt glorify Me- d'salms l.,
| l5.
| .. "And Samuel took sucking lamb and
| offered burnt Offering wholly unto the
| Lord, and Samuel cried unto the Lord for
! Israel and the Lord heard him. The burnt
| oifcrin" typliics the sacrifice Of tho LORD
| jesus, wtD is all offerings in one, the only
! sacrifice for sin; and reminds MS that without
/ shedding Of blood there Is no remission and
that only IN the name aud by virtue Of the
/ merits OF Christ can we draw near or come tO
| God. (lIcb iN., -, Acts w., l2) Samuel
| did not approach God because he was holy or
trusting In his merits, lsIt only rs ono who
believed Goa and came trusting in the Sacri-
ice. thus trusting he came with confidence
. in God and was heard.
10. Tho Philistincs drew near u battle
against Israel; but the Lord thundcrcd with
n great thunder and discomfltod
them" Tho Philistinos may have thought
that as they conquered oven when tho ark
was in the campof Israel so thcy would con-
quor now, but circumstances had changed.
At that time Israel relied on the ark, aud il
was simply n battle between mon and men,
but now Israel was relying upon God, and Il
was conflict between the Philistincs and tho
God OF Israel, and consequently they could
not but be smitton. Thunder is the voice of
Jehovah us. XXX, 3, 4; job XNXvii., 10;
John xii. -, 30 and whom Ho speaks in iudg-
ment none can stand before Him, all His enc.
mics must fall.
1l-12. "Ebenozcr, hitherto hath tho Lord
helped u.s." Israel pursued and smote the
Philistines for the Lord fought for them, aud
Samuel, to commemorate the victory and
strengthen Israels faith in the future, set up
this stone and called il Ebenezer, saying
Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.n The
word Ebenozor IL only found in these three
places lchap. iv,, 1;v., /; vii, ~, the first
two referring 10 tho victory of the Philis-
tines, but this one 10 tho victory Of Israel
when they truly repontcd and relied on Je-
hoyah. How many places can We look back
To whore the enemy conquered because we
were sinful and disobedent, and in how
many such places havo NO now set up an lib-
enexer to mark tho fact that where once We
fell on account OF sin, wo now stand firm be-
cause wo have repentod, r0ly on the Lord and
serve Him only.'-Lesson Helper.
ONE WAY OF ENCOURAGING INTEMPERAYcE.
"A good cigar given away with every
schooner of beer"
went In and took n schooner. The beer
was bad but the cigar was worse than the
beer. But other inducements were inside 30
lead me on. A goblet containing a half
Vallon-and itR dimenSiOna Guaranteed hy