Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-07-11
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
supJEor FOR SUNDAY, JULY II.
- d" SorruwiuI Drarh of Efn
am. ", 1 I3- citizen Text I.
sam, ill.,, 13.-Noies.

-
That is the word Of the Lord through Samuel.
for he, as the Lords prophet would speak
the Lords message (Hag. J., 13l: and thus all
Israel would know through him the will of
the Lord. In studying any portion of tho
history OF Israel we must remember that
they were chosen by God from among all the
nations Of the earth and placed in that good
land in order that He through them might
make Himself name and be magnified by
them in the eyes Of all the nations UI Sam.
vii, %; Chr. xvii, 81; lisa. xiii, 12), He
showing in every way that BE had made
them peculiar people unto Himself Qsx-
XIX, o. Israel went out against the Philis-
tines to BATTLE Itwas during forty years
oppression of Israel by the Philistines that
Samson was enabled by the Spirit of God to
do his mighty works, and it was by the Phil
istines that Israel was defeated when Saul
and his sons were slnin; if we Judge from
Sam. xvii, 70, 45 we are to look upon them
as deiers of the living God, the God Of
Israel, over whom true Israelites should al
ways have the victory. Oeut. xviii, ~
2. "Israel was smitten before the PhiIis-
tines" This indicates that God was not with
them, for had He been in their midst victory
would have been certain; tone should chase
q thousand and two put ten thousand to
flight He had promised to fight for them
when He sent them forth (Deut. l., 90; ill.,.
70; xxxii., 5U, SO that this going out against
of Gods leading. When they were defeated
at All 1t was because of sin in the camp, and
the sin which Eli knew and did not put away
may have been partly the cause of this de-
feat; butour next lesson will tell us that thew
had as nation forsaken God CHAP vii, 81,
and this Judgment reminds us that 'the hand
of our God is upon all them for good that seels
Him; but His power and His wrath is against
all them that forsake Him. (Ezra VIII, 2S.)
8. LET us fetch the ark of the covenant Of
the Lord; 1t may save u.s." Thew
did not look to the Lord to save them, thew
were not at this time worshiping Him, but
idols, and tney speak Of this holy vessel as if
it were an idol which perhaps may have
more power than the other idols which thew
worshiped; but their ipiquities had separated
between them and God, and their sins had hid
His face from them lisa. lix., Q; Jer. ", 80.
4. $50 tho people sent to Shiloh, that they
might bring from thence the ark Of the cove
nRnt of the Lord Of Hosts, which dwelleth
between the cherubim." Thus they add sin
to sin and are so blinded that they see not the
enornity of this sin. Consider the signifi-
cance OF this holy vessel, mentioned eleven
times in this chapter, and that it's place in
the tabernacle was in the Holy of Holes into
which the High Priest alone entered but once
o year and never without the blood Of the
sacrifice, typifying the blood of Jesus Christ:
consider also the expression ''dwelleth between
the cherubim" found here for the first time,
and only seven times in all Scripture QI Sam.
vi, 2; II Kings XIX, Is; Chr. xiii, @; Ps.
Xxx, l; xc1x., l.; Isa xxxvii., 16); carrying
us back to Elk. XIV, %, where we find its
origin. The Lord of Hosts will be entreated
by, and do great things for, every penitent
heart that humbly seeks Him, but when such
blind and blasphemous hands approach Him
they can only expect Ills wrath.
S. SAN Israel shouted with great snout.f
| OF Jericho fell, or when the foundation Of the
| second temple was laid Josh. vi, 20; Ezra iii.
| lib, for then it was shout because the
| Lord was in their midst and the work was
| for Els glory, but this was simply the shout
of Israel without reference to the glory of
God; it may have been a louder shout than
on the other occasions, but it was all noise
| with no power to it.
80. "God is come into the camp.n When
| the Philistines heard the shout, and under
/ stood the cause Of 1t, they were afraid, sup
| posing the ark was Israels God as Dagon
| was theirs, but although they tremble at the
| possible results, remembering what they had
heard of the wonders in Egypt and in the
wilderness, they are ready to make trial OF
the power OF their god against Israels God
and urge their soldiers to be strong and quit
! themselves like men, least they become SER
| wants to the Hebrews. It is not to be won
dered at that the Philistines knew not the
| God OF Israel nor Ills mighty power, when
| Israel knew not their own God nor relied
| upon Him. Had He indeed come into the
| camp Of Israel that would have settled the
matter.
! TO- 'sIsrael was smitten: Il = there
fell of Israel thirty Thousand footmen." Is
rael was chosen to rely upon God that He
| might shew forth His power, and whenever
| she failed to do SO her defeat was sure. Two
things were required Of her; that she should
/ be holy and by implicit reliance upon, and obe-
dience to her God, magnify His name. The
same two things are required now Of every
| Christian and of every church.
| IL. 1.-THE ark of God was taken: y
the two sons OF Eli were slain.' The next
two chapters tell Of the journeyings Of the ark
in the land of Philistines, and how the hand
of the Lord was against the people wherever
/ it rested until they were glad to return it to
Israel with an offering. God viii see to His
own glory and will care for His own ark,
even il His people despise Elm and the enemy
! seem for time to prosper.
12-17. ELI sat upon seat by the wayside.
watching, for his heart trembled for the ark
fGod." Only twice outside of these first four
chapters Of I Samuel do we find the name Of
20, yet be lived to be 58s years old and Judged
Israel forty years. He does not seem to havs
walked very closely with God or to have been
very intimate with Elm.
| The glory Of Israel was not the house Of
Eli, Of which four died that day, nor even the
! ark itself, precious holy vessel though it wass
/ but God HIMSELF the Lord Of Hosts, tho God
Of Israel whom no Philistine could touch.
! and whom the death of all the priests and
| prophets that ever lived could not affect.
Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, rely wholly
upon Him, keep His commandments, magnt
| fy His name seek His glory, and losing sight
OF self, or church, or denomination, except i'm
SO far as they may honor Film, seek with the
whole heart and all our might to hasten the
completion OF Els church and the coming OF
His Kingdom /
49, 'sWhen he made mention Of the ark Of
God he died" Tho man Of Benia..
min who brought the tidings from the field
ofbattle broke them to Eli as gently as pos
sible, reserving the worst for the last,
Israel is fled, y great slaughter,
thy two sons are dead, the
ark Of God is taken;" but it is too much for
the old man, and when it is mentioned that
the ark is gone he falls backward and dies;
and now the cars Of oil Israel are tingling be-
cause of the judgments of the Lord upon the
house Of eli, on account of sin tolerated i'm
high plhces. Chap lii, 11-1A. What shall
it be like when tho Lord cometh out of His
place TO punish the inhabitants Of the earth
for their iniquity" lisa. xvi, 2t) and how
would you stand should He come to-day
Lesson Helper.
THE testimony in the A. T. Stewart wilt
contest in New York city covered III, 00G
folios, and twenty-five copies of it have been
made at q cost of about $4,000. If there is
compromise, Judge Hilton will have to pay
this and eye.ythinp else Roscoe COnkling'$