The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1889-08-02

1e1G Oh tne Lesson, sam. TX, O-S7-COm-
NIT to Memory Verses 15-1G-Golden
Text, Prov. viii, 15-Commcntary by the
Rev. ID. NJ. Stcarns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by pei.
mission OF II. S. Hoffman, publisher Philadel-
phia.l
After the continued and persistent demand
of the people for King, that they might be
like other nations, Notwithstanding tho de-
scription of tho way their king would treat
them, Samuel rehearsed in the ears of the
Lord all the words of the people, and the
Lord snid, .sHearken unto their voice and
make them king" Wit, 81, 22). It would
then seem that Samuel, having sent every
one to his city, waited upon the Lord to know
what next to do and how to find the king.
10. Nov, the Lord had told Samuel in his
ear q day before Saul came, sayingn- The
revised version says, t'The Lord had revealed
unto Samuel"
16. Tomorrow, about this time, will
send thee man." Samuel was therefore ex-
pecting confidently to meet the man whom
God had selected; just where he should meet
him and how he would know him he left to
God, whom he served, but in confidence made
preparation for him. "Thou shalt anoint
him to be captain prince, R. Wy over
my people Israel" See in this verse
and tho next one tho name tiny people"
repeated four times; think of their treatment
Of Him and yet hear Him say so tenderly
my people, and speak Of hearing their cry
and saving them. Years afterwards He
says, Glow shall give thee up, Ephraimsn
while at the same time He declares that they
are bent to backslding from Him. Hos. ri,
z, 81 1t is the same Lord who after His res
direction sent special message of love to
Peter, who had denied Him. o, believer, be-
your God, and drawnearer to Him and behold
more faithful
II. "The Lord said unto him, Behold the
mani" How beautiful to see Samuel living
so near to God that God can talk so freely to
him and make known to him His will SO
easily; we have the mind of God fully re-
vealed to US In His word and may constantly
talk to Him in prayer, and hear Him talk to
us in that word if we really desire to. AS
Samuel looked upon Saul he saw before him
choice and goodly young man, from his
shoulders and upward higher than any of tho
people ". 2); but remember that was his
outward appearance; the state of his heart
before. God was of more importance All
prophets, priests and kings in Israel were as
to their Office mot their character) types of
the greatest prophet and true Priest King,
Jesus of Nazareth; and as we read of this
first king chosen to reign over Israel and hear
tho words "Behold the man, !" we are at once
carried forward to a day when the God of
Samuel and of Israel stood in human form
before the people for their acceptance or re-
lection, and the Roman governor said, "Be-
the mani Behold your King!" John xix,
5, 14) and although then and still rejected He
shall yet sit on the throne of David and reign
over the house of Jacob forever and the peo-
pie shall be all righteous. luke i, SO, 3s;
Isa. TX, 21l
1s. "Tel me Ipray thee where the seer's
houseis." A prophet was before time called
seer ". 81; that is, one who sees what ma
tural eyes cannot see. Saul and his servant
hadgiven up seeking the asses and were now
seeking the man of God if perchance he might
tell them of the lost animals
10. 81 am the seer" How like this is to
the reply of Jesus to the woman at the well,
and to the blind man, 81 that speak unto thee
am Hc," ''It is He that talketh with thee"
tJohn iv, 26; tx, 37.) "Ye shall eat with me
today How surprised he must have been;
as much SO, perhaps, as Zaccheus, who only
wanted to see Jesus but was called down
from tho tree to receive Him into his house.
20. 'Set not thy mind on them; for they
is perfect i'll knowledge and is always with us
Job. xxxvi, ~ we would more readily find
our lost things There is nothing too small
or trinimg to tell Him about, for He is inter-
ested in all that concerns US, and we are COM
nlanded to be careful OF anxious about moth
ing but in everything to make our requests
known to God with thanksgiving that thus
we may enjoy tho peace Of God phil iv, 6,
\. "On whom is all the desire Of Israel3''
In saying that the desire of all Israel was to
Him and His Fathers house, He said what
was true as God saw it, for Israel as yet knew
not who would be king.
81. "a Denjalnite, smallest of the
tribes, my family the least of all the
families" Benjamin, since the slaughter of
Judg. xS, 4G-iS, was literally the smallest of
the tribes in point of numbers, and it may
have been in the same respect that Sauls
family was also the least, for his father is
said in verse to have been a mighty man of
power OR substance.
22-24. $50 Saul did not eat with Samuel
that day." What day Of surprises for
SAUL Samuel expects him, speaks to him of
u high place in Israel, invites him to a
feast, gives him the chief place at the feast,
and the chief portion Of the feast, portion
specially reserved for him, while all that Saul
had i'll view when he came to Samuel was
that he might recover the lost asses of his fa-
ther. How many people are today intent
upon earthly things, thinking Of nothing
higher, while there is a feast and kingdom
and great honor awaiting them, Of which
they are utterly ignorant. The difference is
that their enjoyment of this feast and honor
depends upon their being invited and accept
ing the invitation.
LkCn,,,,n1 ,,,;%l, cs,,,1
top of the house." This was after the feast
when they were come down from tho high
place into the city, and Saul and Samuel
were alone. We are not left in Ignorance as
to the subject Of their conversation, for chap
ter x, 49, implies that the communion was
concerning the Kingdom. When the real
King came, of whom all good kings were as
to their office, type, He was always speak
Ing of the Kingdom, and during the forty
days after His resurrection, when He ap-
peared many times to his disciples, He was
speaking of the things pertaining to the
Kingdom of God (Acts /, 3. When that
Kingdom comes, Israel shall be the center,
Jerusalem the throne Of Jehovah, and all ma
tions Of the earth shall go up from year to
year 10 worship the King, the Lord cf Hosts
at Jerusalem.
~. up, that may send thee away" So
spake Samuel to Saul, very early next morn
ing Just as the three apostles had soon to
come down from the Mount Of Transagura-
tion where they would fain have remained,
so Saul must 60 forth from this holy place
and return to take up for little season the
ordinary affairs Of life Though by faith in
Christ Jesus we arenow children Of God and
joint heirs with Christ, seated with Christ in
the heavenlies Rom. viii, II; Eph. Ii, G., yet
we must 60 forth day by day into the ordi-
nary affairs Of life, there to glorify God