The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-07-11
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SUBJECT FOR SUNDAY, july IL
The sorrowiui Death OF Ein 4
sam,. W., IA .oidcn Text I.
snn., III, f3.-Notcs.

anae N tnc WOru Oi Lne isOru through Samuel,
for he, as the Lords prophet, would sIycal;
the Lords message QHag. l., 1D; aud thus all
Israel would know through him the will of
tho Lord. In studying any portion of thu
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
mako Himself n namo and bc mngnincd bv
them In the eyes OF oil the nations CT sam.
vii, 23; i Chr. xviii, 81; Isa xiii, 19l. Ho
showing in every way that He had nado
them peculiar people unto Himself Tex.
XIX, o.. Israel went out against the Philis-
tines to battle IL was during forty years
oppression of Israel by tho Philistines that
Samson was enabled by tho Spirit Of God TO
do his mighty works. and IL was by the Phil
istines that Israel was defeated when Saul
and his sons were slain; IL we judge frun [
Sam. xvii, ~, 40, we are 10 look upon them
as dcflers OF tho living God tho God of
Israel, over whom truo Israelitos should al
ways have the victory. (Deut. xviii, ~
.. Israel wns srnitten before tho PhIis.
tines" This indicates that God was not with
them, for had He been in their midst victory
would have been certain; zone should chase
a thousand and two put ten thousand to
flight Ho had promised ~ fight for thcm
when He sent them forth Dcut l., %; ill.,,
"; xxi, 30), so that this going out against
the enemy and this defeat was not the result
of Gods leading. When they were defeated
at Al 1t was because Of sin in the camp uud
the sin which Eli knew and did not nut away
may hayo boon partly the CAUSE Of this dc.
feat; but our next lesson will tell us that they
had as a nation forsakcn God (chnp vii 3D.
and this Judgment romindsus that "thc hand
of our God Is upon all them FOR good that srek
Him; but His power and His wrath is against
all them that forsakc Him. Ezra viii 21D
3. "Let us fotch the ark Of the covenant of
the lord; II may save us.n They
did not look to the Lord 10 save them thcv
were not at this time worshipiug Him, but
idols and tncy speak Of this holy vessel ms IL
it were an idol which perhaps may have
moro power than the other idols which thcv
worshipcd but their iniquitios had separated
between thcm and God, and their sins had hid
His face from them lisa. lix., .: Jer ", ~.
4. 80 the people sent TO Shiloh, that they
might bring from thence tho arb OF che cove
nnnt Of tho Lord OF Hosts, which dwollctli
between tho cherubimn Thus thcy add sin
enorinity Of this sin. Consider tho signn-
cameo 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 onco
q year and never without the blood of tho
sacrifice, typifying the blood of Jesus Christ:
consider also tho expression dwcllcth bctwocn
the chorubim' found hero for the first time,
and only seven times IN all Scripture Ill Sam.
vi, =; III Kings xix, 10; | Chr. xiii, q: Ps
Xxx, ]; xcix., /; lisa. XxNvii., 10; carrying
us back 10 EN. XIV, 90, whCrc we find It's
origin. The Lord of Hosts will bo cntrcatcd
by, and do great things for every pontont
heart that humbly seeks Him, but when such
blind and blasphomous hands approach Him
they can only expect His wrath
q "All Israel shouted with great snout"
Itwas not like tho great shout when the wall,
OF Jericho fell or when tho foundation of tho
second temple was laid Josh. vi, %; Ezrn iii,
lib, for then IL was u shout because tho
Lord was in their midst and tho work was
for His glory, but this was simply the shout
OF Israel without reference 10 the glory OF
God; II may have been a louder shout than
on the other occasions, but 1t was all noise
with no power 10 II.
90. God Is como into tho camp When
the Philistinos heard the shout and under
stood the cause OF IL, they wprc afraid sup
posing tho ark was Isrnels God as Dagon
was theirs, but although they tromble at tho
possible results, remembering what thcy had
heard OF the wonders In Egypt and in tho
wilderness, they are ready 10 mako trial of
tho power OF their god against lsracls God
and urge their soldiers to be strong and quit
themselves like men, least they become SER
wants TO tho Hebrews. II Is not TO be won
dered at that the Philistincs know not tho
God of Israel nor His mighty power, whom
Israel knew not their own God nor relied
upon Him. Had Ho indeed como into tho
camp OF Israel that would have settled tho
matter.
10. "lsrael was smitton; thcro
foil OF Israel thirty thousand footmcn.n Is
raol was chosen u rely upon God that IIo
might show forth His power, and whenever
sho failed TO do 50 her dofcat was sure. Two
thingsw were required Of her; that she should
bo holy and by implicit reliance upon, and ohc-
dencc 10 hcr God, magnify His name. Tho
samo two things are required now OF ovcry
Christian and Ut every church.
IL. "Tho ark Of God was taken;
the two sons of Eli were slain.n Tho noxt
two chapters tell of tho jOurnoyings of the ark
in tho land of Philistinos and how tho hand
OF the Lord was against tho people wherever
IL rested until they were glad 10 return IL II
Israel with an Offering. God will SEQ TO His
own glory and will care for His own ar;,
even if His people despiso Him and the enemy
seem for time to prosper.
lily. "Eli sat upon Seat 10y tho waysidc,
watching, for his heart tromblcd for the ark
food" Only twice outside Of these first four
chapters OF I Samuel do wo find the name of
Eli in the Biblo (chap, xiv, 81 Kings H.,
20, yet he lived TO be OS years old and Judged
Israel forty years. He does not seem 10 have
walked very closely with God or TO have been
very intimate with Him.
Tho glory of Israel was not tho house of
Ell, OF which four died that day, nor oven tho
ark itself, precious holy vessel though IL was:
but God Himself, the Lord of Hosts, the God
VI ioiucit MnOin no fnlllStinO could tOuCn,
and whom the death of all tho priests and
prophets that ever lived could not affect.
Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, rely wholly
upon Him, keep His commandments, magni-
fy His name, seek His glory, md losing sight
OF SELF or church. or denomination, except in
so far rs they may honor Him, seek with tho
whole heart and all our might 10 hasten tho
compilation OF His church and the coming Of
His Kingdom.
lS. When he made mention of the ark OF
God he died. Tho man Of Benja-
min who brought tho tidings from tho field
OF battle broke them 10 Eli as gently as pos
sible, reserving the worst for tho last
Israel ID He'd, great slaughter
thy two sons aro dead, tho
ark OF God Is taken;n but il is too much for
tho old man, and when IL is mentioned that
tho ark is gone he falls backward and dies;
and now the ears of all Israel arc tingling be-
cause OF the judgments of the Lord upon tho
house OF ELI, on account of sin tolerated i'm
high places Chap. ILL.,, 1l-lf. What shall
IT he like when "the Lord cometh ont Of His
place TO punish the inhabitants Of the earth
for their iniquity" lisa. XVI, 2D, and how
would you stand should He como today
Lesson Helper.
II nrlnK 10 MAKE me work" " SAID young
man TO an old gray headed man of 40. YES"
he replied, lit will. Thought just so. l have
buried two boys in drlnarkd's graves. am
an Old man and feeble / have spent a conf