The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-07-06
SAMUEL CALLED.
International sunday-school Lesson fos
July :, 1889.

July ~ Aoo0s
Especially arranged from S. 8. Quarterly.l
LESSON TEXT Sam. 3:l-l4.
GOLDEN TExr-Then Samuel answered,
Speak, for Thy servant heareth.-I Sam.
$40.
CENTRAL TRUru-God calls us to love and
serve Him.
TIME-B. e. 1874, when Samuel was twelve
years old.
PLAcE-Shiloh, the religious capital OF
Israel, seventeen miles northwest OF Jeru-
| salem.
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY Samson was
born about the same time as Samuel, and
was Judge in another part Of the country.
INTRopUcTIoN-We now take up our les
sons where we left of ut the close Of 1888.
The judges ruled over three hundred years,
| to the time OF Samuel. Now we enter upon
new era in the history Of Israel.
HELPS OVER HARD PLACEs-1. Samuel min
tstcred: did such work as lighting lamps,
opening doors, etc. Before Ell: under the
direction Of the high priest. He seems to
have been q personal attendant. Word rds
precious: /. g., rare. No open rision: no pub
lie prophesy, such as had been through
Moses and Joshua. 3. Ere the lamp Uent
out: O., just before morning. Laid do pn 10
sleep: in one of the buildings within the
court of the tabernacle, and built around 1t.
Not in the tabernacle itself. 10. And the
Lord came and stood: in some manifest pres
ence, or vision Not merely voice as be-
| fore. II. Both the ears tingle: with horror.
-. Al things tphich 1 haze spoken some
time before this by prophet Il Sam. 2:21-
34). 49, Made Themselves rRe; probably bet
ter rendered, hare cursed themselves; |. e.,
brought curses upon themselves. Cook.
Eli 8 sons had blasphemed God and made
| light of HIM by their Infamous conduct in
his very presence. He restrained them not:
and hence was partly to blame. IA. Shda
not be purged: cleansed away, but the pun
ishment would surely come.
| GoD CALLING THE YOU'VE God is calling
every child as he called Samuel. II is an
individual call, by name, for He calleth
His own sheep by name" God calls Q) by
His Word; (2) by His own loving attrac-
tive character; (3) by what He has done
for us in Jesus Christ; az by the influences
of the Holy Spirit; (5) by various provi-
dences; (6 by conscience; (O by Sabbaths
and religious services; (S) by the invita-
lions and influence Of friends; (0 by the
| living water which satisfies every thirst OF
| the soul; Q0) by the attractions Of good
ness and of Heaven.
| LESSON FACTs-We now return to the Old
Testament for our lessons. And more
beautiful story than that of the text it is
impossible to find Let the teacher first
| tell the class about the birth Of little Sam
uel, and how his mother at tender age
brought him to the temple, there to minister
to the Lord Having made that clear. the
way will be open to 90 on to the story OF the
lesson.
Much is implied in the first verse. The
teacher may we'll try to set before the class
the simple duties of the young lad as he
went about his daily task Among his
other duties was the opening and closing
Of the doors of the tabernacle each day,
and perhaps, also, the lighting Of the
golden candlestick. Besides this, he was
kind of personal servant of the aged Eli,
There was nothing at all romantic about all
| this, but it was fidelity in small things that
opened the way for the larger privileges of
which our lesson speaks. At last there
came day which, in the life OF this boy,
was most marked.
One day the lad had gone to his rest as
usual in some one of the chambers around
the tabernacle. The night had worn away
silently, and the morning was approaching.
|
have yet appeared at the tabernacle. All
was wrapped in that profound silence
which betokens the approach of the dawn.
Then, without warning, Samuel heard his
name distinctly spoken. 1T is Eli,n he
thinks, and with quick obedience he an
swers the call. II called thee not" says
old Eli; Ego lie down again" Perplexed,
and perhaps thinking that he had been
l,,aa min hn Ln, rat,, 20
couch. Again the voice speaks his name,
and again, thinking that it must be his
master, he runs, but only to be sent back.
A third time this experience is repeated,
and then only does it dawn upon Ellis mind
that God is calling the boy $50 lie down."
says the old man, sand it shall be that if He
call thee, thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, for
Thy servant heareth" For the fourth
time God called, and now the lad, in
structed, says: ''Speak, Lord, for Thy
servant heareth." Then God tells him
what He proposes to do in the family OF
Eli, and how He will bring judgment upon
the house of the high priest for his failure
to do what he should have done in the bring
ing up of his sons
CoMMENTs-There are other ways in
which God speaks to us, besides in His
doly Woru. 10 every one he has given a
conscience, which tells them that it is
wicked to do wrong. What is that in our
hearts which condemns us when we have
told lie or disObeyed our parents? 1t is
really the voice Of God, just as plain as that
which addressed the boy so many years ago |
in the tabernacle. There is no one in this
class who has not had the privilege Of hear |
ing the voice Of God speaking directly to |
him. No one will ever be able to say: 81 |
have not had as great privileges as that boy |
had" In fact, we must confess that we |
have, in reality, had higher advantages |
than he, for the revelation that we have in |
our hands is far fuller and far more help
ful than that which the boy Samuel en-
joyed. How did Samuel act as soon as he
understood that it was God who was speak
ing to him? He said: Speak, Lord for Thy
servant heareth." That was good way to
answer the Lord By "heareth" he meant
not only that he was ready to listen, but to
obey as well. That is exactly the attitude
that every one should take when God speaks
to them, whether it be by the voice of their
own conscience or by the written page of
His Holy Word. If, in this particular, we
are careful to obey what we hear, we shall
receive many messages from Him that will
gladden. our lives and lead US in the way
In tuhinh oh ,volly - ;e np1x, @bn.o |