The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-07-18
SAMUEL THE REFORMER.
LESSON ~, THIRD QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY Fl.

U H.
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY Fl.
Text OF the Lesson. Sam. vii. 1-Ia-Com-
NIT to Memory Verses 3-4-GoIden
Text, lisa. 1, 16, 17-Commentary by the
Rev. ID. M. stearns.
rCompiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission of II. S. Hoffman, publisher, Phiadel
phial
l. "And the mon of Kirjeth- jearim came
and fetched UP the Ark of the Lord This
holy vessel, the Ark Of Jehovah, which was
the most sacred vessel in the Tabernacle. or
in the Temple, the same Ark being used In
each and which is mentioned now at least
thirty-five times since chap. iii, 8. is to mo
one of the most interesting of Bible studies,
and speaks to me of Jesus both as God and
man, Gods law in His heart, delight.ng to do
the will of God, fulfilling all Righteousness.
the end of the law for Righteousness to every
one that believeth, our mercy seat, our hidden
mama, our High Priest chosen by God, the
great head of the church from whom the
cherubim are formed. the revelation to us of
the Fathers love and eternal purpose; and
yet. though it thus talks of all these glorious
known till the temple of God is opened in
Heaven, and there Is seen in His temple the
Ark of His Covenant REV. xi, 19.)
2. while the ark abode in Kirjath- -jearim
1t was twenty years; and all the
house of Israel lamented after the Lord "
We know from III Sam vi, 1-3, that the ark
was in the house OF Abinadab a 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 return
of the ark before Israel was awakened from
her sin to gather together unto the Lori
5. Return unto the Lord with all your
hearts, put away the strange gods, :
prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve
Him only" This was the exhortation OF
Samuel to Israel as they lamented after the
Lord, and he assured them that if they would
thus sincerely turn to God He would deliver
them out OF the hand of the PhihstineS.
>. II will pray for you unto the Lord" In
JAS V, l6, we are told that ''the effectual, fer
vent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much, and we know that Moses by his in
tercession saved Israel from destruction more
than once. In Jer. XIV, l. Moses and Samuel
are associated as men mighty in prayer. God
told Abimelech that Abraham would pray
for him and thus bring blessing to him and
his house Gen. Xxx, Z 70; and Abraham's in
tercession for Sodom Gen. xviii, 20-3S) is a
memorable occasion. 1t is to be feared that
much prayer is simply saying words, but that
only is true prayer which is asking from the
heart, in the name OF Jesus, for that which
we really desire for His glory.
q. They gathered together, drew water,
poured it out before the Lord, tasted on that
day and said there, We have sinned against
the Lord" The pouring out of water sym
bolizcd their helpless and penitent condition:
they were as water split on the ground,
which cannot be gathered up again 1I Sam.
xiv, Id; they had nothing to plead but their
guilt and their great need, and convinced OF
this they turn with fasting unto the Lord.
T. 1.-THE Philistines heard" Let the peo-
pie of God come together in true humility to
seek Him and the enemies of God will be sure
to hear of it. 1t is surely true that "Satan
trembles when he sees tho weakest saint upon
his lnees,n and if one praying saint makes
him tremble a nation in true penitential
prayer must make him awfully afraid, Sc
that we do not wonder that the Philistines
gather against Israel when they hear that
Israel have gathered unto the Lord 1t Is
not necessary to suppose that the Philistines
understood the true meaning of 1srael's gath
ering, but the devil understood 1t and he in
cited the Philistines onward
6. cease not to cry unto the Lord our
God for u.s." This was their prayer to Sam.
uel 1t is good to hear them say "the Lord
our God, and they have right to say il
now since they have truly turned to Him
and he viii undoubtedly prove Himself to be
'the Lord their God" for He says, "Cal
upon me IN the day of trouble; Will deliver
thee and thou shalt glorify me-" Psalms l.
l5), In the same way Hczekiah asked Isaiah
to pray unto God for Judah, when they were
besieged by the army of Sennacherib, and
God heard isaiah xxxvii, 4, o.. The words
"cease not" remind us of the command tc
pray without ceasing" Il Thes. V, ~, and
we remember that when Moses hands were
held up Israel prevailed, and when they were
let down Amalek prevailed Ex xvii, ~.
9. "And Samuel took sucking lamb and
offered a burnt Offering wholly unto the
Lord, and Samuel cried unto the Lord fol
Israel, and the Lord heard him" The burn,
offering typihes the sacrifice of the Lord
Jesus, who is all offerings in one, the only
sacrifice for sin; and reminds US that without
shedding of blood there is no remission, and
that only in the name and by virtue Of the
merits of Christ can we draw near or come
to God. Heb. TX, %; Acts iv, 12) Samuel
did not approach God because he was holy OF
trusting in his merits, but only as one who
believed God and came trusting In the sacri.
fee; thus trusting be came with confidence
In God and was heard. In John V, H. Is
weread that "This is the confidence we have
in Him, that If we ask anything according tc
His will He heareth us, and If we know that
He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know
that we have the petitions that we desired OF
Him.
10. THE Philistines drew near to battle
against Israel; but the Lord thundered with
great thunder and discomflted
them" The Philistines may have thought
that as they conquered even when the ark
was In the camp Of Israel, so they would con
quer now, but circumstances had changed.
At that time Israel relied on the ark, and II
was simply n battle between men and men
but now Israel was relying upon God, and it
was q conflict between the Philistines and the
God of Israel, and consequently they could
not but be smitten. Thunder Is the voice oi
Jehovah (Ps. xxx, 3, q; Job xxxvii, Is
John xii, %, 20l and when He speaks in judg
ment none can stand before Him, all His
enemies must fall How thankful we ought
to be that God in His mercy is speaking to u.
so lovingly i'll His word and that His judg
mentS are not yet made manifest; but lei
every teacher show the scholars from the
word of God that there is wrath for all who
| viii not accept Jesus, and because the day OF
mercy may for each end any time, therefore
| urge every one to turn quickly to God, re
ceiye Jesus as their Saviour, and with sin
cere heart serve Him only
II, IL. "Ebenezer, hitherto hath the Lore
helped u.s." Israel pursued and smote tn
| Philistines, for the Lord fought for them, anC
| Samuel, to commemorate the victory ane
| strengthen Israels faith In the future, set W
this stone and called it Ebenezer, saying
Hitherto hath the Lord helped us" TIL
| word Ebenezer is only found in these thre'
places ichaps. iv, ", !; vii, l2l, the first two
| referring to the victory Of the Philistines, bu
| this one to the victory of Israel when they
| truly repented and relied on jehovah How
| many places can we look back to where th
enemy conquered because we were sinful anf
| disobedient, and in how many such place
have we now set up an Ebenezer to mark tn
| fact that where once we fell because Of sir
we now stand firm because we have repentei
| rely only on the Lord and serve Him oTlvf
ODDS AND ENDS.
The beauty of Catherine of Russia
| 1t Is said, consisted In her green eyes.
| Fat oplv ,,,,ra food drink only nt1r,