The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-07-13
DEATH OF ELI.
International Sunday School Lesson for
July II, 1850.

vile, and he restrained them not,-l Sam.
3:l3.
CENTRAL TRUTu--We can not keep the sin
and escape the consequences.
TIME-B &. lila About twenty years
after the last lesson.
PLACE-CD Ebenezer, named from sam
uels victory twenty years later Il Sam. z:
5'l2). 1t was fifteen miles west OF Jerusa-
lem and twenty miles southwest Of Shiloh.
(2) Shiloh, the capital, few miles north OF
Jerusalem.
SAMUEL-About 80 years old. ELI-Judge
and priest for forty years. Now 9s years
old. He was a Levite, and descendant OF
Aaron through Ithamar. hoPnNI, 1.-THE
fighter" and PnINEHAs, "the brazen-
mouthed," degenerate sons Of Eli. Samson,
in another part Of Israel, was just begin
ming his exploits, b. c. lll6-l096. The
Philistine oppression had existed twenty
years and continued twenty years longer
Judg. 49,: y.
INTRopUcTIoN-The fearful doom Of Ellis
sons revealed to Samuel was not fulfilled
for twenty years. So much time was given
for repentance, but the result was in
preparation, and now the time had come.
HELPS OVER HARD PLACES. The ,Cord
| Of Samuel. this sentence belongs to the
last chapter. 1t shows how wide Samueps
influence extended during the twenty
years. The Philtsti,ss: rich, war-like Ma
| tion on the west coast Of Palestine Ebenc-
ssr: see Place. Aphek: place near Eben-
| ezer. g. Let us fetch the Ark: thinking
that God would protect the Ark, even II
with it He had to save them while still I'M
repentant. Which d,peleth betpsen tho
cherubim: here God manifested His glory
| 4 49, ,t;v hA Avlf
Hophni and Phinclds: see above. BY this
plan they were brought into the battle to
| be slain. 10. into his tent: i. O., home Josh.
22:S). II. Ark Of God taken: proof that
God had departed from them. Hophni and
Phinehas: slain: the sign fulfilled,
foretold by Samuel esq. IL. Ran:
professional runner, accomplishing his
fifteen miles in the hours of daylight re-
naming after the battle. A tradition Of
the Jews says it was Saul fleeing with the
tables rescued from the Ark. 13. Seat: q
| Judgment seat or throne at the entrance OF
the city. 1t had a canopy over it, but no
back to the seat. IS. When he made men
ton Of the Ark: this shows how Ell priced
God and his religion above all personal
possessions.
LESSON FAcTs-Looking carefully at the
forth great harvest. These are the gath
erings Of Israel to throw off the Philistne
yoke. Tell the scholars about the first futile
attempt to do this, as given in chap. Al, 2,
and about the vain hope that God would as
sist them if the Ark Of the Covenant were
| with them, irrespective Of their conduct
| towards God But all their expectations
were vain. The Phllistines gathered cour-
| dos he, oil
fury. Israei was smitten before them, and
| fled every man to his tent. Go on to draw
wildly the scene at the gate, where sat
poor, anxious Eli, waiting for tidings. In
comes man with torn garments and horri-
| fled mien and announces the fearful defeat.
Eli, old and blind, asks what is the cause
of the tumult and receives the message
with it's trinity of sorrows for him, that
Israel is defeated, both his sons killed, and
| the Ark taken. At the mention Of the loss
of the Ark of the Covenant, the old mans
heart fails him, and he tumbles over back
wards from his judges chair and is at once
killed by the fall
| CoMMENTs-Now return to the idea Of the
great harvest (a) Israel reaped harvest
of defeat. How did this come abouta Surely
not because they had not numbers enough
with which to fight the Phiistincs. For
Gideon with three hundred men had once
defeated much larger army Of Mdianites
than the Phillstines ever assembled. Surely
not because God was not able to maintain
the honor of His Ark. For soon after, the
Ark, unaided by any armies, was a source
of bitter vexation to Phllstine lords. No;
Israel reaped defeat simply because they
sowed disobedience. Recall to the scholars
what God had said to Joshua years before
"Observe to do according to all that is
written lin the law) for then shalt thou
make thy way prosperous" Josh. 1:S). AS
often before, so now, Israel forgot this fun
damental command Of God, and as result
reaped the harvest of disaster. (b) Hophni
and Phinehas reaped an awful harvest.
Rapacious, licentious, blasphemous, they had
profaned holy things. In common with
Israel, they mistook the mere outward sign
Of Gods presence for that presence itself,
and thus in reality trusted in the Ark, and
not in God. Like many in Israel later, who
took the serpent of brass and began to wor-
ship it, forgetting that it was only symbol
Of an underlying reality, so did these wicked
men. Such being the case no one wonders
that their fate was what it was. We are
rather surprised at the long suffering OF
God in sparing them as long as He did.
They sowed the wind and they reaped the
whirlwind. icy Eli reaped sad harvest
His fate was by no means as dark as that
Of his two sons; for though his conduct
shortened his earthly life, he was a Cody
man. His heart was bound up in the honor
and safety of the Ark, even more than In
his sons welfare. Still his end was sad
one, and his earthly career ended in dark
ness Compare his death with the death Of
Joshua, and you will easily realize this.
Josh. "a: 29-3D. His sowing in the educa-
ton of his sons had been faulty, and his har-
vest was devoid of any joyful song of har-
vest-home- Rev. A. +. Schauffler.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
l. Children may grow up bad amid good
influences.
g In disorderly families both parents and
children are usually to blame.
3. God gives abundant time for repent
snce.
4. The most sacred religious forms will not
save US without the spirit Of religion.
5. God cares more for the worshiper than
for the temple.
6. The punishment of sin will come in due
time.
z. There is no escape but by forsakng sin.
s. Disobedience to parents can only bring
disaster and ruin.