The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1889-07-05
SAMUEL CALLED OF GOD.
LESSON l. THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 2.
Text of the Lesson, Sam. iii, 1-14-Com-
init to Memory Verses s-1o-Golden
Text, Sam. iii, 1o-Commcntary by the
Rev, ID. M. Stcarns.


Text, Sam. Iii, 1O-Commcntary by the
Rev. d. NJ. stcarns.
mission Of 81. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philasel-
phia.]
Having spent six months upon the life of
our Lord Jesus as recorded in the Gospel by
Mark we now return to the study of the
book which Jesus loved and from which He
always preached, "expounding unto them i'll
oil the Scriptures tho things concerning Him
self" Nuke xiv, 27.)
i. "And the child Samuel ministered unto
the Lord before Eli" Our last Old Tcsta-
ment studies We're in the book of Judges and
closed with tho incidents of the book of Ruth.
Wo are now about to study tho life Of the
last of tho judges, who was also a prophet, as
1t is written in Acts xiii, 90, ''He gave unto
them judges about the space of four hundred
and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet"
We must think Of Israel as having been in
the enjoyment of that good land which God
gave unto them over 400 years; the taber-
nacle is still at Shiloh Chap. j, 8, 2g, where
it had been set up in the days of Joshua
(Josh. xviii, "; Eli is the judge, and his sons,
Hophni and Phinehas, arc priests of tho
Lord Chaps. iv, 1918; |, 81, but as we shall
SEQ in our lesson today they are far from
being godly men. In these days Of apostasy,
Eli being old and his sons wicked, certain
woman named Hannah asks and receives
from God child. whom she promises to give
unto the Lord all tho days Of his life, calling
his name Samuel, which signifies "Asked Of
God" Chap. i, II, 2o).
2,3 "The Temple of the Lord, where the
Ark Of God was" Tho temple here men
toned is the tabernacle which Moses had
built in the wilderness, and which had now
been for so long time at Shiloh in the inner
room of which, or Holy Of Holes, was tho
Ark of the Covenant Of tho Lord Of all tho
Garth Josh. iii, 1D, and in the outer room or
Holy Place was the table Of shewbread, tho
golden altar Of incense, and tho golden seven
branched candlestick or lamp stand, the
lamps Of which were lighted every evening
and dressed every morning.
4. ''The Lord called Samuel, and he an
swered, Here am l." Samuel is supposed
by Josephus to have been ut this time about
twelve years Of age.
s. "And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here
am I, for thou calledst men Thinking that
Eli had called him, he rose up quickly and
ran to him with these words, but Eli not
having called him and not seeing that it was
the voice Of tho Lord, bids him to lie down
again, and Samuel obeys. How quickly tho
boy responded to what he supposed was tho
call of ELI; what promptness, what denial to
self of the qualification of little moro slum-
Der; grand lesson for oil.
Z. "Now Samuel did not yet know tho
Lord, neither was the word Of the Lord yet
revealed unto him." He knew the Lord
through tho words Of Moses and Joshua and
ministered unto Him as thus revealed, butu
41,s
to Samuel.
third time" And again he arose and went to
thou didst call me-" What parents heart
would not be made glad by such son; what
unwearicd though apparently fruitless obe-
dience, but 1t shall be rewarded. Eli ut last
perceives that it is tho voice Of God and that
the Lord has actually called the child; the
only recorded instance in which the Lord
spoke in vision In an audible voice to
little boy; but let all the children know and
believe that when they read the Bible or hear
itread God is as really speaking to them In
His word as when He spoke to Samuel.
10. "And the Lord came, and stood, and
called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel
|. Then Samuel answered, Speak, for thy SER
want heareth." The Lord knew that Samuel
did not know His voice, and so He camo
again and again 50 lovingly and patiently
until Samuel, through Eli, had been taught
that it was the voice Of God and then with
entire surrender of soul the boy yields him
self to the word and will of God. Docs itnot
remind us Of Jesus Himself ut the age of 12,
saying: "Wist ye not that l must be about
my Fathers businessa" When we are thus
yielded God will reveal Himself to us.
II. "And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold,
will do thing in Israel at which both tho
cars Of every one thatheareth it shall tingle.n
He announces that a jut4 ment is about to
come i'll Israel and that people shall be am
azcd ct it and tremble. The expression Gears
tinglng" is only found twice elsewhere in the
Bible GI Ki. xxi, 10; Jer xix, 81 and is in
each case III connection with coming judg-
rnerts.
10. "In that day I will perform against
Eli, all things which / have spoken cohcern-
an end" Having made the general state
| Judgment in Israel, it might he asked where
Lord2 In what tribe, or shall it reach tho
whold nations He Immediately indicates
whero it shall strike, even upon the very head
Of the nation, Eli and his house, and lie indi-
Gates that it shall be short and complete.
| Is. "For have told him that / will Judge
his house for ever for tho iniquity which
| he llnoweth; because his sons made themselves
vile, and he restrained them not" God
| never exercises Judgment without mercy.
| II. "And therefore have sworn unto tho
house of Eli, that the iniquity of Ellis house
shall not be purged with sacrifice nor Offer
ing forever" not because there is not atone
| ment sufficient to reach and remove the sin
Of Ellis house, but because Of the lack Of re-
pentance on their part Jesus Himself said
that all manner Of sin and blasphcmy shall bo
forgiven unto men; but He also said that the
blasphemy against tho holy Spirit shall not
be forgiven unto men (Matt. xii, BY; which
if understand it signifies tho persistent and
continued resistance Of the Spirit until death,
or until He withdraws and leaves to himself
person per is thus left by tie Spirit It'll it viii viii be s
matter Of their souls welfare. Israel as a
nation ofterward sinned SO greatly that it
was said by tho Lord; Though Moses and
Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could
not be toward this people, And again:
Job, We're in it they should deliver but their
own souls by their Righteousness, saith the
Lord Godn yer. XIV, /; Eek. xiv, 14). And
so it is written: ''The wrath Of tho Lord
arose against His people till there was
no remedy" III Chr. Nxvi, 1G, not be-
cause God was not willing and able to save
them, but because they would not be saved
n1ocking His messengers, despising His words
and misusing His prophets 1t seems also
strange that such solemn and weighty mes
sage as this to Eli should be given to the boy
Samuel: but 1t was somewhat similar in the
case Of jeremiah, who said: "Ah, Lord Godl
Behold / cannot speak for am child" OBJ
serve the Lords answer to him Ger. j, 6S)
i md law il to heart Samuel in the 1nornin,