The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-10-31
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
NOVEMBER g.
Lesson Text: "Samuei the Judge .u
L Samuel VIII. 5-15-Golden
Text: I Samuel vii., 12-
Commentary.

! ..ou. hlter tue ueath OF Ell and his sons
the ark which the Philistines had taken re.
maincd in their country seven months, bnt
| u brought such trouble upon them that thev
| were glad TO got rid OF IT, and so sent Il
nome on now cart drawn by two milk cows
ana accompanied by a trespass Offering
lchapter VI, 1O-12). The men of Beth-she.
| mesh were glad TO SEQ the ark again. but
transgrcssed by looking into II, and over
oV,ooo perished. The man of Kirjath- -jcarm
then cnme and fetched up the ark of tho
LORD, and II abode in the house OF Abindab
In the hill for twenty years (verse ~. IL
was some time during those twenty years
tnat samuel urged the people TO put away
AT their idols, turn To the Lord with all their
heart and serve Him only, and he would
. pray for them.
o. And they gathered togethcrto Mizneb
anu drew water and poured Il out beforc thu
@ @loru. Tue namo "Nii2peh" is found Just
| seven times in this chapter and lust fourfonn
times in Jcr. xl., and XII. Its signincance ia
| seen, Gen. NNxi., 40, 20 be that of God iudg
| ing or watching between peoplc-God as n
witness The water poured out reprcsrntcd
thelr utter helplessness and true penitenco.
.hey were as water poured upon the ground
Whlch could not be gathered up again III
sam. XIV, lD. Samuel lived before God
and sought 60 lead tho pcople so to do
me children OF Israel were afrnid of
the Philistines.' II troubles satan when be
sees the people ot God giving themselves to
tun "a
that such conduct means somp dolnita buai
ness with God and some stIro results, benro
the Phillstines are stirred 10 action by Israors
conduct But Israel had no cnuge to fonr
ana would not have feared had they hut r,-
membered the Lords past dealings on thclr
nehalt IN Egypt. and the wilderness. and I'm
the days OF tho judges. 70 be afraid of man
Is to forget God Usa. H., II. 13).
g. Cease not 10 cry unto tho Lord our
uod Tor rs, that lie will save us out of tina
hand OF the Philistines." Pcrhaps thcv
Wrought ~ the successful plcadings OF Noses
on oehaIt OF the people (Num. xiv, 10. 2O).
and believed that the cffectual fervent nrnvnr
ot righteous man availeth much CJns' y
I'D. In Ps. |, 10. II is written: "C,ll upon
Me IN tho day Of trouble. | will deliver
thee, and thou shalt glorify Me-" I'm
Ihcss. ". II; | Pet. ", 3, we arc 10 pray
without ccasing and be sober and vigilant.r
y. samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel
and the Lord heard him" The mar,,in snvs
answered him. The burnt offering smoke
OF the merits OF the great sacrifice of which
MI sacrifices werc typical whose merits alone
can avail anything. II also spoke Of whole
hearted surrender to God as fully shown
torh in Low. I. and Rom. xii, l. . Samuel
In measure. represented both prophet
priest and king. The king rules in right
eousness, the prophet IL for God TO tho peonlo
and tho priest IL for the people before God.
On encouragemcnts in prayer see Mark xi..
23. 2i; John v, Is.
10. "The Lord thundcred with n Rront
thunder on that day upon the Philstnes and
discomilted them" Tho Phiistines drow
near To battle while Samuel was hnyine.
dealings with God in the matter of tho burnt
Offering. That was poor time for them TO
touch the people Of God when they were no.
septed before Him in the Offering (Lev. T., ~.
Believers arc always accepted In the b.
loved (Eph. T.. o., and whoever touches
them touches Him. Thunder Is tho voice of
God, "a In Ps. XIX, 3, 4; Job xxxvii. Is.
John xiii, 2s. When He speaks. none eau
stand before Him. just two words from
Jesus sent the soldiers who came TO take
hlm falling backward to the ground John
IL. "And tho men OF Israel went out OF
Mizpeh and pursued the Philistines and
smote them" When David went forth In
the name Of tho Lord OF Hosts. the God of
the armies of Israel, he prevailed over tho
Philistino with u sling aud with a stone III
sam. xvii, 5O). When the children OF Judah
relied upon the Lord God OF their fathers,
they prevailed over their enemies GI Chron.
Kill, lh). For the eyes of the Lord run to
and fro throughout the whole earth 10 show
Himself strong on behalf Of them whose
heart Is perfect Cor whole or quicD toward
Him Ol ChrOn. xvi. 9).
~. "Thcn Samuel took a stonc and set IL
between Mizpeh and Shcn and called the
name oI IL EGcncZcr Ohe stone OF hclp) suy-
Ing, "liith"rto hath the Lord hclped US"
The name of "EbencZcr' IL found only in
rhapters w., ! and v, /, and here. In tho
two former places Il Is associated with tho
victory Of the Phlistincs, but here with
their defeat. The Pmlistincs triumphcd be-
cause Israel relied upon the ark and not
upon tho Lord (chaptrr iv., -, but now
Israel triumphs because II relies upon the
Lord. He who reads the heart can always
tell whether we really rely upon Him or
prptRpI N oil
IL. "Tho hand OF the Lord was against
the Philistines all the days OF Samuel"
They were subdueh and came no moro into
the coast Of Israel in his days. This was
'thc hand Of the Lord" not tho work uf
Samuel but 1t was tho hand of tho Lord be-
cause OF Samuel's whole heart for God.
Ezra could testify that "rho hand OF our
God was upon rs, and He delivered VS. from
the hand OF the enemy, and OF such as lay in
wait by the way" ezra will, 3D. lie also
testilies in chapter vii. %, 81 was strength.
ened as tho hand OF the Lord my God was
upon me-"
H. "And tho cities which the Philistines
had taken from Israel were restored to Is
rael. And there was peace between Israel
and the AmOrltes." They had peace and
prosperity because the Lord was with them.
when mans ways please the Lord, He
maketh even his enemies to be at peace with
him" Prov. xvi, ~. Tho way OF peace and
victory is fully stated in verse OF our lesson
chapter-a whole hearted turning to the
Lord, all idols put away and prepared
heart to serve Him only. Then we are ready
TO SEQ some OF the "great and mighty
things" which He will do for those who trust
in Him that His name may be glorihed der.
xxxiii., -. "Wak before Me, and be thou
perfect" is still the word for each believer
(Gen. xviii, 1; Deut. xviii, 13D.
10. "And Samuel judged Israel all tho
days OF his life." We shall meet Samuel
again in connection with Saul and David,
but II is well to note here In connection with
his Office as judge In Israel that when an old,
gray-headed man, he could call God and all
the people TO witness that In all his life ne
had defrauded nor oppressed nor taken
bribe (chapter xii. 2-6).--Lesson Helper.