Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-11-09
The SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VI. FouRTH QUARTER. IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, NOV. 10.

ofy VERSES ~@s 80 SsoA0SH IT. - AcNsis
= Commentary BY the Rev. ID. n.
stearns.
IL. "And Samuel called tho people to-
Tethcr unite the Lord 70 Mizpch. Israel
was chosen to be a special people unto God
above all people ON tho earth; separated
from all others unto the Lord, that He
might shew through them who and what
He was, that thus all nations might know
Him for their good Tx. xix, ., &; Deut.
vi, 6; III sam. vii. sS). when therefore
they desired 70 be ike other nations Il
sam. Will 5, 20l. they went right contrary
to the will of the Lord for them. samuel
told them just how the king they desired
would treat them will, il-i9), but they
insisted ON having their own way The
steps by which the Lord brought saul TO
samuel are fully recorded in chapter tx,
and the first part OF this chapter X, and
form one of the most interesting, instruc-
tive and practical Of all Bible stories. A
precious nugget which enjoy and love TO
pass on is found in X, :, DO as occasion
serve thee for God is with thee.
IS "Thus. saith the Lord God Of Israel,
1 brought mp Israel ont Of Egypt" The
suggestiyeness of Mizpeh was seen in our
last lesson, and there the people saw the
power Of the Lor,. on their behalf Now
they are again before the Lord, but turn
ing their backs upon Him deliberately in
order to be like other nations. He reasons
with them concerning their conduct, re-
minding them of His love 60 thom when
they were slaves in Egypt and how He de-
liyered them from all their oppreSsors.
They should therefore consider that they
were His property, people for His own
possession Titus ii, II, Il. VI, and that
He and not they should have the right of
deciding in all things concerning their well
fare.
10. "Ye have this day rejected your God,
who Himself saved you out of all your
adversities and your tribulations." Sam
uel at first felt that they had rejected Him,
but the Lord said, They have not rejected
thee, but they have rejected Me, and He
added that in doing rs they had done they
were only treating Samuel as.they had al
ways treated Him (chaptor VIII z 81.
When Israel murmured, it was not against
Moses and Aaron, but against the Lord
lex. xvi, 81. See the application TO us in
Luke x, 16, and let US consider we'll that
all that touches the Lords people touches
the Lord Himself Czech. ii, 81 Acts tx, 4,
81, and all rebellion or complaining on the
part of His people is against Him.
20, 81. "When they sought him, he could
not be found All Israel presented them
selves before the Lord by their tribes, and
the let was cast for the tribe, and for the
family, and for the man, and the result
was that Saul, the son of Kish, of the tribe
of Benjamin was taken, but he could not
be found. God knew the man whom they
would like and had chosen such one for
them, and now He guided the lot to bring
him before them, for "rhe lot is cast into
the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is
of the Lord" prov xvi, 49,
90 "The Lord answered, Behold he hath
hid himself among the stuff. The word
translated "stuff' has nine different mean
ings given to it in this book alone. IL Is
translated furniture, armor, carriage, ar
tillery, weapons. vessels, things, etc. Some
where and somehow, and for some reason,
Saul hid himself. He knew through Sam
uel that God had selected him Chapter x,
-, and knowing this it was becoming
thing not to put himself forward, but let
all see that he had no hand in the election.
1t did not cost him penny for votes; the
place sought him, not he the place. What
a contrast to many elections i'm our day
90 "When he stood among the people,
he was higher than any of the people, from
his shoulders and upward. In addition
to this statement we find in chapter tx, g
that he was choice young man, and that
there was not goodlier person in all Is
rael. Size is not everything, however, else
Goliath and other giants might be envied,
neither is outward appearance, as Samuel
afterward learned when he appointed
man after Gods heart instead of one to
please the people (chapter xvi, 8, y. Con-
trast the youth and probable slight figure
of David (xvii, 33); also what is written
Of Saul of Iarsus I'll Cor. x, 10).
"a. HSee We him whom the Lord hath
chosen, that there is none like him among
all the peoples And all the people shouted
and said, God save the king. AS we said
in previous verse, Saul was the Lords
choice that He might please the people and
for the .time being satisfy them, and SO
in due time humble them. AS on another
occasion, He gave them their request, but
sent leanness into their soul'' Cps. cyi,
15). The people have now a visible king,
choice man and noble looking one; they
are like other nations in ths matter of a
king, but the invisible one, their Redeem
err, is rejected and they prefer to walk by
sight
%. "Then Samuel told the people the
manner of the kingdom and wrote it in n
book and laid it up before the Lord. All
this state of affairs had been foreseen by
the Lord and fully written about in Deut.
xvii, 1920 This it was probably, with
perhaps additions, that Samuel wrote In
the book. Now if the king would consider
himself the Lord s representative, and act
for the Lord toward the people, in all
things consulting Him and obeying Him
and honoring Him, all might yet be well,
but TO please self or the people or TO rely
on human wisdom or strength will spoil
ALL
&C. "And Saul also went home to Gil
bean, and there went with him band Of
men, whose hearts God had touched. "
God would help him by giving him helpers
and friends. He does everything TO make
it easy for us to do right If we are only
willing to serve Him in sincerity and
truth He is the same God who saw that
it was not good for Adam to be alone
(Gen. ii, 49,; who also sent the disciples
out by twos duke K, u, and He always,
in due time, provides helpers for such as
are willing to dwell with Him for His
work
81 "But the children of Belial said,
How shall this man save uss And they de-
spised him and brought him no presents.
But he held his peace" Saul was in the
place of Gods representative and as such
had his friends and his enemies. 1t has
been and win be ever so. See John XIV, IS.
As king of Israel he in sense typifed
Christ, the true King Of Israel John j, 49),
and before his enemies held his peace, or,
as in the margin, was as though he had
been deaf. See also Ps. xxxviii, 10. The
wise men from the east brought Jesus gold