The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-10-19
The Sunday School Lesson.
SERIES FOR 18s5.---FOURTH QUARTER.
STUDIES IN JEWISH HISTORY.

in recognition Of the peculiar manner in
which he had been given to her. She
did not take him the next year to the
feast at Shiloh, but the year after she
brought him and dedicated him to the
Lord. 1t is probable that the boy re-
NAMED in his home until he was twelve
years of age; then, like John the Baptist
in later age, he was dedicated to the
lifelong service of God as Nazarite.
From such home Samuel came to
learn of the high priest Eli how to ef-
ficiently serve his nations God.
While, SO far as we can Judge, he had
good mother, worthy Of his deepest es-
TEEN, his home, because the law OF mar
riage had been broken, was not one
from which he could part with I'M
mingled regret. or afterward remember
with unmodified respect.
Soon after he began his divine ap
premiership he, as the lesson records,
received his call to be prophet.
L. The Child Ministering in
the Temple,-vs. 1-3.
The boy rendered such service about
the tabernacle as could be allotted to
reverent boy. There we're lights in the
courts to be fed, there we're doors to be
opened and shut, there we're errands to
be done for the Levites. That he was
suffered to go into the holy place at this
time is doubtful; but his service at the
tabernacle appears to have been other
wise 80 efficient that it was rightly called
ministering.
We are told that The acord of the
Lord acas precious IN those days; there
a1as no open vision; by which we I'M
derstand that the counsels OF the priest
hood were much sought by the people
and Israels traditions were highly re-
garded, because there was felt no i'm
mediate impulse Of the Spirit. Remin-
iscences of God were the more highly
valued because there was no prophet to
speak to the people by direction of the
Spirit.
Samuel was accustomed to sleep near
the high priest Eli, and to answer his
calls for service in the nighttime. Ellis
own sons, Hophni and Phinehas. it is to
be remembered, we're scapegraces and
scoffers. They could not, in their style
of life, render help to their father in his
priestly office. Therefore on the faith
al 81 10 INOx Co oh
boy as each of his boys ought to have
been,-the sorrowful old father soon set
his heart
2. The Child Called by the
Spirit,-vs. As.
While. Samuel slept one night a
dream voice spoke to him, calling him
by name What was that voice? 1t
eludes description; it eludes exact iden-
LITIGATION. 1t belongs to the strange in
describable dream world. 1t was maud
ible to Eli, yet it was so distinct to the
boy Samuel that he started and ran to
Eli, asking for what purpose he had
called him. Eli told him he had not
spoken to him, and babe him lie down
again. And the second time in his sleep
the boy heard his name Samuel" pro-
nounced. And again he ran to Eli, to
make proffer of service. The wonder
ing old man replied: I called not, mig
son; lie doavn again. But deep suspic-
ions were now being awakened in Eli.
3. The Child becomes a Pro-
phet,-vs 9-13.
When the same occurrence was the
third time repeated, the boy, having no
thought Of spiritual things and utterly
fearless. was sure that it must be Eli
who had called to him in his sleep. And
Eli, now convinced that there was some
meaning in the boys dreaming other
than that of disturbed sleep, requested
him, if he was again called by name, to
interrogate the voice. And when the
dream voice again awoke him speaking
his name, he replied, Speak, Lord, for
TIM servant heareth. Then Samuel re-
ceived startling communication. The
Voice, speaking in the name of the
Eternal One, said: Behold. I sciU do a
| thing IN Israel, at achich both the ears OF
evefy one that hedreth 1T shall tingle. In
that day aoiH perform against Eli ali
that haze spoken concerning has house,
from the beginning even unto the end.
For / haze told him that I aoiH Judge
his house foreUer, for the iniquity achich
he kneac. because has sons did bring a
curse upon themselves. and he restrained
| them not.
This refers to message of man of
God which had previously Tvs. 27-36)
predicted the ruin of Ellis house, be-
cause of the criminal and sacrilegious
course of his sons, declaring that the
sons should be both cut off in one day
by violent death.
Samuel kept this strange message to
himself till the morning, when. after he
had opened the tabernacle court-doors
he was called to the high priests pres
ence. He was reluctant to report the
prophetic dream, but under an urging
which was virtually command, he told
Eli every aohit and hid nothing from
him.
Eli received Samuel's dream story al