Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-10-31
NUMBER 12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON y FOURTH QUARTER, III
TERNATiONAL SERIES, NOV 3.

Text of the Lesson, sam. vii, 5-15-SIem-
Ory Verses, Ia. 1s-Goiden Text. I sam.
VII, Commentary BY the Rev. ID. VI.
stearns.
8. "And Samuel said, Gather all Israel
to Mizpeh and will pray for YOU unto
the Lord. - After the death Of Eli and bis
Sons the ark which the Philistines had
taken remained lid their country seven
months, but it brought such trouble upon
them that they were glad to get rid Of it,
and 50 sent it home on new cart drawn
by two milk cows and accompanied by a
trespass Offering (chapter Vi. lO-12). The
men Of Beth-shemesh were glad to see the
ark again, but transgressed by looking
into il, and over 30, 900 persisted. The man
Of Kirjath -jearim then came and fetched Id
the ark Of the Lord, and it abode in the
house Of Abinadab in the hill for 20 years
(verse 2). It was some time during those
20 years that Samuel urged the people to
put away all their idols, turn to the Lord
with all their heart and serve Him only.
and he would pray for them.
8. "And they gathered together 10 AIiz-
peh, and drew water and poured it out be-
fore the Los. The name "Mizpeh" is
found just seven times in this chapter
and just ia times in Jer. XII and xii
Its significance is seen, in Gen. xxi, AZ,
to be that Of God judging or watching be-
tween peOple-God as a witness The wa
ter poured out represented their utter help
lessness and true penitence; they were as
water poured upon the ground which
could not be gathered lip again (II sam
xiv, 14). Samuel lived before God and
sought to lead the people 50 to do.
z. "The children Of Israel were afraid Of
the Philistines. 1t troubles satan when
be sees the people of God giving themselves
to prayer and fasting. He seems to under
stand that such conduct means some def
mite business with God and some sure re-
suits; hence the Philistines are stirred to
action by Israel's conduct. But Israel had
no cause TO fear and would not have feared
had they but remembered the Lord : past
dealings on their behalf I'D Egypt, and the
wilderness, and i'll the days Of the Judges
To be afraid of man is to forget God lisa.
Ii, ~, 13.
8. Cease not to cry unto the Lord our
God for u, that He will save Us out of the
hand of the Philistines.' % Perhaps they
thought Of the successful pleadings Of
Moses on behalf of the people (Num. xiv,
l9, 20), and believed that the etfectual
fervent prayer Of a righteous man availeth
much lJas- Y, 1G). In Ps- l. Is, it is
written: " Call upon Me in The day of trou-
BE. will deliver thee, and thou shalt
glorify Me In Thess V, It; Pet. V,
5, we are to pray without eeasing and be
sober and vigilant
8. Samuel cried unto the Lord for
Israel, and the Lord heard him" The
margin says answered him" The burnt
offering spoke Of the merits Of the great
sacrifice Of which all sacrifices were typ
ical, whose merits alone can avail any
thing. 1t also spoke Of whole hearted sur
render to God as fully shown forth in Lev.
and Rom. xii, !, 2. Samuel in a measure
represented both prophet, priest and king
The king rules in righteousness, the
prophet il for God To the people and the
priest l. for the people before God. On en-
courageInents in prayer see Mark XII, 2s.
24; John V, 10.
10. 1.-The Lord thundeFed with a great
thunder I'D that day upon The Philfstines
and discounted them" The Philistines
drew near to battle while Samuel was hay
AliE QEttE4AA-1 Will ATDI LAlE 4l1LNfE Illt
burnt Offering. That was q poor time for
them to touch the people on God when they
were accepted before Him in the Offering
(Lev. j, A. Believers are always accept
ca lid the Beloved (Eph. /, 6) and who
ever touches them touches Him. Thunder
is the voice Of God, as in Ps. xxx, 8, 4;
Job xxxvii, l-5; John xii, 2s. When He
speaks, none can stand before Him Just
two words from Jesus sent the soldiers
who came to take Him falling backward
TO the ground (John xviii, g.
ILL., "And the men Of Israel went out OF
Mizpeh and pursued The Philistines and
smote them" When David went forth in
the name Of the Lord Of Hosts, the God Of
the armies Of Israel be prevailed over the
Philistine with sling and with d stone
II Sam. xvii, SOY. When the children Of
Judah relied upon the Lord God Of their
fathers, they prevailed over their enemies
QI Chron- xiii, 1S). 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 tor whole or
quiet) toward Him" iii Chron. xvi, 9)-
-. 'Then Samuel took stone and set
It between Mizpeh and Shen and called the
name Of it Ebenezer (the stone Of help,
saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped
u.s. The name " "Fbenezeri' is found only
in chapters is, 1, and Y, l, and here. In the
two former places it is associated with the
victory of the Philistines. but here with
their defeat. The Philistines triumphed
because Israel relied upon the ark and not
upon the Lord (chapter in, 81 but now
Israel triumphs because 1T relies upon the
Lord He who reads the heart can always
tell whether we really rely upon Him or
only pretend to (Jer. xvii, 8, 10).
13. tThe hand Of the Lord was against
the Pbilistines all the days III Samuel "
They were subducd and came no more into
the coast Of Israel in his days This was
the hand Of the Lord, N not the work Of
Samuel but 1t was the hand Of the Lord
because Of Samuel whole heart for God
Ezra could testify that The hand Of our
God was upon Us. and He delivered us from
the hand " the enemy, and of such a. lay
in wait BY the way" Ezra viii. 81. He
also testifics in chapter vii, 2S, Il was
strengthened rs the hand Uf the Lord my
God was upon me. "
a. And the cities which the Philistines
had taken from Israel We're restored to Is
rael. And there was peace between Israel
ana the Amurites They hud peace and
prosperity because tie Lord was with
them when man's ways please the
Lord He maketh even his enemies to be
at peace with him NJ Prov. wi, WI The
way Of peace ana victory il fully stated in
verse 8 Of our lesson chapter whole
hearted turning To the Lord, all idols put
away ana prepared heart to serve Him
only. Then we are ready to see some Of
the ''great aud mighty things which He
will do for those who trust in Him that
His name may be gloritied tJer. x1xiii
3). "Walk before Me, ana be thou per
fect' is still the word for each believer
(Gen. xvii, 1; DeMt. xviii 1S).
l5. And Samuel judged Israel All the
days of his lifc " we shall meet Samuel
again in connection with saul and David,
but it is well to note here in connection
with hi Office D. judge In Israel that when
an Ola gray headed man, he could call
God and ali the people to witness that in
all his life he bad defrauded nor oppressed
nor taken lirihe tchapter Kill 2-5D.