The true northerner., 1895-10-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON w. FOURTH QUARTER. IN
TeRNATIoNAL SERIES. OCT. 27.

Text of tho Lesson. Sam. III, l-l3-Mom-
ory Verses. l-l-Golden Text. I Sam.
M. e-Comnsntary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearus.
1. ''And the child Samuel ministered
unto the Lord" We have set forth in this
book the blessings Of submission and obe-
dience and the opposite. Hannah, In the
bitterness of her soul. looked unto the
Lord, and He heard her and gave her this
child Therefore she called his name Sam
uel, which means "asked of God" (chap-
ter 1, 30, margin). When she had weaned
him, she returned him to the Lord (chapter
1, 2s, margin). Then she praised God In
the beautiful words of chapter ii, 1-1O. In
this song we have the first use of the word
Messiah" translated "His anointed"
(verse 10; see also verse 35). We have
also In chapter 4, 8, IL, the title "Lord of
hosts" for the first time. Both of these
titles suggest many things concerning the
kingdom, and in this book, sometimes
called "the first book of Kings, we have
the story of the first two kings, one man
after the peoples heart, the other man
after the Lord s heart.
Q, 3. ERE the lamp of God went out in
the temple of the Lord, where the ark of
God was" Eli was now old and was not
walking before God In the matter of his
sons, and very early In the morning the
Lord came to talk with this child, Samuel,
Of whom 1t Is written that he ministered
unto the Lord, grew before the Lord, the
Lord was with him and revealed Himself
to Samuel In Shiloh by the word of the
Lord chapters ii, IL, IS, 81. 90; iii, 10, 2D.
See how even child may minister unto
the Lord and have place In the Lords
house and receive messages from the Lord
while older ones are passed by. Many
things are still hidden from the wise and
prudent and revealed unto babes (Math.
xi, 25). The thing that greatly pleases
God is to live ''before Him" and "unto
Him." seeking In all things "His glory"
4. "The Lord called Samuel, and he an
swered Here am l." 1t is evident from
verse 10 that He called him by name. This
makes us think of that beautiful verse in
Isa. xiii, l: Fear not, for have redeemed
thee. 1 have called thee by thy name;
thou art mine" And also of lisa. vi, 8,
where the Lord says, "Whom shall send,
and who will go for us?" And the prophet
answers Here am L; send me-" How
beautiful to be ready for His every call, an
ear always open to Him!
8. "And he ran unto Eli and said, Here
am 1, for thou calledst me-" But Eli did
not recognize that it was the Lord calling
him and SO told him TO lie down again.
Eli had not the ear for God which he should
have had, and God saw it, and that He
could communicate with him only through
Samuel. 1t was rare thing to get a word
h. IT, n a
such as those granted to Abram and Jacob,
Moses and Joshua were unknown. See
verse 1, +. ", margin.
8. "And the Lord called yet again, Sam
uel." Behold the patience of the Lord,
Samuels readiness and Ellis continued
dullness. How difficult 1t often Is for the
Lord to get our ear and make known to us
His will What contrast to watching
to see what He will say unto u.s. or
watching daily at His gates" (Hab. ii, 1;
Prov. viii, 34).
z. "Now, Samuel did not yet know the
Lord neither was the word of the Lord yet
revealed unto him." He must have known
the Lord through Moses and Joshua, but
not yet by direct communication. Known
means to perceive, understand, acknowl-
edge so there may easily be many degrees
in knowledge. When Paul said, "That I
may know Him" (Phil. iii, l0), he certain
ly knew Him as Saviour and Lord, His
wisdom and His righteousness, but he
longed to know Him better.
8. "And the Lord called Samuel again
the third time. And Eli perceived that the
Lord had called the child" The third
time did Samuel rise and promptly go to
Eli, believing that he called him. What
unwearied obediencel What blessed son!
When he would tell his mother of his ex-
perience and how he had acted, how glad
she would bel l think this is the only in
stance of God speaking directly to little
boy, but all, young and old, may hear His
voice in His written word John vi, 63).
8. "If He call thee, say, Speak, Lord,
for Thy servant heareth." Eli Is by this
time wide awake and also wide awake to
the fact that the Lord has something to
say, but not directly to him. 1t Is proba-
BILE that he remained awake till he heard
the tidings, and then he would be more
awake than ever. Awake thou that
sleepest, Is q good word for many of us.
1t would be wise also to say, "Speak,
Lord, for Thy servant heareth," 4" whenever
we open our Bibles and 1t would also be
appropriate to add the prayer in Ps. cxix,
18.
10. And the Lord came and stood and
called as at other times, Samuel, SamuelW
This Is the fourth time that He came and
called, suggesting the question, How often
has He called usY And have we as yet sub
missively said, "Speak, for Thy servant
heareth?" The attitude Of a servant Is
well described In these words: Ready to
do whatsoever my lord, the king, shall
appoint" "For any manner of service,
wholly at thy commandment" QI Sam.
Nv, 10; I Chron. xviii, 21).
lila. "And the Lord said to Samuel,
Behold will do a thing In Israel at which
both the ears Of every one that heareth it
shall tingle" And then follows the thing
that He will do-a judgment upon the
house of Eli, as told to Eli by man Of
God some time before and fully recorded
in chapter ii, 27-36. Mercy always pre-
oedes judgment, for God is slow to anger
and plenteous in mercy. He had given Eli
fair warning but Eli had honored his sons
above God (ii, 29). The law was very se-
we're, but very plain concerning rebellious
sons (Deut. xxi, 1920 and the ruler who
refused to see tho law carried out because
the transgressors happened to be his sons
certainly thought more of his sons than of
God. Only those can truly serve the Lord
who serve Him in sincerity and in truth