The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-11-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATiONAL SERIES. NOV. 8.

Bt0oruss
8. "And Samuel said, Gather all Israel
to Mizpeh, and will pray for you unto
the Lord" After the death Of Eli and his
sons the ark which the Philistines had
taken remained In their country seven
months, but it brought such trouble upon
them that they were glad to get rid of IL,
and SO sent it home on new cart drawn
by two milk cows and accompanied by a
trespass Offering (chapter vi, 1912 The
men of Beth shemesh were glad to see the
ark again, but transgressed by looking
into IL, and over 90, 900 persisted. The man
OF Kirjath-j earim then came and fetched up
the ark of the Lord, and 1t abode In the
house Of Abinadab in TIE hill for 90 years
(verse y. 1t was some time during those
20 years that Samuel urged the people tc
put away all their idols, turn TO the Lord
with all their heart and serve Him only,
and he would pray for them.
9. And they gathered together TO Miz-
peh, and drew water and poured it out be-
fore the Lord The name "Mizpeh" is
found just seven times in this chapter
and just ii times in Jer. XII and xii.
Its significance is seen, in Gen. XXI, 40,
to be that of God judging or watching be-
tween people-God as witness. The wa
ter poured out represented their utter help
iessness and true penitence; they were as
water poured upon the ground which
could not be gathered up again OH Sam.
xiv, 14). Samuel lived before God and
sought to lead the people so to do.
z. 1.-THE children of Israel were afraid of
the Philistines 1t troubles satan when
he 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 Lords past
dealings on their behalf in Egypt, and the
Wilderness and in the days of the judges.
To be afraid of man is to forget God lisa.
Ii, 12, 13).
8. cease not to cry unto the Lord our
God for u.s. 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,
10, 20), and believed that the effectual
fervent prayer of righteous man availeth
much (Jas. V, l6). In Ps. |, ID, it Is
written: Call upon Me in the day of trou-
BILE. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt
glorify Me-" In l Thess. V, II; l Pet. Y,
8, we are to pray without ceasing and be
sober and vigilant.
0. 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
alc 10 IF xSh hon taH
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 is for God to the people and the
priest is for the people before God. On en-
couragements in prayer see Mark XII, %,
pa; John V, Is.
10. 1.-The Lord Numbered with a great
thunder on that day upon the Philistines
and discounted them" The Philistines
drew near to battle while Samuel was hav-
ing dealings with God in the matter of the
burnt Offering. That was poor time for
them TO touch the people of God when they
were accepted before Him in the Offering
(Lev /, ~. Believers are always accept
ed in the Beloved" (Eph. |, 81, and who
ever touches them touches Him Thunder
Is the voice Of God, as in Ps. xxx, 3, 4;
Job xxxvii, l-5; John xii, 20. 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, %.
IL. "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, he prevailed over the
Philistine with sling and with a stone
U Sam. xvii, sO). When the children of
Judah relied upon the Lord God OF their
fathers, they prevailed over their enemies
Oh Chron. xiii 1S). 'For the eyes of the
Lord run to and fro throughout the whole
earth to show Himself strong on behalf of
them whose heart is perfect Tor whole or
quiet) toward Him" Oh Chron. xvi, -.
IL. "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 "Ebenezer" Is found only
in chapters iv, l, and v, |, 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 iv, 3D. but now
Israel trlufnpnS DeCauSe III reileS upon tlio
Lord. He who reads the heart can always
tell whether we really rely upon Him or
only pretend to (Jer. xvii, o, 10).
Is. 1.-THE hand of the Lord was against
the Pbilistines all the days of Samuel"
They were subdued and came no more into
the coast of Israel in his days. This was
"the hand of the Lord, ;" not the work OF
Samuel, but 1t was the hand of the Lord
because Of Samuel's whole heart for God.
Ezra could testify that 1.-The hand of our
God was upon us, and He delivered us from
the hand Of the enemy, and Of such as lay
in wait by the way" EZRA will. 81. He
also testifles in chapter vii, 20, II was
strengthened as the hand Of the Lord my
God was upon me-"
IA. "And the cities which the Philistines
had taken from Israel were restored to Is
rael And there was peace between Israel
and the Amorites. They had peace and
prosperity because the Lord was with
them. when a mans ways please the
Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be
at peace with him " Prov. xvi, y. The
way of peace and victory is fully stated In
verse 3 of our lesson chapter--a whole
hearted turning to the Lord, all idols put
away and n prepared heart to serve Him