The National tribune., 1895-10-17

Samuel.
!. When born? b. C. ITO.
2. Where born? Ramah.
.. Name of father2 Elkanab
q. Name Of mother2 Hannah.
5. Meaning of name? Asked of God.
6. Nationality? Hebrew.
z. Tribe2 OF Levi.
8. Wife?
9. Sons? Joel and Abiab.
10. Place of death? Ramah.
IL. Age2 81.
The birth of Samuel was like that of st.
John Baptist, in strong sense miraculous, and
In direct reply to earnest prayer for maternity.
He was of the Jewish religion, and ultimately
a Nazerene. Jew under special vows as to
strictness of methods of living.
At the date of our lesson we may suppose.
with Jcsephus (Ant., D. 10, IL. Samuel was 12
years DID, Students are not quite settled in
opinion as to his age. What Josephus says
probably tradition. One fact we notice,
if the correct age were IL years. there was a
correspondence in the ages of Samuel and
Christ when taken up to the center of Jewish
worship. Granting the age was IL years our
lesson bears date 1158 Il. {. At his birth Han
nah dedicated the child to the service of God,
and as soon as he could be of assistance at the
tabernacle-say, when he was ~ years old
sine resigned him 10 the care Of the priests. He
"ministered " ". II in whatever offices he
cOuiu lot LHe aReu priest Eli.
OHtiiue Of the Book Of Samuel.
l. When written? y. c. 1l00
2. Where written? Ramah.
3 Author? l Pet. 1:2l.
d. Amanucnsis of first "a chapters? Samuel.
D. Amanuenses of the rest? God and
Nathan.
g. Data? Current events.
T. Glass of Book lterarily? Historical.
g. Language? Hebrew.
9. Time covered ? About lis years.
10. Number of chapters? 81.
II. Time of translation into English2 1920
IL. Grand Divisions? 3.
= ID New Testament references?
H. Order of Book in the Bible? Ninth.
10 Principal male characters? Agag, David,
Eli, Eikanah, Goliath, Hophine, Jonathan,
Nahal, Samuel, Saul.
16 Principal female characters? Abigail,
Hannah, Mcba, Peniuah Witch of Endor.
IL. Practical lessons?
Notes on Outline.
/. The Book of Samuel is practicallya con-
tinuatiOn of the Book of Judges. II carries oil
the history of the Judges, giving particulars az
to Eli and Samuel. Samuel connected the rule
of the Judges with the beginning of the mon
arcby.
q In the Jewish canon the two Books of
Samuel are placed as single book, and called
the Book of Samuel. Reference is made in 1
Chr, 30: 20, TO that book. The Septuagint
names the two Books of Samuel the FIRST and
second Kings. So does the Vugate
g. 1t is supposed Samuel was author of the
first "a chapters of l Samuel, and God and
Nathan of the rest of 1 Samuel and all of
Samuel. / Chr, 80: 90.
4. The three grand divisions are:
a. Chapters IA. Ellis judicature.
b. Chapters SIP. Samuel's judicature.
C. Chapters 1881. Saul's reign.
THE CHILD SAMUEL.
Data.
We study Samuel. 3: lilo.
ca. Shiloh.
Shiloh was town about 25 miles north of
Jerusalem, in the tribe of Ephraim. The home
of Elkanah, to wit, Ramah q :: ], 19). was about
90 miles northwest of Jerusalem. IL is thought
Ramla aud Ramah the same. Though geo.
graphic points arc not definitely fixed, il is
quite clear Ramah and Shiloh were not Mt great
distance from each other. The temple was not
yet built. The tabernacle was pitched at that
time in Shiloh. Temple" w. 81 means taber.
nacle.
Tabernacle
The place Of worship, from the stop of the
Israelites at Mount Sinai till the Temple was
built, was the movable tabernacle. As the
children of Israel wandered, they carried the
tabernacle, taking it down when they removed,
aud erecting it again when they halted for a
time. 1t consisted OF an outer court 100 ubits
long by 90 cubits wide. IA cubit was 1924
feet.) The next court was 20 cubits long by
10 cubts wide, and was known as the Holy
Place. 1t contained the showbread. candelabra
and altar of incense. In the rear of this latter
structure, and divided from it by a suspended
vail, was the Holy of Holes. 10 cubits square,
Just outside the Holy Place were apartments
for the priests and Levtes in attendance at the
tabernacle. Thus find Eli and Samuel
sleeping near the Holy Place. In verse there
is reference to the lamp. 1t was o shaft
with three branches extending on opposite
sides. furnishing seven lights. That was the
only way of illuminating the Holy Place, there
being no windows. The lamp was kept burn
ing night and day. Ex.. q: 90, 81; Lev, "a
Ia; 9 Chron.. IL: IL. Some think six of ths<
flames were extingujshed during the day, the
central one being always ignited
Josephus SAYS" In the morning foas+of the
lamps Tor jets of the candelabra) were eXtin-
guished, and three burned all day." At an
early hour each morning priest put out light
or lights. The hour was fixed one, and so be-
came a measure of time. Before that hour ar
rived ". 81, and hence during the night, or
before daybreak, Samuel heard the voice.
Probably Eli slept between the entry to the
Holy Place and Samuel. The voice doubtless
proceeded from the Holy of Holes. Hence,
when it was uttered, being in the same dirsc-
ton from Samuel that Eli was, the boy i'm
agined Eli spoke.
tefs The Voica
God most likely spoke at first out from tho
Holy OF HOLES. Eli was so aged that probably
not only his eyes had waxed dim (V. q, but
his auditory organs were impaired, disabling
him from hearing words plainly understood by
Sameul who was further off from the speaker
Then, of two persons asleep one called by name
is most spt to hear. Further, the voice was
intended for only Samuel, and God could SO
direct il as not to disturb Eli. Then, il often
happens the aged fall into more sound sleep
than do the young.
On hearing . voice calling his name. the boy
Samuel answered, Here am J." Gen., %, l,
z. IL; 27:1, ID; 81: IL; 46:2; Ex., ga. Re-
ceiying no reply. he ran to Ellis couch and
wanted to know why hs Was called. If enc