Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-07-17
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments For
July 10.
Subject: SamuePs Farewell Address, | Sam.
XII; I3.25-Golden Text, Sam, xii, "a
Memsry Verses, 1885 Commentary
on the Days Lesson.

Connecting Links. Ihe attempt OF the
Ammonites to ayenge themselves on ac
count of the defeat they had suffered a;
the hand of Jephthah (Jud. ll!33) gave
to Saul an opportunity to secure Tor nm
self recognition. The army, flushed with
the glory of their splendid triumph, highly
cxtoled their king and actually proposed
to put to death any who refused to recog
nize his authority Samuel, who was With
the army ". y, deemed this a most OPP
perfume time to establish Saul in the gov
eminent and secure for him national recog
milton. Accordingly he called the peop.e
together to Gilgal and, with impressive
ceremonies, ratified the election at Allz'
peh and formally inaugurated Saul ir'c
his regal office. 1t is quite probable thA
Saul was publicly aDointed at this time.
|. SamuePs integrity Tvs. l-5). Samuel
though he was still to retain his influence
and authority as prophet, now decides that
the time has come for the public surrender
of his Office as Judge, or ruler There mus5
have been a mighty struggle in his bosom
when he uttered this valedctory to tho
people whose interests had been the bur
den of his heart and prayers for so many
years. The nation mad now reached
new era in its development, and its future
veal or woe depended on the peoples
obedience to the commandments of God
This impressive truth the venerable
prophet seeks. throughout his entire adj
dress, to fasten indeiibly upon their minds
He begins by challenging them to impeach
his official purity and is answered by tho
unanimous confirmation of his integrity.
1t is not unlikely that a shadow had fallen
over SamuePs career because OF the per-
verse course his sons had taken, and thu
naturally suggests the reason why tn,
aged seer at this time 50 urgently calls
upon them for a complete vndlcatlon OF
his private as well as his official Ilte.
II. Israel's ingratitude Tvs. CID. In
these verses Samuel recalls JehoyAh's
past mnrcies and upbraidH them with un.
belief and ingratituda for demanding
king" he shows them how impious 1t was
to establish Kingdom like the heather
nations around them. Jehovah had never
failed them wh~n they obeyed His word
and cried unto Him; why. then, should
they desire a human king" After refer
ring to the manner in which God had de-
livered them from Egyptian bondage, Sam
uel calls attention to the three chief op'
prcssors of Israel during the period OF the
Judges: l. The CanaaniteS who were led
by Sisera, the general of the army of King
,Jabin (Jud. A:5) .. The Philistnes lJud.
3:3l; 10:0. g. The Moabtes under Eg.on
(Jnd 8: l2-3O). He then mentions toul
deliverers of the nation: |. Jerubbaa.. or
Gideon (Jud chaps 6-S). .. Bedan-proh'
ably Barak is meant (Jud. 46). 3. Jeph.
thah. the Cileadite (Jud. IL. 4. Samuel"
III. SamuePs words confirmed Tvs. IT,
49,.
1915. aye have chosen" Though God
chose Saul, yet the people arc, said to
choose him, either because they chose that
form of government, or because they, con;
hi u-iJ
With whom or against whom is the hand
of the Lord? The answer to this question
depends on whether one has given HIM
self to be the Lords with his whole heart
and has submitted fully to the divine VIII:
See Jer. 1910. "Ye and also the king"
There was no necessary evil in their haV-
ing a king and if both king and subjects
reverence God. the nation shall 20 az
prosperous and happy as ever. Some other
form of government might have been bet
ter, but if the king and people viii meet
the true conditions of national permanenrC,
the monarchy shall be blessed and honored.
a failure to recognize and observe the
commandments of God will sooner or later
ruin any nation, no matter what its form
of government.
1918. "Whcat harvest" That season
in Palestine occurs at the end OF June or
the beginning of July, when it seldom or
never rains and the sky is cloudiess. There
could not therefore, have been stronger
or more appropriate proof OF Samuel
divine mission than the phenomenon OF
rain and thunder happening, without any
sign of its approach, upon the mere pre-,
diction of the prophet, May perceive.
Samuel was led to do this in order to I'M
press upon them the truthfulness of hls
utterances and arouse them to a conscious,
ness of their great wickedness. FEARED
the Lord" The people regarded this as as,
miraculous display of divine power. Inc
Clements are exclusively under the con.
troll Of the Creator, and He alone can say
what shall be in relation to the clouds;
vet for special ends-generaliy moral ends
they have occasionally been Placed Tor
season at the service of men, This III,
stance is parallel to that which occurred
in Egypt (Ey. 9:23). > ,oo,
Pr,vI IIrat we Tc die not" They felt that
Samuel's thoughts and feelings and those
of Jehovah were the same. Jehovah's
true representative WIS Gmong them.
"Fear not" Do not be RESPONDENT as
though there was no hone. Turn we not
aside" Samuel warns them against turn
ing aside to idols, as they had often done
before. and as they often did afterwards
"Vain things" An idol is mere nothing,
having no influence or power: ,
%. "For His great names sake. '!e-
hovah is jealous of His glory: and all its
sublime manifestations in defense OF HiS
peop,e He could not well forget God
forbid that J." The conduct OF Samuel IN
this whole affair Of the kings appointment
shows him to have been a great and good
man who sank all private and personal
considerations in disinterested zeal for his
country's good; and whose last words IN
pubic were to warn the people and their
king of the danger Of apostasy IN dis
obedience to God. "To pray" Though
rejected by this rngrateful people. the
prophet considers that it would be a sin
to cease praying for them. What excel
lnrcv Of character and heart is revealed in
this declaration! 81 will teach you:"
Samuel does not withdraw from public
life: he rather promises the continuance
of his intercession and prophetic laborS in
respect to the whole people. 1t is well
TO notice that in some sense he also con,
tinued as Judge for in chap: 4: ID we read
that he Judged Israel all the days OF his
life" and we know that repeatedly he found
it necessary to interfere with Saups gov
eminent. "Shall be consumed. BY dis
obedience and sin even the Lords anolnt-
ed as well as the chosen people. shall most
certainly nerish. With this most impress
sivc warning the prophet closed his last