The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-07-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON I, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 5.

Sam. vii. 3-Commentary Pre-
pared by Rev. ID. VI. stearns.
copyright, 1903. by American Press Association
l-3. And 1t came 10 pass. when Samuel
was Old that he made his sons judges
over Israel. go And his sons walked
not in his ways Nbut turned aside after
lucre and took brides and perverted judg
ment
After the defeat Of the Philstines, re-
corded in the previous chapter, which
we had as lesson six months ago,
they were subdued, and the hand OF
the Lord was against them all the days
of Samuel. Samuel was the Lords
representative in their midst and ever
sought their true welfare in the sight
OF God. He was the Lords faithful
messenger. seeing God and not man
and seeking nothing from man. The
names he gave his sons (verse y are
indicative of his piety-Joel. Jehovah
is God, and Abiah, Jehovah, my Father.
But beautiful names neither indicate
the character nor change the heart.
Righteousness is not hereditary, and
many good parents have bad children.
Consider Eli and David and Hezekiah,
and, stranger still, listen to Jehovah
Himself I'm lisa. 1, ., II have nourished
and brought up children, and they have
rebelled against me-" Truly the carnal
mind is enmity against God!
IS. Behold. thou art old. and thy sons
walk not in thy ways. Now. make us a
king TO judge us. like all the nations.
God had chosen Israel that they
might be unto Him a peculiar treasure
above all people, kingdom of priests,
n holy nation. separated from all other
people. dwelling alone, not reckoned
among the nations, delighting to say:
THE Lord is our judge, the Lord is
our lawgiver. the Lord is our king. He
will save u.s. (EX. xix. 3, 6; XXXiii, IS;
Nun. xiii. Q: lisa. XXXiii, 22). His
power was their strength and His pres
ence their glory. The very thing that
God chose them for they turned their
backs upon and wanted 10 be like other
people. They chose the earthly and
visible in preference to the heavenly
and invisible and deliberately rejected
the high position to which God had
called them and in which H. had placed
them. 1t is just the sin Of churches
and of Christians today. We are called
out of the world TO have nothing more
to do with il. but glOrify God in ii and
rescue people from it, relying upon the
unseen God to supply all our need. Ev-
erything that tends 10 lower this high
standard or in any way destroy these
distinctive features of the Christian
life by saying. Let us be and do like
Others" is just Israel's sin repeated
c. Z. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
and the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken
unto the voice of the people in all that
they say unto thee. for they have not re-
tected thee. but they have rejected Me
that should not reign over them.
Their conduct was no surprise to
God. He had foreseen ii all and knew
from the beginning their evil hearts
and how they would treat Him Deut.
xvii. IA, yet He loved them with an
everlasting love. heard them when they
cried unto Him. forgave them and de-
livered them many a time, sent them
prophet after prophet to win them back
to Him and finally sent His own Son
as their Messiah. but even Him they
rejected and crucitied. saying, I'VE
have no king but Caesar" Still, He
loves them and will yet fulfill His
promises TO Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
oil
will come when they shall look upon
Him, be deeply convicted of their sin
and receive Him as their long looked
for Messiah and rejoice in Him and He
in them before all nations Czech. xii,
10; Xiii. |; lsa. XIV. 9; Eek. XXXvii, 81
2S; Jer. xiii, 5-S: Luke i. 30. 33). When
Israel murmured against Moses. they
murnlured against Him who sent Mo-
SEES; when people reject the messengers
Of God. they reject God Himself.
s. 9. Now. therefore. hearken unto their
voice; howbeit yet protest solemnly unto
them and shew them the manner OF the
King that shall reign over them.
The Lord assures Samuel that this
misconduct Of Israel is nothing new,
that ever since they left Egypt they
have acted thus toward Him and that
Samuel must not feel sighted or in
jured, but accept ii all as fellowship
with God Himself. 1t would be a great
victory for every believer if this was
continually practiced and II, when any
thing is said or done TO us, we would
remember that He feels il as done to
Himself and He will see to ii acts tx,
4, 81. God wants cheerful, willing
service. the love of Christ constrain-
ing. He does not love that which is
done grudgingly. The Lord loveth n
cheerful giver QI Cor. tx. ~. But when
He sees people determined to have
their own way He sometimes gives
them their request, though ii brings
leanness into their souls (Ps. cvi. 15).
10. And Samuel told all the words Of the
Lord unto the people that asked Of him a
king.
Just as when n child he told Eli ev-
cry whit of the Lords message CHAP
ter iii. 49,. even though il was mes
sage of judgment, SO now he declares
faithfully all the words of the Lord
concerning the manner of the king
whom Cod will rive rhpm Thcu whom