The Tupelo journal., 1903-07-03
HI SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lcsson fn the International Series
for July ), ~1003-IsraeI Asking
for n King.
THE LESSON TEXT.

2. Now the name of his frstborn was
Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah;
they were judges in Beer-sheba.
8. And his sons walked not in his ways,
but turned aside after lucre, and took
brides, and perverted judgment.
4. Then all the elders of Israel gathered
themselves together, and came to Samuel
unto Ramah,
6. And said unto him: Behold, thou art
old, and thy sons walk net in thy ways;
now make us a king TO judge us like all
the nations.
6. But the thing displeased Samuel, when
they said: Give us a king to judge us.
And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
Z. And the Lord said unto Samuel:
Hearken unto the voice of the people in
all that they say unto thee; for they nave
not rejected thee, but they have rejected
Ne, that l should not reign over them.
). According to all the works which they
have done since the day that l brought them
up out of Egypt even unto this day, where
with they have forsaken Me, and served
other gods. so do they also unto thee.
y 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.
TO- And Samuel told all the words of the
LORD unto the people that asked of him
GOLDEN TEXT. - Prepare your
hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him
Only.-1 Sam. 7;3
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Moses foresees the kingdom. .Deut. I7:14-2l.
israel In SamuePs time Sam. 4, s, 6and Z.
The demand for a king...........1 Sam. S:1-5.
samuel protests but accedes. II Sam. S:6-2.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Moses Foresees the Kingdom.-At
the close of his long life Moses called
the lsraelites together and delivered
to them the statutes and judgments
by which they were to conduct their
lives and the affairs Of the nation in
the lane into which they were about
to enter. In the course of these in
structions Moses foretold that after
the nation was well settled in its new
home it would declare:/ II will set
a king over me, like as all the ma
lions that are about me-" When this
turning point in the national life
should occur, Moses went on to say,
whatever the circumstances Israel
was to make him king whom the
Lord thy God shall choose and this
king was to be a brother, that is an
lsraelite, and not a foreigner. This
king should not keep great stables of
horses wherewith to make a great
display, nor marry many wives who
would turn his heart from his people
and his God, nor gather together in
ordinate riches, but he should write
down a perfect copy of the law and
should read therein all the days of
his life that he may learn to fear the
Lord and to obey implicitly ito the
end that he may prolong his days in
his kingdom, he, and his children, in
the midst of Israel"
Israel in Samuel's Time.-Chapters
4 to Z inclusive of 1 Samuel are large
ly occupied with the remarkable
story of the loss and recovery of the
ark of the covenant. The Jews. as
appears from the record, had come
to neglect Jehovah and to follow
after the worship of strange gods,
called Baalim, and particularly of one
called Ashtaroth. They did adhere
to the true religion in a formal way.
but even that adherence was super
s~titious and impious. When the
Philistines came against them it is
related that the Jews had the two
wicked sons of the tged Eli bring
the ark of the covenant into the field
of battle, thinking that the emblem
of Jehovah's are would save them
from defeat. Not only did defeat
come, but even the ark was lost.
However, it only brought plague and
disaster to the cities of the Philis-
tines. Restored finally to the Jews it
was not until put into the keeping of
one sanctifed that it meant blessing
for community or nation. This in
cident gave Samuel the opportunity
to call back the Israelites to the
fear of the true God, for which pur-
pose the Israelites were assembled at
Mizpeh. The Philistines, fearing this
great gathering was for the object
of throwing off the Philistine yoke,
precipitated matters and were de-
feated.
The Demand for a King.-Twenty
years rolled by with Samuel still
judge, though latterly exercising his
powers through his two sons. These
sons, like Eli's, did not follow in the
upright ways of their father. So the
Israelites complained of the miscar-
riage of justice. 1t occurred to them
that the fault was in the system.
Why not have a king instead of a
Judge? So they came to Samuel de-
handing a king on the ground of his
age, of the wrong-doing of his sons,
and because to have a king was the
custom of all the other nations. We
can only note very hastily that
though displeased Samuel prayed to
God over the matter. God showed
Samuel that the Jews had not reject
ed Samuel but God. They had come
to Samuel to have him name the king,
so constituting Samuel the "power
behind the throne" But they had not
considered the righteousness of their
demand, o indeed the natural on
sequences. So upon Gods command
Samuel acceded to the cry for a king,
but warned them that a human king
was not only liable to failure. but
would surely yield to the temptation
to abuse the power intrusted to him.
Spear Points.
Stress makes strong.
Prosperity often paralyzes piety.
The restless r not likely to be re-
sistless.
God fights foes without if we
fight those within.
Corruption in the heart furnishes
the crown on the head.
The sun that bleaches sanctitv