The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-12-18
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Subject: Samuel, the Upright Judge.
I. Sam. 7:1-13--Golden Text, l..
Sam. 7:s-Memory Verses. 12,
13-Read I. Sam. ST..
1t must have been with feelings
very different from those of their last
encounter, when the ark of Coo was
carried into the battle, that the host
of Israel now faced the Philistine
army near Miapeh. Then they had
only the symbol of Gods gracious
presence. now they had the reality.
Then their spiritual guides were the
wicked Hophni and Phinehas; now
their guide was holy Samuel, says
DR.. Blaikie. Then they had rushed
into the fight in thoughtless uncon-
Germ about their sins: now they had
confessed them, and .. through the
blood Of sprinkling they had obtained
a sense Of forgiveness. Then they
were .puffed up by a vain presump-
tion; now they were animated by a
calm but confident hone. Then their
advance was hallowed by no prayer:
now the cry Of needy children had
gone up from Gods faithful servant.
In fact, the battle with the Philis-
tines had already been fought by
Samuel on his knees. There can be
no more sure token of success than
this. Are we engaged in conflict
with our own besetting sins? Or
are we contending against scanda-
lous transgression in the world
around US? Let us first fight the
battle on our knees. If we are vic
torious there we need have little fear
of victory in the other battle.
1t was as Samuel was offering up
the burnt-offering that the Philistiaes
drew near to battle against Israel.
There was an unseen ladder that day
between earth and heaven, on which
the angels Of God ascended and de-
scended as in Jacobs vision at
Bethel. The smoke of the burnt
offering carried up to God the con-
fession and contrition of the people,
their reliance on Gods method of
atonement, and their prayer for His
pardon and His blessing. The great
thunder with which God thundered
on the Philistines carried down from
God the answer and the needed help.
There is no need for supposing that
the thunder was supernatural. 1t
was supernatural. 1t was an instance
of what is so common, natural
force adapted to the purpose of an
answer to prayer. What seems to
have occurred is this: vehement
thunderstorm had gathered a mile
to the east, and now broke, probably
with violent wind, in the faces of the
Philistines, who were advancing up
the heights against Mizpeh. Unable
to face such terrific war of the
elements, the Philistines would turn
round, placing their backs tor the
storm. The men of Israel, but little
embarrassed by it. since it came from
momentum to their force, rushed on
the embarrassed enemy, and drove
them before them like smoke before
the wind.
Hitherto hath the Lord helped
u.s." The characteristic feature OF
the inscription lies in the word
hitherto" 1t was no doubt tes-
timony to special help obtained in
that time of trouble; it was CRATE
full recognition of that help; and it
was an enduring monument to per-
petuate the memory of 1t. But it
was more, much more. The word
hitherto" denotes series, a chain
Of similar mercies, an unbroken sue
cession of Divine interpretations and
Divine deliverances. The special pur.
pose Of this inscription was to link
on the present deliverance to all the
past, and to form testimony to the
enduring faithfulness and mercy OF
a covenant-keeping God. But was
there not something strange in this
inscription, considering the circum.
stances? Could Samuel have forgot
that tragic day at Shiloh?" Had Sam.
uel forgot how the. victorious Philis.
tines soon after dashed upon Shiloh
like beasts Of prey, plundering, de-.
stroying, massacring, till nothing
more remained to be done to justify
the name of "Ichabod?"
All that Samuel has considered
well. Even amid the desolations Of
Shiloh the Lord was helping them,
He was helping them to know them.
selves, helping them to know their
sins, and helping them to know the
bitter fruit and woeful punishment
of sin. He was helping them tc
ochieve the great end for which He
lad called them-to keep alive the
knowledge of the true God and the
practice of His worship, onward tc
the time when the great promise
should be realized-when He should
come in whom all the families Of the
earth were to be blessed. Samuel's
idea of what constituted the nations
glory was large and spiritual. The
true glory of the nation was to fulfil
the function for which God had
taken it into covenant with Himself
Whatever helped them to do this was
a blessing, was a token of the Lords
remembrance of them. The links
of the long chain denoted by Sam
uel's hitherto" were not all of one
kind. Some were in the form of mer.
cies, many were in the form of chas-
Jennings. For the higher the func-
ton for which Israel was called, the
more need was there Of Christening.
The higher the destination of sill
yer vessel, the greater Is the need
that the silver be pure, and therefore
that it be frequently passed through
the furnace The destination or Is
rael does not merely give thanks for
seasons of prosperity, but for checks
,boc