Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-12-11
.IdE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson xl.-Fourth Quarter, For
Dec. Is, 1907.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, I Sam. Ill, 1.21.
Memory Verses, g. 1o-Goldsn Text,
\ Sam. Iii, documentary Prepared by
Rev. D. M. stearns.
fcopyright. 1907. by American Press Association
| We have come to the last and the
best of all the Judges. The record In
Acts Kill. 20 is. "He gave unto them
| judges about the space OF 450 years.
until Samuel the. prophet" He is one
OF the men Of faith Of Heb. xi and in
Jer. Nv. /, Is associated with Moses as
prevailing intercessor. In Ps. xcix,
8. he is also mentioned as one who OBJ
tanned answers to prayer. He was
himself III answer to prayer, firstborn
Of Hannah. to whom the Lord after
ward gave three sons and two daugh-
ters because she gave Samuel up to
Him III. 90 21j. an abundant recon-
pcnse The condition Of affairs in
Uannah's home Is suggestive of many
home and many life in the matter
OF an adversary to provoke and make
to fret q. O.. II there Is no such adj
versary visible. the great adversary
seems to have thousand ways of pro-
ducing fretfulness. and not many seem
to know Hannah's way Of taking the
trouble to the Lord in prayer Not
withstanding the threefold command
IN Ps. xxxvii. /, 7, s. to fret not" 1t
Is a most common sin. How beautiful
tine saying Of Hannah In |. %, Gas long
as he iveth he shall be lent to the
Lord" Have we said II about our
selves or any one or anything belong
Ing to us1 Then the prayer or song in
Il 40 in which the Messiah is first
mentioned and the throne of glory, one
cannot but wonder II Mary was affect
ed by II when she uttered her mag
niflcat" duke II, 1850. Our lesson
chapter opens with land the child
Samuel mlnlstered to the Lord before
Ell" (see also II. 49,. A fine oppor-
tunlty for the teachers to explain how
even a child may minister unto the
Lord. referring also to Jesus, who, at
the, age of twelve, said. 81 must be
about My Fathers business" II q
special lesson for girls Is needed, let
the little maid Of Israel OF II Kings y
be used. who ministered to the Lord
by telling Of His prophet In Israel.
One night or very early morning
Samuel heard some one call him by
name. and. running to Ell, he said,
"IIere am |. for thou calledst me-"
Ell assured him that he had not called
and babe him lie down again. Not I'M
til this happened three times and Sam
uel for the third time ran to Eli did
Ell seem to understand that the Lord
was calling the child. Then he told
him to lie down again and II called to
say, "Speak Lord, for thy servant
heareth" oversees 2-9). Eli was not In
touch with God as he might have been,
for he was honorlng his sons (who
were both bad men, although officiating
as prestsl above the Lord, inasmuch
as they made themselves vile, and he
restrained them not I'll. IL. 20; Ill, 49,.
The vericst mite in ones eye affects
our vision. and the least sin may af-
feet our hearing The priests Of the
Lord should. Of all men. be holy. All
believers are priests. and it becomes
US as such to recognize ourselves as
wholly the Lords for His service, CIV.
ing Hin prominence over all people
and In nll~thin@s Matt K, 81.
The Lord called for the fourth time,
Samuel. Samuel" and then the boy
answered. Speak. for thy servant
heareth" This was Samuel's first ex-
perience Of direct communication with
God (verse y. and yet we do not infer
that he seemed ut all startled or over
come From this time on Samuel had
an ear for God and God could tell him
In his ear Chapter tx, 10. while many
Christians would need a shaking to
make tim hear the voice Of God. Let
Us trust Him for anOinted eyes and
ears that we may quickly see and hear
all He would like to show or tell us.
May He be able to say to us. BLESSED
are your eyes. for they see. and your
ears for they hear Matt xiii, 16).
The message concerning Eli Is found
IN verses 1l-14, and the judgments
which were to oyertake him and his
house were because OF iniquity which
he knew and did not restrain. Some
times we are powerless to do aught
but sigh and cry to God. but in that
case He puts a mark Of approval upon
us (Ezek TX. ~. Ell had the power
to put stop to the iniqulty of his
house n he had only the heart to do II,
but according to the law 1t might have
meant the putting to death of his sons
(Num. XIV. 80. 81; Elk. xxi. 10. If we
ever find little comfort In God or His
word. we may be sure that there Is
some secret sin or desire or something
that our eyes wink at Job. XIV, II, 12D.
Let us pray God to search us (Ps
exxxix. 23).
In the morning Ell, who probably
had not slept much after Samue's
night call uDon him. insisted on know,
Ing what the Lord had said, and Sam
uel told him all and hid nothing from
him oversees 1919. Ell accepted 1t as
Just. saying. ut IS the Lord; let Him
do what seemeth Him good" Com
pare Job t. 81; Ps xxx, 0. 1t soon
became known in all Israel that Sam
uef was established to be q prophet OF |
the Lord, the Lords spokesman and
that the Lord was with him (verses 49,
20). Compare Elk. ". 10; vii, l, for the |
definition OF n prophet. Although Ell |
seemed wholly submissive, yet when
tidlngs came that not only had his |
two sons been slain. but the ark OF
God taken, he was so overcome that
ho falI off hIs gent and died heinz |