Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-07-16
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
NENTS FOR JULY 10

Subject: Samuel Warns Saul and the
People, 1 Samuel 12-GOlden
Text, 1 Sam. 12:24-Commit
Verses 23, 24-Commentary.
TINIE.--1099 B. C. PLACE.
Gilgal.
EXPOSITION.-I. Obey the voice
Of the lord, 1915. Samuel had
spent a little time in dwelling upon
his own fidelity Tvs. 2-5), but had
quickly passed to a recital Of the mer-
cies of Jehovah Tvs. 6-12). God had
given them a king only because they
had demanded one Tvs. IL, 13, H.,
19). 1t was not Gods first and best
choice for them. Now Samuel calls
them to look upon the king whom
they had chosen and whom God had
given The king they were called
men of a man (ch. 1929, but how
bitter was ia. disappointment and
defeat Israel was to experience in
him. So will it always be with those
who desire an arm Of flesh instead of
God to lean upon (Jer. 17:5, 81. But
God Is long-suffering. and even yet
there was mercy and help for them.
In these verses we have the whole
secret of having the Lord for us or
against us. To have the Lord with
us. and consequently to have it we'll
with us, all that Is necessary is %
fear the Lord" /. e., hold Him in
that reverent regard that leads to a
prompt and constant obedience to His
will as expressed in His word prov.
8:13; 1876; CT. l Jno. 5:3). (2)
Serve Him" CD "Hearken unto
His voice" (4) Rebel not against
His commandment 90 BE fol-
lowers of the Lord your God" (cf.
Eph. SD. If on the other hand we
will not hearken to the voice Of
Jehovah" the hand of Jehovah shall
be against us. There can be nc great
er calamity than to have the hand of
Jehovah against us. Samuel pointed
them to the whole history of Israel
as confirmation of his words tcf. V.
81. For comment upon vs.. IA, 10,
turn to Lev. 26:1-39: Dtu. 2S LES;
Isa. 1:16-20.
II. Samuel Prays and God An.
swers, 1910. Samuel sees the Aeed
that the people be brought to deep
realization of their sin. A sign is
needed and he has faith in God that
He will give it. He acted under Gods
direction, hence the outcome. He
calls upon the people il stand still
and see the great thing the Lord will
DO" The Lord is always ready to do
great and wonderful things for tn hose
win, call upon Him with an intell-
gent faith (Jer. 33:3). In Palestine
rains were almost unknown at the
tins of wheat harvest tcf. Prov.
2S:1. But God gave thunder and
rain In answer to Samuels prayer (Cf,
ch. 10. 10: Josh 10: ~ Jas. SIG.
1S). There are some who are too
wise to believe such stories as this,
but their wisdom is wisdom bOrh OF
ignorance and prejudice. No one who
candidly studies the evidence, both
In the Bible and outside of it, can
doubt that God does give rain, as well
as do many other wonderful things,
in direct answer to prayer. To doubt
it is not scientific, for it ignores un-
questionable facts. The Lord did pre-.
cisely as Samuel had counted upon
His doing, and as he had said that He
people greatly feared the Lord and
Samuel" Nothing makes God more
real to men than a direct answer to
prayer, and no man is more feared
than the man whom the world knows
has the ear of God. But the world
soon forgets FPS. 106:12,13). The
sign was effective, the people saw
themselves as great sinners deserving
to die. That is the way in which we
all need to see ourselves. That is the
way in which we shall see ourselves
when we are brought, as Israel was,
face to face with God. They cid not
feel fit to pray for themselves, but
feat the need of Samuel's prayers.
III. Fear Not, the Lord Will Not
Forsake His People, 2O.25. Gods
oft-repeated message to His people is,
Fear hot." Here He says it :, His
people even when they have greatly
sinned. But they had just made con.
fession of their sin. There was par.
Goa for them still The devil de.
lights to use our past sin to discour.
age us. God says, Though you have
sinned greatly in the past, fear not
and turn not aside from following the
Lord tcf. Josh. 1886; Ps. 40:4.
Though we may have sinned griev,
ously in the past, still it is entirely
possible for us to serve the Lord with
all our heart In the future. How true
1t is of the things of this world, after
which the hearts Of men go astray from
the Lord, that they cannot profit nor
deliver" If our salvation depended
upon anything in US we should never
be saved; but because it depends en-.
tirely upon Him, 1t Is always sure. 1t
was the Lords good pleasure to make
Israel " a people unto Himself" (cf.
Deu. TT, 8; Matt. 11:26; Ro. 9:1S.
1S; Jno. 1919. 1t is the Lords
good pleasure to-day to make all who
receive Jesus as their Saviour and
their Lord, a people unto Himself (cf
l Pet. 2:9. 10, r. W. For Samuel
to cease to pray for Gods people
would be for Samuel to "sin against
the Lord" There are many pro-
fessed Christians in our day who are
SHINING against the Lord in this very
way (cf. Ro. 1:9; Col. 1:9; l Thess.
$40; SID. But Samuel would not
only pray, he would also teach. Note
we'll what he would teach, 1.-The good
and the right way" The way of
obedience to God is not only the right
way, it is also the good way.