The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-07-31

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Samuci's Rsistloa 10 saul la Tho
las, scrs. OF l Samuel IS ., Ia said ,ha,
Samuel came no more 10 SEQ Raul
until tho day OF his death Tha, 10.
no was no longer his adviser. no lon
ger brought Gods word To him Ito
lot him 80 on In hls own way for
advice and warning would accomplish
no good. and only hinder hls religious
work among tho people. by leading
Saul In his anger at rcproof TO inter
fcre. There IL thus not the least dis
crepancy between this statement and
the Statement. that once after this
Saul sought to soc Samuel ut his
home. and prophesicd In his presence
Il Sam. 1%9:22.2i). Hut Samuel
mourned deeply for Saul.
Va. III Saul hear II. he will kill me-"
For the act OF amounting another king
would be regarded as little less than
high treason. Samuel was prudent
as well as wise. He was needed ms a
religious power in the kingdom. Take
an hcifer with thee. and say. l am
come to sacrifice" Samuel was nc.
customed to go on n circuit to Judge.
and 1t is probable that on such oc.
caslons he held religious services,
taught the people. and offered sacri.
fees.
He told the exact truth. He was
going to sacrifice. It was a part Of his
work. He simply said nothing about
what else he was to do. for II was
none Of the neighbors' business.
v. 4. and the elders Of the town trem.
bled at his coming" One OF the each
ings Of the sacrifices was the cleans
ing from sin. Samuel vas a prophet
reformer, and doubtless was known as
%reprovlng and rebuking sin. The el.
ders were conscious Of imperfections
and guilt, though they might be un-
able to recall any special sin. But so
unexpected an event as the visit OF the
venerable prophet naturally awakened
their conscience even as now a sudden
catastrophe or special manifestation OF
| Gods presence-earthquake, tempest,
or fre-awakens the consciousness Of
guilt, and causes men to listen to the
still, small voice" of God. In addition
to this they may have feared that
some of their people had committed
a crime unknown to them: or the
breach between Samuel and Saul may
have made the elders afraid Of in
curing the royal ~displeasure by well
coming him, Just as Samuel himself
had feared Saul's anger.
". s. ITO sacrifice unto the Lord" Sac
| rifces we're modes of worship express
ing repentance and thanksgiving and
| devotion to God. Parts Of the sacri-
fee were burnt or given to Gods
priests. The rest was used in q feast.
Note that 1t was not merely q new
king that was needed, but a new
dynasty, one that would be fitted to be
the ancestors Of the Messiah and work
toward the purpose for which the
Jews were chosen as Gods people.
Note.-Jesse was the grandson OF
Boaz and Ruth.
God chose David as the best person
for this purpose. He knew David's
heart and character and talents and
possibilities.
David had already been tested In
lesser things, SO that he proved by be-
ing faithful over a few things" he
could safely be made ruler over
many things" Matt. 25:21); and as
expressed in the parable of the pounds,
Because thou hast been faithful in a
very little, have thou authority over
ten cities"
God guided Samuel to the setting
apart Of the right.
The Right Man Set Apart for HIS
Work.-V. 10. "And anointed him In the
midst of his brethren" That is. In
their presence. The later history
shows that they did not understand
the real meaning of Samuels act, and
possibly they only thought that David
was set apart to learn from Samuel
In one of the schools Of the prophets,
where, indeed. he .did afterwards take
refuge Il Sam. ~19:18-20). It is not
told us that even David or Jesse com
pretended what Samuel was doing
However, as Geikie says: "Josephus
can hardly be wrong when he de-
scribes Samuel as taking David apart
and whispering into his ear the mean
ing Of his act as he performed 1t"
David Receives the Spirit Of Cod
1.-THE Spirit of the Lord came upor
David from that day forward" The
same Spirit that W. all a receive
and which Is essential to the best life
and work of every man, whatever hi
work may be.
David's amounting was his CONVEX
ctor 80 rotbor a marlad ora IN hfa rQ