Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-02-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson vlI.-First Quarter, For
Feb. IA, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, ! Sam. iii, 1-13, 10,
20-Memory Verses, 8, Golden
Text, Sam. iii, documentary Pre-
pared by Rev. D. M. Stearns.

pared by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
What specially great lesson this Is
for boys, with something for every
one. young and old. In all Scripture
there is a message from the heart of
God to each individual heart that
reads. 1t is true always, as in the last
verse of our lesson chapter. that the
Lord reveals Himself by His word.
The Scriptures are the revelation Of
God to man. and the Lord Jesus Christ
is the Living Word. in whom we see the
Father, even as He said HE that hath
seen Me hath seen the Father" Gohn
xiv, 81. Our lesson opens with Samuel
ministering unto the Lord. See also
chapter ii. II, Is. This is not the word
which is translated to minister in the
priests Office but the word to serve
or minister, as when Joshua ministered
to Moses (Ex. xXxiii, IL; Josh i.s1}.
Even child can serve Him who
came not to be ministered unto but to
minister CIatt. Xxx, 2S}. May we al
ways be able to say from the heart.
Whose l am and whom l serve" and
count it our highest privilege to minis
ter unto Him (Acts xvii, %; Luke viii,
B; Dan. vi, 16). In the revised version
the words precious" and ''open" are
in the margin rare and frequent.
and the meaning probably is that any
special message from the Lord was of
rare occurrence or 1t had beene some
time since He had spoken The book
of Judges ended with every man doing
right in his own eyes Xxi, 90, and
now Eli, the priest of the tabernacle.
which was then at Shiloh Il. 8; Josh.
xviii, l, 1o), was somewhat out of fell
lowship, for he mistook broken heart
ed, praying Hannah for drunken wo-
man and did not control his own sons.
honoring them above God, so that a
man of God had to come to him with
reproof and warning q. 12-16; ii,
1885,
Before we consider the call of Samuel
in our lesson let ms look at the circum-
stances of his birth. His father. FL
kanah, seems to have been a devout
man, going up from year to year to
worship and TO sacrifice unto the Lord
of hosts in Shiloh q. 81. But he had
two wives, which was contrary to
Gods original arrangement and al
ways brought trouble. Hannah. who
had no children. was continually
tainted by the other, her adversary
provoked sore and made to fret and
grieve Il, 49,. Her refuge was prayer
unto the Lord, and He heard her and
gave her this son, Samuel Ii, 1920.
She called him Samuel because she
asked God for him Ii. 20. margin).
and when she had weaned him she
took him to Shiloh to serve the Lord
in the tabernacle with Eli, visiting him
from year to year when she went up
to worship and taking him little coat
q, 24-2S; ii, Is. 19,.
The Lord abundantly rewarded her
for the gift of her firstborn. for He
gave her five others. three sons and
two daughters iii, 20. 21. So Samuel
grew before the Lord and was In ia
vor both with the Lord and also with
men, and the Lord was with him, and
all Israel knew that he was establish
ed to be prophet of the Lord Oil. 81.
26. How beautifully the Lord did
bless the boy who was dedicated to
Him even before his birth. and how
grandly He did reward his mother and
cause her to forget her misery and
sing for joy! Her song in chapter ii,
Ito, which is also called prayer. is
one of the most beautiful on record.
Returning to our lesson story. we
read that one night, or perhaps toward
the dawn oversees 2. 3. 15). Samuel
heard some one call him, and. suppos-
ing it to be Eli, he ran to him, but. on
being assured that Eli had not called
him, he lay down again. The second
time he heard his name and went
again to Eli, but was assured as be-
fore. Not until he heard his name the
third time and for the third time went
to Eli with the words Here am T. did
Eli perceive that the Lord was calling
the child. Then he said to him. IF
you are called again say. Speak, Lord.
for thy servant heareth.'" For the
fourth time the Lord called him and
this time mentioned his name twice
Samuel. Samuel
I have found only seven people in
the Bible who were thus addressed.
and there must be some significance
in it. whether we can see it or not.
Look them up and ponder the circum
stances rrayerfully. On hearing this
fourth call Samuel replied as Eli
taught him. and then the Lord gave
to Samuel the solemn message for Eli
which he faithfully repeated to him in
the morning. telling him every whit
and hiding nothing from him. 1t is
doubtful IL either Of them slept again
that night Samuel had his first mes
sage directly from the Lord. and Eli
was no doubt wondering what it could
be. They each had enough to think