Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-02-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR FEB. a
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Commentary Prepared In An Inter-
esting Way by Rev. ID. M.
Stearns


for boys. with something for ever,
one. yonng and old In all Scripture
there Is message from the heart of
God 10 each individual heart that
reads IL is true always as I'm the last
verse OF our lesson chapter. that the
Lord reveals Himself by His word
The Scriptures are the revelation OF
God 10 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 (Iohn
xiv. D. Our lesson opens with SanIel
ministering unto the Lord See also
chapter Ii. II. iS. This Is not the word
which Is translated t. minister In the
priests office" bur the word 10 serve
or minister. AZ when Joshua ministered
to Moses (Ex xxxiii. IL; Josh |. H.
Even child can serve Him who
came not 10 he ministered unto. but 10
minister Matt Xxx, PSI, May we al
ways be able TO say from the heart.
Whose ! am and whom ! serve" and
count II our highest privilege TO niinis
ter unto Him (Acts xvii. %: Luke viii
3: Dan. vi. l0I. In the revised version
the words precious" and open" are
in the margin rare" aud FREQUENT,
and the meaning probably Is that any
special message from the Lord was OF
rare occurrence or II had been some
time since He had spoken The book
Of Judges ended with every man doing
RIGHT I'm hi4 " I'D
now Eli. the priest OF the tabernacle.
which was then at Shiloh Il. 3: Josh.
xviii. ]. lO,. was somewhat out Of Eel
lowship. for he miStook broken heart
ed, praying Hannah for drunken WI
man and did not control his own sons
honoring them above God. No that n
man OF God had to come to him with
Il reproof and warming q. 1916: II
27,36l
Before we consider the call OF Samuel
in our lesson let us look mt the circum
stances OF his birth His father. FL
kanah. seems To have been u devout
man. going up from year tn year To-
worship and TO sacrifice unto the Lord
0f hosts In Shiloh a. 3, But ne had
two wives which was contrary u
Gods original arrangement and al
ways brought trouble Hannah. who
had no children. wns continuall,
taunted by the other her adversary
provoked sore and made 10 fret and
grieve Il. As, Her refuge was PRAYER
unto the Lord. and lie heard her aud
gave her this son Samuel q. 1910
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: H. IL. 10,
The Lord abundantly rewarded her
for the gift OF her firstborn. for He
gave her five others. three Sons and
two daughters di. 20. 2lI So Samuel
grew before the Lord and was Ia On
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 u prophet OF the Lord Qi. 81.
2G,. How beautifully the Lord did
bless the boy who was dedicated 10
Him even before his birth. aud how
grandly He did reward biz mother and
cause her TO forget her misery and
sing for Joy! Her song IN chapter II.
LILO. which IL also called a prayer. II
one Of the most beautiful on record
Returning TO our lesson story. we
read that one night. or perhaps toward
heard some one call him. and. suppos.
ing IL to be ELL he ran TO him. but on
being assured that Eli had not called
him, he lay down again. The second
time hs beard his name and went
again 10 Ell. but was assured as be
third time and for the third time went
to Ell with the words Here am I" 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
this time mentioned his name twice
samuel. Samuel"
have found only seven people In
the Bible who were thus addressed
and there must be some significance
In II. whether we can see IL or not.
Look them up and ponder the circum-
stances prayerfully. On hearing this
fourth call Samuel replied as Ell
taught him, and then the Lord gave
to Samuel the solemn message for Ell.
which he faithfully repeated to him In
the morning. telling him every whit
and hiding nothing from him. II II
doubtful n either OF them slept again
that night. Samuel had his first mes
sage directly from the Lord. and Ell
was no doubt wondering what II could
be. They each had enough To think
about Samuel from this time onward
seems 10 have had always an ear for |
God Note the peculiar language OF !
I Sam. TX. 10. and may we all have
similarly anointed ears to near His