The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-02-26


back towards Shiloh. As a punish.
ment for their sacrilege and perhaps
for their boastful pride, God Furnishes
the men Of Beth-Shemesh and finally
the ark finds rest in the house of
Abinadab, 6:10-21, II, 2. For 20
years Israel was under discipline In
bondage, V. 2.
!. And Samuel spake . say
Ing" w. 3-S. 1t is possible that at
times Samuel was a fugitive, but that
he was praying, teaching and preach
ing the word of Jehovah" we are as.
sured. At last Israel was drawn to-
gether,' V. Pr. V. margin. Undoubted.
~ SamuePs pure life and his faithful
witnessing had as much to do with
this assembling as did the oppression
or the Philistines. Samuel told the
people plainly that in order to be de-
nVered from the Philistines Isrdel
must return unto Jehovah with all
your heart" The putting away (judg.
ing) of sin and all idols is the first
step of any real, genuine repentance
towards God, lisa. 55:7. When Israel
adopted Ashtaroth and the strange
gods they possibly did SO with no
thought of forsaking Jehovah, but
nther with the idea OF "enrinching'
their worship. Such liberality, such a
federation Of religions is weakening to
the cause of faith, Matt. 6:24, ! John
2:l5, James, "A, Samuel might be
called narrow" but his exhortation to
Israel that they return to the love
and worship of Jehovah, to the obedi.
ence Of his laws with whole-souIed de.
yotion, was the first, and the most es.
sential requisite to their freedom. Is
raefs response ". a meant not alone
self-denial, but a revolt against the
Phil1stines. This meant also the CIV
Ing up of a~nlusements and profits which
might accompany such worship. The
word heart includes the will, affec-
lions, motives and powers of soul.
Not merely a surface emotion, but a
deep change of heart and character.
1t Is sad to recall that this was a
reformation, not a regeneration (ch.
8:S), but such Is the history Of an
emotional reformation. One day, how.
ever, we shall see that one will last
last, Rom. 11:26. Samuel is a type Of
Christ as a prophet and also as an
lntercessor, Heb. TBS. Gathering the
people. at Mizpah Ga lookout") he
caused the people to look to God.
Such a gathering was an evidence Of
that unity of the people Of God which
must ever precede prevailing prayer.
Ps. 1916, Heb. 1925. The meeting
began by a prayer by Samuel who
was nearest to God. They than poured
out water upon the ground, a symbol
of their utter helplessness, also Of
the pouring out of their hearts before
God, II Sam. 14:14; Ps. 1913. Israeli
also "~fasted"-an expression of sor-
row for sin which vas so deep that
they could not eat, and a sign of the
humiliation of self and an earnest de-
sire to find God. Dan. 9:3, Acts 1872, 8.
They made confession OF sin, there
was nc boasting Of virtue, Ps, 51:4.
II. "And Samuel offered . ii
a burnt offering" w. s-12. Twenty
years of bondage bred a spirit of fear
In the hearts Of the Israelites and in
their extremity they turne ed to Sam.
uel to intercede for them. Christians
have a better n al their interces-
sor, l John 81; Heb. 7:25; Rom.
1884. Israel no longer places its
trust in an outward symbol as when
formerly they sent for the ark, Oh. 4:3.
All real prayer is preceded by sacri-
fee. and the only ground We have upon
which to approach a holy God is to
shed blood, Heb. 1919, John 1875. This
is also a type of entire conservation.
The lamb of Samuel's sacrifice Is a
type of our Christ who en- tered into
Gods presence for us by his own
blood" Heb. Oil, ~. Having thus
properly approached God, Samuel
cried for Israel, and "the Lord heard
him." John 1873, In the midst Of this
the Philistines gave battle ". 10)
even as Satan often makes his
fiercest assaults upon us in the midst
of our hottest exercises. God "thun.
dered with a great voice,"v. II, marg.,
bringing discontinue and fear to the
enemy, l John STA. No voice Of Is
rael could have effected such results
but the voice Of God in response to
the prayers Of a godly man brought
victory, James sic. Both secular and
history record instances where
God used the elements to deliver his
praying people. The storm which de-
the Spanish armada and
saved England; the unusual winds and
tides which saved Leyden came In con.
with the most earnest prayers.
see also III Kings 1895. In this we
see a fulfllment Of Hannah's prophecy,
Oh. 2:10. In our last lesson Israel was
defeated. 4:10, now they pursue the
as far as Beth oar and
5hen, Al unknown place west Of Miz-
,eh. Between the latter and Mizpeh,
erected a memorial pillar and
called It ~"Ebenezer," the Stone Of
Help, where 20 years previous Is
'ael had suffered defeat and the ark
II God was captured. So this stone
vas a twofold monument Of a vic.
,ory, and also Of deliverance from I
70 years Of bondage. Ever and anon
he church has cause to set up its
5benezers for new deliverances. Per.
i~ecution and corruption have not yet
PREVAILED against the true church Of J
Tod, Matt. 1918. {
Tho Heart Of the Lesson. This les !
is a great revelation Of the power !
md effectiveness Of intercessory