Evening star., 1915-02-20

the cause of the Israelites' war cry,
especially after they had just suffered
such a terrific defeat, filed the Philis-
tines with panic of superstitious
fright, for they counted, as did Israel.
that the presence of the ark meant the
presence of the powerful God OF Israel.
They felt certain that they were now
doomed to defeat because they knew
of the experiences Of the past when
the power of Israel was supreme be-
cause of the presence of Jehovah.
While the issue seemed certain. tney
fought with the heroism of men whose
liberties and lives were at stake. Iney
knew that II Israel should win they
would be completely destroyed as a
nation. The fears of the Philistines
were as groundless as the confidence
of Israel, for God used the forces OF
the host of Philistines to bring a DIS,
astrous defeat to Israel that wouIa
pave the way for the work of Samuei
as a reformer and fulfill his prophecies
concerning the house of ELL, with 'iie
death of the aged priest.
Defeat and Death.
The heroism of the Philistines was
crowned by the overwhelming and
crushing defeat of Israel. Thirty thou
sand men perished in the second con-
test, and the survivors in the panic
that followed their defeat made their
way home the best way they could.
The Hebrew army was practically an
initiated. The most unexpected triumph
and the most signal feature of the sue
cess of the Philistines was the capture
of the ark of the covenant of the Lord
of hosts
The cause of the defeat of Israel was
due, as we learn from jeremiah, to
the wickedness of Israel" The his
torian that does not see Gods hand in
the affairs of men may give credit to
tha ri n
but He that ruleth the affairs of men
was disciplining Israel, SO that they
would come to worship Him, even with
out the presence of the ark. The defeat
them their security was not in the
signs and symbols but in the spiritual
presence of God with those that put
their faith in Him and did His will.
The defeat confirmed the prophecy OF
the vision of Samuel. for God had be
gun and made a full end of the house
of Eli. The consideration of the clos
ing hours of the aged high priest ought
to fll US with sorrow. The world IS
accustomed to condemn him for his
failure to rule well his family. and
his inability to make his scapegoat
sons obedient to the laws Of God or
compel them to cease acting as min
listers of the temple In holy things. He
was ninety-eight years old. and had
ruled for forty years the nation. His
age may have impaired his powers. or
1t may be as Robertson has pointed out
that his "feebleness arose out of orfg1-
nal temperament. Ellis feelings were all
coed; his acts all wrong. In sentiment
Eli might be always trusted: in action
he was forever false because he was
weak. vacillating man. Therefore
his virtues were all of negative
character.
1t may be, as another puts it, that the
good of his life could not be neutral
lied by single weakness He reaped
in bitter pain and death the rewards OF
his weakness. We need to. keep his
evil before US a danger signal We
can well pattern our lives after his
good qualities, such as his freedom
from envy in the rise of Samuel and
his Willingness to aid in his advance
self should be compelled to give up
his power into the hands of the young
servant of the temple. There was no
priestly pretension. but an earnest de-
sire to know Gods will and be Subm1S-
sive to His orders.
When his sons. without his consent,
had complied with the wishes of the
elders his heart trembled because OF
his anxiety for the safety of the ark.
1t caused the poor blind soul to ask
the meaning of the wild cries of the
multitude that reached his ears. If he
could have seen the runners rent gar
ments and dust-covered head Eli would
have known that the worst, he
lamentation escaped his lips as the
runner in four statements, told the
story of the terrible defeat until. at the
end, he told of the great calamity in
the loss of the ark. He could live no
longer; the glory of Israel had de-
parted. His heart failed to beat as he
fell over from his chair. where for
years he had judged the people and ad-
vised them. and with a neck broken by
the fall passed into the presence of
his God, whose glory he loved and
whose will he had tried to do.
The lesson ought to come home to us
as individuals and as a nation, SO that
we should be "doers of the word and
not hearers only Let US come to real
ize that the whole world is the temple
of our God and that He is in His holy
temple. Let the heavens declare to us
His living presence, program and pow
er by their symbolic messages of His
eternal love. Let US join the whole
world in singing His praises and bring
ing in His kingdom among men SO that
His will shall be done upon earth
even as il is in heaven. In the dark
ness of the present titanic struggle let
us not forget His assurance that He
will be with US in the words II will
never leave thee nor forsake thee" nor
how Christ promised th;0 II am with
you always. even unto the end of the
world and continue to be doers Of
His word among men.