The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-02-17
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES
Side Lights on Next Sundays
Lesson for Teachers and Pupils
Edited by Charles X. Meyers.
Feb. 21--The Death OF Eli and His

sOOAo. 0ilu. 7, Ito.
We have for our consideration to
4 day most interesting and important
part OF the Old Testament. From il
7 we may be able to learn many things
OF much benefit AS many readers
this week may not have noted the les
son which came before, and as the
two are closely connected, it may be
Sfwell to recount few things which
happened just previous to our topic
to be now considered.
The people are the Hebrews whom
God led out OF captivity in Egypt un'
der the leadership of Moses. They
are living in the country now known
as Palestine. 1t was in the days be-
fore they were governed by kings;
the highest authority being vested in
the. priesthood, Eli being the highest
priest. Eli was a Cody good man,
but evidently SO taken up with the re-
ligious work that he had little time to
devote to the proper rearing OF his two
sons, who would, according to the Gus
tom, take his place on his DEATH The
two boys went to the bad and likewise
a great groupe of the people. These
had gone to worshipping the gods OF
the Philistines, nation OF people who
lived nearby and to some extent i'll
the midst OF Israel. Such was the
conduct OF the two sons and many
Hebrews that Jehovah determined to
make an example OF punishment which
would stand as lesson for all time.
There was fine boy named Samuel
who was helper of Eli. To this lad
God let it be known that Eli was to be
punished for allowing the sons to sin
without reproval. What was about
to happen was made known to Eli
Such was the crushing down upon
them of the Philistines, the Hebrews
decided to go to war to punish their
enemies. Once before when they had
gone into the conflict there had been
serious defeat and this was when there
had been radical sin in the camp, as
told in Joshua Z. At the time we are
now speaking of the Philistines gain
ed great success, and the Jews saw
themselves defeated. When this hap
pened in the days of Joshua he went
at once to the Lord asking why this
defeat, and he found out He quickly
put away the cause. This was not the
action OF the men in Ellis day. They
didn't look to the cause of failure in
themselves. In this time they want
ed divine help, but went about getting
1T in wrong way.
As many will remember while the
Jews We're out in the wilderness UNI
der Moses form of worship was Civ
.en them which took place in a. NOV
able temple called the Tabernacle.
This was divided into certain com
partments by heavy curtains. One.
enclosure was called the HOLES of
the Holies,'' and the principal thing
in it was. the Ark This was an
elaboratelys carved chest in which
there was placed the precious; relics
of the nation, such as the tablets writ
len by Moses.
Aaron's staff which budded a pot
of the mama on which the nation was
fed in the, wilderness. The ark had
above it the representation OF two an
gels with Outstretched wings and the
special presence of God was consid-
cred about this sacred object.
When the Hebrews were defeated
they sought to change the tide OF war
against them by sending to the place
where the ark was kept and bringing
it from its holy surroundings onto the
battlefield, The two wicked sons of
Eli went with it as special guardians
in their priestly Office. 1t but showed
the weakness of Eli toward the sons
and the hayward people that he con-
scented to have the ark leave his i'm
mediate presence. Now events came.
quick and fast. The Philistines cap.
tured the sacred ark: the two sons
We're killed Israel crushingly defeat
ed; and on the. receipt OF this news
Eli, who had been anXiously waiting
the outcome OF the battle fell over
dead Thus were Eli, the sons, and the
hayward people punished for the
fathers weakness of government.
their disgracing their father and the
turning after idols. LIZA
This lesson could well be treated;
from the declaration of ST. Paul "The
wages of sin is DEATH" Not only in
the old times of the bible. but right
now it can be seen that sin and dis
obedience OF God will meet punish
fment. II We break physical law of
God we expect injury, why should
there be doubt as to the same rule APP
plying as to His spiritual laws? 1t is
most possible that Eli was so taken
up with his high religious office that
he paid little heed to the boys. This,
however, is no excuse, and yet such
things are most common. Many faith
Ser does not want to come in contact
with. the disagreeable things of the
such as noting the wrong
doing. of the children, knowing where
they spend their evenings, who are
their playmates, their ambitions in
life, and so the children drift from
his influence. Many pastor and re-
ligiOus leader wraps himself up in a
holy atmosphere and does not desire
to enter into direct contact with evil,
md SO loses out in influencing the
in which he lives. The
Jews in Ellis time drifted away from
God although he personally was man
OF holy thought and ambitions. In our
lesson next Sunday it will be seen how
Samuel calls on the people to put away
false gods a.
Many people evidently. think alelEl
nearness to things called Sacred" will
give them victory over sinful things
and tendencies, church going. the pre-
tense OF religion, support OF the church
and the like. The test is OF the heart
and the true impulses which control