Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-06
SABBATH SCHOOL
LESSON
For May 81 Sam. 4
BIZ DIR. MARION NH. HULL

6x U6b. MA1SAO& A'hs H OLh
Golden Text: 1.-THE wages of sin is death I;
but the free gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord" Rom. 6:26
Was the case of Eli and his sons a notable
example of good man and bad sons? Have
you often heard the question, why do the
sons of good men nearly always go wrong?
Is it true! Think it through; then think it
through again after we have studied this
story of Eli and his sons carefully.
1t was during the closing years of the
period of the judges. Israel had often for
gotten Coo and Turned away from Him to
the gods of the heather about them. As
often God had brought them back. There
was now in the position of leadership man
named Eli. He was judge for forty years.
He occupied double position, as he was also
Aaron, but had descended from Ithamar,
Aaron's younger son, instead of from
Eleager, the older son. 1t was therefore
unusual that he should be occupying this
position. and was evidently there by the
Eli had placed his sons. Hophni and
Phineas. in the priestly office and was cog
infant of the way they had abused it; for
they were guilty of greed and grating OF
selfishness and Gensuality. One is Mortified
when che reads Of the extent to which they
abused their office.
God had literally provided for the priests.
He had ordered that certain choice portions
OF every sacrifice should be given to the
priests as their portion when the sacrifices
were made. He had specifically directed,
however, that the fat was to be burned as q
sacrifice to Him.
These men not only took the portions that
were theirs by this right, but they mad
three-pronged forks with which their servants
hooked out of the pot all that they could. as
an additional portion. This not SATISFYING
them they held up the worshipers and de
manded the fat and other portions as Wen'
and when these demurred they TOOK t mem
by force. Of course this was far more than
they could use personally, so their OBJECT
was to sell them and pocket the proceeds.
They had no thought for God, but only TOT
themselves. Eli knew all of this, TOT ne
was participating with them In the spoil
Furthermore, these sons were impure in
tlair lives When the women came to Wor-
slip az the tabernacle in Shiloh these priests
fell into the lascivious practices engaged IN
by the worshipers of Baal and Astarte, ana
debased them in the name of the rehgion vi
the holy God! Every heather reilglon touay
even tas such practices in the name of Wor-
shin: and little as many people Know or
think many of them in more civilized way:
have found their way into the warp ana WOOL
of our holy religion also! God pity us!
Eli knew all of this and merely remon-
strated with them mildly. . -.
Then God sent His prophet to Eli to warn
him, for what was being done mad Dro1ghC
the worship of Jehovah into dishouor. Men
abhorred the sacrifice to Jehovah when sucn
things were done in the name OF rehglon.
The prophet reminded Eli of Gods grace IN
calling his family into the priesthood Cd
His generous provision for their needs, ana
wondered why he should kick at the sacrl,
flee and offering which were His. COO
charged Eli with giving Him the secona
place and his sons the first place; ana OF
making himself and his sons fat with the
offerings of His people. He warned him
that He would set him aside, therefore;
that He would cut off his inheritance ana a1lS
his family and raise up in his place faith
full priest who would put Him in the flrst
place and make His name and His worship
respected again.
practices continued; his sons were not re-
moved from office; he still shared with
them the plumber of the people,
Then Samuel brought him, unwilllngly, the
message given him by the Voice that be-
came a vision. And Eli replied, 1T is the
Lord; let Him do what seemeth Him GOOD.
Mighty pious WORDS! but real plety W seu
have made him kkck his sons out Of office
Immediately and restore to the people and to
God all that he and they had robbed them
of!
The Blow Falls
Then the time came for the warning to
become a reality. The warlike and
mighty Philistines pitched their tents at
Aphek, just few miles west of Jerusalem,
having penetrated deep into 1sraels terri
tory. And Israel lost heavily in the battle
with them. In their distress the elders be-
thought themselves Of the ark of God thai
was at Shiloh. They remembered how 1t
had been carried by their forefathers in the
days when they marched through the will
derness and in the conquest of Canaan, and
that they were then invincible-why should
they not be now if they could have that
with them?
But God had given specific instructions
as to how the ark should be carried-only
a certain family of the Levites was to bear
it, and they only in certain way; for 1t
was the symbol of His presence. In it were
the tables of the law, and Aaron's rod that
buddeG; it's lid was the mercyseat where
God promised to meet His people. But it
was nothing more than a symbol; and to
carry it in any other way than as God di-
rected would incur His displeasure, and in
sure His not meeting them there. They
seemed to have forgotten this in their ca
gerness to win, and treated it only as
talsman Of unusual value So they took it
in their own ay
1t was like a stimulant to Israel. They
shouted with great shout when it was
brought into their midst, and rallied with
Philistines rallied also. 1t is remarkable
how much Of the history of Israel they
knew, how much they knew about God
they were therefore without excuse in not
and fought like madmen, to save their lib
erty and their lives and they won! Israel
was defeated in great numbers. Hophni and
Phineas were slain, and the ark of God
(by which they had been no doubt standing
under pretense of protecting it, but really
to have its supposed protection) was taken
also.
A Benjaminite ran to Shiloh with the
news. At the gateway on the post sat
Eli, ninety-eight years old and fat. He
was waiting anxiously for news, and got
it from the runner, who was most adroit in
telling of it. When Eli heard that the
ark of God was taken, he fell over back
ward and broke his neck, and died almost
instantly. 1t sounds very pious, doesn't it?
But why was he anxious about the ark
of God? He must have known that it had
been taken from Shiloh by elders instead
of by Levites, as God had directed. 1t
could not have been taken without his per-
mission. He just as guilty as any of
the others in presuming to move the ark
1NithniI rnl, tinl,. 1-ns 4n..