The Raymer enterprise., 1920-05-13
n0lovIp umYoaN INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAYS0lOOL
LESSON
by REV. p. 3. FTTZwATER, D. D.,
Teacher Of English Bible In the Moody
Bible Institute Of Ghicago.)
Copyright. 1870. Western Newspaper Unfonl
LESSON FOR MAY is
VICTORY UNDER SAMUEL

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL.-I sam. s:is.
II: s:l-s
PRIMARY ToPI.-A Boy Who Became
. Useful Man.
JUNIOR ToPIc-A Great Leader Pray.
ing.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Victory Through Prayer.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Qualifications for Leadsrship.
In our last lesson We saw Israel's
overwhelming defeat and the capture
Of the ark by the Philistines. While
they triumphed over Israel. they did
not triumph over Israel's God.
Through the presence Of the ark God
was working among the Philistinea
Note:
!. The ark at Ashdod 5:1-6). II was
placed ln the heathen temple alongside
Of Dagon. with the expectation that
the ark would be destroyed, showing
that Dagon was mightier than God,
but Dagon was humillated and broken.
Besides this the people were afflicted
with emerods, or hemorrhoids. show.
Ing the hand Of the living God upon
them In judgment.
2. The ark at Gath (5:7-9). Here
Immediately the same dreadful dis
ease broke out that had afflicted the
AshdOdites, accompanied with great
mortality. They then carried the ark
to Ekron.
3. The ark at Ekron (5:1012). At
Ekron the destruction was still more
awful. Many we're slain and the rest
we're smitten with emerods so that
their cry went up to heaven. The
contest was decisively In favor Of God.
Upon the advice of the lords of the
Phllistines the ark was returned to
Israel. This was done In such a way
as to show conclusively that the hand
Of God was upon them In judgment.
I. Samuel Calls Israel to Repentance
CPD.
Some twenty years have now elapsed
since Israel was Inundated by the
Philistlnes, during which time Israel
'1amented after the Lord" We know
not why Samuel has not been heard
from through all these years. Doubt.
less he continued to exercise the
prophetic office during this time, but
now he is appointed to the Office Of
Judge, also. He asked the people to
turn to the Lord with all their hearts,
the proof OF which would be:
l. To put away their ldolatrous wor.
ship. This was really gross licentlous-
ness under the guise Of religion.
2. To direct their hearts unto the
Lord and serve him only. He assures
them that deliverance would come as
soon as this was sincerely compiled
with.
II. Israel Assembled at Mizpeh wv.
8. 81.
This was for the purpose of confess
Ing their sins.
l. They poured water before the
Lord. This symbollzed their need Of
cleansing and the pouring out Of their
hearts In penitence before the Lord.
2. They tasted and publicly con.
fessed their sins.
III. The PhiIlstInes Attack Israel.
". y.
The assembly Of Israel at Mlzpeh
alarmed the Philistines. They inter.
preted the gathering as a preparation
to attack them. SO they thought to
frustrate Israel's attack upon them by
attacking them first; or perhaps they
recognized that the return Of the peo.
pie to the Lord meant return to pow.
er and decided to attack them while
unprepared.
~. The intercesslon Of Samuel. wv.
8. 81.
The Israelites urged Samuel to pray
to God for them. Instead Of trusting
to the ark for dellverance they now
looked to God. Samuel accompanied
his intercession with burnt offering.
showing that he looked for acceptance
In the sacrifice Of another. even Christ,
through whose offering way Of &C.
cess was opened unto God.
v. The Victory Over the PhiIIstlnes
wv. 10. lI.
This was the result Of Gods interpo-
sition. "The Lord thundered with
great thunder on that day and dlscom.
fited them" The men of Israel fol.
lowed up this advantage to such com.
plete victory that the Philistines did
not come back to power during the
days Of Samuel. The Lord will fight
our battles II we put our trust In him:
10 enemy can stand before the Al
mighty.
vi. A Memorial Of Dellveranos (vv
l2-l4).
Samuel set up q stone between Mlz.
och and Shen and called 1t Ebenezer,
which means "Hitherto hath the Lord
helped u.s." Since God has lnterp0sed
10 our behalf and wrought dellverance
for US. It is proper that memorial be
set up which will commemorate It
Our Conduct.
"Conduct is three-fourths Of life"
L.. II