Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-03

and serve Him i'm the truth with all
your heart for consider how great
things He hath done for YOU" l Sam
1924.
After the death of Moses, Joshua
became the leader of the children OF
Isreal. Under his leadership they
took possession of and divided the
promised land among the tribes
They were true to God as long as
Joshua lived and the elders who
knew him, but then they began tic
forget Him and to turn to the gods
of the heather around them. And
when they forsook God He left them
to the mercy of their enemies around
tAem. For eighteen years they were
under the dominion of Cushan, King
of Mesopotania. Then they turned to
God in their affliction, and He raised
up judges to deliver them out of the
hands of their enemies. For a period
of about $50 years this continued
The first of the judges was Othniel
and the last was Samuel.
These judges were not Judges" in
the sense that we understand the
presided over no courts of the law.
They were rather heroes or leaders.
In the time of national distress,
when the people were turned away
from God, some man, moved by the
Spirit of God, would rise up to call
the nation back to God, and to lead
them on to victory. He would be the
national leader as lon gas he lived.
At his death, it frequently happened.
no one would take his place, and the
nation would lapse into indifference
and away from God again, until an
other man would rise up to Judge
Israel, to be the national religious
and military leader, the nation S
hero.
A Child Leads
The next to the last of these was
a priest, who for forty years led the
people. During his latter years,
however, in his old age he began to
lose his grip; and it was largely on
account of the behaviour of his two
sons. Eli was warned of it by the
visit of man of God, but he paid
no attention to it. The boys had
probably gotten the upper hand by
that time, and he was too old to
cope with them. And now a strange
thing happened, one that had no
parallel in the history of the world
At that time.
One day there came to the taber-
nacle man and his wife and a lit
tie boy five years old, They stated
that they had brought the, boy to
be loaned to the Lord all his life. Six
years before they had been there,
and the old priest had rebuked the
young woman for being drunk; but
she was not intoxicated-she had
been praying for son; and here
was the answer to her prayers. God
had graciously answered her, and
now she was showing her gratitude
by bringing the child to give his life
IN the service of Jehovah. She had
Kept MIN until she had Weaned him.
Every year thereafter she came up
and brought clothing for the en-
SUING year. 1t was a large gift that
Hannah and Elkanah made-their
son plus his expenses. And so the
little fellow grew up in the sacred
precincts, and amid the atmosphere
OF worship, serving God and waiting
on Eli.
Here is the strange and hitherto
unheard of thing-this child became
Gods representative. God had a
message to give, and He called
Samuel, that through Him He
might deliver it. You recall the
story. The boy was ready for a
message from God and to do an err.
rand for Eli. Speak, Lord, thy
servant heareth." It was a tremen.
dous message for young boy to de.
nVer-no wonder he did not go back
to sleep that night. Next morning
ne gave it to Eli, keeping back moth.
ing. That required courage "on his
part, and a greater courage on the
part of Eli to say: at is the Lord.
let Him do what seemeth Him
good"
From that Eime on Samuel he.
came recognized as the leader. the
nero, the judge. All Israel knew
that the Lord was with him, and let
none of his words fall to the ground.
A child became an instrument in
God's hands-he was willing and
obedient, and God could use him.
He grew in body and in mind; but
best of all, he grew in favor both
with God and with man.
A Great Revival
About that time the Philistines at.
tackled Israel successfully and car.
rled off the ark of the Lord. It re-
manned in their country seven
months, but it became such a curse
to them that they brought it back
to Bethshemesh; it was thence re.
moved to Kirjath-jea rim where it
stayed for twenty years-out of its
place, an evidence of the indiffer-
ence OF the people to religious
things. The word Of the Lord was
precious in those days. There was
no open vision.
But during those twenty years,
Samuel, the young prophet, had
been standing for God and speaking
to Him. He gathered all Israel to-
gether at Mizpeh, and prayed for
them, after they had been aroused
to put away foreign gods. AS a re-
suit of his prayers they were con-
V1cted OF their sin and confessed it,
and a great revival begun. The
young man had aroused the people
and had led them back to God.
The Philistines, hearing that Is
rael was gathered at Mizpeh, made
an attack. Samuel prayed though,
in response to their requests. He
took a sucking lamb and offered it
as sacrifice, and as he was offer
ing it the Philistines attacked, but
God did, too; and the thunderstorm
made them an easy prey to Israel.
Here they raised their Ebenezer.
Samuel spent the rest of his life
as a leader in Israel, although Saul
occupied the throne the latter part
Of it. Samuel established a resi-
dence at his boyhood home, in Ra.
meh, and from that as headquarters,
he made visits annually throughout
the whole land of Israel. He was
the first circuit-rider.
The outstanding events in his life
after this were the amounting OF
Saul, the proclamation of him as