Evening star., 1924-03-01

During the period Of the judges the
national and spiritual life of Israel
suffered q decline. While there were
spasmodic efforts from Joshua to
Samuel that succeeded in turning the
nation from Its apostasies to a high
trust in God, the people continued
to show a tendency to forsake the
worship Of Jehovah for the idolatrous
practices Of their neighbors. The ma
tiop was subjugated people under
the dominion of the Philistines at the
birth of Samuel, who was the last Of
prophets. The religious and moral
, condition of the nation was repre-
sented by the two profiigate sons of
Eli, who had practically rejected
| through their lawIessness the laws Of
, Moses and used their offices as a
cloak for graft, immortality and inl-
! guilty.
! In the midst Of the corruption and
! spiritual degeneration Of Israel Sam
uel appears as the national leader,
whose ministry reveals him as the
champion of democracy and the
! founder OF constitutional govern
ment. Strong lives are not the result
| of chance. Samuels power was due
/ largely to the prayers and personal
: influence of a spiritual mother. who
was born. Hannah appears first in
| the sacred sanctuary of Shiloh, pray
! ing that Jehovah would remove her
harrenness that had filled her soul
with sorrow and her home with dis
cord. The aged priest and Judge, ELI,
helped mold the character of Samuel
I by his instruction of the young lad.
who was apprenticed to him by his
mother, to be trained for the service
| OF the Lord. The gentle old man, who
rallied in rearing his own sons, made
success as the schoolmaster OF
samuel. He recognized the evidence
or a divine call, when the young at
tendant was summoned by Jehovah
TO hecome His prophet in Israel and
leader in national reformation.
In all probability Samuel was
startled by the revelation that God
1 tions In the temple. He probably had
not understood the sin of Els sons.
The young boy had lived in the
shelter OF his home, watched over by
the fidelity and prayers of his mother,
who left no stone unturned to keep
/ tho lad, whom she had dedicated to
the Lord, unspotted from the world.
Samuefs development and prepara-
flon for his life work as prophet
, was due to the fact that the Lord
was with him. God took the young
lads training under His supervision
sociations in the temple with greedy
| priests, who robbed the people and
plundered the sanctuary. In due time
Samuel was ready for his task. Long
| before the hour OF leadership had
dawned the people recognized that
he had been called to be prophet of
Jehovah.
The child of prayer became a man
tof prayer. His communion with the
Lord helped to keep Samuel from all
pitfalls of sin. He grew in obedience
| truthfulness, nlodesty, kindness of
heart and helpfulness Just as Sam
uel was trained for service so God
! is fitting in some secret sanctuary OF
! home, church or school the brave lead
ers who will mold Americas life in the
future days. There is q crying need
for conSecrated. courageous. Christian
men who by a life OF self denial. sacri-
flee and service will help keep the ideals
of America unstained by sin and our
country free from those who for selfish
nations glory.
Samuel showed his courage and pa
triotism by summoning a national as
sembly at Mizpah to consider the ma
.tional defense. In making this call
Samuel revealed the fact that God
was a believer in a democratic form
of government and indicates the re-
| suit of his secret ministry among the
people. 1t is doubtful if the Philis-
/! tines, who had been supreme in the
, land, would have permitted the ma
tion to assemble at Mizpah had they
known anything of his program. Ever
since the defeat of Israel and the loss
/ of the ark. the heavy yolk Of the ark
/ rested heavily upon Israel. Twenty
years of subjection had taken from
| them the privilege of even sharpen
| ing their plows and agricultural i'm