The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1924-03-01
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Lesson
tB. REV. r. B. FITZWATER, DID,.
Dean of the Evening School. Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago)
60, 1924. Western Newspaper Union1
Lesson for March 2
THE REVIVAL UNDER SAMUEL
LESSON TEXT Sam. IL.

1OLDEN IESI-Prepare your hearts
unto the Lord and serve Him only
l Sam. 7:3.
PRIMARY ToPIC-God Calls the Boy
Samuel
JUNIOR ToPIc-The Victory at Ebe-
nezer.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-How Samuel Served His Nation.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-The Revival Under Samuel.
Gross immortality and ever anarchy
prevailed during the close of the period
OF the judges, as we see recorded In
the last chapters of Judges. Through
the ministry of the last judge, Samuel,
a brighter day dawned upon israel.
!. Features of israel's History in
This Period.
l. A Demoralized Priesthood.
~ The priests were actuated by
greed Il Sam. 2:12-17). 1t was Gods
VIII that those who ministered at the
altar should live of the things of the
altar, but they broke through the d.
vine revelations touching this matter
ana were securing their selfish ends by
force.
w The priests polluted the courts of
Gods house with the grossest immor-
atty Il Sam. 2:22). We thus see that
the condition of the nation was most
appalling. When Gods ministers are
actuated by greed and practice unclean-
ness, degradation and ruin rapidly fol-
low.
2. An Alienated People. The only
thing which separates people from God
is sin. The people who choose sin shall
be thus separated from Coo.
3. A Cessation of Divine Revelation
Il Sam BID. God was silent ("The
word of God was precious in those
days, there was no open vision'). The
message from the Lord was a matter of
memory.
u. God Calls Samuel Il Sam. 3:2-1O).
Samuel's name means, ASKED of
God. He was given to Hannah In an
swer to prayer. In asking God for this
son she vowed to dedicate him to the
Lord. Accordingly at an early age she
TOOK him to the sanctuary and gave
hin over to the charge Of Ell. Thus
In his tender years he ministered to
the Lord. The beautiful life Of Samuel
was in striking contrast to the degra-
datiOn of the nation.
III. samueps First Prophetic Mes
sage Il Sam. 3:11-1S).
Up to this time Samuel obeyed the
n who was over him, but the time
a now come when he must directly
hear and obey the Lord. The first mes
sage intrusted to him Is a most terrible
one. He hesitated to tell 1t to Eli, but,
when pressed BY him. he. manifested.
the true courage which was lying back
his fear. He announced a fearful
visitation upon ELS house because of
the sins of his sons.
~. Samuel Established In the Pro-
Office q Sam. 3:19-21).
And Samuel grew, and the Lord
was with him, and did let none of his
words fall to the ground, and all Israel
from Dan even unto B~eer-sheba knew
that Samuel was established to be a
prophet of the Lord"
v. Victory of Samuel U Sam. IL
14).
L. Samuel Calls Israel to Repentance
wv. 14). Some twenty years have
now elapsed since Israel was humili-
ated by the Philistines. He asks the
people to turn to the Lord with all
their hearts, the proof of which would
be:
ID To put away their own licentious
worship. This was really gross licen-
tiousness under the guise Of religion.
~ To direct their hearts unto the
Lord and serve Him only.
:. israel Assembled at lIispeh wv.
5, 81. Tie purpose of this assembly
was the confession of their sins. They
poured water before the Lord, thus
symbolizing their need of cleansing and
pouring out of their hearts in peni-
Lence before the Lord. They tasted
and publicly confessed their sins.
3. The Philistines Attack Israel ".
y. The assembly of Israel at Mizpeh
alarmed the Phiiistines. They inter.
Dreted the gathering as a preparation
20 attack them, so they decided to at
tack first.
A.. The Intercessfon of Samuel wv.
81. Samuel accompanied his inter.
,ession with a burnt offering, showing
hat he looked for acceptance In the
of another, even Christ.
s.. The Victory Over the Philistines
wv. 10, ~. This was the result of
Gods interposition. "The Lore tnun.
Tered with a great thunder that day
md discounted them"
g.. A Memorial Set Up wv. 12-14).
set Up a stone between ttizpet
md Shen and called Ii Ebenezer,
which means. Hitherto hath the Lord
helped u.s."