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to prevail have their home in Christian nations? Let us realize whither we are drifting before God. Out of the whirl winds, earthquakes,' floods, fires and wars, thunders His curse upon a dis obedient people! .—o- - P ith and P oint The public officer who can repeat Sam uel’s challenge has a richer inheritance than all the spoils of office could yield. The nation that leaves God out wilt find itself- down and out. The successful man is not the one who never makes mistakes, but the one who learns to cash his mistake checks prompt ly at about 100 per cent (vs. 6-13). Let every failure be a step to success, every detection of what is false a sign board pointing to what is true. We are never walking so closely in the footsteps of Jesus as when we are praying for others (v. 23). , We have no talent of greater useful ness than the ability to engage in inter cessory prayer. As surely as there is a moral Governor of the universe, sin will provoke Him (v. 25). . ~ - Social welfare cannot survive the de- parture of belief in God and His Word. . —o— S uggestive Q uestions Where was Israel’s great mistake in desiring Saul? (v. 17; cf. Jer. 17:5)._ Even after having made such a choice, how could they still find prosperity? (v. 20;' cf. Jer. 17:7, 8 ). What is God’s •promise to intelligent faith? (v. 16; cf. Jer. 33:3). Were rains common in Palestine in the time of wheat harvest? (v. 17; cf. Prov. 26 ;1). (As uncommon as honor in a ' fool.) What were the Israelites noted for, af ter having witnessed great signs? (v. 18; cf. Psa. 106:12, 13). Does the Lord have' a special people to-day? (v. 22; cf. 1 Pet. 2:9, 10; Tit. 2:14). Of what New Testament man does Samuel remind us in connection with his unceasing prayers for his people? (v. 23; cf. Col. 1:9; Rom. 1:9; 10:1). What is the command to all Chris tians regarding prayer for others? (1 Tim, 2:1, 2 ;1 Thess. 5:17). What is the great cure for evil in a na tion? (V. 24; cf. Prov. 16:6). —o— G olden T ext I llustration “Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in Thy truth” (Psa. 26:3). Samuel forins one of the noble trio concerning whom the Holy Spirit has re corded no actual transgression in the Scriptures. As partakers of the taint of Adam’s sin, they must have erred at least in thought, but the fact remains that of Joseph, Samuel and Daniel,- the faithful Scriptures record no fault. A man of God was once asked if he did not think the world was growing worse and replied, “Sir, if it is, I am de termined it shall be in spite of me.” It was a word finely said and corresponds with what Samuel could say of himself in days of old.
By the time the storm was over, the people knew that they, had displeased Him who rules in heaven by rejecting the man who ruled for Him on earth, and by insisting upon having a king. This gave SamueljSjthe opportunity to give them final counsel. He exhorts them to fidelity. “Ye have done all this wicked ness, yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart” (v. 20 ). He consoles them with the thought that the eternal God had chosen them for pur poses of His own. Fickle and changeable though we often are, if we are among His chosen people, God will never aban don the work which He has started. “The Lord will not forsake His people for His great Name’s sake” (v. 22). What was a comfort to Israel then may be a com fort to the spiritual Israel, the -truly saved, today. “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun THE GOOD WORK in you will perform it until the day- of Jesus Christ’ (Phil. 1:6)., ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Samuel assures them, in closing, that he would not withdraw himself from all care for Israel’s future. There remained to him the greatest weapon for moral in fluence—prayer. Prayer is mightier than Saul’s sceptre, more powerful than the swords of warriors. To cease to be an intercessor for others would be to “sin against the Lord”! So said Samuel, and so teaches our New Testament. Paul lays down intercessory prayer as a posi tive command, a primary obligation bf every Christian. Samuel also would continue to exercise his gift as a teacher of God’s Word. “/ will teach you the good and the right way” ( y . 23). We little realize the in fluence we wield in a community by faith fully teaching the Word of God, precept upon precept and line upon line. Only eternity can reveal the part that faithful Sunday school teachers have played in checking the leaven of evil in society. Samuel sums up his message in the words: ffO nly fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your hearts for consider how great things He hath done for you. But if ye shall do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king” (vs. 24, 25). Thus, in Gilgal, a, word is spoken for all time. That is faithful preaching. God give us preach ers who will let us have the truth straight from the shoulder! Here is the basis for true national prosperity. If .the atheists who are work ing night and day in our country to abol ish God and Christ could read history with perceiving eyes, they would see that national well-being has never been se cured apart from belief in God and obed ience to His revealed will. What Samuel said to Israel still stands for the United States of America. Cut out God—tear His Word to shreds—and “ye shall be consumed, both ye and your rulers.” Let the atheists show us one na tion that has been prevailingly wicked and permanently prospered! Let them tell us why it is that the nations which today are strongest are those which have recog nized God and given the Bible the great est place! What intelligent person can deny that the. forces which are evidently destined
they occupied in the earth. By their own choice, they were now assuming new re sponsibilities. They could not undo their past failures which, Samuel points out, were all due to their forgetfulness of God, but they could, at least, avoid fur ther miseries if they would. profit by God’s past dealings with them. In vs. 6-15 he rehearses some of the outstanding instances in which their self- willed actions had brought them defeat. It will be well for us as individuals to frequently take this backward look, and then profit by it. We are all likely to make mistakes through self-will, but it is only thé fool who keeps on making the same mistakes. It is by falling that we learn to go safely. Beecher said : “The man who does not know how to learn from his mistakes turns the best school master out of his life.” Turning from the picture of their dis mal failures in the past, Samuel con tinues: “Now behold the king whom ye have chosen and whom ye have desired! and behold the Lord hath set a king over you” (v. 13). Their demand sprang from an evil root, yet the Lord had given them up to their own hearts’ desires. Let them not forget that, after all, God had given them Saul, and that HE still re mained the Real King. They could find no satisfaction except as they looked to the King of kings for their wisdom and strength. We cannot,- either as a nation or as in dividuals, outrun God. “I f ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers": (v. IS). There is still a God to punish and avenge. Samuel’s ;■germon was an illustrated one. A miraculous sign was given to show that God could, at a time when they least expected it, bring judgment upon a people and deprive them of all the com forts of life. It was the time of wheat harvest (v. 17). Thunder and rain were never known at that season. The rainy season occurs only in spring and winter. In answer to Samuel’s prayer, there came a terrific thunder storm. The people could not but consider it an authentic sign that Samuel had spoken by divine au thority. Samuel has been called “the son of prayer.” He was famous for availing prayer. He must have had a powerful interest : in heaven that God should hearken to his voice and send a great storm upon the earth. Dr. Torrey says : “No one who candidly studies the evidence, both in the Bible and outside of it, can doubt that God does give rain, as well as many other wonderful things, in direct answer to prayer. To doubt it is not scientific, for it ignores unquestionable facts” (cf. Jas. 5:16-18). Men . of prayer are bound to be a great moral power in whatever age they appear. The secret of their prayer suc cess lies not in any ability to persuade God to do something, but in their praying “in the Spirit” (Eph. 6 :18) and hence “according to God’s will” (1 Jno. 5:14). Their prayer is the very echo of the will of God. It is only those who have learn ed this inner secret of prayer who are mighty in intercession. How near mor tal man may stand to God if he is ready to pay the price !
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