43. The People Repent. They ask for a King.

1 Samuel vii. 3-viii. 22.

Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, "If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth33 from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." Then the children of Israel did put away 'Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only. And Samuel gathered all Israel at **Mizpeh,34 and there he prayed unto the Lord for them; they also fasted and confessed their sin. And as Samuel was offering a lamb for a burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. Samuel set up a stone, in remembrance, and called it **Eben-ezer. So the Philistines were 'subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel; and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron42 even unto Gath.46 And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.27 Samuel went from place to place and judged Israel. When he became old, he made his sons, Joel and Abiah, judges in Beersheba. They walked not in the ways of their father, but they took bribes, and did not judge justly.

The elders of Israel assembled at "Ramah, and asked for a king. God told Samuel to hearken to them, as they had rejected HIM for their king. Samuel 'told them all that a king would do, saying, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you; 'He will take your sons, and appoint them over his chariots and his horsemen, and some shall 'run before his chariots; and he will take your 'daughters to be confectioners and to be cooks, and to be bakers; and he will take your 'fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards. He will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work; he will take the tenth of your sheep, and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people 'refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles." And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, "Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, "Go ye every man unto his city.”

GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES.

Mizpeh-was about twenty miles north of Jerusalem. At this place Samuel seems to have been first acknowledged as a judge of Israel.

Eben-ezer-stone of help'; here the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines; (Les. 42.) but twenty years after the Israelites conquered them at this place, and on this occasion Samuel set up the stone between Lizpeh and Shen. Ramah-eminence'; the place of Samuel's residence, but it is uncertain whether it was in Ephraim or Benjamin.

EXPLANATIONS.

him only-the primary and fundamental truth upon which revealed religion is upheld is the Unity of God. HE alone is therefore to be worshipped. Baalima general name for the gods of Syria. Baal or Bel signifies lord. See Les. 33. The sun was worshipped under this name. Baalim is the plural form. fasted-the Israelitish fasts were remarkable for their humiliation and mourning. The entire day was spent in total abstinence till sunset. a stone,&c.-the practice of erecting pillars as trophies of victory is very ancient. subdued-not completely, but the government of Samuel encouraged Israel in

the due observance of the law of God,

while it acted as a restraint on the Philistines.

elders, &c.-aged persons possessed a considerable share of influence, as heads of families & tribes. The several tribes and families kept together on the patriarchal model, each tribe forming a smaller commonwealth, and all uniting into one great republic. asked, &c.-the people were obstinate in their demand. God had intimated to them in the law, that in due time they should have a king, Deut. xvii. 14, 15;

but they could not wait God's time. a king-a supreme ruler for the whole nation. Hitherto judges or deliverers were raised up in different localities as necessity required; but the centralization of the national power in one acknowledged head had not yet been attempted.

told them, &c.-their aim in desiring a king was, that they might be like other nations, have one to judge them, and to go out before them to fight their battles, Samuel now tells them very particularly what would be, not the right of a king in general, but the manner of the king that should reign over them, according to the custom of the nations. He will take, &c.-according to his pleasure, without regard to any law. run, &c.-runners before the vehicles of

great personages is quite oriental, and is customary at this day. daughters, &c.-the number of women employed in the kitchens of Eastern princes is very large, owing to the great fields-the Israelitish kings could only take possession of such lands as were forfeited by treason or other heinous crimes. his work-the privilege of appropriating the service of subjects has always been admitted in the East; it being understood that they cannot refuse their ruler such services as he calls upon them to perform.

numbers who eat at the king's table.

Nevertheless, &c.-in despite of the warn

ings and representations of Samuel.

refused, &c.-they preferred a visible head

to the doctrine of an ever-present, though invisible guide, and they regarded earthly state more than the moral grandeur of being ruled by the King of heaven.

CONTEMPORARY CHARACTERS. JOEL and ABIAH-the two sons of Samuel whom he appointed to govern for him in Bethel and Beersheba; but they walked not in the steps of their father, and it might be partly owing to their misconduct, and the advancing years of Samuel that the people demanded a king to reign over them.

QUESTIONS.
Repeat the words of Samuel's address to
the Israelites.

Had this advice a good effect?
To what place did Samuel gather all Israel?
Describe in order the religious services
they there performed.
What people approached at this time, and
for what purpose?

Who interposed for Israel?
When were Samuel's sons made judges?
Did they follow their father's example?
What request did the elders of Israel make?
What did God tell Samuel ?
Repeat the warning he offered.
Did the people abandon their idea of a
What answer did they make?
[to do?
What did the Lord again desire Samuel

PRECEPTIVE LESSONS.

[king?

The promptitude of Samuel to point out the means of obtaining God's favour teaches us to improve every opportunity for instructing those "that are out of the way." The immediate response of the Almighty shows that he is "a God at hand,. . . and not a God afar off." The assembling of Israel for prayer, led the Philistines to suppose they designed evil against them; this is the common error of those whose hearts are prone to imagine evil. The deliverance which God granted to Israel showed his gracious acceptance of their repentance and reformation. From the conduct of Samuel's sons we perceive that excellence of spirit, and uprightness of character are not necessarily hereditary. The desire of the Israelites to have a king was a dishonour done to God, let us "not follow a multitude to do evil."

Year of the World.

PERIOD IV.

Year before Christ.

1451

1444

2553 Joshua succeeds Moses; spies are sent to Jericho Jericho is taken; Rahab and her family are saved 2560 Canaan is conquered; the Tabernacle is set up 2577 The last Exhortations, the death, and the burial of Joshua 1427 2591 The Israelites serve idols; Chushan-rishathaim oppresses them1413 2599 Othniel delivers Israel; the people again fall into idolatry 2661 Eglon, king of Moab, is allowed to oppress Israel 18 years 1343 2679 Ehud delivers them

2699 The Philistines oppress Israel; Shamgar delivers them Jabin II., king of Canaan, oppresses Israel 20 years Deborah and Barak overcome the Canaanites

2719

2752 The Israelites again sin; the Midianites oppress them

1405

1325 1305

1285

1252

2759 The Israelites cry to God; Gideon is raised up to deliver them 1245 2769 Abimelech is made king by the Shechemites

Jotham delivers a parable and a prophecy against Abimelech

2772 Tola, an Issacharite, is made judge over Israel 2795 Jair, a Gileadite, succeeds Tola

2798 The Philistines and Ammonites oppress Israel; the people repent; Jephthah delivers Israel from the Ammonites

2822 Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon successively judge Israel

1235

1156

1155

The Israelites again apostatize; the Philistines oppress them 2848 Samson's birth is announced to his mother by an angel 2849 Eli is priest; Hannah's prayer is heard. Samuel is born 2857 Eli is reproved; the destruction of Hophni & Phinehas foretold 1147 2861 Samuel ministers before Eli; declares the will of God 2874 Samson goes to Timnath to take a wife of the Philistines. 1130 He slays 1000 Philistines with the jaw-bone cf an ass

2884 He carries away the gates of Gaza

Delilah betrays Samson, he loses his strength-is imprisoned 2887 His strength returns, he pulls down the temple of Dagon . 1117 2888 The Philistines assemble against Israel; the ark is taken by

them, and Hophni and Phinehas are slain

1116

Eli hears of the capture of the ark, falls backward, and dies The Bethshemites are struck dead for looking into the ark The ark is placed in the house of Abinadab, the Levite 2909 The people repent; God delivers them from the Philistines 1095 Samuel judges Israel; his sons govern corruptly

The Israelites ask for a king; Samuel is instructed to com

ply with their desire.