_The Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel._ NIGHT PRECEDING BATTLE As the flash of lightning reveals the hidden scenery around, so the reception of momentous news suddenly reveals character. Two such events we trace--the news of the terrible defeat brought t... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord answered him not._ GOD’S SILENCE I. A frequent experience of those who seek God. It is neither an universal nor invariable one, else prayer would become impossible. But it is sufficiently frequent to occasion grave spiritual difficulty. 1. In apparent contradiction of Divine promise. Of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit._ SAUL AND THE WITCH OF ENDOR This narrative is unlike any other in the Bible, and therefore, as might have been expected, has received various explanations. Three of them may be briefly noticed: (1) That Samuel himself appeared to the mistress of necr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bring me up Samuel._ SAMUEL AFTER DEATH Wise reasons must have prevailed with God for the appearance of Samuel. Dr. Hales has suggested the three following: 1. To make Saul’s crime the instrument of his punishment, in the dreadful denunciation of his approaching doom. 2. To show to the heathen... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Saul perceived that it was Samuel._ THE APPEARANCE OF SAMUEL This is altogether a strange and mysterious scene. It is a difficult and much debated question how we are to understand it. One or two remarks is all that can be offered here. In the first place, there is no ground whatever for suppo... [ Continue Reading ]
_God is departed from me._ “WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD” It is not in the power of language to depict a more terrible and hopeless condition for a rational creature to be in than that set forth in these five words of Scripture. And the climax of Paul’s description of man’s unregenerate state is: “Hav... [ Continue Reading ]