of Mary, mother of Jesus. The Magnificat is largely modeled on the Song of Hannah.

While Samuel is still very young his mother takes him to the sanctuary at Shiloh, and dedicates him to Jehovah, leaving him there to grow up under the instruction of the priest, Eli. "Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice."

The calling of Samuel. It is not strange that this beautiful story has been a fruitful subject for artist and poet, and that the child's words, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth," have furnished the text for many a sermon. All should be familiar with Joshua Reynolds' painting, "The Infancy of Samuel." “And the child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Jehovah, and also with men."

(What pas

sage descriptive of the boy Jesus parallels this?)

When next we hear of Samuel he is the leader of his people, the aged Eli having died a tragic death after a disastrous battle with the Philistines at Aphek, in which his sons are killed. There are two different accounts of Samuel's position and work on behalf of his people, and they offer even more difficulties than do most parallel narratives. Both agree, however, that he was chiefly instrumental in choosing the first king of Israel, Saul, and also David, the second king.

The Philistine victory and the loss of the ark.In Lesson XIV it was stated that the Philistines were a strong and warlike people who settled the rich maritime plain from Joppa southward, known to us as Philistia, while the Hebrews were beginning to get a foothold in Canaan. Samson, it will be recalled, was the hero of some of the early skirmishes with them.

The Philistine menace increased and finally threatened the total subjugation of central Palestine. The struggle lasted for nearly a century, until the time of David.

It is a mistake to think of the Philistines as rude barbarians. They were not only superior to the Hebrews in all arts of civilization but they were well organized for purposes of offense and defense. Their five walled cities,1 each with its independent king,

united against any common foe, while the Hebrews were ill organized, with little mutual loyalty and no common leader. We must remember, however, that union among the people of the plains was much easier than among those of the hill-country.

It was the Philistine menace that forced the Hebrews to unite under a common leader. Though all

1 Ashdod, Ekron, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Gath.

the nations about them had kings, these freedomloving sons of the desert had never been willing to submit to the yoke of a monarchy. Now they were forced to do so.

In the battle of Aphek, between the Hebrews and the Philistines, the latter were not only completely victorious, but they captured the "ark of the covenant

of Jehovah," which the Hebrews in desperation had brought from the sanctuary at Shiloh. It is evident that from very early times the ark had been carried in front of Israel's army into battle, in accordance with the customs of the nations about them. The presence of the ark seemed to them a sure pledge of victory, for it meant that Jehovah was in their midst and fighting for them. To lose the ark to their enemies was the most terrible calamity that could have be

fallen them, for it meant that the gods of the Philistines were more powerful than their god, or else that Jehovah had forgotten them. In either case the effect would naturally be to diminish their religious faith and zeal.

The Philistines, however, had reason to regret their possession of the sacred object. They bore it rejoicing to the temple of their god, Dagon, where it performed certain miracles, proving the supremacy of Jehovah over Dagon. Soon a terrible pestilence broke out among the Philistines, and they made haste to return the dangerous trophy.

The destruction of Shiloh.-Shiloh was evidently destroyed at this time, for it is not mentioned again; and Jeremiah refers to its destruction. The ark was taken to Kiriath-jearim, and placed in the house of Abinadab, where it remained until a generation later. David bore it triumphantly to his new capital.

BIBLICAL SOURCES: The first book of Samuel.

Hannah's vow, I. 9-11.

Hannah's Song, 2. 1-10.

The child Samuel in the sanctuary, 2. 18-26.

The calling of Samuel, 3. I-21.

The Philistine victory at Aphek, 4. I-II.

The pestilence and return of the ark, 5. 6—7. 2.

QUESTIONS

1. What seems to be the most important sanctuary of the Hebrews as the book of Samuel opens? Who is in charge of it? 2. Give the story of the calling of Samuel.

3. What were the results of the battle of Aphek?

4. Why was the ark carried into battle? What did its loss mean? 5. Why was organization more difficult for the Hebrews than for the Philistines? Was there also something in the nature of the Hebrews that made cooperation difficult? Where have we already seen this illustrated?

6. Name the five walled cities of the Philistines.

LESSON XVI

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MONARCHY

THE Philistine victory at Aphek was quickly followed by other victories. Tribute was exacted from the Hebrew chieftains as the price of peace. Compared with the well-equipped soldiers of the Philistine kings, the Hebrew fighting forces were a motley company, armed with such rude weapons as each man could improvise from the implements of his calling. It was a religious as well as a political crisis, for Jehovah seemed to have abandoned his people. The ark was hidden away in a private house. Where now was the God that had brought them out of Egypt? Were the Philistine gods more powerful than he? Such thoughts as these filled the minds of the Hebrews. Yet, as at every great crisis in the history of this remarkable people, there were those who stood uncompromisingly for Jehovah. To all true patriots the necessity of united action seemed imperative.

He

Samuel the seer. The leading figure at this crucial time was Samuel, a seer and priest of Ramah. must have been a man of rare insight and power, for it was he who, more than any other, solved the problem of coping with the Philistines by the establishment of the monarchy. Just how he did this we cannot determine except by separating the two narratives already referred to and following the older one which is in perfect accord with the probabilities of history.

The meeting between Samuel and Saul.—The story of the meeting of these two men who played so important a part in the life of Israel is an extremely