Part 6

At another time Samson stayed part of a night in a city of the Philistines, called Gaza. And the dwellers in Gaza shut the gates, and set men to watch them, so that when he should come out they might kill him.

But before morning Samson arose, tore down the great gate of the city, carried it on his shoulders to a hill, and left it there.

All the wonderful things that Samson did, and how he finally died, a prisoner to the Philistines, are recorded in Judges 13-16.

About fifty years after Samson's death, Samuel was born, who was to be both a judge and a prophet. His mother was a good woman. The Bible says, she "lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth." 1 Samuel 11:28.

Eli was priest at this time in the temple of the Lord, and "the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli."

While Samuel was a small boy, it came to pass one night, ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, "Here am I," thinking Eli had called him.

Three times this occurred. Then Samuel said, "Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth."

Let us answer the Lord as did Samuel. He speaks to each of us in His word, the Bible.

The Kings of Israel.

UNTIL the days of Samuel, Israel was not governed by kings. Jehovah had promised to be their Ruler and King. Had they been true to Him they would have been prospered and given every needed blessing.

But the people wanted to be like the nations around them. So the elders came to Samuel and said, "Make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

Samuel was a prophet of the Lord, and had been the judge of Israel for many years. Their demand for a king displeased him, for he felt that the people had rejected him.

But the Lord told Samuel to do as they asked, "for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me." And the Lord chose Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, to be king.

At the command of the Lord, Samuel anointed Saul as king. A little later he called the people together and presented their new-made king to them. And they shouted, "God save the king!"

But Saul soon became proud, and many times refused to obey the Lord. Then the Lord rejected Saul and chose David, a young shepherd boy, to be king when Saul should die. And Samuel anointed David to be king in the place of Saul.

When Saul heard of this he was very angry, and tried many times to kill David. Saul wanted his son Jonathan to be king when he died. How foolish it was for Saul to try to kill David, when God had said he should be king over Israel!

So David fled from Saul, and for many years lived among strangers, and in the dens and caves of the mountains. But Saul hunted him so many times that David had to change his hiding place very often.

One time Saul lay down to sleep in the very cave where David was hidden, not knowing he was there. Some of the men who were with David wanted him to kill Saul, but he would not do it. He only crept up to the king and cut off a piece of the robe which he wore.

When the king had gone, David called to him and showed him the piece he had cut from his garment. Saul saw at once that David could have killed him as easily as he cut a piece from his garment.

Then Saul promised David that he would not again try to destroy him. But David did not trust his promises; and it was well he did not, for Saul was soon hunting him as wickedly as before.

Notwithstanding David was hated by Saul, his son Jonathan loved David. They were as brothers to each other. Jonathan was a true servant of God. He was always true to David, and whenever he could aid him in escaping from his father, he did so, notwithstanding he knew that David was to be made king instead of himself. This shows that he was one of the most generous and lovable characters recorded in the Bible.

Finally there was a great battle between Saul's army and the Philistines. In this battle Jonathan was slain, and Saul fell on his own sword and killed himself.

Soon after this David was made king. In most things he was a good king, and obeyed the Lord and ruled Israel well. He was a great warrior, and subdued the enemies of his people.

At the death of David, his son Solomon was made king. He was a very wise man and a good king. It was he who built at Jerusalem the wonderful temple for the service of the Lord.

The wisdom and riches of Solomon were so wonderful that his fame was spread abroad in all the earth. And the queen of Sheba, in Arabia, came to see if all the reports she had heard were true.

And the queen asked Solomon hard questions; but he was able to answer every one of them. She was then shown the riches and wonderful works of Solomon.

When ready to return to her own land she told Solomon that she had heard wonderful reports about him and his kingdom, but she had not believed them. Now, she said, "Mine eyes have seen it; and, behold, the one-half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me." 2 Chronicles 9.

After the days of Solomon, Israel was ruled by many kings. Some of them were good, and their rule brought the blessing of God to their people. But many were wicked men who led Israel into sin and idolatry. Then the Lord could not protect them, and their enemies would afflict them.

The history of Israel is a sorrowful story. God wanted to bless them and make them the light of the world. He wanted to show the whole world what wonderful things He would do for those who were faithful to Him. But they preferred their own way, and in consequence perished as a nation.

The apostle Paul says that "all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1 Corinthians 10:11.

The Prophets of Israel.

AFTER Samuel, the sixteen prophets whose writings bear their names in the Bible, may be classified as follows:--

(1) Those before Israel's Babylonian captivity, namely: Jonah, Joel, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah.

(2) Those near to, and during the captivity: Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Daniel, Obadiah, Ezekiel.

(3) Those after the return from the captivity in Babylon: Haggai, Zachariah, Malachi.

The books which bear these names in our Bible are not arranged in the order in which they were written; but in the order of their supposed importance. But man can not tell which part of God's word is most valuable. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God."

Peter says that "the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21.

We will refer to a few prophecies which have been fulfilled:

Isaiah mentions by name the Persian prince, Cyrus, 200 years before he was born, and tells what he should do. Compare Isaiah 44:28 with Ezra 1:1, and notice the dates in the margin of your Bible.

Isaiah also foretold and described the sufferings of Jesus. Compare the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah with Luke 22:37; John 1:10, 11; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24, 25; Acts 8:32-38; Luke 22:37; Matthew 27:57-60.

Forty-seven of the sixty-six chapters in Isaiah are referred to in the New Testament, and Jesus twice mentioned Isaiah by name. Matthew 13:14; Matthew 15:37.

Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem should be destroyed, and that during the siege the famine should be so great that the Jews should "eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters." Jeremiah 19:9.

This prophecy was given six hundred and five years before Christ, and it was fulfilled when the Roman army surrounded Jerusalem, A. D. 70, thirty-six years after the crucifixion of Jesus.

Some of the most wonderful of the prophecies are in the book of Daniel. The history of the world since his time is given plainly in chapters two, seven and eight.

In the second chapter the Lord foretold, by a dream, what should come to pass from that time to the end of the world.

Daniel, a prophet of the Lord, was given wisdom to tell the king his dream, which he had forgotten, and also its meaning, after the false prophets had confessed that they could not do so.

Daniel said: "There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and _maketh known_ to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the _latter days_." Daniel 2:28.

So the interpretation is for us, because "the secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but _those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children_." Deuteronomy 29:29.

Prophecy is history told in advance. The Lord is the only one who can do this without making a mistake.

Turn to Daniel 2:31-36, and read the dream. Verses 37 to 45 interpret it plainly, showing that the four parts of the image mean four great kingdoms.

History tells us that the Babylonian kingdom, symbolized by the head of gold, was conquered B. C. 538 (five hundred and thirty-eight years before the time of Christ), by the Medo-Persians, represented by the breast and arms of silver. Cyrus was their general.

The Medo-Persians were overcome by the Grecians, under Alexander, 331 B. C. The brass thighs of the image represent their kingdom.

The Romans, "strong as iron," signified by the legs of iron, subdued the Grecians in the year 168 B. C.

The feet and toes of the image represent the ten parts into which the Roman empire was divided between the years 351 and 476 after the birth of Christ.

These parts of Rome exist in Europe to-day, under the names, England, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, etc., and will continue separate (see verse 43) until the kingdom of Christ is set up, represented by the stone "cut out of the mountain without hands," which "shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and shall stand for ever." Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

What the Bible Says About War.

THE great Teacher said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." Matthew 5:9, 39-44.

When everybody does this, there will be no war. All will be righteous; for "love is the fulfilling of the law," God's standard of right-doing.

But no person can love everybody without a change of heart. "Ye must be born again," said Jesus. This change, or new life, comes by _believing_ that God will change us. It is only when we stop believing right that we stop doing right.

If the world would believe, the world would be converted, or changed; but the parable of the tares and the wheat (Matthew 13:36-43), and what Jesus said about the "many" in the broad way and the "few" in the narrow way (Matt. 7:13, 14), show that "many are called, but few chosen."

Yet thousands of people are prophesying "peace and safety" (1 Thessalonians 5:1-5), forgetting that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:13), and that the "tares," or sinners, are finally to be destroyed instead of being changed over into wheat. "Ye will not come unto Me," said Jesus.

One of the prophecies of Isaiah (2:2-5) says that "many people" "in the last days" shall talk about peace as if it were coming soon by the conversion of the world. The marginal reading of Isaiah 2:16, calls such talk "pictures of desire," and says they shall "be brought low" (verse 12).

Verses three to five tell what the "_people_" are saying. Verses six to twenty-two are the _prophet's_ declarations because of what the people have said. He foretells destruction for those who do not repent, the same as does the prophet Joel. It will be a time of general war. Here are the _people's_ sayings and the _Lord's_ sayings, side by side. They are direct opposites; yet both refer to "the last days," when "the day of the Lord is near:"

"It shall come to pass in _THE LAST DAYS_ that ... _MANY PEOPLE_ shall say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:...

"And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

"O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord." Isaiah 2:2-5.

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles. Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

"Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say I am strong.... Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, ... for their WICKEDNESS is great.

"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." Joel 3:9-16.

The _DAY OF THE LORD_ "shall come as _A DESTRUCTION_ from the Almighty." Isaiah 13:6-11.

The Birth of Jesus.

"THERE was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

"The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe.

"He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light." John 1:6-8.

"As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send My Messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee.

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.

"John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

"And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

"And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

"And preached, saying, There cometh One mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

"I indeed have baptized you with water; but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." Mark 1:2-8.

In ancient times, when a king made a visit to another country, he sent messengers before him. These messengers would see that there was a good path for him to travel, and that the people where he was going were ready to receive him.

John the Baptist was God's messenger, sent to arouse the people of this world, and prepare them to receive Jesus when He should come to visit them.

Before Jesus came to this earth He was a great King in heaven. Paul says He was "equal with God." Philippians 2:6.

We can never understand how the Son of God, the great King of heaven, could come to this earth as a babe. This is one of God's great mysteries.

But he did come in just this way. He was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Coming in this humble manner, the priests and rulers of Israel were not ready to receive this Babe as their Saviour. They were looking for Him to come as a great King, in pomp and splendor.

But there were on the plains of Bethlehem some humble shepherds who were looking and waiting for the promised Messiah. To them angels were sent to tell of the birth of Jesus.

And the angel said, "Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And they went to Bethlehem in haste, and found the infant Jesus as the angel had told them.

God meant that others, as well as the Jews, should know that the Saviour had come to begin His work on earth. Away off in the Eastern country there were wise men who had read the prophecies about the Messiah, and believed that He would soon appear.

One night these men saw a wonderfully bright star in the sky, moving toward the land of Judea. They believed this to be a sign that the Messiah had come. So they followed the star, and it brought them to the manger in Bethlehem.

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

"And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

"And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him."

Find the second chapter of Matthew, and read about the flight into Egypt, and why they finally went to Nazareth, in Galilee, instead of to a city of Judea. Verses 15 and 23 tell the reason.

The Childhood of Jesus.

THE early life of Jesus was spent in Nazareth, a small city in the northern part of Palestine. His parents were very poor, and He had only what poor children have.

His father was a carpenter, and Christ learned the carpenter's trade and worked with him. From His earliest days He was a pattern of obedience and industry. He was used to a life of hardship and toil, and can comfort all those who must work for a living.

Of the childhood of Jesus it is written, "The child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him." Luke 2:40.

The mother of Jesus was His first earthly teacher. From her lips, and by reading the prophecies, He was taught of heavenly things and of His mission to this world.

The wonderful truths which He Himself had spoken to Moses and the prophets, He was now taught by His mother. The Holy Spirit gave her wisdom to teach Him aright. All parents should teach their children as Jesus was taught, that every child may obtain knowledge as Jesus did.

Jesus left all His glory and power when He came to earth as a babe. He took His place by the side of the fallen men of earth. He came "in the likeness of sinful flesh." He was subject to all the temptations and weakness of our fallen race.

Yet by the power of God He was kept from yielding to the temptations which surrounded Him. This power He gained by earnest prayer to His Father in Heaven. This power every child and man can obtain in the same way.

In His humble life, as the child of poor parents, He faithfully did His part of the work. Ever obedient and cheerful, He was as a pleasant sunbeam in the home circle.

Once a year His parents went up to Jerusalem to attend the passover. When Jesus was twelve years of age He went up with them.

When the feast was over, Joseph and Mary started for home with a company of friends, but Jesus remained in Jerusalem. They supposed He was in the company, and did not miss Him until they had journeyed a whole day. Then they turned back to find Him.

"And it came to pass, that after three days, they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions." Luke 2:46. These doctors were learned men in the Scriptures, yet they were astonished at the questions and answers of Jesus. They soon saw that He had a deeper knowledge of the Word of God than they had, although He was so young.

Jesus seemed to know the Scriptures from beginning to end. He repeated them in such a way that their true meaning shone out. His knowledge of the Scriptures made them ashamed.

"Though Christ seemed like a child that was seeking help from those who knew a great deal more than He did, yet He was bringing light to their minds in every word He spoke." While appearing to instruct Jesus, these doctors were asking questions and learning Bible truths which they did not understand.

And while Jesus was thus teaching others, "He Himself was receiving light and knowledge about His own work and mission in the world; for it is plainly stated that Christ 'grew in knowledge.'"

When Mary found Him she said, "Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." And Jesus answered, "How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?"

His parents could not understand Him then, but when He began His ministry it was plain to them.

"And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them; but His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:41-53.

The Early Ministry of Jesus.

WHEN Jesus was about thirty years of age, He went to be baptized by John in the River Jordan. He was not baptized because He was a sinner, but to set an example for all to follow.

When He came out of the water the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descended from Heaven upon Him. Then the voice of God was heard, saying "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

The descent of the dove upon Christ was His anointing for the work of the ministry that was before Him. From the Jordan the Spirit led Him into the wilderness, where He fasted forty days, and where the devil tempted Him in many ways, as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11.

From the wilderness He returned to the Jordan, and began to choose His disciples. We next hear of Him at the marriage at Cana of Galilee, where He performed the wonderful miracle of turning water into wine.

Soon after this, Jesus went to Jerusalem to attend the feast of the passover. As He entered the temple where God was worshiped, He found the court filled with cattle, sheep, and birds, for sale to those who would buy sacrifices for their sins.

Cheating and robbery were carried on in the very temple court. Even priests and rulers were engaged in this unholy traffic. As Jesus stands on the temple steps His eye views the whole scene. His countenance changes, and all seem compelled to look upon Him.

All trading ceased, and there was silence in the temple court. Then, raising a whip of small cords, He cried, "Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of merchandise." John 2:16.

Priests, and rulers, and merchants fled in terror from the temple. They could not endure the look on His face nor the power of His voice. The divine power had flashed through the humanity of Christ.

After a time the crowd that had fled at the words of Jesus came slowly back; but what a change had taken place! Instead of unholy trade, they saw the Saviour healing the sick who were pressing around Him.

On every side was heard the urgent, pitiful appeals, "Master, bless me." All were healed who came to Him. The lame were made to walk, the dumb to speak, and the blind to see.

The mothers brought their children to be healed and blessed. The little sufferers were returned to their mother's arms with the bloom of health and the smile of happiness on their faces.

Jesus loved the children because they were so pure and innocent and simple in their ways. He took them as an example of the purity and simplicity that should show in the lives of those who should follow Him.

One day some mothers brought their children to Jesus, hoping that He would bless them. But He had worked a long time, and needed rest. So His disciples rebuked the mothers, and told them not to trouble the Master.

"But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God." Mark 10:14.

The pen of Julia Gill has given the following beautiful description of this scene:--