The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 136

co_ntinnC'<l, an<l cwn increased (,·er. 4 ). The l~w of God was made void, and his pre8c11ce ~nth<lrmn1. 2_. E_ffected, _uncle!· God, _by the mflucnce of one man-Samuel. Nothing- is ~xpressly said. concern mg !um ~nnn~: these twenty years ; but he appears to have· retire<l from Shiloh to Ramah, l11s nat1\"0 place, and it is not likely that he remained there al!og-ether inactive for so long a time._ The statement of eh. iii. 20, 21; iv. I, must be considered as, to some extent, prospective. The oppression of the Philistines was· not such as to interfere with him, nor was his activity of such n kind us to cause- them much concern. His holy example and quiet labours doubtless contributed g·rcatly to the keeping alive of true piety in the hearts of a faithful few·1 and when the- time came for more public effort he stoo-1 ready-in the full maturity of his powers, above forty J;~ars ?f age-to utter the ~ord of the Lor~, and to tal~e the leadership of the nat10n. Dunng the long oppression of a stormy time the nation at last g·athered more and more unanimously around Samuel, like terrified chickens around the parent hen_" (Ewald). 3. Marked by f~atures of ayeculiar nature. Every great religious ren,al that has been recorded m sacred lustory or has occurred in the Christian C~urch. has had a charac~er of its own, de~ermined by the wants of the age. And this renval was charactensed by the restoration of the moral law to commanding influ- ence on the conscience of the people by means of the prophetic ministry. The office- of hereditary priest became secondary to that of inspired prophet, and was even absorbed in it for a while ; for Samuel, although not a priest, acted constantly as such in offeri!1g ~acri~ce ; and the Levitical ~aw lay in abeyance, or was modified in practice under Ins direction. "As Moses established the theocracy, Samuel restored its funda- mental principles to the supreme place in the national life, and thus in a true and noble sense was its second founder." The revival he was the chief instrument in effecting involved a more complete separation from idolatry, laid the basis of higher internal unity, and was followed by prosperity and independence. In the description of it we observe- !. A GENERAL CONCERN ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. ".And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord" (ver. 2). 1. Occasioned by the experience of the- long and bitter effects of transgression. 2. Implying a sense of misery in the absence of God. The idols to which men give their affections cannot satisfy the heart (Hosea ii. 7, 8; ,. 15, Yi. 1). "It is well to·feel worn and fatigued with the fruitless. search after happiness, that we may welcome our Deliverer" (Pascal). 3. Consisting of an intense longing after his favour and fellowship. " The phrase, ' lamented after . the Lord,' is tak;en from human affairs, when one follows after another and entreats him with lamentations until he assents. .An example of this is the Syrophenician woman'' Matt. xv. (S. Schmid). The sorrow thus felt was a "godly sorrow;" a sorrow which comes from God, is felt for God, and tends to God, and which works genuine repent- ance, effectual deliverance, and lasting satisfaction (2 Cor. vii. 10). 4. Felt by the tULtwn as a wlwle. "All the house of Israel." And wherever such concern is felt it N a sure sign of God's returning favour. "They inclined after the Lord ; they groaned, complained, bemoaned themselves in their following the Lord, as a child, followeth his departing parent; they called, cried, and lifted up their voice after the- Lord by earnest prayer and supplication. Why? (1) Because God is infinitely more worthy than all ordinances ; his presence is valuable in itself. (2) God purposely with- draws, that men may lament after him; as when a mother steps out of a child's sight, and when she seems to be gone the child raises a cry after.her. (3) Because sincere lamenting after the Lord may occasion his return" (0. Heywood, iii. 419). II. .AN EARNEST ATTENTION TO THE WORD OF THE LORD (ver. 3). The word wos-1. Revealed in former days, and included in the law of Moses (Deut. vi. 14). There is not generally so much need of new truth as that the old should be vitafised. How much of dead truth lies in the mind of every man I 2. Spoken with new power ; opportunely, faithfully, and with holy zeal, by the prophet who had been commissior~ed to utter it. The preaching of the word is necessary and important in every gen111_11e revival of religion. That word is a fire, a hammer, and a two-edged _swor? (Heh. 1~. 12). 3 . .Adapted to the condition of the people. (1) To test the smcenty of their desires and purposes. "If," &c. (2) To inst?·uct them in their duty. "Put away the stranfe gods," &c. Prepare your hearts = "Fix your hearts towards, or in trust in, God' (Heh. xiii. 9). (3) To encourage them to hope for deliverance. "And he will ·Cl!. VII. 1-17.] THE FinST BOOK OF SA~IUEL. 133