Schedule for Week Ending April 16
Sunday April 10 Judges 14-16
Monday " 11 Ruth 1-4
Tuesday " 12 1 Samuel 1-3
Wednesday " 13 " 4-8
Thursday " 14 " 9-12
Friday " 15 " 13, 14
Sabbath " 16 " 15, 16 Our first day's reading closes the book of Judges with the story of Samson; not an inviting story, and Samson is not a hero whom we would delight to follow. His character was a mixture of impulsive good with indulgent evil. Underneath it all there seems to have been, however, strong faith in God and in God's leading. We have in the case of Delilah's influence over Samson a type of the way God's people have been led away by the seductions of the world in later ages. Very delightful is our lesson for April 11, the always interesting little story, romance, and spiritual lessons of the book of Ruth, written perhaps by Nathan about the year 1060 B.C., after the birth of David, as shown by the last verse. There are two interesting spiritual lessons brought out in the short record. One is that God is no respecter of persons, but in His great plan chooses a Moabitess, one of the despised nation, to be one of the line through which our Lord should come; and the second is the thought of the Redeemer, which is indicated in the redemption of Naomi's inheritance, pointing forward to our Lord, who had the right to redeem, and who has done so at the wonderful sacrifice of His own life. Samuel was the last of the judges. The name means, "Heard of God;" he was given in response to his mother's asking. The first book was probably written by him. His birth as a child, his godly mother's dedication of him to the Lord's service, his call as a prophet, are told in a wonderfully interesting way in the first chapters of the book. His administration seems to have been wise, and he gained great authority in Israel, but at last had to yield to the popular wish, and resign his leadership to a king. The "schools of the prophets" were founded by him, and had doubtless great influence in teaching Israel the right way. His own sons, however, were of a different character. Perhaps the time that he was forced to spend in bringing Israel back, led to some extent to the neglect of his own family; always a sad thing in connection with God's ministers. Saul is introduced to us in the 9th chapter, and awakens instantly our sympathy and desire for his complete success. He starts out humbly; God gives him another heart; and tho we go over the record again and again, still we can but wish that his administration as king would be all that Israel hoped for. But as we read the sad record of his inconsistent life, his self-exaltation, his failures again and again, it brings almost infinite sadness to think that one who might have been a strong man in God, should prove himself to be so utterly weak. We have in chapter 15 a very striking lesson of disobedience that ought to come home to all of God's children. In chapter 16 we have the anointing of the second king of Israel, not the choice of the people, but God's choice; and here personal appearance counts for nothing, altho it deceives the prophet Samuel. God chooses the one whose outward appearance does not commend him as king; but his courage and character commend him to God—David, the last of Jesse's sons, is chosen.