6 'prayer is the secret' of strength to overcome all things. Be strong and of a good courage have not I commanded thee? Be strong, and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest' (Joshua i. 6, 9). : Be strong then in the words of Azariah son of Oded who moved Asa king of Judah to be firm and faithful to his God: As for you, be ye strong, let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded:' and in the words of Hanani the seer to the same king : "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him' (2 Chron. xv. 7: xvi. 9): so would we say to you: 'be strong' take heart of courage and trust on Him, and His power will be yours. Then shall ye 'be strong' indeed; strong in all manly diligence, strong both of body and of mind, strong in force of character and of purpose, strong in unswerving purity and truthfulness, 'strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.' 14 OBEDIENCE. QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 1878. To obey is better than sacrifice.— KING SAUL has but newly returned flushed with victory, and laden with spoil; strong and happy at the head of his conquering host. At the command of the Lord had the battle been fought; at the express command of the Lord had Amalek, the oldest enemy of Israel, been once more smitten hip and thigh: Amalek, that powerful but treacherous and savage tribe, that ranged at will with their flocks and their herds over all the rolling grassy uplands and wild bush country to the south of Palestine that stretched down and away towards the Red Sea, Long had been the feud, bitter was the hatred that burned between Amalek and Israel: Amalek, bastardborn of Esau, and Israel, true son, heir of Abraham, chosen and favourite of Jehovah. When Israel came out of Egypt, Amalek laid wait for him in the valley ... of Rephidim, and only by the steadfastness and enduring power of the mighty lawgiver had they been discomfited. Moses, with his hands all weirdly stayed up on high by Aaron on one side and Hur on the other, had been the means of that first victory over the bandit-horde, when 'Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.' And then it was that the divine edict was to be registered and stand for ever, as in biting words of fire on brass or stone, when the Lord said unto Moses, 'Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua, for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. . . . The Lord hath sworn, I will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.' And the words of fate wrought out their own fulfilment. Balaam too takes up the vengeance-strain and sings, 'Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.' So Amalek, ever at feud with Israel, is found; at one time in league with the Moabites, smitten by Ehud at another time in league with the Midianites, but smitten by Gideon and now utterly broken, crushed, well-nigh exterminated: once more at the command of the Lord, given through Samuel to Saul, who had but just attacked and routed them under Agag, their shepherd king. But though Saul had overthrown them, it was destined in the counsels of fate that they in their fall should overthrow Saul, and be the cause of his fall. Samuel had been sent (you remember) with the solemn commission to Saul, ‘I anointed thee King over Israel; now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord: "Go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass."" Armed with the divine warrant Saul had set forth h; had wreaked Israel's vengeance on the tribe, and had now returned to Gilgal, after a grand triumphal procession up and down the land, with some few of the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to make a worthy thanksgiving offering, and sacrifice, to the God of battles, who had blessed his arms and prowess. 'Saul came to Carmel, and behold he set him up a place' (a triumphal arch of olives and myrtles and palms), 'and is gone about, and passed on ' in long procession with Agag the king, spared for his beauty and his stature, led as a captive in the splendid show, 'is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.' There, on the hill-top, radiant with the joy of victory, in the midst of his trusted and trusty warrior-people, stands King Saul. Samuel the aged prophet draws near with heavy heart, having spent the preceding night in grief and crying unto the Lord. To him steps down King Saul, and with a haste that betrays the misgivings of his conscience boasts of his execution of the divine mandate, and salutes him gaily. 'Blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the commandment of the Lord.' In simple words the prophet replies: "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?' At once Saul is ready with his excuse he throws the blame on his people : 'they should have been destroyed,' he pleads, 'I know, but the people brought the best of the flocks and of the herds, and with them they will sacrifice a grand thankoffering, as is most meet, now, even at once, to the Lord thy God.' But Samuel cannot join in the joy : he cannot condone Saul's disobedience for the sake of the sacrifice now promised instead thereof. Then Samuel said unto Saul: 'Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.' So fell his doom: the doom of that disobedience and self-will which had wrought C For |