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And consider also, that of the ten lepers who were cleansed by the Lord, the one who
turned back in thanksgiving was a Samaritan (17: 11-19).
The Samaritans seem to have reacted favourably to the Gospel. This may be
ascertained from the sequel to the Lord's talk with the Samaritan woman. The woman,
upon the return of the disciples from the city, left her waterpot, and, speaking to the men
of that city, said, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did; is not this
the Christ?" (John 4: 29). The reaction of the Samaritans was immediate, for "they went
out of the city and came unto Him" (verse 30). The Lord, seeing them afar off, said:
"Say not ye, there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto
you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest"
(verse 35).
In verse 39, "Many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of
the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did", and, "Many more believed
because of His own word" (verse 41).
When later, "Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them",
it is recorded that, "The people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip
spake" (Acts 8: 5, 6). Luke also allies the church with Samaria (Acts 9: 31), and refers
to the brethren there (Acts 15: 3). So the Samaritans, despite their origin, received the
Word of God, proving again that God is no respecter of persons, a fact further
emphasized by the willingness of the Lord to discuss with the woman of Samaria a
subject as high and as holy as worship.
No.6.
Temple and Priesthood.
pp. 188 - 192
To build a temple for the Lord was the desire of David the King, and belonged to
the period when, "the Lord had given him rest roundabout from all his enemies"
(II Sam. 7: 1). But David was not allowed to fulfil this desire for he had been a man of
war, and so the honour was reserved for his son Solomon. The building of this Temple
represented the passing of the pilgrim stage and the establishing of the kingdom.
After the revolt of the ten tribes during the reign of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon,
this Temple suffered a series of misfortunes. In the fifth year of King Rehoboam,
Shishak King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took many of the Temple
treasures away (I Kings 14: 25-28). Later, during the reign of Asa King of Judah,
more of its treasures were taken in order to establish a covenant with the King of Syria,
so that the Northern Kingdom, ruled at this time by Baasha, might be defeated
(I Kings 15: 16-21). Thus did the Temple continue to suffer, until finally, the King of
Babylon removed all the vessels, burnt it down and demolished the wall. God's reasons
for allowing such a thing to happen are given in II Chron. 36: 14-21: