The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-11-29
THE DEATH OF
SAMSON
sunday School Lesson Tor Dec. I. 100
Specially Prepared FOR This Paper

LESSON TEXT-Judses is.a-si. Mem
Dry verses 2n-@.
Golden TExT.-"Be strong in the
Lord. and the power OF His might -
Eph. 6.i9
TIME-B. c. lIls-iOs. During the last
part Of the period Of the Judges the
v years OF the Philistine oppression OF
Nest Israel. ll3f-ioei and contemporary
with the FIRST 20 years OF Samuel
PLACE If we make jerusalem md
Hebron centers from which 10 mea sure-
Zorah. the birthplace Of Samson. will D.
a rniles west Of jerusalem the valley
u Sorek. two miles farther west; Tim
nath four miles south OF Zorah' and
Ashdod 90 miles further west near the
sea. Hebron Is - miles south OF Jeru-
salem. and GAIA 3S miles directly west
See cOlorcd map. The tribe OF Dan Dor
1ered on the north Of Judah and west OF
/ Benjamin the line running through Je-
rusalem east and west
Comment and Suggestive Thought
The Samson stories.-It seems
strange, at first sight. that three chap
tiers OF the Bible should be given 10
the story of such a man as Samson
great strong. joyial. good -natured.
ready to fight. equally ready 10 play
rough Jokes and utter witty sayings.
with an animal nature oyershadowing
the spiritual II is still more strange
that in the roll-call OF heroes OF the
faith in the eleventh chapter of He
brews. Samson should be named with
Abraham. Gideon. and David. among
those who through faith subdued
Kingdoms. wrought righteousness, OBJ
tained promises. stopped the mouths
OF lions
Samson and His Charseteri stles.-
1. The name Samson is derived from
the Hebrew word for sun. and
means sunny" or "sun-hero." He was
born at Zorah in the more southern
Of the two settlements OF the tribe or
Dan. on the borders Of Judah. IA
miles west of Jerusalem. His fathers
name was Manoah.
2. Even before his birth his mis-
sion was announced He was to be
one who should begin to save Israel
out OF the hand OF the Philistines.
and to this end was TO be cOnsecrated
to God Judges 49,. 1t is a great
thing for any person TO be so endowed
and so trained as To have a definite
mission in this world Only partially
did Samson fulfill his ideal. but the
presence Of IL Influenced his whole
life.
3. The conservation Of Samson was
through the Nazirite vow, which re
1uired (Num. s. 2-6) total abstinence
/ from grapes. wine. and all intoxicat-
ing liquors. that the hair should go
uncut: and that all contamination
with dead bodies be avoided It was
usually a temporary vow. but Samson
. and John the Baptist we're perpetual
!. Nazirites. The meaning OF the No"
vas probably entire e cons. 70
/ God" $780, =. .st-e.s
II Is 10 be noted that, according 10
the record. Samson with all his 9TH
or failings. yet kept sacred the con
ditions OF this vow On the keeping
Of the vow his strength and prowess
depended.
4 The first and most effective OF
the endowments OF Samson for his
mission was his great strength.
which. in general he used 70 deliver
his nation from the power Of the op-
nressor. although not always in the
wisest way.
s a second special endowment OF
Samson was his sense Of humor, his
lmpulsive practical Joking. puns. and
riddles. These were an advantage to
him even in his efforts to overcome
the Philistins oppressors - :,
6 lie was a born rghter lie
knew his strength and loved to use
IT, Nothing stirred him like the JOY
81 battle, unless, indeed. the sweet
rewards OF victory. its spells and
pleasures Such men commonly de
generate into mercenary brutes, fight
X ing here and there on whichever side
I inclination may be strongest or per
e sonal advantage creates" Rev Ira
ie s Dodd.
a But it was not so in the case Of
n Samson.
" Z His weakness was very great
II His spiritual nature was not highly
O. developed He was not leader or
n organizer Of men He did his work
alone. and not by massing the nation
: against the oppressor He was infect
5 ed with the loose morals OF his heath
r. On neighbors. These we're a hind
t rance to his mission. and brought him
c to blindness. slavery. and an untimely
death
l s. But in the main he was firmly
on the side OF Gods people and the
fulhllment OF his mission He never
broke his Nazirite VOWS. Re was a
total abstinence man TO the end. To
appreciate the faith Of Samson II Is
J necessary to understand the tempta
lions and difficulties in face OF which
the performed his task. II
Samson had cared only for the salts
i faction Of his course and selfish i'm
pulses. the road to that infamous fame
would have been wide open. But
" read bis story. You will see that hs
always fought on one side.-the un
4 popular. the dangerous, the appar
: emily hopeless side.
Practical Points
Strength. even physical strength
/ II Il 81 "A