Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-11-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Ix.-Fourth Quarter, For
Dec. !, 1907.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Judg. xvi, 21.31.
Memory Verses, 2s-3o-GoIden Text,
Eph. vi, 1o-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D, M, Stearns.

Memory Verses, 2s-30-GoIden Tex,
Eph. vi, 1o-commentary Prepare,
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
copyright, 1907, by American Press Association
One of Gods chosen men, q Nazaritt
and the strongest Of men physically
brought to prison house. grinding
corn and afterward brought to pub
lie gathering of many thousands to
make sport for them as they worshiped
their god, made blind physically by his
spiritually blinded enemies, this is
truly sad sight. Yet it is written for
our benefit that we may not thus
bring reprOach upon our God Tor
grieve His Holy Spirit. AS we saw
last week and in previous lessons and
as the whole Bible teaches, God Is seek
ing for men who will walk continuous
ly with Him. follow Him fully and In
whom He can be magnified.
In Heb. xi. 80, we find Gideon, Barak
Samson and Jephtha mentioned with
David and Samuel as men of faith,
and In the long list of worthless In that
chapter the distinguishing feature of
each is faith in God Even In Sam
sons dying hour we find him in verse
% Of our lesson praying the prayer of
faith and receiving an immediate an
swer We must glance at the whole
story Of Samson chapters xiii to XVI
incluslye). an6 In chapter Kill we note
the visit of the Lord to Manoah and
his wife, the same one who appeared
to Gideon and Joshua, who talked face
to face with Moses, appeared to Abra-
ham, Isaac and Jacob and clothed
Adam and Eve with coats of skins in
Eden, whose goings forth have been
from the days Of eternity (Mic. V, 2,
margin). He is called In the present
story an angel twelve times, a man five
times and God once (verse 22) When
Manoah asked for His name He said,
ut is wonderful (xiii, IS, margin),
making us think of lisa tx, 6, T. As He
assembled In the flame of Manoah's sac
rifice it is said that He did wondrously,
and Manoah and his wife looked on
(xiii, 10. 1t was even so at the exodus.
the dividing of the Red sea and the
Jordan, the overthrow Of Jericho, and |
long afterward In the days of His So
jOurn upon earth when in the presence |
of the disciples He wrought so many
miracles He is the same yesterday,
today and forever.
In chapters xiv and XIV the power of |
God is seen in Samson In his Staying q
lion, in his killing 1000 men with the
jawbone Of an ass, In his carrying of |
the city gates and walking away with
the weaverS beam fastened to his
locks, etc. Gods care Of him Is seen
in His bringing water from the dry
bone for him when he was thirsty and
In other ways. He could not have been
a great man physically, else people
would not have wondered wherein his
great strength lay. but he was a Naza-
rite (Xiii, -. for an explanation of
which see Mum. vi. but he was Naza-
rite whose separation had been defiled
and his days lost (Num. vi, ~. One
part of the Christening for this was to
shave the head, and this his enemies
lid for him.
In verse % Of our lesson we read
hat the hair Of his head began to
ROW again. and in this we see his
returning in measure.
o Godi And here we must touch upon
omething most practical and search
ng, briefly limited at In last weeks
lesson. At the judgment
eat of Christ all that has been of self
n our lives will be seen to be only
wood. hay and stubble, fit to be burned
o our loss. A true child of God cannot
re lost. but his life or part of it may be
)St. All SamsOn's wandering from
iod by contact with sinful people was
)st time, and, not only so, 1t was God
ishOnOring time. All the years that
Srael was in the hands of her enc
lies. overcome by them because of
er sin. during the days of these judges
'as time not counted by God, and this
xplains one of the seeming discrep-
ncies OF Scripture. In | Kings, vi, l.
e read that from the exodus to the
)urth year of Solomon was $50 years.
lille in Acts xiii. 1922, 1t is easily .
cen to be 573 years (40+ 1901 40+ 40+3l,
discrepancy of ninety-three years.
low interesting it is that we find just
lese years lost by Israel as a nation
lille oppressed by their enemies! The
cord Of the years of their expressions
In iii, 8, IA; iv. 3; vi 4; xiii, l, and !.
lie figures are 8+18+20+7+40-93, y
hich subtracted from 573, gives 49, :,
aking perfect agreement in the two u
counts. There is another oppression =
eighteen years mentioned in Judg I :,
8, but it'was only partial and con- }
ned to the east of Jordan. May the
ord deliver Us from all Deliahs and ,"
ON wasting or misusing His time or :,
Tents or opportunities! :
Because of Samson's sin see the "
hilistines rejoicing in their idol Da- ,,
IN and wOrshiping 1t. That is the 81
vii, for all idol worship is Of the !,
vii q Cor. X, 20). When children of W
Cd conform to this world they give ~
eat occasion to the enemy to bias n,
leme =,
How humiliating to see such q one w
Samson making sport for the Philis- IA
les, yet there are today processing r,
lristians so blinded that they think b.
all right to make sport for or amuse q,
g worlds people and. in fact, often
it to obtain money for what they In
II fhn ..r1fe xr0rt,t ,,,o ouo