The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-11-29
THE DEATH OF
SAMSON
Sunday School Lesson Tor Dec. ]. 1907
Specially Prepared for This Paper

GOLDEN TEXT.-"Be strong in the
Lord, and the power of His might
Eph. G:l0.
part of the period Of the Judges, the
40 years of the Philistine oppression OF
West Israel. il34-l09i and contemporary
with the first 20 years of Samuel
PLACE.-If we make Jerusalem ana
Hebron centers from which to measure
Zorah, the birthplace OF Samson VIII Dc
! IA miles west OF Jerusalem; the valley
/ of SorelS, two miles farther west; I'M
| nath, four miles south of Horahi ana
! Ashdod, 20 miles further west near the
sea Hebron Is 20 miles south of Jeru-
salem, and GAIA SO miles directly west
See colored map. The tribe of Dan Dor
dered 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 TO
the story of such a man as samson
great, strong, jovial, good-natured'
ready to fight, equally ready to play
rough Jokes and utter witty sayings,
with an animal nature overshadowins
the spiritual. 1t is still more strange
that in the roll-call of heroes OF the
faith in the eleventh chapter or he
brews, Samson should be named with
Abraham, Gideon, and David, among
those who through faith subdued
kingdoms, wrought righteousness, OBJ
tanned promises, stopped the mouths
of lions"
Samson and His characteristics
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 OF
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
ont of the hand of the Philistines,
and to this end was to be consecrated
TO God Judges 49,. 1t is great
y thing for any person to be so endowed
l. and so trained as to have DEFINITE
y mission in this world. Only partially
5, did Samson fulfill his ideal, but the
g presence of it influenced his whole
life.
@ 3. The conservation of Samson was
l. through the Nazirite VOW, which re-
s. quired Mum. 6: 2-6) total abstinence
'r from grapes, wine, and all intoXlcat-
ing liquors.; that the hair should go
" uncut; and that all contamination
7. with dead bodies be avoided. 1t was
n usually a temporary vow, but Samson
RI and John the Baptist were perpetual
d. Nazirites. The meaning of the vow
Of was probably entire conservation to
r God"
4" II Is TO be noted that, according to
10 the record, Samson, with all his 9TH
ST err failings, yet kept sacred the con-
" ditions of this vow. On the keeping
n. of the VOW his strength and prowess
e, depended.
ii. 4. The first and most effective OF
ne the endowments of Samson for MS
mission was his great strength
- which. in general, he used to deliver
:, his nation from the power of the op
=. pressor. although not always in the
,d wisest way.
- 5. A second special endowment Of
90 Samson was his sense of humor, his
% impulsive practical joking, puns, ano
ao riddles. These were an advantage tC
Iv him even in his efforts to overcome
n the Philistine oppressors.
al 6. HE was a born fighter. HI
knew his strength and loved to use
II. Nothing stirred him like the 10!
"a of a battle, unless, indeed, the swee
10 rewards of victory, its spoils ant
- pleasures. Such men commonly de
- generate into mercenary brutes, fight
"a ing here and there on whichever sid
-. inclination may be strongest or pei
- sonal advantage greatest. Rev. Ir
40 S. Dodd.
No But it was not so in the case o
Samson.
20 Z. His weakness was very great
=. His spiritual nature was not highl
= 20 developed. He was not a leader o
80 organizer of men. He did his wor
az alone, and not by massing the natio
.oo3 against the oppressor. He was infec
10 ed with the loose morals OF his heatf
2.21 en- neighbors. These were hint
rance to his mission, and brought hiI
. to blindness, slavery, and an untimel
death.
8. But in the main he was flrml
on the side of Gods people and tn
fulfllment of his mission. He nevt
broke his Nazirite vows. He was
total abstinence man to the end. IT
appreciate the faith of Samson IL
. necessary to understand the temps
civ tions and difficulties in face of whic
nc the performed his task
col. Samson had cared only for the sati
18th faction of his course and selfish In
pulses, the road to that infamous fam
would have been wide open. III
u read his story. You will see that
Gun always fought on one side,-the n
dc. popular, the dangerous, the appa
peu emily hopeless side.
Practical Points.
by Strength, even physical strengt
md has real use in the kingdom of Go
hat The jollity and frolicsomeness
the youth. even the tendency to pranl
-