Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-01-27
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson v.-First Quarter. For
Ian. 81, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.


25-Memory Verses, 12-14-Golden
Text, Jude. xiii, documentary Pre-
pared by Rev. o. M. Stearns.
This is another record of the Lord
delivering His people by a strange in
strument, strong physically, but very
weak spiritually; one who might have
been very great man for God if he
had kept himself wholly for God. yet
honorable mention Is made of him in
Heb. xi, So The story of Samson COW
ers four chapters, xiii TO xvi, OF which
our lesson chapter tells of the an
nouncement of his coming. his birth
and growth to manhood. The other
three chapters tell of his doings. and
whatever WAS worth while was by the
Spirit of the Lord, who Is mentioned
four times xiii. %; xiv. 6, 10; XIV. IL.
1t was during the longest period of
Israers oppression that Samson was
born and when he came to manhood
began to deliver Israel. They did evil
again In the sight of the Lord and
were oppressed by the Philistines for
ty years verse II. The messenger
from heaven, who appeared first to
Manoah's wife and later to Manoah,
Is mentioned fourteen times and is
called the angel of the Lord ten times,
the angel of God twice and the man Of
God twice. When asked his name by
Manoah he replied it is Wonderful
Verse IS, margin and r. ", text.
which is the same name as In lisa. TX.
6, so that we recognize the Son of God,
whose goings forth have beef from of
old, from the days of eternity (AIic.
v, p, who appeared to Gideon, to
Moses, to Joshua and others.
As here He appeared first to Ma
noah's wife, it is AT least most inter-
esting to note that He is first called
the angel of the Lord" in His APP
pearing to Hagar, and it is written
that ''she called the name of the Lord.
who spake unto her, Thou GOD seest
me" Gen. xvi. T-13). This was also
in connection with child to be born.
who was the first named before his
birth, and there were just six others
as Manoah and his wife had no child,
so it was also with Zacharias and
Elizabeth. and in some respects the
boys were similar compare lesson
verses 4, ; and Luke /. 15-10.
There is more in these Bible records
than any of us have yet seen, and
some day in the kingdom we will be
Il az hot Cs.
may not be able to tell why this man
and his wife of the tribe of Dan
were chosen to be thus honored,
but possibly they were devout, like
the father and mother of John the
Baptist We may judge from lesson
verse that Manoah knew the Lord
and knew how to pray and obtain an
answer. The lesson is called a temper
ance lesson because his wife was for
hidden to drink wine or strong drink
oversees 4, 14) or to eat anything that
cometh OF the vine or anything I'M
clean. The child was to be a Naz-
arite unto God all his life oversees 5, u.
8, ..
The essential thought of such conse-
Grafton was separa ton unto the Lord.
and the full requirement Is given In
Mum. vi, where it is seen that either
man or woman might take such n
vow. but if they became defiled the
days Of their defilement were lost
verse 12). 1t was a vow only for a
time. and when fulfilled the Nazarite
might drink wine verses ID. 20D In
the case of Samson he was to be a
Nazarite from birth to death, but be
became defiled through his fellowship
with Delilah chapter xvi. 1920.
There were few Nazarites, and our
Lord Jesus was the only perfect one
in the sense of being wholly and al
ways separated unto God
Because it is so costly to be disci-
pie luke xiv. 26. 81. 33l there are few
disciples. 1t seems so much easier to
be In some measure conforIned to this
present evil age than TO be wholly sep
arated from it. Yet the Lord is ever
looking for any willing ones that He
may show Himself strong in their be-
half QI Chron. xvi. 81. The Holy
Spirit. the same who came upon Sam
son from time to time and who dwells
in every true believer. has greater
desire to fill us than any of us can
desire to be filed. for 1t is written.
The Spirit whom He made to dwell
in us yearneth for us even unto jealous
envy (Jas. iv. 5. r. ". margin, but
the previous verse shows us that the
great hindrance is the friendship of
this world.
1t is the valley of Sorek or the lap
of Delilah or some such phase of
worldliness that binders US from be-
ing what He would like us to be. Sam
son was not in appearance strong
man, for had he been such the Philis-
tines would not have wondered at his
strength nor inquired the secret Of it
tchapter xvi. 81. AS his birth was a
special gift from God to his parents.