The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-01-28


and drink no wine nor strong drink
Judges 1874
The story Of Samson bulks large in
the book of Judges and in the interest
and imagination of all men ever since
his day. This being the only lesson in
a seven years course we suggest, In
outline, Samson's entire life.
!. Samson's Parents. God chooses
a humble man and woman, folk of piety
and prayer, to bring forth and rear
this great deliverer. The angels most
improbable promise 1873 is accepted
by Manoah and his wife Q3:6. y.
They express a desire to be able TO
measure up to the responsibility
suggestion to parents. There is also
hint of the dual responsibility of par.
ents in the words, teach us" (See
Eph. GA; Jas. 1:5-7.) 1t was reason
able TO believe that the one who
brought the promise could also tell
them how to train and nurture the
child. God honored the mothers pray.
er and she shares her experience with
the father ". 81. AS the mother Of
Nazarite she must keep herself from
all things unclean w. IA; ii Cor. 6;
10, even as Mary, the mother OF
Jesus (Luke 1889. The experience OF
the sacrifice, the worship Of Manoah
and his wife and the fact OF Sam.
sons birth completes the record OF
chapter 13. Manoah could not worship
the angel but could show him hospi.
tality. Verse rs Or. W seems to indi.
cate that this was another premani-
festation OF our Lord Jesus.
u. samuel's Power. Every race has
its superman, and usually II is one OF
physical strength That Samson had
no physical evidence Of his superior
strength is evident from the fact that
Delilah asked to know his secret. Nor
was his strength in his hair, else there
was no need that the Spirit Of
Jehovah" should come upon him The
secret OF his power is indicated in
IL ~ L lt Nulu llluNt ohBhthlo w
play upon a harp, as If Samson's heart
was open to God as a harp is open to
human touch. "Samson's power was
the result Of faith that was open
to the infinite storehouse of the di-
vine dynamic" Such spiritual power
IS within the reach of every man.
Samson C'sunny') was full of laugh
ter; not the comic, but the joyous. He
did the big things God gave him to do
and was filed with gladness. But
Samson came under the spell Of an
evil woman and all Of this true laugh.
ter and glad joyousness left his soul
Chapter 13, verse %, illustrates the
amounting of the Holy Spirit for service
as perhaps distinguished from the
same Spirit for holiness. The laughter
heard in the haunts of sin has lots its
buoyancy, is forced, is different, Is
that of men whose hearts are unclean.
III. samson's lmpurity. A woman
can make or mar the man with whom
she associates. As Nazarite. Samson
was dedicated unto God must not al |
low q razor to touch his head, was not |
to touch anything unclean, nor drink |.
Intoxicating liquor This vow was
usually for short period. Samuel and
John the Baptizer are other Naza.
rites recorded in Scripture, and are !
said to have been such from birth
(3:14; 1917; Luke 1:15). Samson's |
strength burned out when he lay his |
head in harlots lap and the laughter |
went out of his soul. II was that |
which broke the contact between him
and God Samsons birth in a godly |
home, his knowledge of his relation to |
God and the experience of Gods power
did not keep him from an ignoble i
failure. He left the atmosphere of |
Gods spirit for that of sin prov. 4:
23).
W. Samson's Imprisonment. We find
him after his excesses grinding in the
Philistine prison, where he perhaps |
overheard praises being sung to Dagon
who had overthrown Jehovah's judge. |
II is never safe to play with tempta.
ton though conscious OF our own |
strength; then it is we are most apt |
to fall Il Cor, 10:12). One act and
the gay hero is grinding in prison
house. Directly a man goes into i'm
purity, whether in act or thought, he
loses the power that formerly moved
men or worked wonders. Year after
year Samson plodded his round of en-
forced toll, type of the force and
power of intemperance and other i'm.
pure habits. During these years he
doubtless put his hand upon his head
and said my hair is growing again.
and it gave him courage to believe
that God would yet give him another
chance.
Finally when their hearts we're
merry" Q6;25), he is brought out to
make sport. During one of his resting
periods he said to boy near by, Let
me feel of the two pillars" those upon
which the main walls rested and
which were within a mans reach
Then it was that he was able to grip
the mysterious power of the unseen
Q6:30). Was Samson a suicide? No!
He accepted death as the inevitable
consequence of his act of duty (See
Heb. 11:32).
The growth of his hair was only
token of that conservation which he
had surrendered when he failed to
withstand the wiles of Delilah.
The Temperance Teaching Of this