The Jones County news., 1915-01-28
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson v.-First Quarter. For
Ian. 81, 1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

II 25-msmory Verses, 12-14-Gsldsn
Text. Juda. xiii, 4--commsnsary Pre-
pared by Rev. o. M. stearns.
This Is another record OF the Lord
delivering His people by strange In
strument strong physically, but very
weak spiritually; one who might have
been a very great man for God If he
had kept himself wholly for God, yet
honorable mention is made of him in
Heb. xi, 81. The story Of Samson coy
crs 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 fxiii, rs; xiv. G. 10; Ky, f4).
II was during the longest period of
Israels oppression that Samson was
born and when he came TO manhood
began 10 deliver Israel. They did evil
4 again IN the sight of the Lord and
were oppressed by the Philistines for
/ y
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 1t is Wonderful"
(yerse is, margin and II. ", text,
which is the same name as in Isa. tx,
0, 80 that we recognize the Son of God,
whose goings forth have been from of
old, from the days OF eternity (Aflc. |
" p, who appeared to Gideon, to |
Moses, to Joshua and others.
As here He appeared first to Ma
noah's wife, 1t is at least most inter
esting to note that He is first called
"the angel Of the Lord" in His ap-
pearing to Hagar. and 1t is written
that "she called the name of the Lord,
who spake unto her, Thou God seest
ne" (Gen. xvi. 7-13). This was also
n connection with a child TO be born,
who was the first named before his
birth, and there were just six others
10 named. II is worthy of note that
1
30 1t was also with Zacharias and
and In some respects the
Boys were similar compare lesson
verses A, and Luke /. 15-1D.
There Is more In these Bible records
han any of us have yet seen, and
some day IN the kingdom we will be
surprised at their Significance. We
hA n 10 talN ~ |
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 Mnnoah knew the Lord
and knew how to pray and obtain an
answer. The lesson is called a temper
,nce lesson because his wife was for
)idden to drink wine or strong drink
verses 4, 14 or to eat anything that
'ometh OF the vine or anything un-
lean. The child was to be Naz-
rite unto God all his life (verses s, n.
!, y.
The essential thought of such conse-
ration was separation unto the Lord, ,
nd the full requirement is given In ;
Sum vi. where 1t is seen that either
nan or woman might take such d /.
'ow. but II they became deflled the
lays of their defllement were lost :
verse 12). 1t was VOW only for a 9
line. and when fulfilled the Nazarite '
night drink wine oversees 13, 20). In |
he case OF Samson he was to be a |
'azarite from birth to death, but he /
ecame defiled through his fellowship 6
With Delilah Chapter xvi, 1920. /,
here were few Nazarites, and our !,
ord Jesus was the only perfect one :,
4 the sense of being wholly and al
rays separated unto God
Because 1t Is so costly to be discl- v
lie Uuke xiv. 20, 81, 33) there are few t
isciples. 1t seems so much easier to
e In some measure conforfned to this q
resent evil age than to be wholly sep ;,
rated from It, Yet the Lord Is ever
,olSing for any willing ones that He
lay show Himself strong In their be-
alf QI Chron. xvi, O. The Holy
plrlt the same who came upon Sam {
on from time to time and who dwells c
NNNA1 hAht hklS a ElthltA -
esire to fill us than any of us can V
esire to be filed. for 1t is written. n
The Spirit whom He made TO dwell =
j us yearneth for us even unto Jealous 8
nvy GAS. iv. 5, r. v. marginl. but
40 previous verse shows us that the
reat hindrance is the friendship of :
ais world. l
1t is the valley of Sorek or the lap ]
Delilah or some such phase OF v
'orldllness that hinders us from be- |,
lg what He would like us to be. Sam q
on was not In appearance a strong :,
ian, for had he been such the Philis-
mes would not have wondered at his
trength nor inquired the secret OF 1t x
'hapter xvi, 81. As his birth was a L
pecial gift from God to his parents, u
$ In the case of Isaac and John the 9
apust, 50 was his great physical
.rength. We must first be born OF r,
cd, born from above, and then If we
,e willing to be wholly separated
III I