The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1915-01-29


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
seven years course we suggest. in
outline, Samson's entire life.
|. Samson's Parents. God chooses
humble man and woman, folk of piety
and prayer, to bring forth and rear
this great deliverer. The angels most
improbable promise 1879 is accepted
by Manoah and his wife (13:6, ~.
They express a desire to be able to
measure up to the esponsibility--a
suggestion to parents. There is also a
hint of the dual responsibility of par
ents in the words. teach u.s." (See
Eph. 6;4; 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 q
Nazarite she must keep herself from
all things unclean ". IA; II Cor. 6:
~, even as Mary, the mother of
Jesus duke 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 Is. Manoah could not worship
the angel, but could show him hospi-
tality. Verse Is Or. W seems to indi-
cate that this was another premani-
festation of our Lord Jesus.
II. SamueI's Power. Every race has
its superman, and usually it 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
1925, The word move" suggests to
play upon harp, as IL Samson's heart
was open to God as 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 ("sunny') was full of laugh
ter; not the comic, but the joyous. He
did the big things God gave him to do
and was filled 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.
III. samson's lmpurlty. A woman
can make or mar the man with whom
she associates. AS Nazarite, Samson
was dedicated unto God, must not al
low razor to touch his head, was not
to touch anything unclean, nor drink
liquor. This vow was
usually for a short period. Samuel and
John the Baptizer are other Naza-
rites recorded in Scripture, and are
said to have been such from birth
t3:14; 1917; Luke 1:15). Samson's
strength burned out when he lay his
head in harlot's lap and the laughter
went out of his soul. 1t was that
which broke the contact between him
and God. Samson's birth in a cody
home, his knowledge of his relation to
God and the experience of Gods power
did not keep him from an ignoble
failure
Nv. Samson's Imprisonment. We find
him after his excuses grinding In the
Philistine prison, where he perhaps
overheard praises being sung to Dagon |
who had overthrown Jehovah's Judge. |
It 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. 1919. One act and (
The gay hero is grinding in prison
house. Directly man goes into i'm
purity, whether in act or thought, he
oses 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 Inn
pure habits.
Finally, when their hearts were
merry" (16:25), he is brought out to
make sport. During one Of his resting
periods he said to boy near by, Let
ne 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
he mysterious power of the unseen
1890. Was Samson suicide? No!
He accepted death as the inevitable
OF his act of duty (See
Heb 1889.
The growth of his hair was only a
oxen of that conservation which he
lad surrendered when he failed to
the wiles OF Delilah.
The Temperance Teaching of this
essen is all too plain. It must begin
n the home and continue throughout
IN of life. AS we have scattered in
throughout our land we
AVE seen the work of temperance adj
'ancing nightly Samson's exploit
With the lion is temperance sermon
d parable (14:5. 6; Prov 20:1) The
usiness OF the temperance forces is
0 slay the lion. We are also TO eat
honey out of the rock" to gain vic
cries, within and without and, like