Let us look at the text in two ways, first as it applies to Samson, and second as it applies to the Christian.
I.
Samson's Loss.
" The Lord was departed from him."
So God had once been there. His Spirit had dwelt in Samson's heart, and in no small measure. But now God had left Samson. Well, what difference did it make to him ? We must look at Samson before and after.
i. Before.
1. His consecration. — Samson enjoyed a singular privilege, accorded only to one other person in the Old Testament. His birth was foretold to his parents by an angel. Isaac was promised to Abraham and Sarah by angels whom they entertained un- awares ; but, save Isaac, Samson was the only one whose birth was foretold by an angelic messenger before the opening of the Gospel dispensation. Before his birth he was dedicated to God, and set apart as a Nazirite. Now,.j. Nazirite was.,a^ptgl'Sonjw^ was .eiiti£fiIy..CQnsscrated to Glo4rgJ^^5Jja-Joken_£>£ hisiiBsefifaliQii hedTaBk-j^,^ae» ^nd JuUgwad^ig ha,iv_t9 groY^f untouchet^ \y a- irazoi:;^ Samson was entirely consecrated to God, and when any saw him, they would say, " That man is God's man, a Nazirite, set apart." Thus Samson grew up in the belief that he was con- secrated to God, that there was a definite, divinely appointed
work for him to do, and that God would endov/ him for that work
19s
196 UNCONSCIOUS LOSS
with all the necessary strength. As he grew up, we are told, " The Lord blessed him, and the spirit of the Lord began to move him in the camp of Dan."
^ To consecrate one's life is not necessarily to alter the daily round of duty, but it must_fill everything-rT-recreatiDn-as-well as work — with a new spirit. And the "spirit" in which a thing is done makes all the difference between a great and a small action. A room may be swept or scrubbed because it is a necessary part of the day's work ; or the commonplace task may be turned into a high and glorious privilege, if the heart is thrilled with the wonderful remembrance that Christ is the Eoyal Guest for whom the room is being prepared.^
2. The heroic in him. — What was it that made Samson strong ? It was this : He refused to accept . the Jaw, .degraded religious standard with_ which his cop.temporaries vtiere. content,. Tiie Israelites still believed that they were the chosen people of God, but there was a glaring inconsistency between what they pro- fessed to believe and the real condition in which they were. Called to freedom, God's people they were ; emancipated by the power of Joshua, working the will of Almighty God, they were yet in a despicable servitude to the Philistines ; they were content — for the human mind is strangely constructed — they were quite content with that state of things. It did not appear to them any great inconsistency that the people of the Lord, who were in the land which flowed with milk and honey, with all the bright and glorious promises of utter quiet and entire freedom, should yet be the craven slaves of a people with lower morals and grosser religion, ^amson refused to ratify the inconsistency- that he saw. To him nothing short of harmony between the promise of God and the fact of his people's freedom would be satisfying. Qie- CQnviction was a real and an adequate one; it was jthis — -and.he held it firmly — that the dominion of God, was .absolute and irresistiblg,,that_the_prQnii,ges olGod-were-tme a.nd eved^stingly faithful. Without doubt the temptation came Jo him to accept things as they were, and not to rise to the higher ley^el of truth and integrity; but he cast it Ifom him, and^ doing^ov became the man of his age, the hero of his racej^a,nd th.a j^indicator, ot jGo^I?- truth at that era of th^ world.
^ Dora Farncombe, The Vision of His Face, 81.
JUDGES XVI. 20 197
The other. Judges were bracked by Ihe people : the moveijient for freedoiEL began wit.h them,, individuallj^ut tjie mass of thej people .rQBe_at their^ call. But Samson, throughQ.ut,,.jQught^the| Philistines . singlejianded. He despised their whole collectedf armies, went down alone into their strongest cities, and whenj they would shut him in, carried away gates and bars in the grimJ satiric mood that was his fighting humour; and that was the nearest approach to seriousness • the presence of armed enemies could induce. Samson was qualified by his natural gifts thus tol. stand alone and to hearten the people and give them morel courageous and hopeful thoughts. It was not more his great! physical strength than the blithe and daring manner in which ( he used it that impressed the people and solaced the weaker men [ who could not imitate him. His namer-SaiasQii^refQra.UDt-.to his strength, but to^jiis tfifflip^. .Ifcmeaojs " Suan^i." TJiiajsvas wjiat I the^^eoplefia^v-iahmi — an inexhaustiblej'Qyoii^ness of^disposition 4^ tUa»t-tMjpye4 ly^.^^f^^ W^ diffiGultyjj,nd mLade Mm segin 3
to_JbhjE_JLiwn=|^:ftdden._j^^ _^as ^clg.]jde4H3*Ad. 1
gloomy;jj,s, .the.^unjcising ,upon and chee,ring.j^jQj. XlU£4fiipiJS=^ j oe^^am©,. QuLjlit the Eghtheartediiesg with which he fought ( ^:£gilL?^' C""pt]pss jjddp; ja-hls tajste_for yrtty^yings an^riddles-: and ill -t.ha-gigf]|^pt[f>. j^yap.tjp.fl.l j pfcos . he peqDgtrate^^mjggJXying qSLA ^e^,>gsi>Q!^MSrfi,7St^md ig^ing^th^ foxes,, tajl^J^gj^^U^jiids^ { them through the stajidiff^cor-a-witi];.i),urnmgJ)iaiids.
•[[ Where consecration is, there will be the realization of God's presence. We may rely upon it that where one resolutely sets God before the soul as the object of desire, adoration, and obedience, there God will become a living reality. He will reveal Himself without doubt to such, and His presence will come to surround the soul. And there will be joy. That is to say, the sure fruit of consecration, like the fruit of the Spirit, is joy. We do not always regard the matter in this light. We are disposed to speak of the duty of consecration — the duty of setting apart substance or self to the use and service of God ; and it is a duty, the rightful claim of God upon us. \!£^t we are.api. to _ forget ^s that JDuty where it is, discharged ,^always cpffieaJiO wjear tlie robes q| gladness and is apj)arellfiiLiiL celesfeial.Jighk — X-hat.is especialj^true -^lour duty-_ta God^ InJ2eepiilgJB^a_ilttlnBQLaad- ments Uiere is great reward.^