Vers. 17-19.-The self-refreshment of Divine service. After his great exploit Samson was exhausted and athirst. The zeal for the glory of Jehovah is upon him, and he cannot brook the tarnishing of his glorious victory by a base surrender to the Philistines. He immediately calls upon God, and is answered in the very scene of his warfare. I. IN MOMENTS OF GREATE8T EXALTATION AND POWER THE SAINT IS REMINDED OF HIS WEAKNESS AND DEPENDENCE UPON GOD. Paul and the "thorn in the flesh." The great deed and heroic uplifting of soul accompanying it are a Divine gift-a treasure in an earthen vessel. " By the grace of God I am what I am." II. THE TRUE SAINT WILL FRANKLY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS 1 AND BETAKE HIMSELF TO PRAYER FOR DIVINE HELP. The faith that made Samson irresistible in battle now makes him prevail with God. A sense of spiritual fitness forbids the notion that God will suffer such an anti-climax. The victories that spring from acknowledged weakness are more glorious than those which proceed upon our fancied independence and self-sufficiency. "When I am weak, then am I strong." III. THE CONDITIONS OF AN EFFECTUAL PRAYER. 1. Sincerity and faith. God had helped him already; he is convinced, therefore, that he will still help. 2. Because of wants and hardships necessitated by Divine service. He is immediately answered, and in the very scene of it. No earth1y hand is suffered to help. 3. Zeal/or the glory of God. The idea of neutralising his triumph by yielding through physicn.l distress is obnoxious to him. He asks God to preserve the splendour of the exploit which brought such glory to his name.-M.
Ver. 15.-The jawbone of an ass. I. IT WAS A NOVEL WEAPON. Samson again shows his inventiveness and originality (see ver. 4). To succeed in sudden emerg- encies, we must have presence of mind to choose and act rapidly and freshly. ·The slave of routine is helpless in every critical moment of life. II. IT WAS THE MOST CONVENIENT WEAPON AVAILABLE. If S11mson could have laid his hand on a sword he would not have picked up the bone. It would be foolish, rash, and presumptuous to reject the better means in order to make a display of strength or originality in the use of inferior means. But when the only thing av:,.il- able is a comp11ratively poor expedient, it is better to use this than nothing. While we are waiting for the perfect weapons to be forged the opportunity for victory passes. Thus inferior men and inferior methods must often be used for want o:e better ones. It is wrong for us to refuse to do 11ny work for Christ because we have not the best possible natural powers or cultiv11tion. It is better to serve as we are than not nt all. III. IT WAS A SIMPLE WEAPON. M11ny would have despaired with such a prospect as Samson's. But difficulty is the inspiration of genius. In spiritual warfare God sometimes blesses the poorest means when faith and zeal 11re making the best use of them. God's strength is thus most perfect in our weakness, because then we most need it, are most likely to seek it trnstfullv and will he most inclined to use it obediently 166 THE BOOK OF JUDGES. [err. xv. 9-20
IV. IT WAS A RIDICULOUS WEAPON. The hero would seem to be humiliated ns he co~descended to use such a ~eapon. But he was great enough to despise ridicule. It 1s weak and wrong t,o decline to use the only ava1lable means of renderincr God good sernce becanse we fear they are undignified. True dignity is found ~ot in redantry nnd pomp, but in simple, brave independence. Great needs conquer foolish v,mity. 'When the Philistines are on us we are in no mood to ask or to care whether our conduct will excite the laughter of the idle. If Christians realised more fully the awful depth of the world's sin a'ild misery, they would be Iese sensitive to the trivial ridicule ,vith which men may regard their work. How many promising lives have been poisoned by the narcotic of a false respectability I V. IT WAS~ S(!CCESSF~ ~EAP~N. This is the_ one mat_ter _of consequence. Success refutes all obJect1ons. ~1d1cule 1s now turned mto admJ.ration, The very simplicity and folly of the means increases the glory of the result. So the great question in the Christian warfare against evil is that this is effective. If so all the world's foolish criticism will be drowned in the triumph of victory.-A. '