Heroes of Israel Part 21

Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees: and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson."

And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, "I will go out as at other times, and shake myself."

But he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.

And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of bra.s.s; and he did grind in the prison house. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

=--52. Samson's Vengeance= (Judg. 16:23-31)

And the lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their G.o.d, and to rejoice: for they said, "Our G.o.d hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand." And when the people saw him, they praised their G.o.d: for they said, "Our G.o.d hath delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which hath slain many of us." And it came to pa.s.s, when their hearts were merry, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may make us sport."

And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made sport before them: and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, "Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them."

Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, "O Lord G.o.d, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once. O G.o.d, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."

And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him in the burying-place of Manoah his father.

THE MEANING OF THE STORY

163. All peoples have their old stories of heroes who had great strength. The Greeks had their Hercules and the Hebrews had their Samson. In reading his story we must remember that it belongs to a rude age, when men's pa.s.sions were strong and they had not learned the gentler ways of life. The story is full of adventure; it is very well told; it shows us much of the old Hebrew life; and it helps us to see how hard the lot of the people must have been under their oppressors. Of course they remembered any strong man of those days, and his story grew as it was told from generation to generation.

164 (--48). The first thing that we learn about the hero is that he was a promised child. He was set apart from his birth to the Lord. Such persons were called n.a.z.irites. They had to abstain from wine, and their hair was not to be cut.

165 (--49). With whom did Samson fall in love? The Philistines were the oppressors of his people. What did his parents think of it? It would seem that they all went down to make the betrothal feast. What great feat of strength did Samson perform on the way? Then there was a second visit for the marriage itself. What did Samson find this time on his way?

166 (--49). The story describes some of the old customs. What was Samson expected to provide for the wedding? How many young men were there? What bet did he make with them? What was the riddle? Could you have guessed it?

167 (--49). How did the young men find out the riddle? How did Samson pay his bet? Consider what rude times those must have been.

168 (--50A). We have a number of the old stories of Samson's strength.

Consider what injury was done to Samson. What humorous and savage revenge did Samson take upon his enemies? It was considered a great insult to burn the standing grain. What horrible vengeance did the Philistines take on the bride's family?

169 (--50B). Tell what Samson's own people did to him. Why did they do it? What was Samson's great feat? Notice how big they made the stories--one man killing a thousand.

170 (--50C). They loved the stories of Samson's clever escapes. How did the men of Gaza think he was caught? How did Samson escape?

171 (--51). This strong man was not really a great man. After he had lost his first Philistine wife he fell in love with another woman of the same race. She proved as deceitful as the first. Note the enormous bribe that the Philistine lords offered Delilah. What was the first trial of Samson's strength? The new bowstrings were probably cords made from the intestines of animals. If they were not dried they would be tougher.

172 (--51). Tell the story of the second trial. The story of the third trial is not quite so plain. It means that his long hair was to be woven in with a piece of stuff that was being woven in the loom. When he woke up he walked off with the whole heavy loom.

173 (--51). Notice how he let the wicked woman tease him. Was he strong or weak? Is it the part of a strong man to go into temptation or to run away from it? What was done to Samson? He makes us think of many a big strong man who was weak when it came to a question of goodness. Most of the big prize fighters are so weak that they become drunkards. Think of this hero doing the work of a slave.

174 (--52). Notice how delighted the Philistines were that they had overcome their great enemy. Imagine the crowd gathered in a temple, the roof of which rested upon two central pillars. When they were very merry they sent for the poor blind Samson to make fun of him. What happened?

175. Do you think Samson was a great man?

WRITTEN REVIEW

Discuss the question whether Samson ought to have been put among the heroes of Israel. Read over the story carefully and see why the Hebrews would have wished to cla.s.s him with their heroes. Read it again to see what there is against giving him that distinction. Prepare for a debate upon the question.

A HEROINE

XVII. RUTH, THE FOREIGNER

XVII. RUTH, THE FOREIGNER

THE STORY

=--53. The Three Widows= (Ruth 1:1-5)

And it came to pa.s.s in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

And Elimelech, Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years. And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.

=--54. The Return to Bethlehem= (Ruth 1:6-22)

A. THE TWO DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

And they said unto her, "Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people."

And Naomi said, "Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons that they may be your husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband, and should also bear sons; would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters: for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of the Lord is gone forth against me." And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her.

And she said, "Behold thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her G.o.d: return thou after thy sister-in-law."

And Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy G.o.d my G.o.d; where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me." And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.

B. THE ARRIVAL IN BETHLEHEM