Story 75: Disasters Caused By The Abuse Of The Ark Of GOD ll

   Just as the abuse of the Ark had proven a curse to the Is'ra-el-ites, so its presence among the Phi-lis'tines became the source of terrible calamities. When the people came into the temple to worship on the next morning they found the image of Da'gon lying on its face before the Ark. On the next morning a still worse thing happened, for they found that not only had Da'gon fallen again, but his head and hands, the emblems of his strength, were cut off. Neither priests nor people dared to cross the threshold of the temple. In addition to the mysterious disasters which befell their fish-god, the people of the city and surrounding coast-lands were afflicted with a plague of boils, which caused great suffering and death.
   Overwhelmed by their sufferings and by the clear supremacy of the God of Is'ra-el over their chief god, the people of Ash'dod hastily sent the Ark off to Gath, another chief city of the nation ten miles to the east. When the same affliction came upon the people of that city, they rushed the Ark off to Ek'ron, where the same punishments were repeated.
   The cry of the people against these disasters was so intense that the lords of the Phi-lis'tines gathered in council. It was then decided to send the Ark back to Is'ra-el with an offering of golden jewels; this was done in the hope of appeasing the anger of God against them. Under the instructions of the magicians of the land they prepared five golden emerods to represent the plague of boils, and five golden mice in token of the hordes of these pests which had infested the land. This was in keeping with the heathen custom of presenting to their gods offerings which expressed the mercy desired.
   A new cart drawn by two milch kine was used for the removal of the Ark. It was carried to Beth-she'mesh within the borders of Ben'ja-min, placed on a large stone in the field of a man named Josh'u-a, and there the cows were offered as a burnt sacrifice to the LORD.
   The people of Beth-she'mesh did not treat the Ark with proper reverence,-some of them even looking into it-so the LORD punished thousands of them with death. The Ark was then removed to Kir-jath-Je'a-rim, a much larger town in the territory of the tribe of Ju'dah on the road to Shi'loh. Here it was placed in the home of A-bin'a-dab, and his son E-le-a'zar was appointed to protect it from all irreverence. The Ark remained in the house of A-bin'a-dab for seventy years or more, and was later restored to the Tabernacle by David.

Story 75: Disasters Caused By The Abuse Of The Ark Of GOD l

   As noted in previous chapters, the Is'ra-el-ites at this time were under the dominion of the Phi-lis'tines who held the rich plains of the Med'i-ter-ra'ne-an in the south and southwest, and who made frequent raids upon the tribes which lived near them. It appears that Sam'u-el directed the people of Is'ra-el to make war upon these Phi-lis'tines in the latter days of E'li, and that the Is'ra-el-ites were badly defeated in a battle fought near A'phek, which was not far from Miz'pah in the territory of Ben'ja-min.
   The moral and spiritual state of Is'ra-el at the time was at a very low ebb. E'li's sons had neither confessed their guilt nor amended their ways, and the people had not turnt to God in penitence for idolatry or in prayer for help against their enemies. There was, however, a superstitious and idolatrous regard for the Ark at Shi'loh, and the Is'ra-el-ites were influenced by the customs of their heathen neighbors, who carried images of their gods into battle in the hope of victory, to have their elders bring the Ark of the Cov'e-nant to the battle-field.
   A great uproar and clamor was raised by the Is'ra-el-ites whenever the Ark was brought up to the line of battle, and the Phi-lis'tines were filled with terror when they learnt the reason for such rejoicing by their enemies. The Phi-lis'tines, however, determined to fight on with greater force and courage than they had shown at any time before.
   On the next day the Is'ra-el-ites resumed the battle in a rather lighthearted manner, and with superstitious reliance upon the presence of the Ark to bring them victory. They tried to throw off the yoke of the Phi-lis'tines without submitting to the yoke of God. They failed to offer repentance and obedience to the LORD whose presence among them was falsely represented by the misuse of the Ark, and therefore the LORD'S hand was against them. The defeat of the previous day was turnt into a rout, with the loss of thirty thousand soldiers. Hoph'ni and Phin'e-has, the two wicked sons of E'li, were slain, and the Ark of the Cov'e-nant was taken by the Phi-lis'tines.
   Is'ra-el had relied upon the presence of a symbol, while ignoring that God was represented by that symbol. They had trusted in the power of magic while the emblem of Divine power was abused in profane hands; they had pretended to be loyal to the Laws of God while their hearts were separated from Him by great sins.
   The aged High Priest E'li waited at the gates of Shi'loh for news of the result of the battle. His heart sank in despair when a Ben'ja-mite messenger told him of the shameful defeat of his people, and of the death of his two sons and of thirty thousand footmen. When he learnt that the Ark of God had been captured by the Phi-lis'tines, he suddenly fell over backwards, and his neck was broken by the fall. When the wife of Phin'e-has was told that her husband was dead, and that the Ark had been taken by Is'ra-el's enemies, she gave her new-born child the name of Ich'a-bod, which means, "the glory of the LORD has departed." Thus, according to the word of the LORD, the doom pronounced upon the house of E'li was carried out.
   The Phi-lis'tines carried the Ark to Ash'dod, which was one of the five noted cities of their nation, located about thirty-two miles north of Ga'za and one mile from the sea. It was placed in the temple of Da'gon, the fish-god of this heathen nation. Da'gon was represented by an image with a human body and a fish's tail.
  

Story 74: The High Priest E'li And The Boy Sam'u-el lV

   When Sam'u-el was about twelve years old he was sleeping in a room which adjoined that of the High Priest. Suddenly he heard a voice calling, "Sam'u-el, Sam'u-el." Thinking that E'li needed him for some service, he rushed into the next room and said, "Here I am, did you not call me?" E'li told Sam'u-el that he had not called him, and directed him to return to his own room. The same experience was repeated, and then took place for the third time. E'li then told Sam'u-el that the voice which had come to him must be that of the LORD, and that if he heard it again, he should say, "Speak, LORD, for thy servant heareth." Once more Sam'u-el heard the voice calling him by name, and this time he did as E'li had directed. The LORD then revealed to his young servant a message of doom which must be delivered at once to E'li.
   When Sam'u-el awoke from the dream he hesitated to bring E'li the message from God. But when E'li urged him to relate what the LORD had said, and solemnly charged him to keep back nothing, he told the aged priest of God's judgments against his house because of the wickedness of his sons.
   Even the confirmation of the doom previously announced to him by the unnamed messenger of God failed to stir E'li to any serious effort to prevent his sons from going on in their evil ways. Giving up all priestly and parental authority, he said, "It is the LORD, let him do what seemeth him good."
   As proved by future events, this incident was more significant in the life of Sam'u-el than in that of E'li. For the first time the LORD had revealed Himself to the lad who was afterwards to be known as "the prophet of the LORD." God opened the spiritual hearing to Sam'u-el, and whispered to him the secret of His own will and purposes. From that very moment the reality and personal contact of God with him became a constant experience; he kept his ears open for every utterance of the Divine voice, and was recognized by the people as a prophet of the LORD. He grew in favor with God and with man, and "the LORD was with him, and did let none of His words fall to the ground."
  

Story 74: The High Priest E'li And The Boy Sam'u-el lll

   In the birth of this son Han'nah gave to the world one of the greatest characters of Biblical history. Sam'u-el was destined to become the chief interest of God in leading Is'ra-el from a disordered group of twelve rival tribes into a strongly united nation. While silently pleading with the LORD, Han'nah had said in her heart, "If thou wilt give thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life." In her deep consecration she had promised that the most cherished gift of her heart would be returnt to the Divine; that God's gift to her would be her consecrated gift to God.
   For the first three years of Sam'u-el's life Han'nah watched over him tenderly, not even going up to Shi'loh for the annual feast days and sacrifices unto God.
   When Sam'u-el was about three years old, his father and mother prepared special offerings to be made unto the LORD, and carried the young child to the Tabernacle at Shi'loh. Han'nah told E'li that she was the woman who had come to the Temple years before to pray for a son, and acknowledged God's favor in giving her the child. Sam'u-el was then dedicated to the service of the LORD, and was left in the Tabernacle to be trained for his mission by ministering unto the LORD before E'li. Han'nah and her husband returnt to their home in Ra'mah, where unceasing prayer was made for their young son. Once a year, when Han'nah went up to Shi'loh for the sacrifices, she brought a little robe for her son.
   Through the days of his childhood and youth Sam'u-el was constantly engaged in the services of the LORD'S house. In E'li's declining years he became the personal assistant and companion of the aged priest. There grew between them a deep and abiding affection, and E'li looked upon the boy as if he were a beloved son, for his own sons had long since disgraced themselves by evil deeds.

Story 74: The High Priest E'li And The Boy Sam'u-el ll

   An unnamed messenger of the LORD was sent to E'li with a solemn warning that the wickedness of his sons would end in their death on the same day. But even this stern warning fell upon deaf ears, so weak was E'li in the discipline of his wicked sons.
   There was living in the days of E'li, at the little town of Ra'mah in the mountains of E' phra-im, a devout man by the name of El'ka-nah. He was a direct descendant of Ko'hath of the tribe of Le'vi, but for some unknown reason did not serve as a Le'vite. He was fairly prosperous, was faithful in his religious duties, and took his family up to Shi'loh for regular worship and sacrifice unto the LORD. In spite of the notorious unworthiness of those who acted as priests he did not neglect the duty of worship.
   El'ka-nah was the husband of two wives, Han'nah and Pe-nin'nah. He had probably married Pe-nin'nah because of Han'nah's childlessness, as this was common practice in those days. From the time of Creation it has always been wrong for any man to have more than one wife; even though El'ka-nah was justified by the customs of his times, he could not escape the sure punishment which follows the violation of God's law. So the little home in Ra'mah, though prosperous and devout, was not happy.
   The plural marriage of El'ka-nah embittered the life of the home, bringing unhappiness to every member of the family. Han'nah was the lawful and favorite wife, so Pe-nin'nah was jealous of her; Han'nah, moreover, was jealous because Pe-nin'nah had children, while she had none. As we have already learnt, children were regarded by the He'brews as a sign of His favor, while to have no children was a reproach and a disgrace. Han'nah was continually taunted by Pe-nin'nah, and in her distress of spirit sought help from the LORD in prayer.
   One year when El'ka-nah's family had gone up to Shi'loh for worship and sacrifice, Han'nah lingered in the tabernacle in great bitterness of soul, earnestly pleading with God to take away her reproach. So deep was her anguish, and so intense her prayer, that she uttered no sound with her lips, but spake in her heart to the LORD.
   When the aged priest E'li saw Han'nah lying prostrate in the tabernacle, her lips silently moving, and tears streaming down her face, he thought that she was the victim of strong drink, and spoke harshly to her. Although she must have been deeply wounded by the false accusation of the one person in the world from whom she might have expected sympathy and understanding, her reply was calm and respectful.
   In the deep sorrow of her heart she did not tell the High Priest the reason for her anguish and fervent prayers, but asked only that she be recognized as a "handmaiden of the LORD," and that He pronounce a blessing upon her. E'li's attitude was completely changed, and the stern rebuke spoken in ignorance was turnt into a Heavenly Benediction as he said to her, "Go in peace, and the God of Is'ra-el grant thee the petition that thou hast asked of Him." God answered Han'nah's prayer, and in the course of time she became the mother of a son whom she gave the name Sam'u-el, which means "asked of the LORD."

Story 74: The High Priest E'li And The Boy Sam'u-el l

   About thirty years before Sam'son began to rule in the west and southwestern parts of Is'ra-el, there was raised to the office of High Priest in Shi'loh a man named E'li. He held this position for forty years, the last ten of which coincided with the first ten years of Sam'son's twenty year reign. During his tenure of office as High Priest in the tabernacle he also held a place of much influence in the nation as a magistrate. Strictly speaking, he was not a "Judge," although it is said that he "judged Is'ra-el for forty years." This statement is due to the fact that during his priesthood there was no Judge whose reign extended over the entire land. In his priestly office, therefore, E'li advised the people in respect to civil matters, and decided over legal problems.
   The time had now come for great changes in the national life of Is'ra-el. For nearly three hundred years there had been no centralized national authority, and the tribes had been very loosely related to one another and to the nation. What is known as the "Period of Judges" had witnessed many disgraceful sins, frequent lapses into idolatry, constant failures to uphold True Religion; and the country had suffered periodic invasions and oppressions from the heathen nations adjoining their land.
   But in spite of the bloodshed, lawlessness, and superstition of that troubled period, it is easy to trace the progress of God's plan for uniting the widely separated and disordered tribes of Is'ra-el. Running through the entire story is the thread of God's purpose to purify the nation which was to become the great religious teacher of the world, and in whose land the Sav'ior was to be born. Chief among the factors which had brought the tribes into greater unity were their common faith in the religion of Je-ho'vah, their sense of racial unity, the pressure of common danger from foreign oppressors, and the brave leadership of great heroes raised up by God.
   The tribes of the west and southwest were oppressed by occasional raids from the Phi-lis'tines, but there was no general war nor invasions of the land by foreign nations. A general state of irreverence and religious decline prevailed throughout the land, but notable exceptions to this rule are seen in the stories of Na-o'mi, Bo'az and Ruth. The LORD was preparing Is'ra-el for a great religious awakening, and for a closer union of worship and nationality.
   The stories drawn from the books of Sam'u-el cover important events in the period which led to the formation of the great Is'ra-el-it-ish monarchy under Saul as the first king.
   As we learnt in previous chapters, the office of High Priest of Is'ra-el was held exclusively by descendants of Aa'ron, and that this honor was given to the eldest son of each generation, unless there were good reasons why he could not serve. In the case of E'li, he was a descendant of Ith'a-mar, the youngest son of Aa'ron. The rank was probably given to him because at the death of the last High Priest of the family of E-le-a'zer, the eldest son of Aa'ron, his son was too young or inexperienced to assume the office.
   E'li was a devout and pious man of God, and served the people with honor for a long period of time. He was lacking, however, in one very important respect: he was careless in the religious training of his sons, failing to restrain them from ways of immorality and blasphemy. For these failures he was severely punished, and his family doomed to lose their priestly heritage.
   In his declining years E'li turnt over many duties of the priesthood to his two sons, Hoph'ni and Phin'e-has. Even while performing these sacred duties, they acted very wickedly. They were greedy, selfish, and depraved in conduct. They brought religion into disrepute and contempt, and caused the people to "abhor the offering of the LORD." Reports of their doings were brought to E'li, but he merely remonstrated with them in a feeble manner, letting them go on in their evil ways. He was not only High Priest, but a magistrate in Is'ra-el, and should have sternly punished his sons, who were so wicked that the Bible record speaks of them as "sons of Be'li-al who knew not the LORD."

Story 73: The Marriage Of Ruth And Bo'az ll

   There was one other serious impediment in the way of the marriage of Ruth and Bo'az. Another Is'ra-el-ite, who was a nearer kinsman to Mah'lon, was entitled to the heart and hand of Ruth; only after he had given up all claims to this right and responsibility could Bo'az legally proceed with the marriage which he desired so much.
   It is Bo'az who takes the leading part in the final act of this fascinating drama. Throughout the story his character has stood out in superb glory, but now it shines forth in the brilliance of the noonday sun. We have seen him as a successful farmer; honoring, and honored by, his workmen; we have looked upon him in his generous regard for the poor, quick to perceive virtue and to honor it; he has lived and walked before us as a deeply religious and wholly righteous man, wise and self-controlled; and we have admired him as a manly and sincere lover, always pure in thought and deed.
   Now we are to behold him as a hero dealing fairly with a rival, meeting with honor every requirement of the laws of his people, and acting as a redeemer for the woman he loved. Going at once to the place of civil judgment, he acted in a spirit of candor and fair dealing. In the presence of witnesses he stated the facts, giving the lawful heir to Mah'lon's inheritance, which included the obligation of taking Ruth as a wife, a fair opportunity to claim all that the law allowed him.
   When the kinsman of Mah'lon refused to carry out his responsibilities in the Lev'i-rate Marriage, Bo'az paid the required redemption fee, and he and Ruth were married at once.
   There was born to them a son whom they called O'bed, who later became the father of Jes'se, and the grandfather of Da'vid, the great king of Is'ra-el. Thus Bo'az and Ruth became the ancestors of a long line of kings who ruled over Is'ra-el and Ju'dah, and of the Mes-si'ah who came into the world to save mankind from sin and to head a great Spiritual Kingdom.

Story 73: The Marriage Of Ruth And Bo'az l

   Na-o'mi was very happy when Ruth told her in whose field she had gleaned, and of the courtesy shown her by the owner. Bo'az had also been kind to E-lim'e-lech before the family had gone to Mo'ab, and Na-o'mi called this to mind with deep gratitude for God's continued goodness.
   The law of Lev'i-rate Marriage was a custom of the Is'ra-el-ites which required the closest unmarried male relative of a man who died without children to purchase the family inheritance and to marry the widow. Na-o'mi knew of this law, but seems to have thought at first that it would not apply to Ruth, who belonged to a foreign nation. After Ruth was converted to the Jewish religion, however, and because the friendship with Bo'az seemed to be ordered by Divine Providence, Na-o'mi felt that the law should be carried out for the benefit of her son's widow. She therefore encouraged Ruth in her friendship with the noble and highly respected kinsman of her deceased husband, and the courtship which followed had her blessing.
   It is evident that neither Na-o'mi nor Ruth resorted to any questionable designs on the heart of Bo'az. Na-o'mi did not direct Ruth in the choice of the field in which she gleaned, nor did Ruth know to whom the field belonged when she entered it. Her application was made to the steward in charge of the harvest. Bo'az himself took the first steps in their acquaintance and in the close friendship which grew among them. Ruth did not know of his relation to her deceased husband, nor did she know of the law of Lev'i-rate Marriage. The growth of their friendship was the natural result of the love and respect which they felt for one another.
   In taking such an active part in guiding Ruth in her relations with Bo'az, Na-o'mi performed a solemn duty of both religion and friendship. Under the religious laws of her people her dead son Mah'lon had certain claims upon Bo'az, and she hastened to press these claims. In her deep love for Ruth she felt it her duty to make sure that adequate provision was taken for her future security and happiness.
   Under the laws of Lev'i-rate Marriage it was customary for the woman to take the lead in presenting her claims. Although Bo'az had shown warm affection for Ruth, she must make the first move in offering to become his wife. She was modest and timid, so the customary procedure in this matter had to be arranged by her mother-in-law Na-o'mi. The method adopted by Na-o'mi was wholly proper under Oriental customs; though it might be frowned upon today, the purity and honor of the entire procedure is proved by its happy result.
   Ruth modestly confessed the love and esteem which existed between them, asked for the guardianship and protection to which she was entitled from him, and sincerely renounced the claims of all others. In his reply Bo'az showed complete respect for the will and law of God, praised Ruth for her kindness and virtue, and promised to remove all obstacles to her early marriage.

Story 72: The Beautiful Story Of Na-o'mi, Ruth, and Bo'az lll

   Na-o'mi was given a hearty and gracious welcome by her relatives and friends. She was glad to be back among them, but in her heart-broken state over the loss of her husband and two sons, she cried, "Do not call me Na-o'mi, but call me Ma'ra: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me." The name Na-o'mi means "pleasantness", while Ma'ra means "bitterness". Adding to these sorrows was the impoverished condition of the two widows. Since there was no one else to provide a livelihood for them, Ruth was obliged to look for some kind of work.
   The hand of Providence directed Ruth to glean in one of the fields owned by Bo'az. She received permission from the steward in charge of the reapers to gather scattered barley behind the harvesters. In the hot, broiling sun she worked hard all day, not even taking time to return to her home for a brief rest. Toward evening Bo'az went out into the field to see what progress had been made by his reapers, and greetings were exchanged with all his workers. Attracted by the patient toil of a stranger among the women who were gleaning in the field, he asked of his steward. "Whose damsel is this, and what is her nationality?" He was told that she was the woman of Mo'ab who had returnt with Na-o'mi. He had heard many favorable comments concerning her, but up to this time had not been given an opportunity of meeting her.
   Bo'az walked over to where Ruth was gleaning, but she was so busy that she did not hear him when he first spoke to her. Then he spoke again saying, "Hearest thou not, my daughter?" He told her to continue to glean in his field, and to avoid the fields of others. He then tenderly assured her that he had arranged for her protection, and kindly asked her to take refreshment from the water brought into the fields for the harvest hands. Ruth courteously expressed her thanks for this favor, bowing her head to the ground in the custom which prevailed in those days.
   Then followed in the harvest field a romantic conversion which is unrivaled in all other stories. The words of Bo'az were thoughtful, respectful, and deeply religious.
   With great tenderness Bo'az asked Ruth to share his hospitality in the meal which he had brought to the field. He also tactfully ordered his reapers to see that enough grain was purposely left behind them to give Ruth an abundance of food when she returnt in the evening to the home of her moth-in-law.
   Ruth continued to glean in the fields of Bo'az throughout the harvest season. The admiration of Bo'az for the charm and virtue of this woman of Mo'ab soon developed into deep affection. Ruth, moreover, soon fell deeply in love with Bo'az, not merely because he had been kind to her, but because she had found him worthy of her heart.

Story 72: The Beautiful Story Of Na-o'mi, Ruth, And Bo'az ll

   News came to Na-o'mi that the famine was ended in the land of Ju'dah, and she began to feel a strong impulse to return to her native land and kindred. For ten years she had lived in a foreign land without complaint, but now she longed to go home. Tenderly she told Ruth and Or'pah of her decision, and advised them to return to their parents. They were young, so Na-o'mi expressed the hope that they would find good husbands among their own people, and that the blessings of God would rest upon them.
   Ruth and Or'pah loved Na-o'mi so deeply, and their relations with her had been so friendly, that they could not bear the thought of being separated from her. They begged Na-o'mi either to stay with them in Mo'ab, or else to let them go back with her to the land of Ju'dah. When she insisted in returning to her native land, they both journeyed with her to the border between Mo'ab and Is'ra-el. It was truly a touching scene when they reached the place and time for final partings. Or'pah yielded to the advice of her mother-in-law, bade her a fond farewell, and went back to live among her own people. But Ruth clung to Na-o'mi, refused to leave her, and poured the depth of her love into these beautiful words:
               "Entreat me not to leave thee,
               Or 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 God my God:
               Where thou diest, will I die,
               And there will I be buried:
               The LORD do so to me, and more also,
               If ought but death part thee and me."
   Na-o'mi graciously accepted this wonderful appeal, and the two women journeyed together on the road to the Dead Sea, walked along the borders of this Sea to the north, crossed the Jor'dan, and made their way up the rugged mountain road to the little town of Beth'le-hem.
   The scene changes again to this lovely Jewish town and the surrounding country side. Ruth, in her wholehearted love for Na-o'mi and for Na-o'mi's God, had given up her nationality, the gods of her fathers, and the hope of marriage among her own people; by these sacrifices she proved her desire to become an Is'ra-el-ite in spirit and in practice. With noble unselfishness she began a life of toil and self-denial in her new home, thinking only of the welfare and security of her mother-in-law.
   With many fond hopes Na-o'mi took Ruth into the full enjoyment of her rights as an Is'ra-el-ite, and planned for her marriage to some member of the family of E-lim'e-lech in order to provide an heir to the rights and honors of Ruth's deceased husband.
 

Story 72: The Beautiful Story Of Na-o'mi, Ruth, And Bo'az l

   The story of Ruth and Na-o'mi and Bo'az which follows the book of Judges in our Bible is one of the gems of sacred literature,-so beautiful that it is unequaled in any writings of fiction or fact. The incidents related are among the most fascinating of the entire Bible. They took place sometime during the periods of Judges, and are in striking contrast to the irreverence, idolatry, tumults, and cruelties so common during that era.
   With poetic beauty and simplicity, and moving to its happy ending with delightful directness and continuity, the story presents an entrancing picture of rural life in ancient Is'ra-el. It tells of the reverses and sorrows of a devout family, of the trials and hardships of poverty, of noble deeds by two heroic and beautiful women; and relates in a most charming manner stories of romance, marriage, and domestic happiness.
   The first scene of this lovely story opens in the peaceful little town of Beth'le-hem in Ju'dah, later made famous as the home of David and the birthplace of Jesus. Living in the hill country near this town was a farmer whose name was E-lim'e-lech, with his wife named Na-o'mi, and two sons who were called Mah'lon and Chil'i-on. The town had been visited by a severe drought, the crops had failed, and there was a great famine in that part of the country. Pressed by poverty, E-lim'e-lech decided to take his family to the fertile plateaus of Mo'ab, across the Jor'dan and southeast of the lands of Reu'ben.
   The scene changes, and we find the devout little family of four living among idolatrous people, surrounded by heathen altars, and with no neighbors who loved and served their God. Settled on a farm in their newly chosen home their material circumstances were greatly improved, but their religious loyalty and devotion were placed under great strain. These four noble Is'ra-el-ites, however, lived true to the faith of their fathers, withstood all temptations of idolatry, and, instead of being influenced by their neighbors to take part in the evils of Mo'ab, they led them to respect the True God and the religion of the Is'ra-el-ites. There soon grew between this He'brew family and the Mo'ab-ites a spirit of tolerance in religion, and of friendly regard in the common interests of life.
   The happiness of the little family was soon disturbed by the coming of the Angel of death. E-lim'e-lech, the faithful husband and loving father, was called to his eternal home. Na-o'mi's heart was filled with unutterable grief, and the two boys were lonely and distressed. Because of the poverty to which they had been reduced by the famine in Ju'dah and the long journey which they had made, it was impossible for them to carry their dead back to their native land. Thus they were obliged to bury E-lim'e-lech's body in a strange land and among a strange people.
   In the course of a few years Mah'lon and Chil'i-on married young women of Mo'ab; one was called Or'pah, and the others name was Ruth. Soon the family was visited with a double sorrow. Both of the young men died, and, instead of one lone widow cheered by two loyal sons and two devoted daughters-in-law, there were three heart-broken widows. What a tragic picture of grief and trial! A lonely widow, well advanced in years, far away from home, in a strange land and among strange people; two lonely widows, young and strong, their lives made more desolate because they had married outside their own race; and the loneliness of all three deepened because there were no children to comfort them.
   Na-o'mi became strongly attached to her two daughters-in-law, and they both loved her very dearly. The three bereaved women lived together in perfect understanding and sympathy. No ill-feeling arose because of racial or religious differences. Na-o'mi's pious nature and upright conduct gradually turnt both Ruth and Or'pah toward the Jewish religion.
 

Story 71: Sam'son's Weakness Atoned By His Dying Feat lll

   In his blinded and weakened condition Sam'son was carried to Ga'za, where he became the slave of his captors. He was given the humiliating work of grinding corn with mill stones which were turnt by hand. As an object of ridicule and scorn in the city where he had performed one of his mightiest feats, and jeered by people who once had been terrified by him, Sam'son spent his closing days in unspeakable disgrace and shame. Yet now when Sam'son had lost his eyesight he saw more clearly the most valuable spiritual things of life: the folly of fraternizing with the forces of evil whom God had sent him to destroy; the gross sin of trifling with the sacred vows of consecration to God; the realization that spiritual power can be retained and exercised only while living in harmony with the will of God; that  restoration is secured by repentance.
   The Phi-lis'tines regarded their final subjection of Sam'son as a triumph of their fish-god Da'gon over the God of Is'ra-el, and all the nobles of the land gathered in the fine temple at Ga'za to engage in a great festive celebration of Sam'son's humiliation. The whole temple was filled with throngs of people, and more than three thousand made merry on the roof-garden. Sam'son was brought to the festival that he might be jeered and buffeted, and to be ridiculed in every possible way.
   But the LORD had shown mercy toward Sam'son, whose hair was beginning to grow again. He felt his former strength returning, and sought an opportunity of using it once more in vengeance upon his enemies. He had learnt of the manner in which the temple was built, and had probably seen it before his eyes were put out.
   Standing in the center of the great hall of the temple were two huge pillars which supported the beams for the galleries and for the central part of the roof-garden. Sam'son was placed in the middle of the crowd so that they could make sport of him as he blindly danced before them. He asked the boy who was guiding him to let him lean against the pillars to rest. Standing between the two huge pillars, Sam'son prayed:
               "O LORD God, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me,
               I pray Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged
               of the Phi-lis'tines for my two eyes."
   Then he took hold of the two pillars and surged at them with all his might, saying as he did so:
               "Let me die with the Phi-lis'tines."
   The pillars began to sway, they tottered, they were broken; and the whole building collapsed into one terrible mass of ruins, bringing death to the vast throngs of Phi-lis'tines who were engaged in drunken revelry and jeers against the True God of Is'ra-el. The clamors of revelry and idolatry were suddenly changed into shrieks of agony and dying groans as thousands perished.
   Among the thousands of slain Phi-lis'tines there lay the body of the hero of Is'ra-el who, for twenty years, had held the oppressors of his nation in a state of constant fear by his superhuman exploits. He had now given his life in one final mighty deed against the enemies of God.
   His kinsmen and friends from the tribe of Dan were permitted to remove the body from the ruins of the temple of Da'gon, and it was buried with honor in the cemetery of his father near the mountain home where he had resided throughout his remarkable career. The stories of his exploits became highly prized in the later development of Is'ra-el as a nation, and Sam'son's name has been immortalized by poets and musicians.
              
  

Story 71: Sam'son's Weakness Atoned By His Dying Feat ll

   The leaders of the Phi-lis'tines were constantly spying upon Sam'son, seeking to find some way by which they might trap him, discover the source of his tremendous strength, and finally subdue him. They knew that he must have some higher, secret power than that of his body, and felt that they could overcome him as soon as they discovered the secret of his strength. They knew of Sam'son's affection for De-li'lah, so they offered her a great sum of money if she would find out and reveal to them the secret of her lover's strength.
   De-li'lah accepted the bribe of the Phi-lis'tine officers, and began at once to lure Sam'son into telling her the secret of his superhuman power. At first he made light of the matter, telling her in a jocular manner that if he were bount with seven green fibers of wood he would be as other men. When he was bount according to these directions, a number of Phi-lis'tines rushed in upon him from an adjoining room, but the strong twisted fibers parted like tow when it is touched by fire.
   Determined to learn the secret at any cost, De-li'lah continued to plead with Sam'son, accusing him of trifling with her, and using increasing charm upon his lessening resistance. Again Sam'son suggested a test of his strength, but the new ropes with which he was bount broke like small threads when the Phi-lis'tine spies rusht in upon him.
   For the third time De-li'lah sought to have Sam'son tell her his secret, and for the third time he was able to deceive her. This time, however, he came dangerously near the point of revealing the truth. He told her that if the seven locks of his long hair were woven into a web, he would be no stronger than other men. Using a loom which was in her home, De-li'lah wove Sam'son's hair into a perfect web, and then fastened the web to the floor with a strong tent pin. But when she told him that the Phi-lis'tines were upon him, he quickly arose, releast the pin, and shook his hair free from the web.
   Day after day the pleadings continued, with De-li'lah using every charm and allurement at her command. She reproached Sam'son incessantly with the tormenting accusation that, if he really loved her, he would keep no secrets from her. She argued that between two such lovers there should be no deception whatever, and that she was entitled to know everything about him. There were doubtless well disguised promises that she would make no improper use of the information given, if he would only reveal to her the secret which he had safely guarded for forty years.
   Samson finally yielded to De-li'lah's persistent urging and allurements, and told her that the secret of his strength lay in keeping the Naz'ar-ite vow which required him not to cut his hair. He admitted that if his head were shaven he would be no stronger than other men.
   Casting aside all the promises that she had made, and all pretense of love for the man to whom she had feigned wholehearted devotion, and without shame or apology, the hard-hearted traitress proceeded at once to carry out her purpose. She sent for the Phi-lis'tine leaders to bring her the money which they had promised, assuring them that she had stolen from Sam'son the secret of his power, and that she would deliver him helpless into their hands.
   She then lured Sam'son to sleep on her knees, and called in a barber to remove the seven locks of her betrayed lover. Arousing him from his fatal slumbers, she taunted him and turnt him over to the spies who lay in waiting. Sam'son tried to show his former power, not realizing that the Spirit of God had left him helpless in the hands of his enemies. The Phi-lis'tines seized him roughly and gouged out his eyes, a cruel punishment which was often inflicted upon prisoners in ancient times.

 

Story 71: Sam'son's Weakness Atoned By His Dying Feat l

   Following the account of Sam'son's remarkable exploit in the valley of So'rek, it is stated that he judged Is'ra-el for twenty years. Although it does not appear that the dominion of the Phi-lis'tines was broken during this period, it seems that for a long number of years there was no open warfare between the two peoples. The Is'ra-el-ites yielded meekly to their cruel masters, and continued to mingle with them in ways of idolatry and wickedness. Nowhere is there the slightest evidence that they repented of their idolatry or improved their moral conduct.
   Among the few privileges granted to Is'ra-el was that of having a judge, and this office was held by Sam'son. The nation was unready and unwilling to accept freedom from the alien people into whose idolatrous ways and wicked habits they were now completely entangled, and Sam'son's efforts to gain independence for Is'ra-el had been cowardly rejected. For these reasons the career of Sam'son was free of further exploits against the Phi-lis'tines until his reign of twenty years was nearly over.
   It is probably that the intervening years were spent quietly by Sam'son at his home in Zo'rah, and that no stirring events worthy of record took place. He no doubt advised the Is'ra-el-ites in their domestic and civil problems, acted as a judge in settling their differences, and had authority in other matters where there was no conflict with the Phi-lis'tine rule.
   For some unknown reason Sam'son decided to visit Ga'za, which was the Phi-lis'tine capital, and one of their strongest cities. It is probable that he went there seeking an opportunity of performing some mighty feat which would amaze and distress the Phi-lis'tines.
   While it is evident that Sam'son did not go down to Ga'za with any intention of doing wrong, he was guilty of entering the path of the wicked unguarded from temptation. Led on by his hasty, impulsive nature, he entered a house where he had no business.
   Ga'za was a walled city, and the gates were closed and locked at night. When the Phi-lis'tines saw Sam'son enter the home of a woman innkeeper for the night, they surrounded the place and posted guards at the city gates, expecting to capture and slay him the next morning. Sam'son was in the stronghold of his bitterest enemies, shut in by strong walls and locked iron gates, surrounded by plotters who were eager to seize him, and exposed to probable death at the hands of an angry mob.
   In some way Sam'son discovered the plot against his life. He was filled with fury by the thought that he might be trapped in a prison of death. What were high walls and iron gates before his miraculous strength! Determined to spoil the plans of his enemies, he left the building at midnight, and made his way secretly to the gates of the city. Taking a firm hold upon the folding iron gates, he tore the heavy posts from the ground; placing the gates and posts on his back, he boldly marched away.
   Ten miles or more from Ga'za was the city of He'bron, noted as the religious and political center of the tribe of Ju'dah, and situated on a high mountain. As a sign of contempt for the Phi-lis'tines, Sam'son carried the gate of their capital and strongest city far up the mountain road leading to the rallying point of his own people, and cast it to the ground.
   As usual, Sam'son appears to have gone on his way without the slightest regret or penitence for the sins which had very nearly cost him his life. More than once God had saved him from evils caused by his own hasty, self-confident deeds, but never do we read of a prayer for forgiveness. His fondness for idolatrous women, if persisted in, would surely lead to his downfall.
   In spite of his many worthy traits of character, Sam'son seems to have lost his sense of moral uprightness, and to have forgotten the LORD'S command against marriages between the children of Is'ra-el and heathens. Soon after the episode in Ga'za, he fell in love with a Phi-lis'tine woman named De'li'lah. With the treachery so common among the Phi-lis'tines, she used her charm over him for his own downfall. Blinded and enslaved by his unholy affection for her, he permitted himself to be led step by step into a violation of his Naz'a-rite vow, and thus to his ruin.

Story 70: Exploits Of Sam'son Against The Phi-lis'tines lll

   When these traitors promised not to harm him, Sam'son agreed to be bount with strong ropes and delivered to the enemy. When the Phi-lis'tines saw Sam'son being led to them with strong ropes around his hands, they set up a terrific howl of scorn and triumph. This awakened the power which slumbered in the arms of the giant, and the cords which held him fast were instantly parted like flax touched by a flame of fire. "The Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him," and Sam'son made use of the jaw-bone of an ass to slay a thousand Phi-lis'tines. The whole army was paralyzed with terror, unable to fight against the sudden avalanche of power which appeared among them. Those who were not slain fled in confusion, and Sam'son voiced his triumph in these words:
               "With the jaw-bone of an ass, heaps upon heaps,
               With the jaw-bone of an ass have I smitten a thousand men."
   Suffering from thirst in a place where no water could be had, Sam'son cried unto the LORD, "Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of thy servant; and now shall I die from thirst, and fall into the hands of the heathens?" The LORD miraculously opened a spring of water where Sam'son threw the jaw-bone, and the name of the place was changed to En-hak'ko-re, which means "the spring of him that called."
   Thus in the zenith of his supernatural power Sam'son left to all future generations a memorial to the fact that his exploits and triumphs were dependent on faith and prayer. The Phi-lis'tines, like an over-running flood, had swept over the land of Is'ra-el. In a manner unthought of and unheard of up to this time, God had raised up one lone man to serve as a breakwater against these destructive torrents. By super-human strength he manifested sufficient power to defeat a whole nation. But it was only when Sam'son fully relied upon Divine help, looked to God in faith and with humble supplications, that he triumphed against his enemies.

Story 70: Exploits Of Sam'son Against The Phi-lis'tines ll

   For five or six days the young men tried as hard as possible to guess the answer, but without success. Then they urged Sam'son's wife to find out the answer, threatening to set fire to her house if she failed. They also accused her of marrying a foreigner in order to rob her own people. Under the pressure of these threats, she begged and cried to her husband until he told her the answer to the riddle. Then she told the young men, and they waited until the close of the seventh day before they said to Sam'son, "We have the answer. What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?"
   Sam'son was not slow in detecting the treachery of the young Phi-lis'tines, so he charged them at once with underhanded plottings with his wife. Their scheme had been so unfair that he would have been justified in refusing to pay the things which had been promised. Rather than be charged with failure to keep his word, however, Sam'son took advantage of the occasion to begin his mission of smiting the Phi-lis'tines. He went to the Phi-lis'tine stronghold of Ash'ke-lon, slew thirty prominent men, and brought the shirt and fine outer garment of each one back to the men of Tim'nath in payment of his wager. Thus the schemers received their ill-gotten gains through the death of their own countrymen.
   Moved to anger by the deceit of his bride, and by the apparent plot of her family and friends to bring contempt upon the Is'ra-el-ites, Sam'son returnt to his home without his wife. Her father then gave her in marriage to the leader of the spies who had sought to outwit Sam'son by treachery, and thus a strange Providence put an end to a marriage which was forbidden by the LORD.
  Although the LORD had been merciful in breaking Sam'son's marriage with an idolatrous woman, the mighty man of Is'ra-el tried to win her back. With a special gift in hand, he went to her father's house in the hope of meeting her once again. His father-in-law then showed the lack of respect for marriage which prevailed among the Phi-lis'tines by admitting that he had given Sam'son's wife to another man, and by suggesting that he console himself with a younger daughter who was more attractive.
   Knowing that the Phi-lis'tine people of the community agreed with his father-in-law, and feeling a new impulse to carry out his mission against the oppressors of Is'ra-el, Sam'son performed a daring feat of destruction upon the crops and vineyards of the entire neighborhood.
   He went into the forest and caught three hundred foxes, tied their tails together in pairs, placed burning firebrands upon them, and turnt the foxes loose in the fields of ripened grain. Frightened by the fiery torches, maddened by the painful burns, these animals swept like streaks of lightning through the fields and vineyards, setting fire to the grain, and completely ruining the vineyards.
   When the owners of these fields and vineyards were told that Sam'son was responsible for the destruction of their crops and fruits, and that he had done this because his father-in-law had given his wife to another man. They took vengeance upon their neighbor by burning his house down upon him and his daughter.
   Sam'son then turnt upon the murderers of his faithless bride, and single-handed slew vast numbers of the Phi-lis'tines in Tim'nath and its surroundings.
   Aroused by the depredations of the giant Is'ra-el-ite, yet fearing to attack him, the Phi-lis'tines raised a huge army to force the people of Ju'dah to surrender Sam'son to them. Three thousand of the men of Ju'dah went out to meet the army of the Phi-lis'tines, not to engage in battle with them, but to make a disgraceful surrender. With unspeakable cowardice they yielded to the demands of their oppressors, failing to rally around the champion of their liberties in a battle which might have freed them forever from tyranny.
   The pages of history contain no act more cowardly than that which is here recorded of the Ju'de-ans. Three thousand of them approached the lone Sam'son in his mountain retreat, and denounced him for arousing the Phi-lis'tines to acts of violence against Is'ra-el. They were willing to give up their Divinely appointed deliverer in exchange for peace with their cruelest enemies.

Story 70: Exploits Of Sam'son Against The Phi-lis'tines l

   From his mountain home Sam'son could look down upon the plains of the seacoast occupied by the Phi-lis'tines, and upon many communities once held by his own tribe but now in their possession. As he grew in superior physical strength, and as the Spirit of God moved upon him, he must have felt an impulse to begin his work against these oppressors of his nation.
   When Sam'son was about eighteen years of age, he visited the town of Tim'nath, which was just a few miles from his home. Many Phi-lis'tine families lived here, so he may have intended to begin his Divinely appointed work of terrorizing the aliens who now held dominion over Is'ra-el. Instead of doing this, he fell in love with the daughter of a Phi-lis'tine family.
   In keeping with the customs of the age, he asked his parents to arrange for the young woman to be his wife. They were astonished at this request, and rebuked him for seeking a wife from a heathen race, pointing out that it was contrary to the Law of God, and would work against his mission of breaking the tyranny of the Phi-lis'tines over the Is'ra-el-ites.
   Although they preferred their son to take a wife from his own people, Sam'son's father and mother finally yielded to his wishes, and visited the parents of the girl to secure their permission for the proposed marriage. While passing near the vineyards in the valley of So'rek, Sam'son grappled with a lion, and killed it with his bare hands. Upon reaching the home of the young woman, and talking with her, he became more deeply attracted than ever.
   After waiting for the usual period of six months between the engagement and marriage, Sam'son and his parents went to the home of the Phi-lis'tine girl for the wedding. A festival lasting seven days was planned, and friends of both families were invited. Among those invited by the bride's family were thirty young men of their own nationality. They were present, not only as friends of the bride, but as spies upon Sam'son, should any trouble arise.
   As Sam'son and his parents made the journey to Tim'nath, they passed near the place where Sam'son had slain the lion six months before. Bees had made a hive in the skeleton of the lion, and it was filled with honey. Sam'son gathered and ate some of the honey, and gave some to his father and mother.
   During the festivities of the first day of the wedding feast Sam'son told the thirty young men that he would ask them a riddle. If they were unable to solve it within seven days, they were to give him thirty shirts and thirty changes of clothing; and should they give the answer within this time, he would give them the same things. They agreed to the proposal, and Sam'son stated his riddle in these words:
         "Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet."