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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Practical Points. 1. When fear fills the heart there is no fight in the man. 2. Few men have deep convictions and fewer still the courage of them. 3. God’s flock is but a mite but it is mighty. 4. Flesh, will never find favor or flattering with the Lord. 5. Have heart, little flock, you shall have a great harvest. 6. Let the trumpet of His Word be blown, the barriers of your will be broken, and the ■ light of His life will break forth. 7. Our warrant for our work is the Word of God. man of faith. God’s messenger had prom ised a child (vs. 5-7), and therefore Manoah had no doubts that the child was coming, but as the child was to be God’s gift, wis dom for the .training of the child must also come from Him. God had chosen a humble man and humble woman to be the father and mother of the great deliverer who' was to come, but though humble they were evi dently people of faith and prayer. They also had a great sense of responsibility for the proper training of the child who was to be so wondrously given. One of the worst things about our present day life is that the average father and mother have so little sense of responsibility in regard to the *proper training of the children God gives them. Though the promise of the child was made to the woman, Manoah felt he had an equal responsibility for his proper training. He did not say “teach her what she shall do unto the child,” but “teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.” Manoah lived centuries ago, but he was far ahead of the average father to day. He evidently had not fallen into the error so common in our day that the train ing of the children is the mother’s work LESSON V
(2) Faith’s Victorious Few. —Chap. 7 :16-23. God’s plan for the campaign, v. 16. The instruments of war, trumpets, empty pitchers, lamps, v. 16; 2 Corinthians 4:7. The army is to imitate their leader, v. 17; Judges 9:48. Trumpets are blown, pitchers broken and lamps held aloft, v. 20; Joshua 6:4-20. And every man stood in his place, v. 21 ; Exodus 14:13-14; Isaiah 30:7-15. God set every man’s sword against his fellow, v. 22; 2 Kings 7 :6-7. The hosts fled in terror, v. 22. The men of Israel pursued, v. 23. God wrought a great victory, v. 23 ; 1 Samuel 17:47; 2 Chronicles 20:16-17. v. 8. “Manoah entreated the Lord." It is evident from the whole story as recorded in the Bible that Manoah was an ignorant man, but he was a wise man—wise enough to pray, and that is the wisest thing that any man can do when in perplexity. He wanted more wisdom and he took God’s method of getting it (cf. Jas. 5:1-7). The Hebrew word translated “entreated” is de rived from a word meaning “to burn in cense” and that is just what prayer is— the most fragrant and grateful incense that God can breathe (Rev. 5:8). Israel had backslidden again, and in consequence of their backsliding Jehovah had delivered them for fifty years into the hands of the Philistines (v. 1). But God’s heart went out in pity to suffering Israel, though their sufferings were the direct consequence and punishment of their own sin, and provided them a deliverer. Apparently, in this case, in wondrous grace, God provided them the deliverer* before they asked for him (vs. 2-5). “And said, Oh my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall he horn." Manoah was a JANUARY 31, 1915.
T he B irth of S amson .
Judges 13: 8-16, 24, 25. (Commit vs. 12-14.) G olden T ext : Beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink .—Judges 1 3 :4. EXPOSITION AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS.
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