Samson, as a type, sets
before us the principle of Nazariteship, entire
separation to God, the source of strength in conflict
with our enemies, looked at as enemies who seek to gain
the upper hand amongst the people of God, within their
own limits and in their own heart.
The Philistines,
in the land, assume dominion over God's people
The Philistines were not a
scourge, a chastisement sent from without; they dwelt in
Israel's own territory, in the land of promise.
Undoubtedly, before this, other nations whom the
faithlessness of the people had left in the midst of
Canaan had been a snare to them, leading them to
intermarriage with idolaters, and to the worship of false
gods; and Jehovah had given them up into the hands of
their enemies. But now, those who had been suffered to
remain in the conquered land assume dominion over Israel.
The principle of
Nazariteship
Here, then, that which can
give victory and peace to the heirs of promise is the
strength imparted by separation from all that belongs to
the natural man, and entire consecration to God, so far
as it is realised. This Nazariteship is spiritual power,
or rather that which characterises it, when the enemy is
within the land. For Samson judged Israel during the
dominion of the Philistines (chap. 15: 20). Afterwards
Samuel, Saul, and above all David, entirely changed the
state of things.
Christ as a
Nazarite
When the Canaanite, when
the power of the enemy, reigns in the land, Nazariteship
alone can give power to one who is faithful. It is a
secret unknown to the men of the world. Christ
exemplified it in its perfection. Evil reigned amongst
the people. The walk of Christ was a walk apart, separate
from evil. He was one of the people, but, like Levi (Deut.
33: 9), He was not of them. He was a Nazarite. But we
must distinguish with respect to this.
Morally, Christ was as
separate from sinners while on earth, as He is now. But,
outwardly He was in their midst; and, as the witness and
expression of grace, He was spiritually in their midst
also. Since His resurrection He is completely separate
from sinners. The world sees Him not, and will see Him no
more save in judgment.
Separation from
the world
It is in this last
position, and as having put on this character of entire
separation from the world, that the assembly, that
Christians, are in connection with Him. Such a High
Priest became us. The assembly retains its strength,
Christians retain their strength, so far only as they
abide in this state of complete separation, which the
world does not understand and in which it cannot
participate. Human joy and sociability have no part in it;
divine joy and the power of the Holy Ghost are there. The
life of our adorable Saviour was a life of gravity,
always grave and generally straitened (not in Himself,
for His heart was a springing well of love, but because
of the evil that pressed Him on every side): I speak of
His life and of His own heart. With regard to others, His
death opened the flood-gates, in order that the full tide
of love might flow over poor sinners.
The two joys
Nevertheless, whatever may
have been the Lord's habitual separateness, He could say,
with reference to His disciples, "These things I
speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled
in themselves." It was the best of wishes, divine
joy instead of human joy. The day will come when these
two joys shall be united, when He will again drink wine,
though in a new way, with His people in the kingdom of
His Father; and all will be His people. But at present
this cannot be; evil reigns in the world. It reigned in
Israel, where there ought to have been righteousness. It
reigns in Christendom, where holiness and grace should be
manifested in all their beauty.
The only means of
enjoying God's strength
The separation unto God,
of which we have been speaking, is under these
circumstances the only means of enjoying the strength of
God. It is the essential position of the assembly. If it
has failed in it, it has ceased to manifest the essential
character of its Head, in connection with itself, "separate
from sinners, and made higher than the heavens"; it
is but a false witness, a proof among the Philistines
that Dagon is stronger than God; it is a blind prisoner.
The judgment of
God
Nevertheless it is
remarkable that, whenever the world draws away, by its
allurements, that which God has separated from it unto
Himself, this brings down the judgment of God upon the
world, and leads to its ruin. Look at Sarah in the house
of Pharaoh; and in this instance, Samson, blind and
prisoner in the hands of the Philistines; and again also
Sarah in the house of Abimelech, although God, on account
of the integrity of his heart, did but chasten the latter.
The Nazarite
represented in Christ, the assembly and an individual
Christian
The Nazarite then
represents Christ, such as He was here below in fact and
by necessity; and also such as He now is completely and
in full right, seated on the right hand of God in heaven,
hidden in God, where our life is hid with Him. The.
Nazarite represents the assembly or an individual
Christian, so far as the one and the other are separated
from the world and devoted to God, and keep the secret of
this separation.
This is the assembly's
position, the only one which God recognises. The assembly,
being united to Christ who is separate from sinners and
made higher than the heavens, cannot be His in any other
manner. It may be unfaithful to it, but this is the
standing given it with Christ. It can be recognised in no
other.
The neglect of
Nazariteship shown in Samson
Samson represents to us
also the tendency of the assembly, and of the Christian
to fall away from this position, a tendency which does
not always produce the same amount of evil fruit, but
which causes the inward and practical neglect of
Nazariteship, and soon leads to entire loss of strength,
so that the assembly gives itself up to the world. God
may still use it, may glorify Himself through the havoc
it makes in the enemy's land (which ought to be its own);
He may even preserve it from the sin to which the
slippery path it treads would lead it. But the state of
mind which brought it there tends to yet lower downfalls.
Judges 13 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
Samson, as a type, sets before us the principle of Nazariteship, entire separation to God, the source of strength in conflict with our enemies, looked at as enemies who seek to gain the upper hand amongst the people of God, within their own limits and in their own heart.
The Philistines, in the land, assume dominion over God's people
The Philistines were not a scourge, a chastisement sent from without; they dwelt in Israel's own territory, in the land of promise. Undoubtedly, before this, other nations whom the faithlessness of the people had left in the midst of Canaan had been a snare to them, leading them to intermarriage with idolaters, and to the worship of false gods; and Jehovah had given them up into the hands of their enemies. But now, those who had been suffered to remain in the conquered land assume dominion over Israel.
The principle of Nazariteship
Here, then, that which can give victory and peace to the heirs of promise is the strength imparted by separation from all that belongs to the natural man, and entire consecration to God, so far as it is realised. This Nazariteship is spiritual power, or rather that which characterises it, when the enemy is within the land. For Samson judged Israel during the dominion of the Philistines (chap. 15: 20). Afterwards Samuel, Saul, and above all David, entirely changed the state of things.
Christ as a Nazarite
When the Canaanite, when the power of the enemy, reigns in the land, Nazariteship alone can give power to one who is faithful. It is a secret unknown to the men of the world. Christ exemplified it in its perfection. Evil reigned amongst the people. The walk of Christ was a walk apart, separate from evil. He was one of the people, but, like Levi (Deut. 33: 9), He was not of them. He was a Nazarite. But we must distinguish with respect to this.
Morally, Christ was as separate from sinners while on earth, as He is now. But, outwardly He was in their midst; and, as the witness and expression of grace, He was spiritually in their midst also. Since His resurrection He is completely separate from sinners. The world sees Him not, and will see Him no more save in judgment.
Separation from the world
It is in this last position, and as having put on this character of entire separation from the world, that the assembly, that Christians, are in connection with Him. Such a High Priest became us. The assembly retains its strength, Christians retain their strength, so far only as they abide in this state of complete separation, which the world does not understand and in which it cannot participate. Human joy and sociability have no part in it; divine joy and the power of the Holy Ghost are there. The life of our adorable Saviour was a life of gravity, always grave and generally straitened (not in Himself, for His heart was a springing well of love, but because of the evil that pressed Him on every side): I speak of His life and of His own heart. With regard to others, His death opened the flood-gates, in order that the full tide of love might flow over poor sinners.
The two joys
Nevertheless, whatever may have been the Lord's habitual separateness, He could say, with reference to His disciples, "These things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves." It was the best of wishes, divine joy instead of human joy. The day will come when these two joys shall be united, when He will again drink wine, though in a new way, with His people in the kingdom of His Father; and all will be His people. But at present this cannot be; evil reigns in the world. It reigned in Israel, where there ought to have been righteousness. It reigns in Christendom, where holiness and grace should be manifested in all their beauty.
The only means of enjoying God's strength
The separation unto God, of which we have been speaking, is under these circumstances the only means of enjoying the strength of God. It is the essential position of the assembly. If it has failed in it, it has ceased to manifest the essential character of its Head, in connection with itself, "separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens"; it is but a false witness, a proof among the Philistines that Dagon is stronger than God; it is a blind prisoner.
The judgment of God
Nevertheless it is remarkable that, whenever the world draws away, by its allurements, that which God has separated from it unto Himself, this brings down the judgment of God upon the world, and leads to its ruin. Look at Sarah in the house of Pharaoh; and in this instance, Samson, blind and prisoner in the hands of the Philistines; and again also Sarah in the house of Abimelech, although God, on account of the integrity of his heart, did but chasten the latter.
The Nazarite represented in Christ, the assembly and an individual Christian
The Nazarite then represents Christ, such as He was here below in fact and by necessity; and also such as He now is completely and in full right, seated on the right hand of God in heaven, hidden in God, where our life is hid with Him. The. Nazarite represents the assembly or an individual Christian, so far as the one and the other are separated from the world and devoted to God, and keep the secret of this separation.
This is the assembly's position, the only one which God recognises. The assembly, being united to Christ who is separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens, cannot be His in any other manner. It may be unfaithful to it, but this is the standing given it with Christ. It can be recognised in no other.
The neglect of Nazariteship shown in Samson
Samson represents to us also the tendency of the assembly, and of the Christian to fall away from this position, a tendency which does not always produce the same amount of evil fruit, but which causes the inward and practical neglect of Nazariteship, and soon leads to entire loss of strength, so that the assembly gives itself up to the world. God may still use it, may glorify Himself through the havoc it makes in the enemy's land (which ought to be its own); He may even preserve it from the sin to which the slippery path it treads would lead it. But the state of mind which brought it there tends to yet lower downfalls.