Spurgeon Daily Devotional Bible: April 8

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Spurgeon Daily Devotional Bible: April 8


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Morning

Beware lest ye also be led away with the error of the wicked.”

Jdg_16:6-20

We cannot linger over Samson’s famous feat at Gaza, where he carried away the city gates upon his shoulders, but must come to the unhappy scene in which that great man fell a victim to his own follies, and was deprived of his power to judge and protect his countrymen. Delilah, the companion of his sin, was the instrument of his downfall.

Jdg_16:9

After this deliverance Samson had no excuse for further remaining in traitorous company. “Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird,” but this man was so infatuated that he plunged into the snare after he had once narrowly escaped from it. Sin is madness.

Jdg_16:10-12

A second time betrayed! A second time delivered! Will he not fly now from the deceiver’s house? Alas! No. You might sooner teach a moth to shun the candle than a man besotted by sin to escape from its wiles.

Jdg_16:13-14

This time he came dangerously near his secret. The whirlpool in which he was surging was sucking him down. Poor Samson! Who could save thee when thou wast determined to destroy thyself?

Jdg_16:15-17

His consecration was his strength, and when he renounced the unshorn locks, which were the symbol of his dedication, the Lord left him, and he reaped the due reward of his sinful indulgences. He sinned deliberately, and therefore was left to smart for it.

Jdg_16:18

Bad men and women are always ready to sell for gain those whom they loudly profess to love. They art never to be trusted.

Jdg_16:19-20

Vainly do we go forth without our God. We may have been valiant and mighty before, but if the Lord shall leave us we shall be captives to our foes. What a warning does this unhappy story present to us. May infinite mercy enable us to profit thereby.

Evening

Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him.”

Jdg_16:21-31

Jdg_16:21

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, according to the Arabic Version, they applied fire to them

the strongest they could find, and the most painful to the wearer;

The great champion was degraded to do a woman’s work, work which when performed for others was considered to be the meanest servitude. Milton pictures the fallen hero as describing himself thus—



Made of my enemies the scorn and gaze

To grind in brazen fetters under task

With this Heaven-gifted strength. O glorious strength

Put to the labour of a beast, debased



Lower than bond slave! Promise was that I

Should Israel from Philistian yoke deliver

Ask for this great deliverer now, and find him

Eyeless in Gaza at the mill with slaves.”)



Jdg_16:22

God’s grace casts not off his servants: grace though reduced to the lowest ebb returns again, even as Samson’s hair grew, and his strength returned. It is one of the wonders of divine love that it holds on to its object even when he proves unworthy of it.

Jdg_16:24

Thus they blasphemed Jehovah by magnifying Baal. They do, however, teach us one lesson, too often forgotten, namely, to ascribe all our victories to God.

Jdg_16:26

The poor blind prisoner made rare mirth for the assembled lords, and they could do no other than let him rest a while, while they refilled their cups, and meditated fresh insults.

Jdg_16:28

How touching is that sweetest of prayers, “Remember me,” whether it be Samson or the dying thief who uses it. The Lord indeed did remember him.

Milton shall again expound for us—



Those two massy pillars

With horrible convulsion to and fro

He tugg’d, he shook, till down they came and drew

The whole roof after them, with burst of thunder



Upon the heads of all who sat beneath

Lords, ladies, captains, counsellers, or priests

Their choice nobility and flower, not only

Of this but each Philistian city round.



O dearly-bought revenge, yet glorious!

Living or dying thou hast fulfill’d

The work for which thou wast foretold

To Israel, and now ly’st victorious



Among thy slain, self-killed

Not willingly, but tangled in the fold

Of dire necessity, whose law in death conjoin’d

Thee with thy slaughter’d foes.”



Thus the Lord God of Israel silenced the boastings of his enemies, as he will do in the last great day.