In Exodus 34, we find that “Moses’ face shone”; it was radiant with glory, but “he wist it not.” How was this? He was occupied with God, and not with himself. He had been in the mount with God. He had been in the brightness of divine glory, and it had made his face shine. We must know what it is to be in the presence of God if we would be really godly. Nothing else will produce it. Trafficking in mere Bible knowledge, with due outward care for morality, may be an imitation of it, but real, practical, Christ-like ways can only flow out of communion with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We must be in God’s presence, where Jesus now is, by faith, and by the written Word and Spirit having our minds permeated with God’s thoughts. Our hearts must be under the transforming power of His love. Only in this way shall we be fruitful and godly. We may not be conscious that we are growing in grace and godliness, any more than Moses was aware that his face was shining so brightly; nevertheless, it will be so. God will always be with those who are with Him. “Them that honor me, I will honor” (1 Sam. 2:3030Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. (1 Samuel 2:30)).
But Scripture warns us also against getting off this blessed ground of fellowship with the Lord, and drawing back through unbelief. Samson’s history stands remarkably in contrast with Moses’ in this respect. He was a man of faith most surely, and God wrought wondrously with him by His Spirit. He was a Nazarite too — standing in the place of separation with God. But, after all the victories of faith, he became careless and carnal. Delilah so attracted and ensnared him that he fell a prey to her bewitching devices. At length, through her, he lost the locks of Nazarite separation, and then the solemn confession comes out, that “he wist not that God had departed from him” (Judg. 16:2020And 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 before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him. (Judges 16:20)). How peculiarly solemn this is!
We are told that Samson had gone out as at other times. Before this, whenever he had sought God, God had always been his helper. But now he was openly before all a common man; he had lost his Nazariteship, and was no longer a separated man unto God. That ground had been trifled with and lost, and he was unable any longer to stand against the foe. He was taken captive, his eyes were put out, and they made him grind in the prison-house. Later they made sport of him at a heathen feast. There was some recovery at last, but his end was destruction.
What a touching picture of the wretched experience of a soul that has gotten away from the Lord! Happily we know that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)). May we be kept in our only safe place of real felt weakness and self-abhorrence, clinging to Him who said “abide in me.”
H. H. Snell