Read Judges 13
The ordinance of the Nazarite Vow is found in its true and suited place, in the journeyings through the Wilderness; and is introduced in that book which treats of the itinerary of the people of God (Num. 6). Certain directions of a (to us) typical character, are unfolded there, to be observed by those who separated themselves unto the Lord by this Vow.
I judge that it follows in marked order, after the subjects of the previous chapter, in which we find the cleansing of the camp where Jehovah dwelt, and more specially, later on, with the law of the bitter water of jealousy; which applies in principle both to Israel, and to the Church, in her responsible place: as also to the individual saint. The Church has given herself to another, when she had been espoused as a chaste virgin to Christ; and the Lord exposes the pollution of the flesh in her; and the man — Christ Himself, is thus guiltless of her iniquity, which she bears, in the Government of God.
Then, in chapter 6, we have special devotedness, in separation to God, by individuals, when the Church figuratively, as a whole, had gone aside. Just as in 1 Timothy we have the external Church in order as God’s habitation, and in 2 Timothy the separation to God of individuals, when she had fallen without possibility of return as a whole.
However I only refer to this fact — not with any thought of entering upon details of the Nazarite Vow in Num. 6, but as noticing its place in the Wilderness, and the fact of Nazariteship then coming in, for the first time. We may remark that Nazariteship was a vow entered upon by individuals — voluntarily on their part; and not inherent, or characteristic of the person: and we may also add that in Scripture — with the exception of Christ — the true Nazarite — there were but three born Nazarites in the actual sense, known in the Word of God: namely, Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist. As Christians we are looked upon as born into this condition as being in Christ.
I now turn in the first place, after these preliminary remarks, to the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Judges.
This Book comes after Joshua, where we have the people introduced into their earthly inheritance by Joshua; type of Christ in the power of the Spirit of God, leading His people into the realization of their heavenly inheritance in practical power. The Book of Joshua shows this energy in taking possession thereof; and also the decay of that energy in maintaining the same in the power of God.
Now Judges is the result of this; and gives us the history of the failure of Israel (or the Church in the antitype), in not putting out evil from their midst, and possessing the Land. The death of Joshua is the key note which begins the book. They were then left to work out their own salvation from the enemy. Analogous to this is the departure of apostolic power from the Church, which is left to work out her own salvation from the enemy, with fear and trembling, in the absence of Paul; while God was there with them both — willing and working according to His good pleasure (Phil. 2).
The Church of God was set up on earth in heavenly blessing, and she failed from the beginning in realizing this; she went downwards in her course, till she has become what we see around us. Hardly a trace now remains of even the apprehension of what the Church of God is. The “World” has become the “Church” and as a consequence under God’s government, the responsible Church will be treated as the world; while God will remove His own before her judgment comes.
Now Judges is the history of this in Israel; and unfolds in type for us, God’s great principles to the end. From time to time, and at the cry of the people when oppressed under their enemies — God raised up Judges and Deliverers, which answered to the varied revivals in the Church of God by His suited instruments; and He wrought great deliverances for His people. They too, went on well for a time, during the life of the Judge, and then relapsed into their old ways. We find in this book exactly Twelve Judges — showing how completely God had wrought for their blessing. Twelve being the number of complete earthly ministration. The history closes with the sixteenth chapter: those which follow showing a state of things which had come in somewhere about the second chapter of the book. I judge that this portion of the book is placed last of all, for the special purpose of showing when the book closed its history in Judg. 16 the character of things in which God was thus working all through for His people, in mercy. I notice this specially, as some would perhaps think that these closing chapters, owing to their place in the book, were the state which supervened after all the work of the Judges was done. A reference to the chronology of the English Bible will help to show the time when the circumstances occurred.
In examining the histories of these revivals we will see that the deliverers were, generally speaking, raised up at the cry to the Lord of the people. He heard their cry and sent His instruments to deliver them. This character of things closes in Judg. 12. Up to this, the enemies were found amongst the Cannanitish Nations within; or some other adjacent tribes — scourges from without which had entered the Land: Midian, Moab, Ammon, and others, were in general their foes. They variously typify Satan’s power and the instruments he uses.
But when we come to Judg. 13 we find other enemies — not of Canaan — under whom they groaned in complete bondage for “forty years.” These people were the Philistines. This moment of their history marks the commencement of Israel’s relations with these bitterest of foes. They had settled within their borders, but were neither of the land itself within; nor were they scourges from without. This is to be noted well. The relations of Israel with these “uncircumcised” never ceased until David came: when he had taken the stronghold of Zion, the Philistines were finally subdued. Then was heard the sound of a going in the tops of the Mulberry Trees: the Lord went forth before His armies and discomfitted them (2 Sam. 5). Similarly the enemy which answers to them in the midst of the Church of God, looked at responsibly on earth, will never be finally subdued until Christ — the true David comes; and then all will be complete victory.
What then was the principle and resource of God, after eleven Judges had been raised up, to meet this character of enemy, and deliver His own? It is seen in the twelfth of the Judges in Samson; in whom we see Nazariteship, or separation to the Lord: “He shall be a Nazarite to God from his mother’s womb!”
We will here remark too, that this Deliverer was not raised up at the cry of the people to the Lord: there was no cry then heard from them. Unlike the former answers to their cry, He interferes in this case unsought.
In the barren wife too, we see the constant sign in Scripture of the powerlessness of man, and the need of the power of resurrection; and God interferes in Sovereign mercy, Himself. He reveals a new principle to meet the state of things onwards, till David came. He does not raise up a Deliverer to lead the people themselves to victory over their enemies. They had sunk too low for this. There was now no restoration to a formal state proposed; no recovery was suggested in this new departure in the ways of the Lord. This Nazariteship therefore was complete separation, even from the people of God; while working out great deliverances for them the while, from their internal foes: and this in the midst of the people still, who were not separate themselves.
But I must look a little more closely at the character of this enemy, and who they were.
Like most principles, and facts unfolded in Scripture: we find that the first intimation of such, generally gives us a key to what afterward grows from this root into the texture of the Word.
If we turn to Genesis 10, where the dividing of the nations of the world is before us — the peopling of the earth by the sons of Noah; we find (Gen. 10:6-206And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. 7And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 8And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. 10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, 12And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. 13And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 14And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. 15And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, 16And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, 17And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, 18And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. 19And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. 20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. (Genesis 10:6‑20)) the descendants of Ham were Cush (the Ethiopian) and Mizraim (Egypt of which this is the Hebrew name), &c. Then in vss.13, 14, “Out of Mizraim... came Philistim.” Here then is the root, and there, the branch — plainly before us. They were not merely man fallen and under Satan’s power, as Egypt represents: but they wandered away from that ground, and had crossed the Desert by what is termed “the way of the land of the Philistines.” This “way” God would not allow Israel to traverse when leaving Egypt (Ex. 13:1717And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: (Exodus 13:17)), “because that was near.” It was in fact a “short cut,” if we may so speak, across the Desert, and into the land of Canaan. It was not the true path for the redeemed — through the Red Sea and Jordan; through death and resurrection; by which alone the Land could be entered after a divine way, and possessed.
These “uncircumcised” (for this they are always termed); passed into the Land of Promise — wandering away from their own country, and entering into the place of blessing, without the title to possess it. They were not now of Egypt; nor were they of Canaan. They had left their own country, and were no more Egyptians: they had reached that other without the right to be there. They were not Israel; nor even were they those who were attached to Israel for blessing; but had “intruded into those things” which they had no title to possess. They were the bitterest enemies to the truth in that day —these “uncircumcised.”
They were the seed of the natural world fallen, under Satan’s power, and unredeemed; which stretched out into the place of promise, and laid hold on it without title; but they never absolutely possessed the promised Land. They may have “giants,” and great ones of the earth, and by knowledge may seem to possess; but they never can.
They were thus the greatest enemies to the people of God. It may not be too much to say, that there is much to do with the natural senses in this class of enemy; for they have their “Five Lord’s” and “Five cities” too; but after all it is knowledge alone, without faith, or life, and there it perishes. It had intruded into those things it had not seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of flesh. (Col. 2:1818Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (Colossians 2:18)).
Can we not apply this solemn type to what is around us on every hand: yea, within us also? Can we not apprehend how, as truth is known, it may be received by the natural senses of man? The flesh — uncircumcised and unrenewed, may lay hold of divine things, yea of heavenly truth; and yet have no part or lot therein. The mind may work with divine revelation, and take it up in clearness; with precision and accuracy of expression; but there it ends. What greater enemy can there be, to the true work of the Spirit of God in the Church!
These were the foes which overflowed like a flood, and engulfed the people of God, in Judg. 13. “The Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines forty years.” Flesh — unredeemed, had taken possession of the divine place, and faith was silent, and cried not to the Lord. All was death around at that day. Then God moves after a new fashion; and inaugurates a new thing — unknown before.
Indeed I may go further, and say, that all His vessels from that hour, until David came upon the scene, were raised against these hitherto triumphant foes.
(1) Samson — in whom was the Spirit of Nazariteship, or separation to the Lord, was raised up — (note it well, my reader) to “begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” He would only inaugurate the work — for he was not Christ! He might “begin” the work: the True David alone could finish it. It is to be noted here, in connection with this, that his name of Samson, means “Sunlike” — from Shemesh, the “Sun” of Righteousness Himself. The principle which he represents would be the nearest thing to Christ, in its verity and truth; and seen in His people, in Separation to God.
(2) Then came Samuel — in whom was the Spirit of prayer, or dependence on the Lord; and in whom we see that great and mighty power first definitely established. His work was always against the Philistines, and prayer was the mighty lever wielded under God by him. His very name signifies “Heard of God,” as he himself was the child of his mother’s — Hannah — the barren woman’s prayer (compare 1 Sam. 1-7).
(3) Then came Jonathan in the days of Saul, and in him we see the Spirit of faith in service. His hand wrought great victories over the uncircumcised (compare 1 Samuel 13; 14).
I pass over poor Saul, who was anointed “Captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines.” His was the trial of flesh — set in the fullest advantages; a gift without life, in an unsanctified vessel. Alas, poor Saul! He never went against them, and at last he fell by their hand.
These three instruments taken together, give us the three-fold cord of true power in these days. Separation to God; Dependence on Him; and the Energy of Faith in service! Al these must go together for a “Threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Poor Jonathan tried to serve without the other two: he never separated from Saul’s house, and after his lovely, fresh and successful service, he too fell by these very foes, and his body was nailed by the Philistines to the wall of Bethshan! (1 Sam. 28).