Samson's life in general is a warning rather than an example. Endowed with amazing strength and marked out as an instrument of the Spirit of God, he falls far short, and instead of setting his people free, leaves them, and himself dies, in bond-age to the Philistines. The cause is not far to seek:himself, though set apart as a Nazarite, exhibited the very failure which marked the whole nation of Israel-mixture with the heathen. Truly may we say at all times, "Vain is the help of man."

The account before us, on its face, seems but the trifling of one who could have used his strength to some purpose in throwing off the yoke of the enemy. But beyond that, there was a direct violation of a command:and further, when we look at the spiritual significance, a fighting against the people of God, not for them.

"When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them:for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege." (Deut. 20:19.) Even when it seemed so necessary to use every means, as in a siege, the trees of the field which bore fruit were to be spared:how much more when there was no such stress !This was the work of the Midianites and Amalekites who came up into the land of Israel and "destroyed all the increase of the earth until thou come to Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel." (Judges 6:2-6.)A lawless Absalom might do similar work to compel the attention of Joab (2 Sam. 14:28-31), but it seems most clearly to be unfriendly to the best interests of God's people. The spoil of their enemies belonged to them, while to destroy the spoil and leave the enemy seems the very reverse of any act of deliverance.

And this is seen more clearly when we remember the typical meaning of the fruits of the land. When Israel had left the wilderness and come across Jordan into their inheritance, the manna ceased, and they fed on the old corn of the land. (Josh. 5:12.) The manna, we are told plainly (John 6:), represented Him who came down from heaven and humbled himself unto death that He might give Himself to be the food-in death-of His people, so giving them life and sustaining them in this world. Similarly the old corn evidently refers to a risen and glorified Christ, the fruit, as it were, of heaven's field, who is the food of His people as risen with Him and in Him in the heavenly places. (Eph. 2:)

Similarly the typical meaning of foxes or jackals is plain. The cowardly feeder on carrion-night-roamer, cruel and worthless, fittingly stands for that flesh which, as enmity against God, only finds its food in the "unfruitful works of darkness," the corrupt lusts of the old man.

But what work then to turn loose the flesh with firebrands – the tongue setteth on fire the whole course of nature (James 3:6)-and allow it to burn up the good corn, the vineyards and olive-trees! It may be said these things were in the hands of the Philistines. Then let the Philistines be conquered and the spoil taken from them.

Have we not often in this day, too, something that answers to this fox-warfare ? '' The weapons of our warfare," says the apostle, '' are not carnal, but mighty through God." (2 Cor. 10:3, 4.) How easy it is, alas, to take up that ever-ready nature and to turn it against what may really be a spiritual foe! But Satan never yet cast out Satan, nor the flesh its own lusts:and the effect of turning it loose is only to destroy, as it were, the Christ who is our food and leave untouched the enemy we were aiming at.

The application of this is plain, and can be made by our own conscience. Let us not destroy our food. How often, in attempting to set our brethren right, we may be but letting loose an evil in ourselves that will devour what there is of good amongst us. How desolating a fire is ! leaving in its track nothing but the charred embers of what was once a fair field of ripening grain or a fruitful vineyard. The strife of tongues can do this. Let us guard against it as we would against a literal fire.