Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/244

 Gedeon, the tenth  type  of  Jesus  Christ. Gedeon,  as  saviour  of  his people, is  a type  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  whole  world. Like Gedeon, our  Lord  during  His  early  years  led  a humble,  hidden  life. As Gedeon  overcame  his  numerous  enemies  with  a few  soldiers,  so  did our Lord  overcome  the  pagan  world  by  His  few  apostles  and  disciples, whose only  weapons  were  the  trumpet  (preaching)  of  the  Gospel,  and the torches  (the  light)  of  good  works.

The fleece  wet  with  dew  is,  according  to  the  holy  fathers  of  the Church, a type  of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God. His human nature taken  from  the  purest  of  creatures  is  the  white  fleece;  the Divine Person  of  the  Son  of  God  descending  and  uniting  himself  to  it, is the  dew. Thus it  is  said  (Ps.  71,  6):  “He  (God)  shall  come  down like rain  upon  the  fleece.”

The fleece  left  dry  is  a type  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  our Lady. Even as  this  fleece  remained  dry  when  all  the  ground  around was wet,  so  was  Mary  alone  preserved  from  the  stain  of  original  sin, which adheres  to  everyone  else.

The Goodness  of  God.  God  chose  Samson  before  his  birth,  and therefore without  any  merit  on  his  part,  and  gifted  him  with  many graces, especially  that  of  superhuman  strength,  in  order  that  by  him the enemies  of  Israel  might  be  punished  and  humbled. This God  did when Israel  had  not  repented  and  was  still  persisting  in  idolatry. With preventing care  He  showed  the  Israelites  by  the  call  of  Samson,  that though they  were  unfaithful  to  Him,  He  had  not  forsaken  them,  but could and  would  free  them  from  their  degradation  if  only  they  would turn to  Him.

The Mercy  of  God  is  shown  by  this,  that  God  forgave  Samson his sin  when  he  repented  of  it  in  captivity  and  misery,  and  restored  to him  the  gift  of  supernatural  strength,  which  he  had  lost  by  his  own fault. God not  only  forgives  the  repentant  sinner  his  sin,  but  restores to him  the  lost  grace  of  justification,  and  revives  all  his  merits.

Self-denial. During  all  his  life  Samson  practised  self-denial,  for  he abstained  from  wine  and  all  intoxicating  drinks. But one  irregular  desire brought the  hero  Samson  to  his  fall. This should  warn  us  to  suppress promptly every  sinful  movement. St. Ambrose  says:  “The  strong  and powerful Samson  strangled  a lion,  but  he  could  not  strangle  his  own passions. He broke  the  bonds  of  his  captors,  but  he  could  not  break the bonds  of  his  own  lusts.”  If  such  a strong  hero  could  be  so  weak, how great  care  ought  we  to  take  not  to  allow  our  passions  to  obtain a mastery over  us. Our Lord  Himself  warns  us: “Watch  ye  and  pray, that ye  enter  not  into  temptation. The spirit  indeed  is  willing,  but  the flesh is  weak”  (New  Test.  LXIX).

Samson, the  eleventh  type  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  rough,  warlike  period of the  Judges  possessed  its  types  by  which  the  future  Saviour  of  Israel and the  whole  world  was  foreshadowed. Samson and  Gedeon  were  both