The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-28
H SUNDAY H 0
Lesson in the International Series
for November 30, 1002-samson-
Tempe fance Lesson.
I'll LESSON TEXT.

THE LESSON TEXT.
Judges l6:21-31.)
q. But the Phillstines took him. ard put
out his eyes. ard brought him down to
GAIA, and bound him with letters of brass;
and he did grind in the prison house.
2. Howbeit the hair of his head began to
grow again after he was shaven.
%. Then the lords of the Philistines gath
cred them together for to offer a great sac
rifice unto Dagon, their god, and, to rejoice;
for they said, Our god hath delivered Sam
son our enemy into our hand.
"A. And when the people saw him, they
praised their god; for they said, Our god
hath delivered into our hands our enemy,
ano' the destroyer of our country, which
slew many of us.
70. Audit came to pass, when their hearts
We're merry, that they said, Call for Sam
son, that he may make US sport. And
they called for Samson out of the prison
house; and he made them sport; and, they
set him between the pillars.
rs. And Samson said unto The lad that
held him by the hand, Suffer me that l may
feel the pillars whereupon the house stand
eth, that may lean upon them.
Il. NOW the house was. full of men and
women; and ali the loros'of the Phiiistines
We're there; and there were upon the roof
about three thousand men and women. that
heheld While Samson made sport.
y. And SAMSON called unto the Lord.
ana said, Lord God, remember me, l pray
thee, ard strengthen me, | pray thee, only
this once, o God, that | may be at once
a~venSedlof the Philistires for my two eyes.
y. And Samson took hold of the two mid
Gle pillars upon which the house stood,
and on which it was borne up, Of the ore
with his right hand. and of the other with
his left.
80. And Samson said. Let me die with the
Philistines. And be bowed himself with
all his might; and the house fell upon the
lords, anoI upon all the people that were
therein. So the dead which he slew at his
death were more than they which he slew
In his life.
81. Then his brethren and, all the house
of his father came down, and took him, and
brought him up, and buried him between
zorah ard Eshtaol in the burying place of
Manoah, his father And he judged Israel
,Wenty years.
TEXT.-EIe that is slow to
anger is better thnn the mighty; and
lie that ru1eth his spirit than he that
taketh n ~city.-PrOv. 1892.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
The judgeship of Jephthah Judges 10:6-12:7
The Judgeship of Judges 1916.
T1ME-B. C. ll61-l120.
PLACE-Giiead, Zorah, etc.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
With all his marvellous strength
Samson was a weak man. He did not
rule his passions but was ruled BY
them. He used his miraculous
strength to little account. whereas he
might have accomplished the deliver
ance of Israel. No one can be regard
ed as strong who weakly yields to his
appetites.
The story of Jephthah should be
read for the light it throws on these
wild centuries of border warfare that
preceded the establishment of the
kingdom. Human sacrifices were not
unknown. as the vow of Jephthah and
the sacrifice of his daughter show.
The bravery of the girl and her touch
ing loyalty to her father help to
modify the horror of the story.
The story of Samson is A tragedy,
which. in it's essential points. is being
repeated in the lives of tempted men
and women to-day.
Samson's beginning was good. He
was the child of godly parents, and de-
voted from birth to the service of God
and His oppressed country. He was
carefully brought up, with the idea
that a great mission was to be his.
1924 reads, land the child grew, and
Jehovah blessed him."
Samson's possibilities were very
great. So far as natural endowment
and early training were concerned. he
vas wonderfully fitted to be I~srael's
delieverer, but, so far as we know. he
never seriously undertook the task.
Samson's weakness spoiled his
strength. That was the trouble. His
was, as it were, the power of a giant in
the hands of a passionate boy.
1t matters rot what his particular
temptation was. He yielded to it. and
his life-story is a warning of the use
lessness of physical strength without
moral strength to back it up. 1t was a
positive snare, for it led him to think
he was strong-strong enough to trife
with the Philistines as he trified with
sin. He would have laughed at the
idea that the PhiIistines would ever
bore out his eyes-that they would
ever see him sitting on the floor in the
dark corner of a dungeon cell. grind
ing at a hand mill like a poor, weak
woman. Was he not Samson. the
strongest man in the country? And
SO he trified with temptation. He tried
to see how near he could come to the
edge of the precipice without falling
over. Read 1920 and see if that does
not describe it. 81 will go out as at
other times, and shake myself free"
lie said, after he had finally given up
every vestige of allegiance to princi-
pleand religion, in breaking his Naza-
rite VOW; but it was too late. He
woke to find himself deserted by the
strength in which he had trusted. BE-
trayed by the woman who had tempt
ed him. and without God, whom he had
willfully forsaken. Our lesson to-day
tells the tragic end. and at the same
time suggests n of the grandest of
the gospel truths: when Samson. hui
inflated and fallen. returned to God,
God returned to him. as he does to
every repentant sinner.
Is it safe to trife with temptation?
Is it safe to say, for instance, 81 will
drink just a little, for | can shake my
| self free any time l will?" Are we
sure we are so strong, after all?
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall
he also. reap"
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Moral strength is to be coveted far
49, L.1 - a