The Brinkley argus., 1915-02-05
INTERNATIONAL. SUNlGS0lOOL
 LESSON (By B. O. SELLERS, Acting Director of Sunday School Course Moody Bible In- stitute, Chicago)
LESSON FOR JANUARY 31
THE BIRTH OF SAMSON.

LESSON TExT-Judges 13:8-16, 2-25 GOLDEN TExT-Beware. I pray thee. and drink no wine nor strong drink Judges 13:4.
 The story of Samson bulks large in the book of Judges and in the interest and imagination ofsall men ever since his day. This being the only lesson in seven years course we suggest, in outline, Samson's entire life.
 |. Samson's Parents. God chooses humble man and woman, folk of piety and prayer, to bring forth and rear this great deliverer. The angels most improbable promise (13:3) is accepted by Manoah and his wife Q3:6, D. They express desire to be able to measure up to the responsibility suggestion to parents. There is also hint of the dual responsibility of par ents in the words, teach us" (See Eph. GA; Jas. 1:5-7) It was reason able to believe that the one who brought the promise could also tell them how to train and nurture the Sli1lOs 0Od ilOuOicu tll0 lAOtACl pl CT and she shares her experience with the father (v. 9. As the mother of . Nazarite she must keep herself from all things unclean (v. 14; II Cor. 6: I'D, even as Mary, the mother of Jesus CLuke 13S). The experience of the sacrifice, the worship of Manoah and his wife and the fact of Sam sons birth completes the record of chapter IS. Manoah could not worship the angel, but could show him hospi- tality. Verse Is (R. V.) seems to indi- cate that this was another premani- festation of our Lord Jesus.
 II. Samuel's Power. Every race has it's superman, and usually it is one of physical strength. That Samson had no physical evidence of his superior strength is evident from the fact that Delilah asked to know his. secret Nor was his strength in his hair, else there was no need that the Spirit of Jehovah" should come,upon him. The secret of his power is indicated in 1925. The word move" suggests to play upon harp as if Samson's heart was open to God as harp is open to human touch. ~Samson's power was the result of faith that was open to the infinite storehouse of the di- vine dynamic" Such spiritual power is within the reach of every man. Samson ("sunny') was full of laugh ter; not the comic, but the joyous. He did the big things God gave him to do and was filled with gladness. But Samson came under the spell of an evil woman and alT of this true laugh ter and glad joyousness loft his soul.
 III. Samson's lmrlurity. A woman can make or mar the man with whom she associates. As a. Nazarite, Samson was dedicated unto God, must not al low razor to touch .his head, was nt2t to touch anything un clean. nor drin k intoxicating liquor. This VOW was usually for short period. Samuel and John the Baptizer are other Naza- rites recorded in Scripture, and are said to have been such from birth CHA; 16:17; Luke l. 15). Samson's strength burned orit when he lay his head in harlot's lap and the laughter went out of his soul. It was that which broke the ontact between him and God. Samsolas birth in godly home, his knowlei ge of his relation to God and the exper fence of Gods power did not keep hi n from an ignoble failure
 w. Samson's lr nprisonment. We find h; 1,; ;1 dine in fha Philistine prison, where he perhaps overheard praises being sung to Dagon who had overthrt ,wn Jehovah's judge. It is never safe to play with tempta' ton though COT scious of our own strength then ii. is we are most apt to fall q Cor. 10:12). One act and the gay hero is grinding in a prison house. Directly a man goes into i'm purity, whether4 in act or thought, he loses the power that formerly moved men or worked wonders. Year after year Samson psodded his hound Of en- forced toll, a type of the force and power of intemperance and other i'm pure habits.
 Finally, when their hearts were merry" (16:25), he is brought out to make sport. During one of his resting periods he said to boy near by, Let me feel of the two T.illars," those upon which the main walls rested ano which were within a mans reach Then it was that lac was able to grlI the mysterious DC wer of the unseeI (16:30). Was San lson suicide? NO! He accepted deat as the 1nev1taDie conseuuence of hi act of duty (Set Heb. 11:32).
 The growth of his hair was only token of that COT lsecration wh1c h' had surrendered when he fail eo U withstand the vii es of Delilah.
 The TempersM e Teaching Of tni lesson is all too I ,lain. It must bt,gil in the home and continue through ou all of life. As " have scattered u formation throuf hout our land W have seen the wo TX of temperance a0 vancing nightly Samson's exploit with the lion is s temperance sermon in parable l14:5. 6; Prov. 20:D. The business of the temperance forces is to slav the lio,a. We are also to cal honey out of a e rock. to gain VIC tories. within ai i'd without. and. like Samson. we can give honey to others To have a pa rt n helping to redeem { lost world re Quji es that we keep cieah
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