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Samson was now in prison at Gaza,
alone and blind, without any friend to comfort him. He had much time
then to think about God, and to pray for the pardon of all his sins. God
often afflicts His people; but he afflicts them in love. He wants
them to pray to Him, and to love Him more. When they are well and
busy, they often forget God; they think too much about worldly things, and
too little about heavenly things; and then God sends affliction to make
them remember Him. Perhaps He makes them lie many days upon a bed of
sickness; or He takes away their friends, or their comforts, and then they
are left alone and in sorrow, like Samson in his prison-house. God
sends all these sorrows. Why? Does God like to see His people
unhappy, and in pain? No; "God is love;" and when He sends
affliction He sends it in love. He wishes His people to forget the
world and worldly things, and to love and trust in Him only; and He gives
them time and quiet, when they are sick and alone, to think about Him, and
to pray to Him. Perhaps
Samson had been very proud of his great strength; now he had lost it, and
God taught him that he had no power in himself: all the strength
Samson had, God gave, and God could take away. When Samson first
went to prison, his strength was all gone; but after a time, his hair
began to grow, and then his strength came again. The
Philistines worshiped an ugly idol like a fish, named Dagon. They
made a great sacrifice to Dagon, and praised him, because they thought he
had given Samson into their hands. They were very merry, playing,
and laughing, and feasting, and praising their idol; and they said,
"Let us call Samson, and we will play with him, and, laugh at him,
and make merry." Then Samson was led in; he could not see his
cruel enemies, and they all laughed at him, because he was blind, and
weak, and in their power; and they made him stand between two pillars. The
house where they were, was very large, and full of people; men, and women,
and children; and about 3000 of them were upon the roof, looking and
wondering at Samson. Samson asked the boy who led him, to let him
lean upon the pillars on which the house stood, and he took hold of one
with his right hand, and of the other with his left hand. Then
Samson prayed to God, and said, "Lord, give me now strength to
conquer my enemies; let them die, and let me die with them."
Then Samson bowed himself down with all his might, and pulled the pillars,
and they fell, and the house, and the people who were upon the roof.
All died, and Samson died too. He had killed many people who were
his enemies, when he was alive and strong; and now, at his death, he
killed many more. God
punished the wicked Philistines, because they were cruel to Samson, and
enemies of Israel. God knows how to save His people. He gave
Samson strength to save Israel from the Philistines. If we have
strength and health, we must try to use them rightly, and to do good to
other people, and not be idle and selfish. It is God who gives us
every thing, and we must thank Him and serve Him with all we have.
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