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Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Prayer for the Morning

Oh God the King eternal, who divides the day from the darkness, and has turned the shadow of death into the light of morning; I pray that this day you will incline my heart to keep your commandments, driving temptation from my mind. Guide my feet into the way of peace; that having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, I may, when the night comes, rejoice in giving you thanks for a day lived in your presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer for Goodness (based on Psalm 1)

Heavenly Father, who has given us the gift of thy law, so that we might know our sin, and thy Son, that we might be forgiven where we fall short. Give me the grace to remember your holy Word, when my surroundings tempt me to confusion and weakness, that I might more nearly approach true obedience to your will. Help me to resist the arguments of the ungodly; let me not be deceived by false beauty; and let me never replace the truth which you have put into my heart with the clever words of men. Through Christ I pray,

Irish Blessing

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.

Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.

Psalm 128:1-2

Judges 14:1-7

Samson Part 2 — Samson and the Lion

Samson went down to Timnah and saw a young Philistine woman there. He went back and told his father and his mother: "I have seen a young Philistine woman in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife."

But his father and mother said to him, "Is there not a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines for a wife?"

But Samson told his father, "Get her for me; she is right for me." Now his father and mother did not know this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion for war against the Philistines. At that time, the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring at him. The Spirit of the Lord came into him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands, as he might have torn a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

Then he went and spoke to the woman, because Samson wanted her.

Notes on the Scripture

The story jumps from Samson's birth to find him a young man, ready to take a wife. We are to assume that his mother obeyed the angel in Judges 13; she drank no wine and ate no unclean food while she was pregnant, and has not allowed Samson to do so. Even more important to Samson's story, his hair has never been cut.

The angel had told Samson's mother that he would lead Israel in defeating the Philistines, who had conquered Israel forty years prior; however, the angel did not mention Samson's most famous attribute: his enormous physical strength. Here we see it demonstrated. Samson tears an attacking lion apart with his bare hands.

In addition to simply demonstrating his strength, Samson's killing of the lion has several implications. First, the lion was the apex preditor in Canaan, the "king of beasts"; Samson's killing one barehanded foreshadows his single-handed destruction of the Philistines. As he is mightier than the mightiest beast, he will prove to be mightier than the greatest king.

Second, the dead lion sets up the story we will read tomorrow, including Samson and the bees and Samson's riddle. We will also find out why Samson has demanded that his father get him a Philistine woman to wed.

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