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I. WE MAY LEARN THE LOVING FORETHOUGHT OF GOD FOR HIS PEOPLE. He never wounds them without at the same time making provision for their healing. Their emancipation may be only partial in the present; but it is certain in the future to be gloriously complete. The agents for bringing it about are in the counsels and resources of the Most High.

II. PARENTS MAY LEARN THE RIGHT METHOD OF TRAINING THEIR CHILDREN FOR FUTURE SERVICE IN THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD (ver. 8). God's teaching is necessary for the great and difficult work; and God's teaching should be asked for and followed.

III. WE MAY LEARN THAT EMINENT SERVICE FOR GOD IS ALLIED TO EMINENT CONSECRATION TO GOD. We must become Nazarites in the spiritual sense; and the measure of our usefulness will depend on the measure of our consecration.

IV. WE MAY LEARN THE DUTY OF HOPEFULNESS IN THE MIDST OF ALL DARKNESS AND PERPLEXITY (ver. 23). The bright hopefulness of Manoah's wife rested on a solid foundation. But as believers in Christ we have even better grounds for looking with bright hopefulness in reference to every threatening visitation of Divine Providence. God has given to us richer tokens of His love (Romans 8:32).

(Thomas Kirk.)

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KJV: And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

WEB: The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh; and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.