Samson

Samson’s story begins in Judges 13.  Because the Israelites had been unfaithful to God AGAIN, God allowed them to fall under the rule of their enemies (the Philistines) for 40 years.  Afterwards, God raised up a man whose assignment would be to deliver his people from bondage (whenever God has a problem in the earth, His solution is to raise up a man/woman to solve it.  Moses, David, Ester, YOU, our ICA graduates).  The Lord sends an angel to a couple who hadn’t been able to have a child and tells the woman that her son will be a Nazarite from the womb.  A Nazarite was an Israelite who wanted to fully devote himself to God, but who wasn’t born into the family of Levi (God’s specially ordained priests).  

There were three vows of the Nazarite:

1. Don’t get drunk – couldn’t even allow alcohol to touch their lips

2. Don’t touch anything dead – no dead animals, no dead humans. They were considered unclean 

3. Don’t ever cut your hair – long hair was an external sign to others that the Nazarite was fully committed to God (like baptism for us, or a wedding ring for married couples)

Judges 14:1-3 NKJV : “Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” Then his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?”

Samson travels four miles into Philistine (enemy) territory to get a forbidden woman.

He ignores his conscience, ignores his parents, and ignores God’s instructions

“QUOTE” – There’s something about forbidden that is tempting and even attractive, until the fruit of forbidden leads to a harvest of death

I see her. I like her. I want her.

LESSON: Everything we see, like, or want isn’t necessarily something we should have.

1 Corinthians 6:12 MSG – “Just because something is technically legal (just because I won’t go to hell for this or make God hate me for this) doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims.”

His parents objected but didn’t hold their ground when they knew their son was making a bad decision. Supporting our children in wrongdoing is not an act of LOVE.

Judges 14:5-9 NKJV –“So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.”

LESSON: Beware when your kids come up and say, “here, try some of this.”

Note: It’s just nasty that Samson is eating out of the dead carcass of a lion
Samson eating from the carcass of a lion is more than nasty. It violates his commitment to God.
He does it and doesn’t even bat an eye. Which tells you he’s probably done this so much that he’s become numb to it.
DANGEROUS!!!

Judges 14:10 NKJV – “So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so.”

Judges 14:10 NLT – “As his father was making final arrangements for the marriage, Samson threw a party at Timnah, as was the custom for elite young men.”

FEAST (Heb. Mishteh) – a cause for celebration that focus primarily on wine (the Book of Esther).

Samson throws a drunken party to impress his new Philistine friends and violates another one of his Nazarite vows in the process.

He makes the mistake that so many of us make: We erroneously think, “I CAN HANDLE IT!!”
(Ex. One hit won’t kill me; it’s only one drink; we’re just flirting… it won’t go anywhere)

“QUOTE” – All of us can handle IT… UNTIL we find out we can’t handle IT!!

Oftentimes, by the time we realize we can’t handle it, grave damage has already been done.

EXPLANATION: Samson goes on to struggle with machismo (making a senseless wager) and anger issues (kills 30 innocent men) that eventually costs him his wife (given to another man). His anger turned to retaliation (destroys Philistine crops) and they retaliate by killing his wife and father in law.

LESSON: Don’t be like Samson—mad at the world, when we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Should have been enough to get his attention, right?

Only problem is that Samson struggled with the same thing that often affects us in church: he’s struggling mightily, but he still looks the part 

He’s broken his vow regarding not drinking; and he’s broken his vow regarding not touching the unclean; but it’s not obvious to others, because when he comes around, he still has his long hair.

Oh that we would find safety in a community of friends who love us enough to help us keep our vows to the Lord!

Judges 15:14-16 NKJV – “When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it. Then Samson said: “With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men!”

The Spirit of God comes on Samson and he kills a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.

But he doesn’t give God the praise. He brags about what HE’S done.

How many times do we give ourselves credit for our law degree, when it was really God who kept us?

How many times do we subtly boast of our work/school accomplishments, knowing that if God hadn’t stood with us, we never would have made it?

EXPLANATION: Right after his brag fest, he becomes gravely thirsty and cries out to God.

It’s amazing what happens when we let our needs/weakness drive us to God. God always responds and satisfies our thirst (need) like only He can do.

Judges 15:20 NLT – “Samson judged Israel for TWENTY YEARS during the period when the Philistines dominated the land.

Most of us don’t remember Samson’s life as a judge of Israel who led them well for 20 years.

We remember him for DELILAH!!

After 20 years of good leadership, Samson’s issues came barreling back.  He gets up one day and travels 25 miles to Gaza to visit a prostitute.  That’s 56,250 steps.  Or 56,250 chances to turn around and abandon the evil way.  Most people don’t destroy our lives in one big motion.  Rather, one step at a time!!

Samson eventually falls for Delilah and the Philistine leaders get her to agree to find out the source of his strength.  1. If I’m tied with seven new bowstrings.  2. Tie me up with brand new ropes.  3. Take the seven braids of my hair and tie them tight to the weaver’s loom.  (how can you say you love me).  4. No razor can come upon my head.

The Philistines took him and gouged his eyes. A man of great strength ends up in a place of such shame.

Judges 16:22 – “However, the hair of his head began to GROW AGAIN after it had been shaven.

Samson kills more Philistines in his death than he had in his lifetime.

Humbling story for us all.