September 27, 2015
Samson
In this sermon series called, "Dropping the Ball," we'll look at people in the Bible who had major callings from God on their lives, but at some point along the way, they dropped the ball. We'll be looking at Moses, Jonah, Samson, David and Peter.
Today, we’re looking at Samson, specifically in Judges 13-16.
Story of Samson
Judges 13:1-5
Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. 2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. 5 You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
Nazarite Vow:
Numbers 6:1-21
“Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord.”
- no wine, other alcohol
- no vinegar
- no grape juice, grapes, raisins, grape seeds, or grape skins
- no cutting your hair
- no going near a dead body for any reason
Samson Drops the Ball - The First Few Times
Judges 14:1-4
Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. 2 When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” 3 His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” 4 (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)
Judges 14:5-9
5 Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. 6 The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her.
8 Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey. 9 He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.
There are multiple issues with this story becuse Samson took the Nazarite vow:
1. He cant have anything to do with grapes, but he was in a vineyard.
2. He was keeping what happened from his parents.
3. He went back to the vineyards again.
4. He pulled honey out of a lions dead body
, which violated the part of the Nazarite vow about dead bodies.
5. He hid his sin from his parents when he gave them the honey.
Judges 15:14-20
14 As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. 15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.
16 Then Samson said,
“With a donkey’s jawbone
I have made donkeys of them. c
With a donkey’s jawbone
I have killed a thousand men.”
Even though Samson was a not doing everything right with God, God kept using him for his purposes. God is is ALWAYS faithful, even when we aren’t.
Samson Drops the Ball - The Second Few Times
Judges 16:4-5
4 Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”
Delilah tries 4 different times to learn the secret of Samson’s strength so the leaders of the Philistines can kill him:
First attempt, (verses 6-9)
“If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
Second attempt, (verses 10-12)
“If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
Third attempt, (verses 13-14)
“If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
Fourth and Final attempt, (verses 15-20)
Delilah says, “How can you say, ‘I love you’, when you won’t confide in me?”
“No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”
Judges 16:28-30
28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
Communication Card
1. I choose not to waste God’s gifting in my life.
2. I will not be selfish with what God has given me.
3. I will register for ReAlign this week!
