Sermon Central
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Samson Prays Series
Contributed by Ricky Tuttle Thd on Sep 30, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: Samson is one of the last Judges that God used, yet he was not always walking the right path. He is not remembered for his victories, but for his failures.
“Samson Prays”
Hard lessons to learn when we disobey the Lord.
Samson is one of the last Judges that God used, yet he was not always walking the right path.
At his death Samson had judged Israel for 20 years.
I was told while in the Navy that you can have 1000 at-a-boys yet if you have one oops, that is what you will be remembered for.
That is true in life!
Samson will give to us several lessons that can help us in prayer and in life.
I. Samson’s Parents Judges 13:
It should be noted that “the Angel of The Lord” spoke to Manoah’s wife first Judges 13:1-5
Judges 13:8 Manoah prayed and asked for directions…
Being a Nazarite is first mentioned here so they needed to know what that was and what to do.
The word denotes generally one who is separated from others and consecrated to God.
The vow of a Nazarite involved these three things,
1. Abstinence from wine and strong drink,
2. Refraining from cutting the hair off the head during the whole period of the continuance of the vow, and
3. The avoidance of contact with the dead.
In the case of Samson his vow would be a life-long vow.
Manoah asked two things:
1. Vs. 15 “…let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.”
(He replied that he would not eat)
In Vs. 16 “And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.”
We do NOT pray to angels!
2. Vs. 17 “…What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?”
18 “And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?”
Notice the two different people:
Manoah - was asking questions and looks like he was filled with doubts. Gloom and despair
Manaoh’s wife – Filled with joy and walked with confidence that the LORD would do all He said He would do. Cheer and Hope.
I would suggest that these two personalities are still with us today.
Always looking for the lighting to strike
Or
Always looking for the sun to shine.
II. Samson’s Birth Judges 13:24-25
Samson= “like the sun”
24 “And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.”
III. Samson’s Hard Lessons Judges 14:1-3
We understand what Paul was saying in 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
One might wonder where Paul would have learned this from???
Hard Lesson 1: Love at first sight can be dangerous.
A personality is not exhibited in the outward appearance; but is found in the heart.
Yet the Lord allowed this for His Glory. Judges 14:4
A wife was used to deceive Samson.
Judges 14:19-20 “And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house. 20 But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.”
When Samson burned their fields the men of the city burned Samson’s wife and her family. Judges 15:6
Hard Lesson 2: Going where He should not have gone.
Judges 16:1 “Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.”
Once again we hear from Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”
This can be one of the hardest lessons we learn because there is so much around us.
I am so grateful for God’s GRACE and His forgiveness when we fall.
Hard Lesson 3. When we do not learn from our failures we are destined to repeat them.
Judges 16:4-5 “And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.”
