Kick Your Delilah To The Curb

SCRIPTURE: JUDGES 16:15-17

SUBJECT-“KICK YOUR DELILAH TO THE CURB”

SOME TIME AGO WHILE CHANNEL SURFING THE TELEVISION, I CAME ACROSS A FAVORITE SHOW OF MINE: BEYOND THE GLORY. IT FEATURED A TWO-HOUR SPECIAL ON MIKE TYSON. A MAN WHO WON MORE PRIZE MONEY THAN ANY FIGHTER IN HIS SPORT. MIKE TYSON A MAN WHO PLACED FEAR IN THE HEART OF BOXERS WORLDWIDE. A MAN CALLED “IRON MIKE” BECAUSE OF HIS ABILITY TO DEMOLISH COMPETITORS WITH HIS BARE HANDS. YET, WHILE HE HAD HANDS OF STEEL THAT COULD SHATTER A PERSON’S WORLD, HIS OWN WORLD WAS SHATTERED DUE TO HIS INABILITY TO GUARD HIS HEART AND EMOTIONS. THE FAILURE TO SHAKE HIS PAST. THE FAILURE TO SHAKE HIS LUST. A MAN WHO KNEW HOW TO TONE AND TUNE HIS BODY, BUT NOT HIS MIND. A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE . . .

MIKE TYSON WAS A MODERN DAY SAMSON.

IN OUR TEXT TODAY, WE FIND A COUPLE, NO A MAN AND A WOMAN NAMED SAMSON AND DELILAH WHOSE STORY IS MORE FAMOUS THAN SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO AND JULIET, MORE FAMOUS THAN ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA, OTHELLO AND DESDEMONA, YES, EVEN MORE FAMOUS THAN CIARA AND BOW-WOW. IN OUR TEXT WE FIND A MAN WHO WAS ROBUST, A MODEL OF HEALTH, FULL OF VIGOR, YOUNG, ENERGETIC, QUICK ON HIS FEET, SHARP IN HIS HEAD, COULD RIP A LION APART WITH HIS BARE HANDS, AND A MARTIAL ARTIST IN HIS USE OF THE JAWBONE. HE WAS A COMMITTED MAN, HE WAS A NAZARITE, MEANING HE HAD COMMITTED, DEDICATED, AND DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO A LIFESTYLE THAT OBLIGATED HIM TO REFRAIN FROM TOUCHING A DEAD BODY, ABSTAIN FROM ALCOHOL AND OTHER PRODUCTS OF THE VINE, AND VOWED TO NEVER ALLOW A RAZOR TO COME UPON HIS HEAD.

PREACHERS, TEACHERS, LECTURERS, HAVE PREACHED AND TAUGHT ON SAMSON FOR CENTURIES SUGGETSING THAT HAD SAMSON NEVER FOOLED AROUND WITH DELILAH, HE WOULD HAVE NEVER FACED THE FATE HE ENCOUNTERED. HOWEVER, I AM PREPARED TO ARGUE, THAT WHILE IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DELILAH, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A BEYONCE TO TRIP SAMSON UP. FOR UNDERSTAND THAT SAMSON’S REAL PROBLEM WASN’T SO MUCH WITH A LADY FROM THE VALLEY OF ZOREK, WHICH MEANT “CHOICE VINE”, SAMSON’S REAL PROBLEM WAS WITH AND CAME FROM THE VALLEY OF WITHIN. . .

NOW BE SURE THAT IN OUR TEXT TODAY, DELILAH WAS A WOMAN, IN FACT SHE WAS ALL WOMAN, LIKE THE GRAPES BEING PLUCKED FROM THE VINE, DELILAH WAS A PLUMP AND PRECIOUS JEWEL. LIKE THE SWEET SAVORY TASTE OF GRAPES, SO WAS DELILAH. HOWEVER, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT DELILAH DOES NOT ALWAYS HAVE TO BE A WOMAN! AGAIN, SAMSON’S PROBLEM WASN’T A WOMAN NAMED DELILAH. SAMSON’S PROBLEM WAS WHATEVER HE SAW THAT WAS PLEASING TO THE EYE HE WANTED IT. RECALL THE 14TH CHAPTER OF JUDGES WHERE SAMSON WENT DOWN TO THE LAND OF TIM-NA OF THE HOUSE OF THE PHILISTINES, HE SAW A WOMAN, DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HER, BUT SAID “I WANT HER.” YOU BETTER BE CAREFUL OF WANTING EVERYTHING THAT LOOKS GOOD TO YOU. FOR EVERYTHING THAT LOOKS GOOD TO YOU, ISN’T GOOD FOR YOU. . .

SAMSON HAD PERSONAL PROBLEMS THAT HE JUST COULD NOT SEEM TO GET A GRIP ON. ON THE OUTSIDE EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE, BUT ON THE INSIDE, WHEN IT CAME TO THE VALLEY OF WITHIN, SAMSON WAS “TORE UP FROM THE FLOOR UP.” HE WAS A PUBLIC SUCCESS, BUT A PRIVATE FAILURE.

SAMSON’S DELILAH WAS THAT HE COULD NOT CONTROL HIS DESIRE AND CONSEQUENTLY HIS DESIRE CONTROLLED HIM. YOUR DELILAH MAY BE, CAN BE, AND IS ANYTHING THAT YOU ALLOW TO CONTROL YOU. ANYTHING THAT YOU JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF. ANYTHING THAT HAS YOU SO ADDICTED THAT YOU KEEP RUNNING, GOING BACK FOR MORE, EVEN THOUGH THAT THING IS HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH.

CHOCOLATE – CONTROL YOUR APPETITE FOR CHOCOLATE

SHOPPING – LEARN HOW TO PUT YOURSELF ON A BUDGET

CURSING – BRING YOUR TONGUE UNDER GODLY SUBMISSION

DELILAH WAS HAZARDOUS TO SAMSON’S HEALTH, BUT LIKE A LOST DOG, LIKE A DOG CHASING ITS TAIL, LIKE A DOG IN HEAT, SAMSON KEPT GOING BACK FOR MORE. FOUR TIMES DELILAH TRICKED HIM, PLAYED HIM, YET HE KEPT GOING BACK OVER AND OVER. SAMSON WAS SPRUNG. I DIDN’T SAY IT, THE BIBLE SAID IT. LOOK AT THE TEXT, TIME AFTER TIME SAMSON KEPT RUNNING BACK. WHAT IS IT THAT NO MATTER HOW YOU TRY, YOU FIND YOURSELF CONSTANTLY RUNNING BACK TO IT!

WHAT IS IT THAT WHEN YOU THINK NO ONE IS LOOKING YOU BATTLE WITH? FOR SAMSON IT WAS DELILAH AND DESIRE, BUT WHAT IS IT FOR YOU? MAYBE IT’S NOT A WOMAN NAMED DELILAH, BUT IT’S A MAN NAMED DARYL. WHATEVER YOUR DELILAH IS, YOU NEED TO KICK IT TO THE CURB.

. . .WHY YOU HAVE TO KICK YOUR DELILAH TO THE CURB. FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO RID YOURSELF OF DELILAH, BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T: