Lessons From The Life Of Samson

That word stir literally means to motivate him to action. God was working in Samson’s life to motivate him to action. And we will see this over and over again.. You’ve probably heard the story that Samson’s power was in his hair… Which is true in one sense. We will see that played out at the end of the story. But ultimately we see in this verse that Samson’s power came from God.

But this is where to problems start because it wasn’t only the spirit of God motivating Samson to action…Women also were a main motivator in his life…

The very first thing we see Samson do in his life. Is go into a philistine town, enemy territory, and he spots a woman who he thinks is very attractive. So he marches home and goes straight to his parents and he demands his parents to go get her for him, because he says she’s super hot and I want to marry her. It says something like that in Hebrew…

His parents argue… And say but God commanded us to not marry outside our nation. Plus it’s just unwise to literally sleep with the enemy… But Samson reveals the mission statement for his life when he is arguing with his father. But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is What? Right in who’s eyes? right in my eyes.” Judges 14:3

And you probably remember that this was what Israel did. They kept doing what was right in their eyes, rather than Gods. And they would suffer the consequences for their actions and then they would go running back to God.

Samson is supposed to be different. He’s supposed to live distinctive among the Israelites. But he’s doing the same thing that they were doing. And that’s what gets God’s people into trouble all the time…

Let’s pause for a minute in this story… If we are honest this is many of our mission statements in our lives. We do what is right in our own eyes. We do what we want, when we want, and we live under this delusion that that is the best way to live. That’s the American dream.. Until we learn the hard way that’s actually a terrible way to live and our eyes get opened… And Samson, much like us is going to have to learn the hard way.

So Samson gets his way and the marriage gets arranged and the party is going to last 7 days. Which is very normal in this culture. And so Samson goes back into the Philistine town to make plans for the wedding. And on his way there he walks through a vineyard… Now remember that he’s a nazarite, he’s not supposed to be anywhere near that.

But there he is… And while he’s walking through the vineyard he gets attacked by a lion…

And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring.6 Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces I love this next phrase as if it’s a normal occurrence in ones life… as one tears a young goat. Judges 14:5-6

You know… Common things… Everyone years up young goats for their backyard summer parties right?

If you were to sit down and study Samson’s life you’d find about 10 supernatural feats that Samson. But we often don’t pay attention that it is by the power of the HS that he does these things. So growing up I always pictured him like Arnold Sawartzeager in his prime (Show Picture, leave up until next picture) and I think that’s the picture many of us have.