MAJOR MISCALCULATIONS
Samson
Introduction
It was a party to end all parties. The main entertainment was a tragic comic display. They called out a blind hulk of a man and forced him to do tricks in front of the drunken crowd. This was not just any old slave, this was their former enemy. His name was Samson.
In the midst of all this, Samson did something he had done little of the rest of his life. He prayed. In that simple prayer he asked God to let him have the last laugh on his enemies. What brought Samson to this terrible, desperate place? It was a series of miscalculations. Samson had more potential than anyone in the Old Testament with the possible exception of Moses, yet he failed miserably. He is the most worthless of the Judges. The excitement of all his adventures does not cover up the tragedy of a wasted life.
I. You can’t ignore your heritage without consequences.
A. Samson came from a praying family and was an answer to prayer.
B. He had taken a special vow to be pure and serve God but did not seem to appreciate the significance of this.
C. Today, many also ignore their heritage—some even despising it!
II. You can’t unleash your rage without consequences.
A. Samson had an anger that was frequently out of control
B. He seemed to enjoy giving full reign to this anger.
C. In spite of his victories, his anger led him to many sins.
III. You can’t forget your promises without consequences.
A. Samson broke his promise to stay pure.
B. He broke his promise to keep ceremonially clean.
C. He broke his promise to keep his symbolic hair long.
E. Promises mean virtually nothing today.
IV. You can’t indulge your passions without consequences.
A. Samson’s passion caused him to marry poorly.
B. His passion led him to prostitution.
C. His passion led him to his betrayal by Delilah.
D. Sexuality is a powerful urge.
E. Many people have found that failure to control this urge leads to physical, emotional and spiritual problems.
V. He also made one correct calculation in that he knew that God could use him in spite of his failings.
A. Samson believed God could use whatever time he had left, and he was right.
B. Samson believed God could use him no matter how he had failed before, and he was right.
Conclusion
Avoid the mistakes of Samson. He learned the hard way, but you can learn from his example, and that’s a lot less painful. But never forget, if you do fail, that God is a God of mercy and grace. Enjoy his grace when you need it, but don’t learn your lessons the hard way.
Illustration
All of us have heard the notion of “Safe Sex” proclaimed by the media. Is there any such thing? Some seem to suggest that if you could remove the specter of AIDS, STD’s, or unwanted pregnancy, it would be all right for people to have as much sex as they wished. Sex involves more than physical consequences. Sex was given by God and is too powerful and intimate to be shared indiscriminately
