There’s an old saying that goes: "when you journey through the vineyards, you’ll eventually eat the grapes." I’ve wandered through a vineyard or two, watched them harvest the grapes about this time of year. They sure do taste sweet. But what if along with the sugar came warfarin, an anticoagulant? It’d be nice if there were little skull and cross bones on the grapes to warn you, but there aren’t. In life, there are many places we walk that are filled with danger to the soul, but no warning label. The only warning label we Christians get is when we take God’s Word into our hearts.
In the four chapters of the Samson cycle we see his character manifested in pride, arrogance, sensuality, rebellion, disregard for the Lord, weakness of personal integrity, anger, vengefulness, lack of self control (over his actions and his tongue), and sheer unadulterated narcissism.
Samson was destined to be used by God but it seems everything that motivates him has nothing to do with Yahweh and everything to do with Samson: his pride, his lust, his anger, his revenge. Yet God seems to use him anyway. God uses Samson despite himself. God overrules Samson’s desires in order to accomplish His will.
But what we don’t see in Samson is what could have been done. What victories could have been won had Samson had faith in God instead of faith in himself. Too many times we do the same as Christians. God has blessed us and we begin to think that His strength and presence in our lives belongs to us and so we can just go about doing anything we want and He’ll still work through us the same.
While God will still use you, you will hamper what He wants to do through you. It doesn’t mean you hamper God’s overall plan, only your part in it.
Another question to consider: does God ever call you to do something wrong in order to do something right? We’re going to see what might have been a moral ambiguity: Samson falls for his lust and yet uses it as an opportunity to fight against God’s enemies.
Chapter 14 Verse 1
Samson’s first error - he went to Timnah which was on the fringes between Judah and Philistia. He was not going fully into the world, but just gazing into it. He saw something that enticed him and gave into the lust for this woman of the world. How often do we look into the world just out curiosity-into things we know aren’t right but we just want to check it out. Temptation arrests us and as we give in, those temptations pull us further and further in.
Verses 2 - 4
Here’s the second problem: upon returning from gazing into the world and lusting after it, he rejected godly counsel from his parents. That happens with us too. Our minds start to become set on doing those things we know are wrong but must justify itself, so we reject those around us who tell us "don’t do it!".
(vs 4) Now if you just read this you could draw the conclusion that God directed Samson to lust after a Philistine woman to marry her as a way to destroy the Philistines. His parents "did not know if was from the Lord."
There’s a huge problem with that. Did God want Samson to lust after a Philistine? God will never lead us to sin in order to do his will. That’s what happens to us, though. We justify our actions by saying to ourselves: "I’ll give God some extra when I cheat on my taxes. That’ll make it all right."
Exodus 34:12 and Deuteronomy 7:1-3 make it crystal clear that the Israelites were not to intermarry with the nations they would encounter in Palestine. Samson was only out to please himself.
Now, that being said, God can easily overrule our desires in order to accomplish His will, and that’s what happens in Samson’s life. You won’t want to be in that position because you will get no reward out of it.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. ESV
It won’t be a pleasant experience to stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) only to have Him say "you lived only for yourself. I used you but you really had nothing to do with it. How much more we could have done together."
So the first thing we see in Samson is lust. He thought this Philistine woman was a fox and wanted her physically. When he says "she is right in my eyes" it comes from a Hebrew word that suggests right by outward appearance.
Next he rebels against his parents by insisting that they get her for his wife (the way things were done in that age). So they head out for Timnah.
Verses 5 - 9
In Sunday school stories we see this used as a way to tell of Samson’s great strength. And boy was he strong. I wonder if he knew just how strong he was until that lion attacked? He apparently left his parents for a while on the trip (not a good idea while traveling). God had a purpose for Samson, and no enemy was going to thwart that purpose. Only Samson could do that.
I have a question, though. What was Samson doing walking through a vineyard when he was under a lifelong Nazirite vow against having anything to do with grapes or their byproducts? See the progression away from honoring God? Our disregard for God’s character leads to our departure from His character. Are we fooling around with sin, seeing how far we can get without getting hurt? If we are prone to anger and hurtful things, why are we watching political shows that mirror arguing and attacks?
So the deal is done. Here is the first place where Samson violates his Nazirite vow. Remember that a Nazirite was not to touch a dead body. Samson touches the carcass of the dead lion in order to get out honey.
Verses 10 - 14
When it says Samson "prepared a feast" it was not sparkling apple cider and Ritz crackers we’re talking about. There would have been the drinking of wine and fermented drink a plenty. So here Samson breaks the second part of his Nazirite vow (at least inferred.)
(11) Samson brought no one with him to be his companions in the wedding, so the Philistines supply them. They could have also been guards as Samson’s reputation would have preceded him.
So now Samson loses self control over his mouth. He wants to gloat, apparently, over his victory with the lion, though it points to his sin, not obedience to the Lord. 30 changes of clothing was a huge amount and so the Philistines will do anything not to have to pay it.
Verses 15 - 20
So here is where Samson reaps from the flesh corruption. He’s given himself over to lusting after this woman so she has a real hold on him. Samson probably thought he was being pretty cleaver. When it comes to trying to handle sin we may think we have it all together but at some point our deeds will catch up to and overcome us. He’s basically making a joke out of his sin!
The Philistines are going to kill the woman, so she gets the riddle out of Samson. He tells them that the only way they could have found out was from his wife ("plowed with my heifer"). The Spirit of God comes upon him and he gets the changes of clothes he owes by killing 30 Philistine men.
So then we see the next part of the flesh Samson gives into, anger. He leaves the scene and loses the wife he lusted after.
You know, sin looks so great when it’s tempting us. But in reality it is sweet in the mouth and bitter in the stomach. What incredible things we’ve got to do to keep the sin going.
Lessons
What are you doing in a vineyard, Samson?
Notice the progression: standing on the edge of the world looking in. It looks attractive and you want what it has to offer. Despite godly counsel you want it more than anything. To get what you want you will start to violate the very principals that define your life and when things don’t turn out the way you thought they would you find yourself exhibiting fleshly traits you never thought you had.
What is the antidote here? It started when he went down to Timnah. Had Samson started in prayer, asking God for wisdom then perhaps his eyes would have been opened to Israel’s plight and a different motivation than lust might have moved him into much greater battle.
Spend time allowing God’s Word to really seep down into your soul so that if you find yourself starting at Timnah, or journeying through a vineyard you’ll know those grapes are poison to you!
Attractive on the surface can mean ugly down under
The story of Samson reminds me of another warrior in Israel’s history: David. David did not have all that Samson had going for him, but the surface stuff was not what God was looking for.
1 Samuel 16:7 "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." ESV
All David had was his love in his heart for God. And you know what? God turned him into a mighty man of God and a mighty warrior. In a David vs. Samson fight, I’d go with David.
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. NKJV
This was Samson’s problem: The lust of the eyes (the woman), lust of the flesh (he wanted her despite it being wrong) and the pride of life (defiling the dead body - almost thumbing his nose at God).
What is pleasing to God?
Isaiah 66:2 But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. ESV
Let’s look again, comparing the character of God with the character of the flesh: See how much of Samson you see in this list:
Galatians 5:16-26 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. ESV
Let us also not look on the outward appearance but to the heart, where the Spirit of God is transforming us into the image of God.
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