Judges 16:16-30
Pastor Allan Kircher
Shell point Baptist church
• The story/Samson really could be titled
• “Didn’t you use to be Samson?”
• It’s the story/man/reached/pinnacle/career
• accomplished everything a man would want to accomplish
• But in one sudden, violent turn went from the top right down to the bottom.
It’s the story/man whose name/household word
• whose picture was on every wall
• Whose deeds were celebrated by poets and priests.
• Who had it all and who in a moment lost it all.
The key to the story is found in the last verse of Judges 15. “Now Samson led Israel for twenty years in/days/Philistines.” (15:20)
• That verse passes right over when we read it.
• But it’s crucial to properly understand the story.
• At that point everything went downhill for Samson.
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He was about 20 years old when he burst on the scene.
• twenty years of peace, of prosperity
• Twenty years of relative freedom from the Philistines.
• But he began to feel restless, at ease
• to wonder if there wasn’t more to life.
• Age of 40 Samson begins to turn for the worse.
The truth of the matter is, Samson hasn’t put all his problems behind him.
• He’s covered them up/ignored them/played them down.
• pushed them away/managed to live a pretty straight life.
Samson, you see, never really dealt/problems/plagued him way back the beginning.
And now at the end of twenty years, those same problems are about to come out and trip him again.
• Only this time they’re not just going to trip him.
• The same problems he refused to deal with
• Are/same problems that are going to bring him down now.
That’s the way it always is, isn’t it? The hardest thing that you will ever say in your life is, “I have a problem.”
• Nobody likes to say that.
• Samson is just like you or me.
• He wanted to forget what had happened.
• He wanted to just kind of rock along peacefully.
• He wanted to pretend the things of the past were in the past.
• But the jig is up. It’s time to pay the piper.
Because he hasn’t dealt with his problems, they’re going to come up again, and this time they are going to destroy him.
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One of the realities/Christian life/matter/chastisement.
• We don’t like to think about it, but chastisement is a fact nonetheless, Heb. 12:5-13.
• When chastisement comes our way
• we will try to rebel against it
• The right attitude is one of humble submission/repentance.
• Chastisement is painful to endure
• But it is absolute proof of His love for us, Pro. 3:11-12.
When a child of God walks away/Lord and/God’s will for his life, you can expect that God will reach out to draw him home, Rev. 3:19.
• This truth is seen in the life of Samson.
• Samson was a man with great potential
• But he never quite reached that level of life he was capable of living.
• His name means “Distinguished and strong”
• but he was anything but!
The Spirit of the Lord came upon him from time to time, but he failed to walk in the power of the Spirit day by day.
• Because of his rebellion and his sin
• Samson found himself in a prison of chastisement.
I want to take us there today so that we can see what happens to believers who stray away from the path God saved them to walk.
I. THE ROAD TO THIS PRISON
The road to Samson’s prison was a road that never had to be traveled.
• God had given him power and position in Israel
• Samson had squandered it all just to gratify/lusts/his flesh.
• He wanted to live life on his own terms
• And when he did, he paid a high price/rebellion
A. It Was A Road Paved with good intentions
When Samson’s birth was announced, his parents were told that he was to be a Nazarite, Judges 13:1-23.
• The “Law of the Nazarite” is found in Num. 6:1-21.
• Nazarite was to be a person set apart for the Lord.
• not to cut their hair.
• refrain from drinking wine or strong drink,
• From eating anything that grew upon a vine.
• avoid all contact with dead bodies.
• We have no record of Samson cutting his own hair
• Delilah took care of that for him.
No record that Samson ever partook of “the fruit of the vine”.
Plenty of evidence that Samson violated his Nazarite vow by contact with dead bodies, Judges 14:6, 8-9.
Samson refused to keep the letter of Law and it cost him his life and his ministry.
B. It Was A Road Of Disappointments
Just reading through the life of Samson, it becomes quickly apparent that he was a spoiled brat.
He wanted what he wanted and he wanted it right now, Judges 14:1-3.
• Samson had/potential as a judge
• He failed to live up to that potential because he was so selfish and self-centered.
• He was a disappointment because he never became all that he could have.
C. It Was A Road Of Depravity
One of Samson’s main problems was a bad case of “female trouble”.
• He liked the ladies and that is what did him in.
• The High Price Of An Unequal Yoke
• Samson only got involved with three women in his life.
• All three of them were Philistines.
• All three of them got him into trouble.
• The first was the woman of Timnah.
• That was simply an infatuation based on physical beauty. The second was the harlot in Gaza. That was pure lust.
• The third was Delilah, and that was love.
But all three times they were Philistine women. Don’t you see what’s going on in Samson’s life?
• In every case he gets himself into trouble.
• Let me state the point plainly.
• God’s people are not to get involved romantically with unbelievers.
• God’s people are not to do that.
• That’s one of the hardest principles for teenagers to grasp
It is also one of the clearest lessons that comes out of the life of Samson.
• Why do the people of God continue to make this mistake? They look so exciting/fun-loving/free.
• It is the work of Satan
• making Christian guys look boring and nerdy
• making Christian girls look dull and homely.
It shouldn’t surprise us that in this world, it’s the Philistines who have the money, the power, the prestige, the connections, the sex appeal, and all the other stuff.
• It shouldn’t surprise us.
• Satan set it up that way.
• The problem comes when you go out and marry a Philistine.
• And by then, it’s way too late.
• Samson gets himself involved/wrong kind of relationship.
• This gets him in nothing but trouble.
SCRIPTURES
In the end, it was his trouble with women that caused Samson to be destroyed.
• His passions overcame his reason and he fell.
D. It Was A Road Of Death
Samson left the landscape of his life littered with the dead bodies of his enemies.
• True, he was killing the Philistines
• but most of the time, he killed not to free Israel
• but to promote Samson.
• One time, he killed 30 men just to settle a debt, 14:19.
• He left a pile of dead bodies in his wake.
E. It Was A Road Of Disasters
Samson’s life was one disaster after another.
• His parents were broken hearted.
• His family was humiliated.
• His wife was given to another man.
• The name of God
• the testimony of Israel were damaged/because/Samson
I hope no one in this room is living a life like that of Samson.
• If you are, and you are saved, you need to understand the danger you are in.
• When we fail to live up to what God saves us to be
• He will take the necessary steps to get our attention and call us back to Him.
Some of you may see the signs/Samson lifestyle/your own walk.
Friend, I would recommend that you make things right with the Lord before He sends you into the prison of chastisement.
II. THE REALITIES OF THIS PRISON
A. 16:4-20 It Was A Place Of Losing
Samson threw everything away/please a woman/please himself.
The last phrase of verse 20 is one of the saddest statements in the whole Old Testament: “But he did not know that the Lord had left him.”
1. He Forfeited His Fellowship – v. 20-21
• With God and His people.
• He fell from his position, his power and his purpose.
• Sin will take away everything you cherish!
• It will take your innocence, your family, your future, your testimony, your power, your tender heart, etc.
• Sin will rob you and leave you broken, battered and beaten
• Just ask David, 2 Sam. 11-12; Psa. 51.
2. He Forfeited His Faculties – v. 21
• He lost his vision.
• Not just his physical sight, but his spiritual sight too.
• How long had Samson been blinded by his sinful condition before his eyes were destroyed, Ill. V. 20?
• Sin will destroy your spiritual vision.
• You will lose your vision for the Lord, His house, His Word, His work, His people, lost souls, etc.
3. He Forfeited His Freedom – v. 21
• He was bound in his new condition.
• He became the object of ridicule and humiliation.
• His testimony was forfeited
• He was bound in the aftermath of his sins.
• When sin dominates our lives
• It will bind us and take away the liberty He gave us.
• Sin will dominate your life and hold you bondage in its iron grip.
B. It Was A Place Of Laboring
The prison is a place of blinding, binding and grinding!
• Samson/grinding corn/prison---was woman’s work
• this added to Samson’s humiliation.
• Here is the point; Samson was born to be a liberator.
• He was raised up by God to lead the people of God out of bondage.
• He was given power so that he might use his energy for the glory of the Lord.
• But, here is the mighty judge of Israel, blinded, bound and grinding corn for the enemies of God.
Such is the power of sin!
It will rob you of your vitality and leave you with nothing with which to serve God.
There will be no time, no energy/no interest in the things of God.
Your life will be dominated by the grinding power of sin.
C. It Was A Place Of Lingering – v. 22
Samson served in the prison house of the Philistines long enough for his hair to grow back out.
• Hair grows at a rate of about 1/8” per week.
• How many months did Samson spend in his darkness, bondage and humiliation?
Again, we can see the comparison to sin and its power in our lives.
• When we fall into its grip
• it has the power to hold far longer than we could ever have imagined.
• No one walks off into sin expecting to stay.
• They turn aside for a moment of pleasure
• Wind up wasting months and even years of their lives.
• What a tragedy!
III. THE RESTORATION IN THIS PRISON
A. The Path To His Restoration
Samson called on the Lord.
This reveals that his heart had at last turned back to God after being away so long.
• He called God “LORD” - This is His covenant name.
• He called Him "Lord God" this is the name “Adonai Jehovah”.
• He called Him “God”; this is the name “Elohim”.
• Samson called on the God of the covenant
• the God of grace
• The God of power and the God Who saves.
He did exactly what he needed to do/find restoration/his soul.
The fact that God answered proved that Samson had made things right with the Lord!
The fact that the last act of his life was the only selfless act of his life proved that his heart had changed.
Conclusion:
I want you to write two verses of Scripture over this tragic story of Samson.
The first is Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” The second is I Corinthians 10:12, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful you don’t fall.”
Let me give you two applications from this story. One for the entire congregation. One just for the men.
1. Unless we…
• deal with our problems they will come back to haunt us again and again and again.
• deal with the real issues in our lives
• really get down to ground level with our problems,
Until we do that, those problems will come back again and again
Perhaps you’ve never dealt with your anger and bitterness
• unforgiving spirit, an undisciplined life
• Lust and uncontrolled passion.
• You’ve never really dealt with it.
You/lifted up/carpet/swept it under/rug and you have said
“That hasn’t bothered me for four or five years or six years, so I’m basically okay now.” I beg you not to say that.
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Step Number One: Admit you have a problem. You’ll never get better until you are willing to say, “I really need help in this area of my life.”
• If you don’t deal with them now, you will later.
• Samson is the prime example for this.
• It’s Not enough to just accomplish good things.
• It’s not enough/able/win stunning battlefield victories.
• Unless your life is under control of the Spirit
• You’re going to fall just like Samson did.
The final application is for men only.
We need men who will be men of God through/through.
• men of God/Monday just as much as they are on Sunday
• Who will bend their powers toward righteousness.
• Who will take their intellect and put it into the service of the King of Kings.
• Who will take/fires of worldly passion/turn it into passion for Jesus Christ.
• Who will use their time/talent/energies/win others to Jesus Christ.
• Who will believe that their greatest accomplishment in life is to be a faithful husband, a loving father, a godly businessman and a loyal Christian.
• Who will say no to temptation and yes to Jesus Christ.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Rise up, O men of God.
• Give heart/soul/mind/strength to serve the King of Kings.
• Rise up, O men of God.
• The church waits for you.
We read this story, Lord, and a thousand fugitive thoughts go through the mind.
We watch Samson throwing his life away and we say, “How stupid.”
Grant that we have a better estimate of our own weakness.
Help us to see that what happened to Samson could easily happen to any of us.
• Renew within us the spirit of self-discipline.
• Show us anew the danger of dabbling with temptation.
• Lead us to the place where we will yield our desires to you.
Thank you for the transformation of the Holy Spirit, through which the base metal of our passions is transformed into pure gold for your kingdom.
AmenRENCED
