A. Introduction
1. God's Word addresses bluntly and directly the question of the Christian's relationship with the world ( Greek: kosmos ).
a. 1 John 2:15
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.
b. James 4:4
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
c. James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
2. Of course Christians are also called to live in the world to the glory of God, and this entails keeping company with those who stand outside the kingdom of God.
a. Matthew 5:13-16 [ NIV ]
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither to people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
b. 1 Corinthians 5:9-10 [ TLB ]
When I wrote to you before I said not to mix with evil people. But when I said that I wasn't talking about unbelievers who live in sexual sin, or are greedy cheats and thieves and idol worshipers. For you can't live in this world without being with people like that.
c. Mark 16:15
And [ Jesus ] said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."
2. It has been left to individual Christians to decide for themselves how best to arrange their lives within this dichotomy. How does one best live in the world and at the same be separated from it? How can one be involved in the world without loving it or conforming to it? Is it possible to "use" the world for the glory of God without becoming sullied with its residue?
a. Some would emphasize the "separation" side of the dilemma, a choice which can (and often does) progress ultimately toward stern legalism.
(1) First ( correctly ), they call believers to separation from s __ __.
(2) Next might come the call to separation from specific p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. Often these practices are not directly condemned by Scripture, but are deemed "dangerous" by those who have taken it upon themselves to define certain doctrinal / behavioural standards as "good" or "bad."
(3) In far too many cases there is finally issued a call for "good" Christians to be separated from s __ __ __ __ __ __. A "wise" Christian, the argument goes, will have as little as possible to do with non-Christians. This results in small groups of "separated" believers living in "gospel ghettos," carefully and deliberately walled off from the evil world. Sad to say, many churches have chosen this course, rendering themselves unable to do an important part of the work to which Christ has called His church.
b. On the other hand, there are many Christians who take the opposite tack. Convinced that such radical isolationism is a distortion of Christ's call to His disciples, they move in the direction of more fully developed involvement and inclusion. But many of these believers are so determined to associate with non-Christians that they move toward an equally precarious extreme: a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. Too often, associating with sinners has led to associating with and even indulging in their sin. Among the unfortunate outcomes in this case is the loss of Christian distinctiveness.
3. "The question remains: What is biblical separation? The answer is not to be found in either of the extremes. Isolation, external separation, is no more biblical than assimilation. We are not to be chameleons, conforming to our environment, but neither are we to be hermits, sealed off from the world of men. We can only resolve the question by setting aside our preconceived ideas and listening carefully to the Word of God.
We can learn a great deal about biblical separation by carefully investigating the life of Samson. Unfortunately, not all the lessons of his life are positive ones. Samson was largely a failure; yet the failures of his life are very instructional. He was not an especially attractive figure, but he was a significant one, and more scriptural space is give to his life than that of any other judge. Almost everything about the man was unique; that was especially true of his birth and calling by God." - Gary Inrig: Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay
B. Text
1. Judges 13:1-24
a. The sixth and final epoch of the time of the judges in Israel is introduced with the familiar words: Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord....
b. The thirteenth chapter of the book of Judges is almost entirely devoted to Samson's extraordinary parents. They lived in a tent-village named Zorah, near the border of the territories of Dan ( their own tribe ) and Judah. Scholars tell us that this would be about 17 miles west of the present day site of Jerusalem.
(1) His father was M __ __ __ __ __. Curiously, the name of his mother is never provided. Like so many others* in the Bible record, she was for a long time childless. In her culture this was usually seen as evidence of God's withholding His specific blessing due to some flaw in her character.
* S __ __ __ __ ( Genesis 16:1 )
R __ __ __ __ __ __ ( Genesis 25:21 )
H __ __ __ __ __ ( 1 Samuel 1:2 )
E __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( Luke 1:7 )
(2) V.3-5 is the record of her visit by a t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( "the a __ __ __ __ of Jahweh" ). She would give birth -- to a son who had been called by God to be a N __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
- ref: Numbers 6:1-21
The word nazirite is taken from the Hebrew verb nazir, which means "to separate, consecrate, or abstain." A Nazirite was a man set apart for service to God by means of a special vow. The origin of the practice appears to be pre-Mosaic but remains obscure. The other famous Nazirite in the Bible record was a contemporary of Samson: S __ __ __ __ __, who was to be Israel's last judge. Some scholars believe that John the Baptizer was also a Nazirite. The Nazirite vow contained three prohibitive distinctions:
- abstention from fermented drinks and anything associated with the vine:
w __ __ __, v __ __ __ __ __ __, g __ __ __ __ __ or r __ __ __ __ __ __;
- refraining from any cutting of the h __ __ __ during the period of the consecration ( For "lifetime" Nazirites like Samson and Samuel this meant that their hair was to never be cut! );
- restraint from any contact with a d __ __ __ body -- not even members of one's immediate family.
(3) Note the angel's pronouncement of God's specific role for the one who would be her
son: he would only " b __ __ __ __" to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
And who were these people called Philistines?
- Descended from Noah's son, Ham, they originally inhabited the coastal strip of land between Egypt and Gaza, and became a seafaring people.
- In a failed attempt to expand their influence they were driven out of Egypt by Ramses III in B.C. 1194. After a brief period of watery exile, they established a settlement along the Mediterranean coastal plain in south-western Canaan. By the time of Joshua's death their domain included five cities -- Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath ( birthplace of Goliath ) -- in a region which became known as Philistia. They plagued Israel for many generations during the period of the judges as well as the years of monarchy.
- The word Palestine is a derivation of Philistine.
(4) Manoah's response to his wife's telling him of her experience with the angel of the Lord is excellent: he did not question the message brought to his wife, but he sought further instructions through prayer ( v.8 ). V.9-21 is the record of the second theophany.
(5) Samson's birth is recorded in v.24-25. The name Samson means "sunny," or even "sunny-boy." His great start in life included faithful parents and a godly upbringing.
- He grew and the Lord b __ __ __ __ __ __ him.
- The S __ __ __ __ __ of the L __ __ __ began to stir in him.
2. Judges 14:1-20 is the record of Samson's ill-fated first marriage.
a. Samson's great promise, noted in 13:25, is compromised promptly as we begin reading in chapter 14.
(1) His desire for a Philistine woman represented a deliberate defiance of the expressed will of Jahweh.
ref: Exodus 34:10-16
Deuteronomy 7:1-4
(2) His parents -- devout and devoted as they were -- failed their son by their weakness. After a rather feeble protest about "uncircumcised Philistines," they gave in to their son's selfish and sinful wish. They accompanied him to the Philistine-controlled city of Timnah where his father made the customary wedding arrangements. But....what is v.14 all about? Did God actually orchestrate Samson's illicit desire for His own purposes?
"How could such a union with an unconverted Philistine be, in any sense, from the Lord? The answer is complex but important for Christians to consider today. The sovereign God can turn our decisions to fulfill His ends, even when we make them in transgression of His laws of holiness. Pharoah freely determined to enslave the Hebrew tribes in Egypt, yet the Bible states, God 'hardened his heart' to do this ( Exodus 10:1 ). Rehoboam made a bad choice when he said he would add even heavier taxes on the northern tribes, yet we read, 'It was a turn of events from the Lord, that He might establish His word ( 1 Kings 12:15a ). In this same manner, we may conclude that Samson's decision was a wrong one, yet it was allowed by God and ordained to accomplish an initial victory over the enemies of God's people." - Arthur Lewis: Judges and Ruth
(3) A glimpse of Samson's incredible physical strength is provided in v.5-6. It is plainly attributed to the S __ __ __ __ __ of the Lord "coming on him in p __ __ __ __".
(4) In v.8-10 two crucial events are rather casually included in the narrative. First, Samson came upon the carcass of the lion he had killed some months before. It must have been picked clean by vermin, since a colony of honeybees had established a hive within it. We read in v.9 that Samson helped himself to the honey. In the process he surely came into contact with a dead body, a clear violation of the Nazirite vow. In v.10 we are told that he hosted the customary seven-day wedding feast ( literally, "drinking party" ) which seems to suggest a violation of the Nazirite vow against wine and strong drink. These held little interest, it seems, for Samson. He was more interested in a macho "riddle and wager" competition with his Philistine guests. His fatal weakness appears to have been preoccupation with self, and his boast smacks of back-room bravado.
(5) Much of what is least attractive about Samson is revealed in the record of this incident: his loud-mouthed boasting; his insensitivity toward others, including his parents and his bride-to-be; his childish anger at having been bested; his crude language (the "plowing with my heifer" remark was a distastefully crude vulgarity ); and his penchant for brutal revenge. However, we cannot help but be impressed with his mighty physical strength, his complete lack of fear, and the terror with which he was regarded by the Philistines. And we cannot help but ask ourselves if God was manipulating Samson as His vehicle for the eventual destruction of the Philistines!
(6) His "fun" ruined, Samson made good on his gambling debt by murdering 30 wealthy Philistines and using their clothing to pay off the bet. Afterwards he returned to the home of his parents, abandoning his new wife, who was given to his best man!
C. Application
1. It is interesting to note that, of all the judges we have studied, Samson is the only one who did not raise an army and lead God's people to victory over their oppressors.
a. This is in no small part due to the unique nature of the sixth epoch in that it is the only one in which we are not told that Israel, after "doing evil in the sight of God", finally cried out to Him for deliverance. Their spiritual indifference had finally entrenched itself in national spiritual stupefication.
b. True to His prophecy, God did enable Samson to begin to deliver His people from the Philistines. But the record of Samson's life reveals that he was too self-absorbed to lead anyone; he stayed busy dealing with the Philistines on a personal level. His incredible feats of strength and fighting prowess are impressive, but their impact on those around him was negligible.
2. Like Isaac and John the Baptizer and our incarnate Lord Himself, Samson was a child of great promise, one prepared especially by God for special service and one of whom much was expected. Unfortunately, he was unwilling or unable to overcome his own selfishness. He brought much trouble on himself and on others around him. We will learn next week that Samson, at last, was made a worthy vessel, but only after having been broken by God. For all the separation from the world designed into his upbringing and lifestyle, he -- like all of us -- had to ultimately choose whom he would serve. And, like so many that went before him and have come after him, Samson chose to serve himself. He stands among the judges as the one who most personified the reigning national characteristic of Israel during the period of the judges.
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. Take one of two possible sides in discussing the question: Is God manipulative? Use Scripture tomake your case.
2. The Holy Spirit's repeated "coming upon" Samson seemed to have no effect on his character. Can such a thing be true in the lives of authentic Christians in the church age? Explain.
3. Read the following passages: Deuteronomy 6:4-8 Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Proverbs 22:6 Ephesians 6:4
a. What is the primary responsibility of Christian parents toward their children?
b. Samson's parents are portrayed in Judges 13 as completely devoted to God, and we are led to believe that they raised him in a most godly fashion. Yet he spent most of his adult life thumbing his nose at the god-fearing truths and traditions he had been taught. In the light of Proverb 22:6, how could such a thing happen?
c. Describe what you believe to be the limits of a parent's influence on his/her children regarding matters of faith and practice.
4. Read Judges 13:6-23. Here's a question directed at the husbands: List three character traits of Manoah illustrated in this passage which you would do well to emulate and develop. ( WIVES: If they balk at this, help 'em out! )
5. Samson had a clear mission from the beginning of his life. Right now, as you see it, what is your primary mission from God?
