"Faster than a locomotive. More powerful than a speeding bullet.
Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Look! Up in the air! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Superman.
Superman. Visitor from a strange planet endowed with powers and abilities beyond those of mortal men.
Superman. Who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet, wages a never ending battle for Truth, Justice, and the American Way."
George Reeves was one of original actors who portrayed Superman on TV. But his fame was not without certain risks. Every time he donned his superman suit in public there were people who would kick him in the shins, hit him in his back with their fists, and otherwise assault him. His young admirers didn't mean any harm really… they were just eager to prove how strong the "Man of Steel" really was. This was their idol.
One afternoon in Detroit in 1953, Reeves’ costume nearly cost him his life. He was making an appearance at a department store when a young fan pulled out his father’s loaded .45 caliber Army Colt and pointed it directly at Reeves’ chest. Miraculously, Reeves talked the kid into putting it down. He assured the boy that Superman could stand the force of the shot, but "when bullets bounce off my chest, they might hurt you and others around here."
APPLY: That seems crazy doesn't it? To think, that just the appearance of George Reeves in his Superman costume would elicit such a response from people. But, there was something about that suit that set George Reeves apart. If he’d walked into that Department store simply wearing a business suit, or a Hawaiian shirt, he might have been mobbed by his fans… but I doubt they would have hit him – or pointed a gun at him. It was the suit that set him apart.
It was the suit that stood for “Truth, Justice, and the American Way”
It was the suit that struck fear into the hearts of evil doers
And it was the suit that created hope in the hearts of the down trodden
It was the suit that set Superman apart
He was a strange visitor from another planet, endowed with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. But (pause)… he was fiction. The red caped Superman has never existed except in the lands of TV, movies and comic books
I. Years ago, however, there lived a real superman – born in a little Smallville known as Zorah
He may not have been faster than a speeding bullet
More powerful than a locomotive
Able to leap tall buildings with a single bound
BUT I suspect he could have bent steel in his bare hands.
His name was Samson.
Just as an example of how powerful Samson was:
"…Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and he came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion roared against him and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion asunder as one tears a kid; and he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done." (Judges 14:5-6 RSV)
"When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the ropes which were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. And he found a fresh jawbone of an ass, and put out his hand and seized it, and with it he slew a thousand men." (Judges 15:14-15 RSV)
"The Gazites were told, ’Samson has come here,’ and they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, ’Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him.’ But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is before Hebron." (Judges 16:2-3 RSV)
Samson killed a lion with his bare hands
Wiped out 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey
AND uprooted a city gate, carrying it nearly 40 miles away.
Samson was not someone you messed with.
To paraphrase an old Jim Croce song:
You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit in the wind, you don’t pull the mask off the ol’ Lone Ranger… and you don’t mess around with Samson
The Philistines feared him, the Israelites adored him, and everybody knew WHO he was.
Just like Superman and his cape, Samson had one thing that set apart from mortal men. One distinctive mark, one unique characteristic that even to this day identifies Samson as a superhero. When you think of Samson, what do you think of? (his long hair)
Samson’s long hair was the mark of his vow to God.
From the date of his birth till sometime just before his death, he never cut his hair.
Can you imagine how long his hair must have been?
ILLUS: I once dated a girl who hadn't cut her hair for a very long time. At 17 years old it hung down below her waist, and sometimes when she sat down, she sat on her hair. If her hair was that long at 17, you have a rough idea how long Samson’ must have been. Samson didn't need to wear a cape… he was growing it on his head.
Samson’s hair was the outward mark of his Nazirite vow.
Numbers 6:2-8 "Say to the people of Israel, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink, and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins. "All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the LORD, he shall be holy; he shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long. "All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body. Neither for his father nor for his mother, nor for brother or sister, if they die, shall he make himself unclean; because his separation to God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD."
Notice: A Nazirite was required to observe the following guidelines:
He was never to cut his hair.
He was never to drink alcoholic beverages.
And He was never to touch a corpse (a dead human body).
AND as long as he observed these regulations – he was HOLY unto the LORD.
Samson was committed to those rules even before he was born. As far as I could tell (and I examined these chapters in Judges fairly closely) Samson never broke THOSE rules. He had other problems in his life, other sins - but he never broke those rules.
(see appendix #1)
Now, what was distinctive about Samson was that he was the only Nazirite ever endowed with superhuman strength because of his vow.
Some believe Samuel was a lifelong Nazirite (because of things that are said about him in Scriptures). Others strongly believe John the Baptist was one.
BUT neither of them had the gift of strength that Samson had. Samson was unique, distinctive, special – and I think there was a reason for that.
The reason?
I believe Israel NEEDED a hero like Samson. A superhuman hero.
Look again at Judges 13:1. In the first verse of the chapter, God sets the stage for the reason He is creating a hero like Samson:
"Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years."
Forty years is a long time. Can you imagine what it would be like to live your entire life totally dominated by a cruel and repressive nation like the Philistines? Israel had done what was evil in God’s sight. And because of that, they were delivered by God into bondage to the Philistines. Israel became a whipped people.
For example, when the Israelites were threatened because of Samson’s exploits, they complained to Samson: "Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?" (Judges 15:11) They just wanted to be left alone and here Samson was bringing the wrath of their overlords down upon them.
But Israel’s dilemma had been their own fault because Israel failed to set themselves apart TO God, and because of their failure to separate themselves FROM the uncleanness and the deadness of the culture around them they were now weakened and in bondage.
Samson was God’s object lesson to the Israelites.
Through Samson, God was saying to Israel:
"If you want to be strong.”
"If you want to be confident."
"If want the Philistines to fear you."
The key is:
• don’t get drunk like other nations,
• don’t touch unclean things
• and don’t defile yourselves with the death and decay of their way of life.
By his very existence Samson was billboard declaring “separate yourselves.”
Make yourselves a HOLY PEOPLE for your God.
Back to Superman. Why was he so strong?
Was it because of his cape? Or because of what he ate? Was it because Clark Kent worked out at the gym every day? No, Samson’s strength didn’t rest with his hair. Samson’s strength came from God.
And that’s the way it’s always been for God’s people.
David wrote: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:7
"A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield. Yea, our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name." Psalm 33:16-21
And that’s just in the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, Paul writes to us: “… be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” (Ephesians 6:10)
Just like Samson our strength lies with God.
Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
In other words, if you’re not connected to Jesus… if He doesn't abide in you and work through you… you may as well go down to Charlie’s Barber Shop and get a buzz job… because you will have no real strength without Jesus. You might be able to do many things in this life, but without Jesus - nothing of any value will last.
It is when we realize that it is in God’s strength that we have any impact in our lives that we can begin to make a difference in life. Paul recognized that and he wrote: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
And again: “I can do all things in him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)
And that remained true for Samson for most of his life.
But a day came when he traded in his trust in God for trust in himself.
Most people think Samson lost his strength because he lost his hair. But that’s only partly true. Samson’s hair was the symbol of a very special vow… a Nazirite vow. His hair was the sign of his visible commitment to God. As soon as it was cut he was done. It was over. He was weak as weak as a child. BUT his loss of his hair was only part of what made him weak and robbed him of his strength.
Think about this: Was Samson’s hair really the source of his strength?
I mean did God really need for Samson to have a full head of hair to give him strength? If Samson had been bald… would it have made any real difference to God? No.
We’re told in Judges 16:20 "He awoke from his sleep and thought, ’I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the LORD had left him."
You see Samson wasn't weak because his hair had been cut. He was weak because "the LORD had left him." His strength came from God. His weakness came from losing touch with God. So, you could say Samson didn't become weak because he’d lost his hair… he lost his strength because of “something else.”
So, if Samson’s hair wasn't really the source of his weakness – what was?
Was it his sexual immorality? Well… yeah, that was part of it. As Chapter 16 opens, we find Samson going into a prostitute. Should a man of God be visiting the house of prostitute?
Of course not. A man of God has no business going to visit a prostitute. But that’s what Samson did. And just a few verses later, he’s in bedroom of another woman. A Philistine temptress called Delilah
ILLUS: One commentator noted: “Samson was captivated by Delilah’s beauty and by lust."
Day by day he lost control - until finally, he lost all of his strength. He realized too late that he could not set himself free. He realized too late, that the one vital piece of his life was missing.
And that’s what the Bible tells us will happen when it comes to sexual sin. We lose part of ourselves when we engage in such immorality.
Solomon writes his sons: "My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.
For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.
Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel, lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man’s house. At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent." (Proverbs 5:1-11)
Sexual sin doesn't just wipe out giants like Samson… it can destroy our strength as well. Whether it’s watching R rated videos or looking sexy magazines or suggestive TV programs, exposing ourselves to internet pornography OR just – checking the girls out.
ILLUS: I visited the mall the other day and in the mall there were many young ladies dressed very provocatively. I have to admit I had to control myself so I didn't look them over myself. But there was a young man there who watched a particularly attractive girl go by and he went like this (I acted this out elaborately).
He was checking her out.
Job said: "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl." (Job 31:1)
That man in the mall was looking "lustfully" on that woman.
But Christians ought not to.
Many men dally with their own Delilah’s. And they face the risk of losing their spiritual strength. Often times, men convince themselves that these things don’t hurt them… they can handle it… they’re just being guys. But they are wrong.
Paul wrote: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body." (1 Corinthians 6:18)
Now, what does that mean? It means that when we sin sexually it’s like having cancer. Sexual sin eats away at the very essence of our being, the moral fiber of our lives. On outside we might look healthy, but inside we’re diseased and weakened - easy targets for Satan, and primed for destruction.
How serious is sexual sin for us? With all other sins, the Bible tells us how to substitute a Godly trait for the sin, but not so with sex. Every time the Bible talks about sexual temptation Scriptures tell us to:
> flee
> keep your path far from it
> don’t go near its door
> don’t look back
> don’t desire its “beauty” with your eyes
Why? Because, there’s no other way to deal with sexual temptation.
ILLUS: I read once of an older gentleman who was asked by a younger man - if his age kept him from being tempted sexually. The old man replied that the only time he’d feel safe from temptation was when he was 6 foot under.
So, was Samson’s weakness caused by his sexual sins?
Yes… but not entirely.
Notice in Judges 16:1-3 that Samson had gone into a Prostitute – he had sinned sexually - but he could still tear out a city gate and carry it about 40 miles away. He sinned sexually, but he still had his strength.
It’s also worth noting that when Samson performed this great feat of strength it DOES NOT SAY that the Spirit of the Lord had come upon him. Every other time Samson displayed his might, the Bible tells us "the Spirit of the LORD came upon him," but not this time. God’s Spirit could not partake in Samson’s sin at Gaza.
Still, he had strength even after he had gone into the prostitute. Obviously, Samson’s ultimate weakness was in something else.
So, if Samson’s weakness didn’t lie entirely in hair, or in his sexual sin... where did it lie?
What was it that destroyed the strongest man in history? What was his kryptonite?
(Pause) It was in his pride.
It was Samson’s pride in his physical power to whip just about anyone that challenged him.
It was his pride in his position as a leader in Hebrew society.
It was his pride in his abilities and prowess that led him to believe he could get away with whatever he wanted to do.
It was his pride that led him to believe it was alright to visit a prostitute.
It was his pride that led him to believe he could maintain an unGodly relationship with a Philistine woman named Delilah and that kept him in Delilah’s bedroom night after night even as she was plotting to betray him.
You see, Samson’s physical strength became the source of his weakness. His power became the source of his pride. He’d never lost a fight. No one could defeat him. He was a man of power and prestige.
Other men of power and prestige have suffered the same problem:
Nixon said: "If the president does it, it can’t be illegal."
Clinton’s preacher declared: "Sexual immorality doesn't automatically render a leader immoral"
A California congressman named Condit told Connie Chung: "Sure I make mistakes, but essentially I’m a moral man."
Samson figured: (like Nixon) If I do it – it can’t be illegal.
(like Clinton) Sexual immorality doesn't automatically render a leader immoral.
(like Condit) Sure I make mistakes, but essentially I’m a moral man.
It was his pride, based on his belief in his own strength that brought him down.
It was his pride that told him: “I can get away with it!!!"
Proverbs 16:18 tells us: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
God warns us: “Let him who thinks he stands (strong) take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
It’s our pride that can lead us look to ourselves when we need strength.
It’s our pride that makes us lean on our own understanding when faced with temptation.
It’s our pride that can make us look anywhere but to God when we have to make decisions.
And it’s that pride that can lead us into bondage and pain in our lives. Just as Samson’s pride led him into bondage and pain.
God’s ways, and God’s wisdom, don’t always look sensible to those in this world that are proud.
ILLUS: A preacher once wrote about an incident in his life: “I’d received a notice from my 13 year old son’s school announcing a meeting to preview the new course in sexuality. Parents could examine the curriculum and take part in an actual lesson presented exactly as it would be given to the students. When I arrived at school, I thumbed through page after page of instructions in the prevention of pregnancy or disease.
I found abstinence mentioned only in passing. When the teacher arrived with the school nurse, she asked if there were any questions. I asked why abstinence did not play a noticeable part in the material.
What happened next was shocking. There was a great deal of laughter, and someone suggested that if I thought abstinence had any merit, I should go back to burying my head in the sand.
The teacher explained to me the job of the school was to teach “facts,” and the home was responsible for moral teaching. I sat in embarrassed silence for the next 20 minutes as the course was explained. The other parents seemed to give their unqualified support for the materials.
“Donuts, at the back,” announced the teacher during the break. “I’d like you to put on the name tags we have prepared – they’re right by the donuts – and mingle with the other parents.”
Everyone moved to back of the room. As I watched them putting on their name tags and shaking hands, I sat deep in thought. I was ashamed that I had not been able to convince them to include a serious discussion of abstinence in materials. I uttered a silent prayer for guidance.
My thoughts were interrupted by the teacher’s hand on my shoulder. “Won’t you go and join the others, Mr. Layton?”
The nurse smiled and sweetly said: “The donuts are good.”
“Thank you, no,” I replied.
“Well, then, how about a name tag? I’m sure the others would like to meet you.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” I replied.
“Won’t you please join them?” she coaxed.
Then I heard a still, small voice whisper, “Don’t go.” The instruction was unmistakable. “Don’t go!”
“I’ll just wait here,” I said.
When the class was called back to order, the teacher looked around the long table and thanked everyone for putting on name tags. “Now we’re going to give you the same lesson we’ll be giving your children. Everyone please peel off your name tags.”
I watched in silence as the name tags came off. “Now, then, on the back of one of the tags, I drew a tiny flower. Who has it, please?"
The gentleman across from me held it up. “Here it is!”
“All right,” she said. “The flower represents disease. Do you recall who you shook hands with?”
He pointed to a couple of people.
“Very good,” she replied. “The handshake in this case represents intimacy. So the two people you had contact with now have the disease.” There was laughter and joking among the parents. The teacher continued, “And whom did the two of you shake hands with?”
The point was well taken… and she explained how this lesson would show students how quickly disease is spread. “Since we all shook hands, we all have the disease.”
It was then (the preacher wrote) that I heard the still, small voice again. “Speak now,” it said “but be humble.” He said: “I apologize for any upset I might have caused earlier, and I want to congratulate the teacher on an excellent lesson that I’m sure will impress the youth with the terrible consequences of sexual promiscuity. However, I have only one small point I wish to make. Not all of us were infected…. One of us (pause) abstained.” (From an article off the internet in 1998).
CLOSE:
The story of Samson was a story of a man who (out of pride and arrogance) chose not to abstain.
And in the end, Samson suffered for his pride.
What’s interesting about Samson’s story is – that in spite of his colossal failure.
In spite of his walking away from God in his life.
In spite of his sexual immorality.
When he repented, God restored his strength.
And in his final moments, the Bible tells us: “…he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived." (Judges 16:30)
As it says in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
I want to close with this story of a hero of our day who suffered much as Samson had in his. Years ago there was a man named Earvin Johnson. We know him as Magic Johnson. He was one of the greatest basketball stars of his day and yet in 1991 the world was shocked by the disclosure that "Magic" had HIV.
It was a terrible moment for this sports legend. Other players wouldn't take the court with him. A doctor made news when he treated Johnson for a cut "without using gloves." The situation was making a circus sideshow out of his disease and detracting from the game. So Magic Johnson hung up his shoes and walked away from the game that had made him a star.
In an interview on Face To Face With Connie Chung he said: “I lived the bachelor’s life and I’m paying for it….” But then he went on to say: “I agree with those who say my life-style was morally wrong, I’m not trying to deny it. I’m trying to battle for my life and the only thing I can ask for is forgiveness... It was my fault. Morally, I was wrong sleeping with a lot of women. I wish it hadn't happened, but it did. All I can do is ask God’s forgiveness and leave it in His hands. All I can do is pray a lot.”
Just like Samson in his day, Johnson suffered bondage and pain because of his sinfulness, and just like Samson, he repented.
What has God done with Magic Johnson? 23 years later, Magic is not only still alive, he’s 55 yrs. old, married and has two kids. Every day he works out from 7 am till 1 pm, lifting weights, running sprints, playing basketball scrimmages with others in the gym.
Johnson runs a financial empire worth $500 million. But he does something special with his fortune: he invests in inner city businesses, trying to help other black families attain the success that he now enjoys.
Reflecting on his disease he said he was sad that the circumstances by which he got it will be part of his legacy… but he believes he was chosen to get the disease because "God needed someone, and he picked me."
INVITATION
Appendix #1- Samson’s recorded sins were the following:
1. He married a Philistine woman (though it appears he did not consummate the union). It is worth noting that when Samson’s father objects, the Bible tells us that this attraction to the Philistine was “of God.” (Judges 14:4). However, though it was against the Law of God to marry a Philistine, it did not "technically" violate his Nazirite vow.
2. Samson touched the dead body of lion. Although this was also be a violation of the Law of Moses (and would have made him unclean for a period of time) once again, this did not "technically" violate his vow either.
3. Samson went into a prostitute. Again, the vow did not address this sin. But it is interesting, that when Samson arose in the night and carried away the city gate, the text omits a phrase that shows up almost every other time Samson displays his strength: the Bible does NOT say "and the Spirit of the Lord was upon him."
4. Samson apparently lived with Delilah. Again a sin, again not addressed by the vow.
This does not in any way excuse Samson for his behavior, but it does point up the tendency by religious people (even preachers) to compartmentalize their lives.
