The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews has often been called the biblical “Hall of Fame,” or “Hall of Faith.” chapter.
In this particular chapter of the Book of Hebrews, the writer introduces an impressive list of heroic figures from the Old Testament - Remarkable men and women whose stories stand out to encourage and challenge our faith.
Some of these heroes of faith are well-known Bible personalities such as...
Abel, the first martyr in the Bible
Enoch, the man who walked with God,
Noah, the righteous man,
Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation,
Sarah, the mother of the Jewish nation,
Isaac, the Father of Esau and Jacob,
Jacob, the Father of the 12 tribes of Israel,
Joseph, the Interpreter of Dreams,
Moses, the Giver of the Law,
Joshua, the Successful leader
Rahab, the spy for the Israelites,
Gideon, the reluctant Warrior,
Barak, the Obedient Warrior
and Finally, Samson, the one who should have run a way from Delilah but did not.
We have learned from our previous study that he was supposed to deliver Israel from the hands of their enemy, the Philistines.
But instead he was so consumed by his lust for Philistine women until he met Delilah.
He thought it was true love, but he did not realize that he was being lured into the bait of sin and destruction.
Until he gave away the secret of his great strength when he was sleeping in the lap of Delilah.
His hair was cut short and God's presence left him.
Because of that, he lost everything - he lost his freedom, he lost his strength, he lost his eyesight, he lost his dignity and he lost his testimony.
The consequences and the devastation of sin has a far reaching effect in his life.
We though that the legacy he left behind could never be repaired.
Yet, many years after his death, the writer of the Book of Hebrews included him in the Biblical Hall of Faith.
In spite of all his illicit past, in spite of his moral failures and the overwhelming weakness of the desires of the flesh, at the end, he was still considered to be a man of faith worthy to be recognized.
What would have been the reason why Samson's name was there?
Was there a mistake in including his name?
No. Not at all. There was no mistake.
His name was included for a purpose.
Hebrews 11:32 (NIV) “32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets."
The writer said that there are a lot of things to tell about the spiritual conquest of these great men and women of faith including Samson, but he had no time to tell them.
There are things in the life of Samson that we do not know about.
We cannot just focus on his sin and it's consequences, but we do not know about his inward spiritual transformation.
I believe that at the end, he had made a complete turn around of his life that ultimately changed his legacy.
During those times of great difficulty, when he was suffering humiliation because of the consequences of his sin, he probably had plenty of time to reflect and to think about his past and reform his ways.
You see, many people have changed for the better because they have suffered a lot.
Samson had time to repent from his sins and eventually recognized his mistakes.
He eventually recovered his faith and trust in God and thereupon God honored this humble request.
God sees the content and the attitude of the heart of men.
We only see the past and judge people by what we know about them.
But God judges a person differently.
And so upon seeing a change of heart, God renewed Samson's strength and used him for a purpose.
We believe that our God is the God of the second chance.
Regardless of what we have done in the past, regardless of the failures we have made out of bad decisions, regardless of the sins we have committed and the misery we have experienced, God can still forgive us and cleanse us and use us if we truly repent and recognize our sins.
Our God is compassionate and loving God waiting for his children to come to Him in humility and in spiritual purity.
Samson did that even in the last moment of his life and miraculously, he was able to recover what was lost.
God is not much interested on how we start the race of life but how we end this race.
And Samson ended it well by renewing his faith in God more than anything else.
No wonder, his name was in the Biblical Hall of faith.
And your name can be included in that Biblical Hall of Faith written in God's Book of life.
Because as long as there is life, God is not yet finished in writing our story of faith.
There is a chance of forgiveness and restitution for all the wrongs we have done.
God is very much interested in how we concluded the chapters of our spiritual struggles.
And we can learn that Samson's life concluded in humility, in victory and in faith.
We will now look in the final years of Samson's life and use the letter D - Samson's Delusion, His Disgrace and His Death.
THE FINAL YEARS OF THE LIFE OF SAMSON.
1. SAMSON’S DELUSION
Judges 16:20-22 (NIV) 20 Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” 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. 21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. 22 But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
The text says in verse 20 that "he did not know." - it was a very unfortunate statement concerning Samson as a judge of Israel.
Thinking that he had the same supernatural strength as before, he thought that he could easily break free and defeat the Philistines.
But he did not know - he was deficient or lacking of the knowledge of his real condition and position.
He did not know that Delilah was just a bait in order to trap him into destruction.
He did not know that there is always grave consequences of his sin.
And worse, Samson had no idea that the Lord had already left him.
And so, Samson was under delusion.
He was deceived and tricked by Delilah's cunningness.
God's judgment and discipline was upon him.
God allowed the Philistines to seize him, to gouge his eyes and to take him down to Gaza where he was bound with bronze shackles and had to grind grain in prison.
And with that experience, God showed him what he needed to know.
Brothers and sisters, to be under delusion is the most unfortunate thing that could ever happen to a Christian.
When you think that God is still on your side but you did not know that the Lord had already left you.
I hope and pray that these words will not be said about you and me.
But it does happen to people who are blackened by the deceitfulness of sin.
It can happen to people who have experienced great favor from God but as time passed by, they abandoned God's Word to satisfy their own desires.
It can happen to people who have been blinded by the deceitfulness of riches and hence could not see the greatness and goodness of God.
They are under delusion.
When they think that they are still in good standing with God but in fact, they are already trapped and bound by sin.
They did not know that the Lord left them.
You might feel wealthy and healthy in the outside but inwardly, deep within your heart and soul, there is an emptiness, a longing for something only God can fill.
For it is the most lamentable thing for a Christian not to know that the Lord had left him and still act as if the Lord is still with him.
Brothers and sisters, wake up, repent and receive the healing grace of God.
God forbid but if the Lord would leave us, we will be the most destitute and helpless individuals for the rest of our lives.
If the Lord would leave us, we will be like Samson, - eyes blinded, bound with bronze shackles and going about in circles grinding grain.
My brothers and sisters, don't be deceived into thinking that you know it all but in fact you don't.
Come to Christ. Receive the Holy Spirit.
There is hope for those who are in spiritual delusion.
Know the truth and the truth will set you free.
That is why lesson number one is
WE MUST LOVE THE TRUTH. 1 Thessalonians 2:9-11 (NIV) 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.”
There are always two things we can do with the truth - either to love the truth or to hate it.
To love it means to embrace and to accept it fully.
But to hate it means to reject it and to ignore it.
Before we came to know Christ, we are being bombarded by constant lies and deceptions from Satan.
He is the master of all lies and trickery.
He will use all forms to display his power through signs and wonders in order for us to believe those lies.
The text says that those who are on their way to destruction (or their way to perish) are being deceived by those lies.
They hate the truth that can bring salvation to their souls.
Hence, God sends them a powerful delusion that they will believe those lies.
And so, they do not believe anymore what God says.
They do not believe anymore that someday, God will judge sin.
They do not believe anymore that God desires holiness and purity of life.
Brothers and sisters, if your eyes have been opened to the truth, we must love those truths from God.
That is why in our Wednesday Bible study, we study our statement of faith so that we will have a strong spiritual foundation and we will not be deceived.
Do you love the truth? Do you know the truth?
With that, we go to the next lesson.
WE MUST HEAR THE MESSAGE. Romans 10:17 (NIV) 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
The more we hear God's message, the more our faith will grow and the more the truth is embedded in our hearts and minds.
That is why we need to hear regularly and consistently God's Word preached in the pulpit so that there will be a constant flow of God's truth entering us.
It is through the message centered on Christ that the truth is received and it bears fruit in us.
That is why we encourage you not to be absent in our Sunday worship to God.
We encourage you to be diligent in your prayer and Bible study.
We encourage you to be vigilant in your spiritual health because only through hearing the message that you could love the truth and prevent the delusion of Satan from attacking your faith.
But how can you hear the message if your ear is full of noises all around you?
How can you hear if you are always busy with a lot of things and never ponder and stop to listen to God's Word?
Let us beware of the delusion and lies of Satan by hearing the message and loving the truth from God's Word.
According to Christian answers.net, the top seven cults in the United States are:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints(Mormonism).
A very subtle, spiritual deception started in 1830 by Joseph Smith.
This aggressively evangelistic group contends that it is the only true Church, and that all Christians outside Mormonism are following a deficient Gospel and a false Christ.
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses).
Militantly anti-historic Christian tenets.
This group began in the 1870s with Charles Taze Russell.
They not only deny the essentials of the Christian faith, but the control exercised over the membership is highly destructive.
The Church of Scientology.
A do-it-yourself salvation, science fiction group that masquerades as the true Church, lightly sprayed with a thin veneer of Christianity. Seeks to destroy through litigation and character assassination those who speak out against the group.
The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (Unification Church).
Founded in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, this highly authoritarian and destructive group teaches that Jesus failed on the cross.
Moon is now the mediator between God and man.
The International Churches of Christ (Boston Movement).
This highly evangelistic group which began in 1978 with Kip McKean embraces most of the main tenets of the historic Church.
Teaches that it is the only true Church and is highly authoritarian, with immense control over members' lives.
The Family (Children of God).
This communal group was founded by David “Moses” Berg.
A strange mixture of basic Christian tenets and almost total sexual license.
Very controlling and manipulative.
United Pentecostal Church (UPC).
A highly controlling, legalistic group that was formed in 1945.
This group denies the Trinity and teaches that in order to be saved one must be baptized in the name of Jesus only.
Brothers and sisters, have nothing to do with all these cults.
Let me tell you the testimony of Karen Hunt.
She was a new ager who spent many years searching – exploring all sorts of religious practice.
She says, “I’m now a Christian.
I have been rescued from new age spirituality.
It is a bondage.
It is not the freedom it pretends to be.
The fact that people are seeking should encourage us.
They are spiritually awake.
It is easier to reach them than it is to reach those caught up in materialism.
They are searching."
That is why we need to share to them God's Word.
2. SAMSON’S DISGRACE
Judges 16:23-25 (NIV) 23 Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.” 24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, “Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain.” 25 While they were in high spirits, they shouted, “Bring out Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.
The second thing that happened to Samson is that he was personally humiliated and suffered disgrace from the hands of the enemy.
The Philistines were celebrating the defeat and the weakness of Samson.
When they were mocking him, they were offering their sacrifice to their idols.
While Samson was bound in shackles and jeering at him, they were giving tribute to their idols for delivering Samson into their hands.
But it was Samson's disgrace that opened his eyes to the truth of his deception.
It was Samson's humiliation that brought his connection back to God.
At the end, we will find out that God brought back the strength of Samson and completely destroyed the temple and all the Philistines who were celebrating in it.
His disgrace was turned into triumph and victory for God.
Do you know that during the time when Christ was hanging there at the cross of Calvary and being jeered upon by the Roman soldiers,
He was beaten, he was bruised and broken, he was nailed at the cross while the Roman soldiers were celebrating.
Do you know that during that time, Satan was celebrating thinking that he had won the victory by killing the Son of God?
But he did not know that on the next day, Christ would rise from the dead and vanquish sin and death forever.
Satan now is a defeated foe no longer can hurt us.
It was Christ's death on the cross that brought our victory back.
It was Christ's disgrace and humiliation on the cross that was turned into triumph and victory by God.
Do you also know that during the time of the first century Christians, when they would be disgraced and humiliated by the Roman emperor,
When they were martyred, when they were persecuted, when they were put in prisons and eaten alive by the lions in the coliseums while the crowds cheered.
Do you know that during those times, God was not sleeping but watching carefully to reveal His wrath from heaven upon all men in order to avenge His own?
This pagan worship will not be tolerated by God.
They will have their end in the coming judgment of the wicked.
They might have thought that they have a great victory over the Christians but they did not know that God was in total control.
Their disgrace will be turned into triumph by God.
In the same manner, the Philistines might have thought that they have defeated Samson but they did not know that they were provoking God's wrath.
And no one can escape the wrath of God.
That is why our next life lesson is:
THOSE WHO SERVE IDOLS WILL BE DISGRACED. Isaiah 45:16 (NIV) 16 All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced; they will go off into disgrace together."
This is so true, my brothers and sisters.
The wrath of God is coming soon against all forms of ungodliness of men and no one could escape God's wrath.
Someday, all those who make and worship idols will be put to shame and be disgraced forever.
Someday, all those who have rejected the truth will be destroyed because they have blasphemed the name of our God.
It will happen soon my brothers and sisters. Mark my word.
That is why we must never serve idols - for anything that takes the place of God in our hearts are idols.
We must not serve the idols of materialism for in the end, we will be disgraced.
We must not serve the idols of lust and sexual immorality for in the end, we will be disgraced.
We must not serve the idols of envy, of greed, of pride, of rebellion and unforgiveness, for in the end, we will be disgraced.
Let us learn from the story of Samson.
Those who serve idols will be disgraced.
That is why the next lesson we can learn is that
THOSE WHO SERVE GOD WILL BE HONORED.
2 Timothy 2:21 (NIV) 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."
The text tells us that after you are cleansed from the corruption due to sin of idolatry, then, God can use you for His special purpose.
Cleaning of our sins is done by humbling ourselves before God, confessing or sins and receiving the forgiveness by the death of Christ.
His blood is able to make us clean even from the vilest of all sins.
And after you have been cleansed, God will make you holy and become useful to the Master's use.
God will honor such desire to serve God instead of idols.
Samson experienced such cleansing power of God's forgiveness on the latter part of his life after his eyes were gouged out.
His eyes before were used to promote lust and immorality to his fleshly desires but after his eyesight was gouged out, he realized his mistakes and turned to God for help.
You too can start serving God instead of serving those idols in your life.
Let Christ heal you and cleanse you so that you will be prepared for any good work ahead.
According to gotquestions.org, there are four kinds of modern day idolatry.
1. THE IDOLATRY OF MATERIALISM.
When we acquire more stuff that we don't really need - the newest item, the newest garment and the newest gadget.
This insatiable desire for more is nothing more than material covetousness.
We will never be happy indulging in our materialistic desires because it is Satan’s trap to keep our focus on ourselves and not on Him.
Brothers and sisters, let us destroy the idolatry of materialism in our lives.
2. THE IDOLATRY OF PRIDE AND EGO.
When we are so obsessed with our careers and jobs that we have no time for our family.
We fool ourselves into thinking we are doing it for them, to give them a better life.
But the truth is we are doing it for ourselves, to increase our self-esteem by appearing more successful in the eyes of the world.
This is pure deception and folly.
All our labors and accomplishments will be of no use to us after we die, nor will the admiration of the world, because these things have no eternal value in itself.
Brothers and sisters, let us destroy the idolatry of pride and ego in our lives.
3. THE IDOLATRY OF THE POWER OF SCIENCE.
When we embrace the theory of evolution over the Biblical aspect of creation.
This is pure idolatry because someday, God will destroy everything he has made by fire and create a new heaven and a new earth.
You see, our focus should not be on worshiping the environment, but on living holy lives as we wait eagerly for the return of our Lord and Savior, who alone deserves true worship.
4. THE IDOLATRY OF SELF-INDULGENCE.
When we try to fulfill our own needs and desires to the exclusion of all others and their needs and desires.
This is manifested by indulging in too much alcohol, drugs, and food.
Do you know that due to high access of food, obesity rates in the U.S. have skyrocketed, and childhood diabetes brought on by overeating is epidemic.
There is a desperate need to eat, drink, and medicate more and more.
We resist any effort to get us to curb our appetites, and we are determined to make ourselves the god of our lives.
This worship of self is the basis of all modern idolatry.
The cure to idolatry therefor is when our hearts and minds are centered on God and on others and NOT on self.
This is why when asked what is the greatest commandment, Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
When we love the Lord and others with everything that is in us, there will be no room in our hearts for idolatry.
So far, we have learned of Samson's Delusion.
Then, we have learned of Samson' Disgrace.
3. SAMSON’S DEATH
Judges 16:28-31 (NIV) “28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then 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. 31 Then his brothers and his father’s whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led Israel twenty years."
The last thing we can notice before his death is the sincerity of his prayer.
In verse 28, we notice that Samson began to pray for the first time in his life.
It was a serious and short prayer that comes from the bottom of his heart.
He addressed God as Sovereign.
That means he eventually acknowledged the presence of Almighty God in his midst.
Before, he acted as if he doesn't really know God.
It was more of satisfying his fleshly desires and be consumed with lust for as many women as he could get his hands on.
But now, he pleaded to God to remember him and to help him one last time during that very difficult moment of his life.
He now realized that the Philistines was his real enemy and God was on his side.
It was an eye opener for him.
His spiritual delusion was gone because God used his disgrace to open his eyes.
Then, with the new found faith in God, he reached out towards the two central pillars on which the temple stood.
He could feel that his supernatural strength was coming back once again deep down in his heart.
He then braced himself against the two central pillars while putting his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other.
Then, with his last prayer to God, he was ready to sacrifice himself.
He was ready to die for God.
He was ready to offer himself as a living sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptable form of worship.
Then, he pushed the central pillars with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers of the Philistines and all the people who were in it.
It was said that he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
God's judgment was upon those who served idols and bring disgrace to His people.
And Samson finally served the Lord's purpose during the last moment of his life.
You see, serving the Lord is the very reason why we are alive.
There is nothing more important than to serve God with all the talents and energy that God has given to us.
It will be a waste of time, a waste of talents and finances if after living in this earth for so long, we have only served our desires and not God.
This should NOT be, my brothers and sisters.
Why do you think God gave you all those time, all those talents, all those finances, all those abilities if you will only use them for selfish desires?
Why did God give you all those wisdom and all those connections and all those blessings if you will only use them to satisfy your own desires?
No way.
We exist for a purpose and God must be glorified in our lives by serving Him.
That is why our next lesson is...
WE MUST ALWAYS LIVE AND DIE FOR THE LORD. Romans 14:8 (NIV) 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."
The reason why we are alive is for the Lord's work.
The reason why we will die soon is that we will come back to God after we have done our work on earth.
That means all the things we are doing while we are still alive on this planet earth is to make sure that we make our life count for God.
We breathe, we speak, we walk, we talk, we serve and we think for God's glory.
Obviously, Samson did not realize that truth in the very beginning.
That is why God had to teach him a lesson the hard way.
Samson used all his energy and abilities for his own desires but at the end, when he experienced the disgrace brought by his own sin, he repented and turned to God for help.
He made a mistake and repented from his sin and God healed him.
That is why our last lesson is...
WE MUST REPENT SO THAT GOD CAN HEAL OUR LAND. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Look at what the verse says regarding what Christians should do to bring about healing of our land.
We are to humble ourselves.
We are to pray to God.
We are to seek his face.
We are to turn away from our wicked ways.
Then, only then will God act to hear our prayers.
Then, God will forgive us.
Then, God will heal our lands.
It is not too late to repent.
He is still waiting for us to act.
And so, we had to repent from our sins of pride, sins of greed, sins of envy, sins of impurity, sins of rebellion, sins of disobedience, sins of unforgiveness and many more."
We had to repent individually, as a family, as a church and as a nation."
Without true repentance from the heart, there is no real forgiveness of sins.
For when there is true repentance, then there is turning away from sins.
END...
