SERIES: RECOVERING STOLEN IDENTITY & RECLAIMING MISPLACED DESTINY:
PART 7: ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF STOLEN IDENTITY & MISPLACED DESTINY: SAMSON: EXAMPLE OF A PARTIALLY FULFILLED DESTINY
1. Judges 13: 1 Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. 2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
2. Judges 14:1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” 3 Then his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”
3. Judges 16: 1 Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there, and went in to her. 4 Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 19 Then she rocked him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head… and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. 21 Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza… 22 However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven. 25 So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” 27 Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there - about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed. 28 Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. 30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.
INTRODUCTION: PART 7: SAMSON – EXAMPLE OF A PARTIALLY FULFILLED DESTINY
(Leaving For Liberia) Series: Recovering Stolen Identity & Reclaiming Misplaced Destiny. 1) Intro: Difference B/W Identity & Destiny. 2) Significance of Destiny Helpers. 3) How To Lose Your Identity (Don’t Sell Your Birthright) 4) Difference B/W Predestination (Fate) & Free Will – The Cost Of Destiny – The Abraham Story (A, B, C). 5a) God Will Use Detours To Get You To Your Destiny (The Joseph Story). 5b) Taking A Tour Through Your Detours. 5c) The Benefits of Joseph’s Detour. 6) Moses In The Backside Of The Desert: An Example Of Stolen Identity And Misplaced Destiny 7) Final: Samson: The Man Who Partially Fulfilled His Destiny.
ABOUT STOLEN IDENTITY AND MISPLACED DESTINY AMONG GOD’S PEOPLE. (HILLARY)
Identity: Answers The Question: ‘Who has God called me to BE?’ Destiny: Answers The Question: ‘What has God called me to DO?’ Identity Theft - When information about you is stolen by someone else and used without your permission. Identity theft also occurs with Christians. Satan steals your true identity through defeat, discouragement, delay, denial and deception about your real destiny. Samson Is Another Example Of This.
REVIEW: MOSES’ WAITING TIED IN GOD’S PREPARATION OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
1. God Had To Prepare The Israelites Before They Would Follow Moses. People don’t want to move if they’re happy where they are - the harshness of their circumstances in Egypt.
2. Moses Himself Also Had To Be Prepared By God: Moses felt prepared to lead the Hebrew out of Egypt 40 years before we meet him at the Mountain of Waiting. But he was not prepared.
3. He Was Learning To Shepherd Sheep (Humility) Which Was A Necessity Since He Would Be Shepherding God’s People. God Uses The Humble, Not The Proud: Degree in Sheepology. Characteristics Of Sheep: Drop Mess Anywhere; Reckless In Drinking; Very Dependent; Easily Lost; eat plant-based food; Must Have A Leader; Vulnerable To Fear, Frustrations, Hunger, Panic, lightning; Dumb, Gullible; Little / No Means Of Defense; Constantly Need Fresh Water & Pasture; Stubborn; Easily "Cast”; Don't Like To Be Sheared or Cleaned; Must Be Moving; Slow To Learn; Demanding; Unpredictable; Copycats. This is us Christians.
4. It Was Necessary To Gain Experience & Build Character. It took 80 years of time and experience - 40 years in Egypt & 40 years in the wilderness - to get Moses ready.
CONCLUSION TO THIS BACKSIDE OF THE DESERT STORY
1. A Place Of: Refreshing, Preparation, Pruning, Solitude / Obscurity, Development, Lowliness, Growth, Instruction, Transition.
2. Will Teach: Patience, Reliance, Trust, Humility.
3. Satan Brings: Doubt; Confusion; Opposition; Persecution; Oppression; Temptation, etc.
4. The Mountain On The Backside: Exodus 3:1b: Thank God for the mountain of God. There you find: Revelation, Assurance, Purpose, Power, Peace of God.
INTRO: FINAL SAMSON: EXAMPLE OF PARTIALLY FULFILLED DESTINY (DECONSTRUCT)
The Story Of Samson Is One Of The Saddest In The Bible. David came back. Elijah came back. Peter came back. Moses came back. Jacob came back. Samson did but only partially. He was gifted & nurtured to be God’s man in Israel’s critical hour. The Philistines were a threat. Israel needed a leader to unite them. God created & equipped Samson to accomplish a special mission. How Samson misused his privilege and partially failed his mission is a stern warning to every follower of Christ.
WE HAVE SAMSONS IN OUR HOMES
Many Gifted Individuals Are Wasting Their Lives Chasing the wrong things. They have anointing to succeed, but their passions & desires are wacky. They are controlled by the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. 1 Timothy 1:19 Paul advises young Timothy that such people have shipwrecked their faith and pierced themselves with many arrows.
1. ISRAEL CONDITION
Book Of Judges Describes The History Of Israel under different leaderships and their deliverances from oppressors for about 410 years. It portrays the centuries after Joshua as a time of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. The book demonstrates that defection from God incurs severe punishment & servitude. Only by turning back to God can restoration be enjoyed. Some judges are: Ehud, Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, etc. Judges 21:25: “In those days because there were no kings in Israel, every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
2. GOD’S PLAN AND SAMSON’S DESTINY
Samson Was Set Apart To God Before His Conception. He and Jesus are unique in the way their births are treated: a) Manner of Conception. b) A Deliverer. c) Each born by a divine call. d) One born to a barren mother & other to a virgin mother. e) Each for a specific reason.
3. FLESH COULD DO NOTHING – GRACE NEEDED
As The Nation Was Barren Of Spirituality and laboring under bondage, that same barrenness was also represented in Manoah and his wife. Family spirituality was also deficient in the man – the woman understood more spiritually than he. Do not despise symbols in the Bible. In 1 Samuel 3, as the lamp of God flickered in the temple, so was spirituality in the nation and in Eli’s household.
4. SAMSON GIVEN AN IDENTITY BY GOD HIMSELF – A NAZARITE – LIKE ALL OF US
Judges 13:2 The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, "You are barren and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, 5 because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines." He is to be a Nazirite. Not Nazarene. He was set apart for God. Nazirite Vow Involved 3 Things: 1) No drinking wine or even touching grapes. 2) No haircuts. 3) No touching anything dead. Samson’s Strength Came From His Nazirite’s Vow Of Consecration to God - so when Delilah cut his hair (the most public, visible example of the vow), his strength was lost. Samson had broken the vow before - at drinking parties (Judges 14:10) and touching a dead carcass (Judges 14:8-9). But not in this public way of allowing his hair to be cut. Public sins do matter more because they demonstrate flagrance.
5. CAUSE OF HIS EXISTENCE & IDENTITY
Judges 13: For the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6. GOD DESIGNED SAMSON TO ACCOMPLISH HIS DESTINY
Judges 13:24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he still young… God wired Samson with the gifts needed to accomplish his destiny. Samson would be ordinary, but when the Spirit of God came on him, he became strong. it was not his muscle nor his hair that gave him the strength. I do not believe he was that muscular. Grace supplied the strength. He was very sociable. But He Had No Restraints. He felt too gifted to be held down. But every calling needs a mentor.
7. EMPOWERMENT FROM GOD
Judges 14:5 Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. 6 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done.
The Spirit Of God Stirred Samson: Judges 13:25 The Spirit of God stirred Samson. When the Spirit of God moves, events of life can defy scientific, logical, and physical rules. In Genesis, the Spirit of God moved over a formless void of darkness, and from nothing He created all things. When God stirs the nothingness of a man, miracles happen. His creative powers are loosed in us. The Spirit of God stirred workmen to build the Temple. His Spirit is available today to God’s kingdom builders.
The Spirit Of God Empowered Samson (Judges 14:5-9). As Samson traveled toward Timnath for marriage, he was attacked by a young lion. Danger lurks at every turn. Without God, we are defenseless. But “the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him”. God had not only given Samson a special task, He also had made available the strength to accomplish it. John 14:18 “Jesus told His followers “I will not leave you comfortless”.
HE HAD HIS WEAKNESSES (MARKS OF A MISPLACED DESTINY)
a) Samson Went Looking Where He Did Not Belong. Moving freely among his enemies. Judges 14:1 Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
b) Samson Had A Weakness For Women. He gets involved with 3 women the first of which is a prostitute. He can tear a lion apart, kill a thousand men with a donkey jawbone, tear off and carry city gates several miles up a mountain. But he can’t pass up a cute skirt.
c) Samson Made Unreasonable Demands – An Impulsive Child – Especially With Women: The Philistines ruled over Israelites. Jud. 14:2 When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife." This was prohibited by Mosaic Law: Exo. 34:16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same. 2 Cor. 6:14 / 2 Cor. 6:17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."
d) Samson Disrespected God & His Word. God clearly commanded Israel not to intermarry with certain pagans. Samson demonstrates his disregard of this commandment. He will suffer the consequences. God does not abandon Him. From this we learn a lot about God’s mercy and grace as well as about Samson’s character.
e) Samson Disrespected His Father & Mother: But in the end, he always came back to his father’s house. When he died with the Philistines, it was his parents and family who went and collected his body. Eph. 6:2-3 Honor your father & mother which is the 1st commandment with promise that it may go well with you & that you may enjoy long life on earth.
f) Samson Rejected His Parent’s Counsel. Jud. 14:3 His father & mother replied, "Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She’s the right one for me."
g) Samson Had Anger Issues: Judges 14:19 …Burning with anger, he went up to his father’s house. Judges 15:4 He caught 300 foxes & tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, 5 lit the torches & let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks & standing grain, together with the vineyards & olive groves. 8 He attacked them viciously & slaughtered many of them. Imagine Samson’s anger.
h) Samson Goes Alone To The Vineyards Of Timnah – Given To Wine. He’s not supposed to be among the grapes where the lion attacks. But he’s heading to his Philistine girlfriend. Notice Words of Scripture: Judges 14:7 “…She looked good to Samson.” He’s chasing his own fleshly desires. Later he will meet Delilah who is from Sorek meaning “grape bush.”
i) Samson Carelessly Goes Around Dead Carcasses: On the way home he checks out the lion carcass and finds a bee-hive in it. He breaks another part of his Nazirite vow – dead body. He scrapes honey from the carcass & eats. He gives some to his parents but doesn’t tell them about the lion. It was an act of disobedience to his vow. He will face the consequences.
j) Samson Playing With In-Laws Who Hate Him: He Gets Married To A Girl At Timnah, The wine capitol of Philistia. This is not some church wedding, but a pagan wedding feast. Samson is partying & drinking along with others. Samson, Israel’s judge and leader, is joining the enemy! The marriage lasts a week - girl is given to his best man. One Step Toward The Devil Leads To A Journey Away From God’s Will. God is merciful & still does not reject Samson.
k) Samson Falls In Love With His 3rd Woman – Delilah. She was Samson’s final weakness who brings him down. “Delilah” means “weakness” or “brought low.” His lust for women blinded him long before the Philistines put out his eyes. In Samson’s conversation with Delilah, you can tell he does not trust her. But he tells her that he loves her. She loves silver more than Samson. They make quite a pair – both trapped in sin. This story makes you hate Delilah, but you’ve got to admit Samson had ample warning. He has broken all his Nazarite vows except one – the hair.
l) Samson Cannot Keep A Secret When On A Woman’s Lap: Judges 15:18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything." So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. 19 Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.
m) Samson Had Become A Liar & Deceiver. Judges 16:7, 11, 13 "Samson told her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become weak and be like any other man. He told her, “If they tie me up with new ropes that have never been used, I will become weak and be like any other man.” Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me all along and told me lies! Tell me how you can be tied up.” Samson put himself in these kinds of situations that led to him compromising. This cost him his life, since he told Delilah his secret.
8. SAMSON IN HIS COMPROMISED STATE
Judges 16:20 The Spirit Of God Departed From Samson. Samson traded God for Delilah! He was noted for weakness when dealing with women & for strength when fighting men. After three successive failures, Delilah discovered the secret - His Hair Which Represented His Last Remaining Contact With Nazarite Vows. His other vows had long been broken. When the last fragment of his commitment to God was stripped from him, his divine strength was gone. Weakness brought his downfall. The tragic events have been reenacted in many lives since the days of Samson. Many great men and women lose their sense of destiny and become wayward.
9. HE NEVER TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS ACTIONS – BITTER AT GOD
When The Philistines Takes Samson’s Wife & Gives Her To His Best Man, he catches 300 foxes, ties fire on their tail and burns the agricultural plant. The Philistines grabbed his in-laws and burned them alive. He slaughters many Philistines & goes home to hide in a cave. The Philistines surrounds the cave. His people are tired of his actions & turned him over. He agrees and when the enemy takes him, he takes the jawbone of a donkey and kills about 1000 of them. Then he expresses his bitterness against God in Judges 15:8-20 When he had finished speaking, he threw the jawbone from his hand; and he named that place Ramath-lehi. Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, "You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi so that water came out of it. When he drank, his strength returned and he revived. Therefore he named it En-hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day. So he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines. He blames God for his state. Samson’s story is more about God and His grace toward us. Grace keeps having mercy on him over and over.
10. HE WAS BOUND & BOUNDED
Proverbs 7:21-23 As a bird hastens to the snare, so he does not know that it will cost him his life. Samson lost his eyes. Lost his freedom. Lost his strength. Lost the manifested presence of God. Be careful how you use the gifts that God has given you - financial resources, physical strength, beauty, talent, hormones, appetites, time, freedom. Samson’s Humiliation Is Evident: Judges 16:23-27 (They make sport of him and praises their God for his capture.) 28 Then Samson called to the Lord and said, "O Lord God , please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes." Probably For The First Time, Samson Called To God With Genuine Humility recognizing his own helplessness & hopelessness apart from God. Even though he is acting out of retribution and vengeance, he no longer acted proudly on his own strength but called out to God for renewed strength - a humble request to remember him and use him once again. As blinded Samson served at the mill, his hair grew; his strength returned. There was hope. He demolished Dagon’s temple & all who were within it. But…
11. HE DID NOT EVEN SCRATCH HIS DESTINY
Judges 16:30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. Barak In All His Reluctance Faced The Enemy & Brought Victory. Gideon, in spite of a long list of inadequacies became a courageous warrior & leader. God used Jephthah, an illegitimate, to deliver Israel from the Ammonites. Samson Half-Fulfilled His Destiny. Samson Had Everything He Needed To Accomplish His Task – But Did Not. He Was Both Energized & Equipped. Compared to other Biblical heroes, he had more than anyone else. And yet, he let it all slip away.
? The Story Of Samson: a. Chosen b. Different c. Set aside d. Special e. Powerful. Does That Sound Like Someone You Know? Yes. Us.
? Samson Losing The Anointing Power Of God - Did Not Happen Overnight, It Was A Downward Journey. Keeping company with the uncircumcised Philistine was only the start to lose: a. The power b. The blessing c. The glory d. The strength e. His life. The enemy contracted Samson’s life to Delilah. He will do the same with us.
? Samson’s Seven Lock Of Hair (Judges 16:13 & Judges 16:19): Samson’s Power Was Not in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th lock of hair. It was in his Commitment & Obedience To God. Some people say his 7 locks represented the 7 Spirits of God in Isaiah 11:4 "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of 1) wisdom 2) understanding, the spirit of 3) counsel and 4) might, the spirit of 5) knowledge and of the 6) fear of the Lord 7) Righteous Judgment". I will not argue with that. But Let Me Add 7 Essentials: 1. Doctrine 2. Jesus as God in the flesh 3. Holiness & separation 4. Believing a God of miracles 5. Dedication 6. Salvation & Evangelism 7. Life of Commitment & Passion for God.
SIN ALWAYS DOES THE FOLLOWING 3 THINGS TO A MAN OR WOMAN OF GOD!
1. Sin Will Always Take You Farther Than You Want To Go.
2. Sin Will Always Keep You Longer Than You Want To Stay.
3. Sin Will Always Cost You More Than You Intended To Pay.
CONCLUSION
1. You Can’t Ignore Your Godly Heritage Without Consequences. Samson came from a praying family and was an answer to prayer. He took a special vow to be pure and serve God but did not appreciate its significance. Today, many also ignore their heritage!
2. You Can’t Unleash Your Rage Without Consequences. Samson had an anger that was frequently out of control and he enjoyed exhibiting it. Rope that raging enemy in you.
3. You Can’t Forget Your Promises Without Consequences. Samson broke his promise to stay pure, keep ceremonially clean, etc. Promises mean virtually nothing to some people today.
4. You Can’t Indulge Your Passions Without Consequences. Samson’s passion caused him to marry poorly, led to prostitution; and betrayal by Delilah. Failure to control urges leads to physical, emotional and spiritual problems.
5. You Must Know That You Are Called To Live A Holy Life. Samson’s name means “like the sun.” He was a miracle child with instruction. Samson would be consecrated & become a Nazirite from birth. He was to live a holy life. We are to be consecrated unto God.
6. You Are Free To Choose, But You Are Not Free From The Consequence Of Your Choice. We have freedom to do whatever we like, but cannot choose the outcome of our choices. God has set in motion immutable spiritual laws. You choose to break the law of God, bad consequences follow. God can forgive you, but consequences of your actions will come.
7. When You Choose A Mate, Choose A Mate Within Your Faith. Samson decided to choose a mate from the Philistines. The parents of Samson saw the foolishness of his choice and told him. He is stubborn and has decided. We must careful of spousal choices that make or break destiny.
8. God Uses Us Because Of His Choice & Grace & Not Our Greatness. We cannot pay for grace or the anointing to be great. God decides it. Use it sacrificially and with humility.
9. God Has Wired Us To Accomplish Our Destiny In Life. If we fail, it is because we choose to. Whether you succeed or fail, the choice is in your hands.
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
1. I refuse to be removed from my divine destiny in the name of Jesus.
2. Every power of darkness assigned against my destiny, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.
3. Every evil power trying to re-program my life, I terminate your influence in the name of Jesus.
4. Lord, anytime I want to make a mistake, direct me aright, in Jesus’ Name.
5. I refuse to be limited by any power of darkness, in the name of Jesus.
6. I refuse to live below my divine standard, in Jesus' name.
7. I paralyze every destiny destroyer in the name of Jesus.
8. The enemy will not convert my destiny to rags, in the name of Jesus.
1. Lord, restore me to Your original design for my life.
9. I refuse to operate below my divine destiny, in the name of Jesus.
1. Lord, anoint my eyes, hand and legs to locate my divine purpose.
10. Let the spirit of excellence come upon me, in Jesus' name.
11. Satan, I resist and rebuke your efforts to change my destiny, in the name of Jesus.
12. The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon my life, in the name of Jesus.
13. I refuse to be removed from the divine agenda, in the name of Jesus.
14. Holy Spirit, I invite You into my imagination.
1. Lord, bring to light every darkness shielding my potentials, in the name of Jesus.
15. I break every curse of backwardness, in the name of Jesus
16. I shall not come to the world in vain, in the name of Jesus.
17. I refuse to live a floating life, in the name of Jesus.
18. Anything planted in my life by my enemies, come out with all your roots, in the name of Jesus.
19. Every evil power struggling to re-program my life, I rebuke in Jesus’ Name.
20. I thank the Lord Jesus for scattering the enemies of my divine destiny.
21. Thank the Lord for answering your prayer.
