Sermon Part 2 – Samson
Thesis: Samson is a lot like us in that he blows it a lot. He does the wrong thing, with the wrong people at the wrong time. Samson continued to make the wrong choices in his life and in the end he squandered his God given gifts and anointing! Yes God used him but could you imagine what he could have done for the Kingdom of Heaven if he made the right choices for his life?
Key point: “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.”
Samson’s life reflects this truth.
Introduction:
Years ago I read a book written in the 50’s by Dehaan which was titled: “Whatever happened to Sin?” His book described a generation that no longer called sin – sin. I actually found the book in a public library. He wrote about how the current culture disregarded sin and the ultimate price this country would pay by pretending it did not exist.
In the early ‘70s, psychiatrist Karl Menninger wrote a book entitled Whatever Became of Sin? Once again looking at a culture filled with sin but pretending it did not exist anymore. He stated: “[Sin] was once a word on everyone’s mind, but now rarely if ever heard. Does that mean that no sin involved in all our troubles - sin with an “I” in the middle? Is no one any longer guilty of anything? Guilty perhaps of a sin that could be repented and repaired and atoned for...? Anxiety and depression we all acknowledge, and even vague guilt feelings; but has no one committed any sins? Where, indeed, did sin go? What became of it?”
The question is even more relevant today in our sin filled culture. What ever happened to sin it is all over Tv and in movies but it is not called sin. The celebrities’ never use the word sin but we have show’s which focus on people’s sins called Jerry Springer show. Which usually end up with a brawl on camera and the crowd applauding the action. The idea of sin lies in the corner of people’s minds disregarded as relevant in our modern – know it all world of progress. Many think we have out grown sin. Many today are redefining sin and some are even proud of their sin. Even some churches have jumped aboard the “No sin” message for the sake of being positive and inspirational. And so they are well liked by everyone especially the world.
Has sin disappeared? Has sin sunk? Or is it still peaking its head out of the dark murky water of life – It’s there hidden in the murky water – not recognized but ready to bite your left off or arm off. It’s like the bull sharks who seem to attack in the murky water and maul innocent lives just trying to have fun.
The pop thinking on sin is captured in a newspaper headline: To hell with sin when being good is enough.
This old newspaper headline reveals the belief of the media today, many leaders of today, a philosophy of today.
People know what sin is they just don’t believe in it anymore. God has been recast on TV as not hating sin. A very sad and sick movie came out years ago which was called “Everything is okay!” describes the life of a father who goes and sees his kids who are deeply entrenched in sin but in the end they are all okay!
Such is the view of the media, the culture and of some Christians.
But the Bible tells us this:
Isa 5:20: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Romans 12:9: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
2 Timothy 3:1-5: 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
So in the Bible sin is a big deal and we need to call sin – sin and stay away from it so let’s dive back into Samson and learn from his mistakes and his sins.
Scripture Text for today: Judges 14:1-20
Samson’s Marriage
1Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.
2When 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.”
3His father and 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.”
4(His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)
5Samson 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.
6The 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.
7Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her.
8Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey,
9which he scooped out with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.
10Now his father went down to see the woman. And Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms.
11When he appeared, he was given thirty companions.
12“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
13If you can’t tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.” “Tell us your riddle,” they said. “Let’s hear it.”
14He replied, “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet. ”For three days they could not give the answer.
15On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?”
16Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him, sobbing, “You hate me! You don’t really love me. You’ve given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.” “I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother,” he replied, “so why should I explain it to you?”
17She cried the whole seven days of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.
18Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.”
19Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father’s house.
20And Samson’s wife was given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding.
T.S. - The foolish choices of Samson caused him to become blind!
I. Going to the wrong place - Judges 14:1a
a. James 4:17: “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”
i. Samson went down to Timnah and this tells the reader that he went to the wrong place.
1. The geography and historical lesson here is that Timnah was in Philistine territory, it was the land of Israel’s worst enemy. It was 4 miles away from his village of Zorah.
2. This was not a place filled with Godly people.
ii. In his first act as an adult he chooses to leave the land of Israel for the sinful city of the Philistines.
1. It would be like a young adult who now turns 21 and chooses as a legal adult to head right to Las Vegas “Sin City” rather than to Jerusalem the holy city.
2. It was a choice that would lead him down the wrong path for the rest of his life.
3. It would also cause him great heartache and pain.
b. Samuel the writer of Judges is telling us that there is a problem with Samson’s spiritual condition.
i. Quote: “When you hang out in the wrong places, it is very likely you will hook up with the wrong people” (Richard Tow from sermon central).
c. Samson went looking for love in the wrong place and it ended up costing him dearly.
i. This path he choose would lead him down the path to blindness.
1. 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
2. Proverbs 6:27: “Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes and not be burned?”
T.S. – The first huge mistake Samson made was to go to the wrong place and then saw the wrong person.
II. He was looking at the wrong person – Judges 14: 1b-2
a. He spotted a foxy Philistine woman! Not godly-not holy-not a God seeker!
i. On the outside she was appealing to his eyes and flesh – but what about her heart?
b. He was more interested in the outward package than in the inward soul.
i. His eyes focused on the wrong prize – he allowed his flesh to control his gaze which in the end would cause him to go blind.
ii. He was controlled by the flesh and not the Spirit.
c. Hebrews 4:12, 13: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
d. Christians need to realize whether they are being led by their flesh or by the Holy Spirit.
i. The Word of God is the energy force that shows Christians whether they are living by their spirit or their fleshly realm. Hebrews 4:12 reveals to us that the Word of God is a living energy that penetrates to the dividing of the soul and spirit. It is the energy force that shows Christians whether they are living, or motivated by their flesh realm or by their spirit.
T.S. – Looking at the wrong person can cost us our sight and lead to blindness as in the case of Samson. Especially when we do not listen to godly advice.
III. Samson did not listen to the Godly advice of his parents.
a. His Godly parents try to warn him about scoping out these Philistine ladies but he boldly declares, “Go get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” That phrase in verse 3 literally reads, “She is right in my eyes.”
i. It seems from verse 4 of our chapter that God was going to use this to start the deliverance of the nation of Israel from the Philistines.
ii. But understand this God did not desire Samson to break his Nazarite vows – he was to be separate but going to the wrong place –getting involved with godless person set Samson up for tremendous heartache and pain.
1. God will use people who make the wrong choices to do His will but they will pay the price for their sin.
iii. Pastor Tow from sermoncentral.com makes this observation about our hero of the faith: The Bible is telling us something crucial about Samson. He is a man motivated purely by physical appearance. He saw this young woman, she looked good, and now he wants her for his wife. Samson was looking in the wrong place for the wrong thing for the wrong reason.
1. Samson’s Godly parents tried to talk him out of this mistake, this sinful act but he wouldn’t listen to their wise counsel. He knew best! He thought he knew the right thing to do and who the right person was for him.
2. Here is the most important point in these first two verses to note, “It would have never been an issue in the first place if Samson had not been in the wrong place hanging out with the wrong people.”
3. He blew off his Godly counsel - Judges 14:3,4
a. Samson did not listen to his parents – not smart.
i. Scripture Text: Proverbs 13:1 “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.”
ii. Also Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for it is right.”
iii. Also Colossians 3:20 “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
b. Now verse 4 tells us that God was in this whole situation and he would use it to confront the Philistines.
i. The parents were just trying to protect their son from the sinfulness of these people. They were trying to guide their wayward son back to following the teaching of Scripture.
ii. But even though He was in the wrong place looking at the wrong women God would use it to deliver his people from the Philistines.
1. God never desires us to play with sin or go against His Words of truth but even if we make the wrong choices to do so God can use bad situations to turn them around for His glory. He did so here with Samson’s poor choices.
iii. Pastor Bill states, “He Rejected Godly Counsel. The downward spiral continues but now takes a threatening turn. So far, Samson has made some mistakes but they are not fatal. That is about to change. By blowing off his parents, Samson is also rejecting what God said in Exodus 34:16 and Deuteronomy 7 about not marrying someone from the surrounding pagan nations. The reason is clear—if you marry an unbeliever, he (or she) will turn you away from God.”
1. Did she turn him from God?
2. Look at the rest of his choices?
a. He starts breaking his vows to God.
b. He is deceived by his wife and betrayed.
c. He makes a bet and pays the price of losing the bet.
d. He retaliates and his wife and the father-in-law pay the price with their lives.
e. His choices lead to more bloodshed and betrayal.
f. He hooks up with a prostitute (Also unclean)
g. He hooks up with another wrong women Deliah!
h. In the end it cost him his god given gift and his eye sight!
3. He was stubborn and pursued the wrong person and wrong relationships.
iv. Pastor Bill notes, “Samson is hormone-driven, not Holy Spirit-driven.”
1. Yet this woman does not know the Lord God Almighty she worships idols and does what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.
2. But we have our young man Samson driven to this relationship because he is Fleshly driven and not Spirit led.
c. How many parents here can relate to what Samson’s parents are going through?
i. He was convinced that he knew what was right when in reality it would prove to be a big mistake.
1. Samson compromised his vow to God – Judges 14:5-6
2. Samson put his divine calling on the line. Samson did what was right in his own eyes, not in the eyes of the Lord.
a. The problem with many in the time of the Judges!
b. We have the same problem with many today!
ii. I wonder about this lion?
1. It attacked him at the point when he approached the vineyards of Timnah – party country.
2. Remember Samson needs to stay away from the vine stuff and the brew!
3. His parents don’t see it happen, where did they go, maybe he slipped off to satisfy his fleshly desires?
a. But back in the vine rows he encounters the beast!
b. The Spirit of the Lord came on him to defeat the lion but he was in the wrong place – going after the wrong person for the wrong reason and yet God still empowers him to defeat a threat to his life.
i. Maybe it speaks about how merciful God is with us!
ii. Even when we are going the wrong way, in the wrong place, seeking after the wrong things God still spares our lives because he has a future mission for us to complete for him.
1. What do you think?
iii. My own story with the kids in the car with the gun!
1. Why did he not pull the trigger?
2. Was God’s hand on me then?
3. Even though I was not a Christian?
d. I recall another judge who made a vow Jephthah and then kept it even though it was costly – Samson just blows his vows off for sake of the flesh – “eros” love not “agape” love.
i. Samson is so like many of us today is he not? He makes a vow then breaks the vow.
ii. He allows the enticement of the world, the pleasures for a season to lead us astray and away from the Lord Jesus.
iii. Think about many marriages that end in divorce – the vow is taken lightly and people just break their vow to another and to God.
1. Pastor Bill notes, “He Compromised His Commitment. While Samson is traveling with his parents to make the wedding arrangements, he goes into a vineyard (which was forbidden by his vows) and there encounters a young lion. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon him and he tears the lion apart with his bare hands. Verse 6 notes that “he told neither his father or his mother what he had done.”
2. So why did he keep it a secret?
a. He doesn’t tell them because he is in the wrong place again most likely doing the wrong thing!
b. The killing of the lion meant touching its corpse after it was dead. That is a violation of the spirit of the Nazirite vow.
3. His parents knew the conditions of the vow and if you recall the Angel of the Lord informed them of the conditions.
a. I am sure they would have been angrier at him for breaking another condition of the covenant he had with the Lord.
b. Bad choice one - marry the wrong person.
c. Bad choice two break you vow with God on the way to get the sinful woman.
e. So he hides it from his parents to keep the nagging and conflict out of the relationship.
i. Pastor Bill then instructs us to look at verse 9: “This time Samson is traveling alone and stops by the vineyard to revisit the scene of his great exploit. He finds that bees have built a honeycomb inside the dried-out carcass of the lion. He scoops out some honey and eats it as he walks along. Once again, he comes in contact with a dead body.”
1. Don’t forget --- According to verse 10 Samson made a feast “as was customary for bridegrooms.” This was like a wild bachelor bash. The Hebrew word used here means, “a drinking bash.” A Nazirite is to avoid alcohol and here Samson is throwing a toga party.
2. Samson is a picture of a believer who is beginning to bail on his commitment to God and His ways. If you simply look at his long hair he appears to be dedicated to God (remember outward sign), but his lifestyle is telling another story. On the outside he looks like a man of God, but on the inside he’s a man controlled by his lusts and his flesh. Not only is he being led by the wrong sense he is allowing pride to swell up inside of him.
ii. He lived in denial to his weaknesses - Judges 14:11-14
1. Samson’s pride of life and strength feats sets him up for his fall and his blindness!
2. At the party bash he lets loose his riddle – and then makes the bet that will ruin his marriage, his love and his relationships.
iii. Yes, it was a battle of wits very common in those days.
1. The riddle involved the honey that Samson took from the carcass of the lion. The riddle (which happens to be an excellent example of Hebrew poetry) went this way in verse 14:
a. “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.” Samson walked with a swagger and offered a wager along with the riddle. If they solved the riddle in 7 days, Samson would give them some new clothes.”
2. But he loses the bet because he succumbs to the nagging and pleading of his wife to be!
3. Who by the way has be threatened with her life and he father’s life if she does not get it the answer.
a. Can you blame her?
b. She is trying to protect her life and family’s life.
4. The people Samson is playing the riddle game with are killers – he was playing a riddle game with ISIS type people!
a. But his pride – maybe his brew all set this moment up to happen! His victory in slaying the lion set up his downfall?
b. He had to go back and see his great feat – the dead lion-then break the vow again.
T.S. – Samson blows off godly advice to be led by his flesh and this lead him into pride which just makes matters worse in his life and his bride to be’s life.
IV. Pride or arrogance is always the path to destruction and blindness.
a. When pride takes over in a person’s head their head puffs up and eventually their head goes poof!
i. Proverbs 8:13 "To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech."
ii. Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction a haughty spirit before a fall."
iii. Isaiah 2:11, 12 "The eyes of the arrogant man will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. The Lord almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled).
iv. Daniel 4:37 "Now I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble."
b. Kapteyn from his book Finish Strong helps us see what happens with pride in our lives – I have also added some of my own observations:
i. Pride is what hurts us in our relationships - in church, in families, (at work, at school), with friends.
ii. Pride makes us stubborn - I'm right, she's wrong - (I know all more about this than they do-they need to listen to me!).
iii. Pride stops us from forgiving "I was right she needs to apologize to me not visa versa!
iv. Pride makes us put up false fronts "I'm not letting anyone else know my sins and weaknesses" ("I don't have any problems only those kind of people do! My life is perfect! I don't make mistakes! ) It creates walls of pretension.
v. Pride makes us think we are better or know more than the other. We become proud of what we do, read (or achieve).
1. Remember he is in “Sin City” dealing with Israel’s number one public enemy. In a sense he is trying to get over on the mafia!
2. Pride will do that too you by the way!
c. Pastor Bill adds this thought, “By the fourth day the groomsmen were getting nervous so they approached Samson’s bride and made her an offer she couldn’t refuse in verse 15: “Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death.” These are not nice people. You wouldn’t want these guys in your wedding party. “Coax” means, “to seduce a simple-minded person.” The Philistines would say the same thing to Delilah some 20 years later. Samson could be seduced because he was all hormones and no brain. Here’s the sad part: Samson’s weakness was apparent to everyone but him. He never saw his weakness, refused to admit he had one and consequently never came to grips with it. In the end it would prove his undoing. He eventually reveals the riddle’s answer on the seventh night. Remember this: It’s our refusal to deal with our weaknesses that most often gets us in trouble. Many of us are just like Samson—we’ll do anything to avoid dealing with the real issues in our lives. It’s easier and less painful (we think) to pretend that everything’s okay, even when deep inside we know it isn’t.”
T.S. – The spirit of pride will always cause us to latch on to the “Spirit of Offense.”
V. He latches on to the Spirit of offense and goes for revenge
a. Forgiveness is the ability to say I will not be offended instead I will forgive and be set free.
i. John Bevere calls “The spirit of offense” the bait of Satan which leads us to destruction in our lives.
1. It leads us down and unforgiving path.
2. It leads us into bitterness and hatred.
3. It leads us to destroy relationships and people.
4. It destroys churches and families.
5. It will lead to spiritual blindness.
6. It will lead you into captivity.
7. It will entrap you in the evil grip of sin.
ii. Bevere states, “If you are offended and in un-forgiveness and refuse to repent of this sin, you have not come to the knowledge of the truth. You are deceived, and you confuse others with your hypocritical lifestyle. No matter what the revelation, your fruit tells a different story. You’ll become a spring spewing out bitter waters that will bring deception, not truth” (19, The Bait of Satan).
1. “Offended people still may experience miracles, words of utterance, strong preaching, and healing in their lives. But these are gifts of the Spirit, not fruits. We will be judged according to fruit, not gifting. A gift is given. Fruit is cultivated.”
a. ? John Bevere, The Bait Of Satan: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense
iii. Many New Testament passages portray human forgiving as an unconditional act which is not dependent upon the injurer's repentance.
1. Some examples are: Mark 11:25, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Our condition of forgiveness is dependent on our ability to forgive others.
iv. There is no slightest suggestion that we are offered forgiveness on any other terms. It is made perfectly clear that if we do not forgive, we shall not be forgiven. There are no two ways about it. C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity p104-105).
1. Forgiveness -- just do it! If you do it you become the winner and not the loser! The Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance states, “That practicing forgiveness contributes to: better health, stronger, more lasting and more loving relationships, greater abundance, prosperity and financial resourcefulness, a more real and lasting sense of self worth and purpose, a deeper sense of connection and security in the world, a more heightened feeling of freedom, joy and laughter on a daily basis.
v. What Forgiveness Can Do For You. When you and I truly and honestly forgive others for their wrongs toward us, we are set free in our own minds, souls, and spirits by our creator in heaven. You are really freeing yourself from the negative and unproductive feelings that hold you back from the blessings in store for you!
1. The moment that one sincerely and freely forgives another, something wonderful and good happens to both the forgiver and the forgiven. The capacity for both to love one another is increased and strengthened. New horizons for greater, more treasured and enriched relationships are resurrected and made alive by the divine spirit of love. Can you imagine how many marriages and strained family relationships would be healed and restored with love and genuine respect if individuals would truly forgive each other? Take a chance, make the first step if you have to. You will be rewarded. Even if the person that you are forgiving does not respond, you will feel better when you release any negative feelings you have.
2. Pastor Bill notes, “He’d rather take revenge than repent!”
a. The groomsmen know the secret of the riddle and they come to Samson at the last moment with the answer. Since Samson has lost the bet, he has to find some Armani suits. Verse 19 gives us his solution: In order to pay off his debt, Samson filleted 30 Philistines. He had to touch their dead bodies in order to get the clothes off—another clear violation of the Nazirite vow.
3. But it doesn’t matter now. Samson is angry because he has been publicly humiliated. His feelings of romance are now replaced with rage and revenge.
a. Samson leaves his bride standing at the altar and chapter 14 ends with her father (who is understandably embarrassed) giving her in marriage to the best man.
b. This sounds like something you’d see on the Jerry Springer show! (Information above from Bill at sermoncentral.com Samson’s fatal flaws.)
b. “Many are unable to function properly in their calling because of the wounds and hurts that offenses have caused in their lives. They are handicapped and hindered from fulfilling their full potential. Most often it is a fellow believer who has hurt them.”
i. ? John Bevere, The Bait of Satan, 20th Anniversary Edition: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense
ii. In Samson’s case it is the Philistines, his women, and so on.
Conclusion:
“Christianity is not a sprint but an endurance run. Therefore it is not how we start the race that counts, but how we complete it. How we finish is determined by the choices we make, and those are often formed by patterns we develop along the way.” ? John Bevere, Honor's Reward: The Essential Virtue for Receiving God's Blessings
If you had told Samson at the beginning of his life what he would do in the end, he would not have thought himself capable of going that far.
But we need to know:
“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.” Samson’s life reflects this truth.
So what do we need to do?
We need to make the right choices and say no to:
*Going to the wrong place to find a life! We need to go to God!
*Looking at the wrong people to fulfill our life! Instead we need to once look to God for contentment in life.
*Quit ignoring sound godly advice – instead we need to listen to it.
*Pride! It will destroy us!
*Reject the spirit of offense and not fall into the trap of the bait of Satan with our lives.
The result of right choices is God’s blessings and the prevention of a lot of heartache and pain. It may even stop us from going blind!
