The Strong Man Who Wasn’t Strong Enough !
Judges 13-16
Intro. The book of Judges is a book of cycles. The cycle consists of.....disobedience to God, dominion over them, and deliverance from them. This cycle is repeated seven times in the book of Judges. The story of Samson’s life occurs in the seventh, and final cycle. In verse one we see the beginning of this final cycle........”And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord......and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. The Philistines were idolators who came out of Egypt, and were possibly related to the ancient babylonians. They were enemies of Israel.......yet God allowed these wicked idolators to have dominion over his people in hopes of bringing them to repentance. Oh.....the patience of God ! We see his loving kindness in the giving of a new deliverer !
I. The Seed Promised. 13:1-5, 24
a. The barreness.
This woman’s barren condition pictures the spiritual emptiness of the children of Israel.
b. The blessing.
Initially this “angel of the LORD” appears only to the barren wife. But Manoah upon hearing the news of the messenger’s visit prays that God would send him again to confirm what he had said previously.
c. The belief
The devotion of this couple is quite evident. There is no indication of disbelief. They have faith in God, and desire that his will be done in the life of this child. So concerned in fact that they ask God to send the messenger again, and to give them instructions as to how to raise him.
Their devotion is seen in their desire to be hospitable to this heavenly visitor. We see their devotion in the offering of a sacrifice unto the Lord, and also in their recognition of who this guest was. This “angel from the Lord” was the pre-incarnate Christ.
II. The Separation Pronounced.
Numbers 6 gives the details concerning the Nazarite. A Nazarite was usually a self-imposed vow of consecration and discipline for the purpose of some special service. It was usually made for a certain length of time. The child promised to Manoah, and his wife is pronounced by the Lord to be a Nazarite from the womb. Notice the areas of consecration.
If Samson was to be the leader that God wants him to be, then he must be a consecrated man. He must be set apart, separated, distinct, different. So it is with every man, woman, boy or girl who would be used of God, and fulfil his or her God-given purpose, and potential. The key to success as a leader........the key to strength is consecration to God !
a. Separated in his appearance.
No razor was to come upon his head.
Why ? He was to be different in his appearance ! It is a possibility that the Philistines who now ruled over the children of Israel practiced “shaving the head.” Samson was to be different from those he sought to be delivering his people from........the child of God in order to make a difference must first of all be different.
b. Separated in his abstinence.
Samson was to be separated to the Lord in his abstinence of wine, and strong drink ! As children of God, we are to “Abstain from all appearance of evil !” 1 Thess.
We are not to be filled with wine, but with the Holy Spirit !
c. Separated in his avoidance.
Samson was to have no contact with dead bodies. We as Christians are to be dead to sin !
d. Separated in his appetite.
Samson was not to eat any unclean thing. We should have a appetite for the things of God.....for spiritual things......for the “meat of the word”.
e. Separated in his allegiance.
Samson was separated from the womb, and unlike most Nazirite vows.....his was for a lifetime of consecration, and service ! The child of God, likewise, is to be separate from the world, and unto the Lord for all of our lives !
III. The Spirit’s Power. 13:25
a. The Spirit was moving. 13:25
The word “move” literally means “to tap.....or to beat regularly like a drum.” The Spirit of God was tapping upon the heart of Samson leading him, and guiding him. *Notice “at times” Remember that in the O.T. the Spirit of God did not necessarily remain with the saints at all times.
b. The Spirit was mighty. 14:6, 14:19 15:14 “Came Mightily” means to “push forward or to break-out.” The source of Samson’s mighty power was the Spirit of God. Oh.....how I wish that the Spirit of God would come upon us mightily this morning. I wish he’d break out, and cause us to push forward.”
c. The Spirit was ministering. 15:9
Samson was revived by God providing water from the jawbone.
We desperately need to be revived.
Our spirit is so weak, our hearts so cold ! God send us some spiritual refreshment this morning.....and even us a jawbone if you have to...
IV. The Strength Provided.
Joke: An old fellow had been in the north woods for weeks by himself, camping out. Each night at dusk he built a campfire, boiled water for coffee, and took out his skillet to fry up some bacon for dinner.
As he was sitting by the fire one night, the water boiling and the bacon sizzling, he heard a tremendous racket in the brush. The sound was like a roaring freight train, and as trees fell over and branches snapped, the biggest bear he’d ever seen lumbered into the clearing. On the bear’s back was a tough-looking hombre holding a seven-foot live rattlesnake in his hands.
The man shouted and screamed as he brought the bear to a skidding halt, bit the head off the rattlesnake, and flung it into the brush. Then he slid off the bear’s back, turned, and hit him between the eyes, knocking him unconscious.
The camper was speechless as this wild-eyed renegade walked over to the fire, tossed the boiling coffee down his throat, drank the hot grease from the skillet, and ate all of the bacon in one bite.
As he wiped his hands with poison ivy and slapped the bear back to consciousness, he turned to the camper and said, “Partner, I’m sorry I can’t stay around and visit with you a while, but I’ve got to keep moving ‘cause a real bad dude is chasing me!”
Samson was one bad dude !
a. The Provider Of His Strength. 15:18 Samson acknowledges who gives him his strength. He testifies that it is the Lord that gives him victory.
b. The Purpose For His Strength. 13:5 The purpose of Samson’s consecration, and for the great strength given to him by the Lord was so that he might deliver the children of Israel from the Philistines.
c. The Pursuit For His Strength.
Judges 16
This chapter gives us the story that most of us are most familiar with......Samson & Delilah, what a couple ! He who has strength is paired with the one who has none.....Delilah means “languishing”....lacking or losing strength. She who has no strength is pursuing after the strength of Samson ! What a foolish game of hide & seek ! The world is full of those who want us to lose our strength.
Story: David Pollack
V. The Sin Prevailing.
The strongest man in the world at that time wasn’t strong enough. He had supernatural strength provided to him by the Spirit of God.
His hands were a lethal weapon. With his bare hands he ripped off the head of the lion that came roaring after him......Anything in his hands were a lethal weapon......he whipped the tar out of 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. When the Philistines thought they had him surrounded he took the gate of the city along with the two posts, placed them upon his shoulder and carried them up a hill. Here was a man with phenomenal strength.......there was no enemy he couldn’t conquer......and he knew it or so he thought. The one thing stronger than Samson was............Samson. He couldn’t control himself. He couldn’t contain his sinful lusts or his anger and bitterness......much of his feats of strength were motivated by bitterness, anger, and revenge !
We see sin prevailing....
a. In His Rebellion. Samson was supposed to be the one who would lead the children of Israel to deliverance.....but we really see no leadership skills in him at all. He just walks around half-cocked ready to go off on someone ! He ends up breaking every vow of consecration !
b. In His Riddles
The riddles are a clue to his oversize head. He becomes proud of his supernatural strength....He uses riddles to toy with the Philistines.....
about how he slayed the Lion with his bare hands, and then later ate honey from it’s carcase ! This little game cost him his wife, the lives of 30 innocent Philistines, and the respect of the people he was supposed to be leading from oppression !
c. In His Revenge. Samson as a leader should be preparing the children of Israel.....he should be leading them to do battle against the Philistines that oppressed them.....but Samson’s attitude is all about getting even......he cannot control his anger, nor his desire for revenge ! Samson is the Old Eastern version of the Old Western Cowboy.....he’s ready to do battle with everyone who crosses him or looks at him wrong ! After being relieved of his wife by his father-in-law.....he gets even with the Philistines by catching 300 foxes...tieing their tails together, and putting a torch in between their tails. He then let them go in the Philistine corn fields, in their vineyards, and their olive groves !
d. In His Reveling. After the marriage to the Philistine, Samson attends a great feast where there was alot of drinking as the term “feast” infers.
e. In His Relationships.
This born from the womb Nazirite....potential leader from oppression......ultimate strong man isn’t strong enough. His biggest downfall was his lust. He could rip the heads off Lions, kill 30 Philistines with ease.....catch 300 foxes, and tie their tails together...burning up all the fields of the Palestines, killing a thousand philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.....but he didn’t have the strength to control himself !
The one thing stronger than Samson was .........”Samson”. He had a Philistine wife to begin with....and after losing her had an affair with a Philistine harlot.....and then their was of course Delilah ! The woman who stole his heart from God.....and swindled out of his strength. Samson plays games to begin.....he then spills his guts.
When asked where his strength lie.....he was given the opportunity to testify of the miraculous power of God, and his consecration to him.....but he instead he toys with her........finally announcing to her that he strength was in his hair.....which was not true in itself.
He lost his strength as a result of losing his consecration to the Lord.
He sinned willfully against the Lord...and look at the results !
Samson’s sins........
a. betrayed him. 16:20
Samson thought he could continue playing games.....that he could break his vow of consecration, and still be strong, and victorious.....but his sin betrayed him. What sads words we read........”he knew not that the LORD was departed from him.”
b. blinded him. 16:21
Samson lost his vision because of his sinful behavior ! Satan, and sin will blind us spiritually !
c. bound him. 16:21
This man who once killed a 1000 Philistines is now led around by a child.....he vision gone......his body bound with chains of brass.
d. belittled him. 16:21, 25
He once used a donkey’s jawbone as a weapon.....and now Samson is the donkey. He is lowered to the standard of a animal as he is harnessed to the grinding stone. After a while, the party really starts....the Philistines now full of wine calls for Samson to be brought out of the prison house so that he might entertain them. They make sport of him....they giggle, and laugh at the once mighty man. Can’t you hear them as the little boy leads him around.......listen to their jeers as he is bound to the posts of the house.
Come on Samson show us your muscles ! Let’s see you break those chains now superman !
e. buried him. 16:30-31
Samson in prayer of desperation....something he evidently didn’t do much of.........asks God for strength once more that he might be avenged. And as he did.....he bent himself took hold of the pillars of the house.....and he brought the house down.
His final words are a sad commentary of a man who had tremendous potential but never reached it ! He never accomplished the purpose for his life ! Listen once again to his final words.....”Let me die with the Philistines.”
Since Samson lived with the Philistines, and behaved like a Philistine.........it is only natural that he died with them ! If you live like a Philistine......you’re going to die with them....and like them !
Some of you here this morning.....you’ve got tremendous potential......God wants to do great things through you.......but he can’t !
He can’t because you want let him !
He can’t because you want consecrate yourself ! He can’t because you’re playing games with the Philistines ! He can’t because you’re controlled by your lusts, and a spirit of anger, bitterness, and revenge ! Don’t die with the Philistines this morning !
