SCRIPTURE: JUDGES 16:15-17
SUBJECT-“KICK YOUR DELILAH TO THE CURB”
SOME TIME AGO WHILE CHANNEL SURFING THE TELEVISION, I CAME ACROSS A FAVORITE SHOW OF MINE: BEYOND THE GLORY. IT FEATURED A TWO-HOUR SPECIAL ON MIKE TYSON. A MAN WHO WON MORE PRIZE MONEY THAN ANY FIGHTER IN HIS SPORT. MIKE TYSON A MAN WHO PLACED FEAR IN THE HEART OF BOXERS WORLDWIDE. A MAN CALLED “IRON MIKE” BECAUSE OF HIS ABILITY TO DEMOLISH COMPETITORS WITH HIS BARE HANDS. YET, WHILE HE HAD HANDS OF STEEL THAT COULD SHATTER A PERSON’S WORLD, HIS OWN WORLD WAS SHATTERED DUE TO HIS INABILITY TO GUARD HIS HEART AND EMOTIONS. THE FAILURE TO SHAKE HIS PAST. THE FAILURE TO SHAKE HIS LUST. A MAN WHO KNEW HOW TO TONE AND TUNE HIS BODY, BUT NOT HIS MIND. A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE . . .
MIKE TYSON WAS A MODERN DAY SAMSON.
IN OUR TEXT TODAY, WE FIND A COUPLE, NO A MAN AND A WOMAN NAMED SAMSON AND DELILAH WHOSE STORY IS MORE FAMOUS THAN SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO AND JULIET, MORE FAMOUS THAN ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA, OTHELLO AND DESDEMONA, YES, EVEN MORE FAMOUS THAN CIARA AND BOW-WOW. IN OUR TEXT WE FIND A MAN WHO WAS ROBUST, A MODEL OF HEALTH, FULL OF VIGOR, YOUNG, ENERGETIC, QUICK ON HIS FEET, SHARP IN HIS HEAD, COULD RIP A LION APART WITH HIS BARE HANDS, AND A MARTIAL ARTIST IN HIS USE OF THE JAWBONE. HE WAS A COMMITTED MAN, HE WAS A NAZARITE, MEANING HE HAD COMMITTED, DEDICATED, AND DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO A LIFESTYLE THAT OBLIGATED HIM TO REFRAIN FROM TOUCHING A DEAD BODY, ABSTAIN FROM ALCOHOL AND OTHER PRODUCTS OF THE VINE, AND VOWED TO NEVER ALLOW A RAZOR TO COME UPON HIS HEAD.
PREACHERS, TEACHERS, LECTURERS, HAVE PREACHED AND TAUGHT ON SAMSON FOR CENTURIES SUGGETSING THAT HAD SAMSON NEVER FOOLED AROUND WITH DELILAH, HE WOULD HAVE NEVER FACED THE FATE HE ENCOUNTERED. HOWEVER, I AM PREPARED TO ARGUE, THAT WHILE IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DELILAH, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A BEYONCE TO TRIP SAMSON UP. FOR UNDERSTAND THAT SAMSON’S REAL PROBLEM WASN’T SO MUCH WITH A LADY FROM THE VALLEY OF ZOREK, WHICH MEANT “CHOICE VINE”, SAMSON’S REAL PROBLEM WAS WITH AND CAME FROM THE VALLEY OF WITHIN. . .
NOW BE SURE THAT IN OUR TEXT TODAY, DELILAH WAS A WOMAN, IN FACT SHE WAS ALL WOMAN, LIKE THE GRAPES BEING PLUCKED FROM THE VINE, DELILAH WAS A PLUMP AND PRECIOUS JEWEL. LIKE THE SWEET SAVORY TASTE OF GRAPES, SO WAS DELILAH. HOWEVER, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT DELILAH DOES NOT ALWAYS HAVE TO BE A WOMAN! AGAIN, SAMSON’S PROBLEM WASN’T A WOMAN NAMED DELILAH. SAMSON’S PROBLEM WAS WHATEVER HE SAW THAT WAS PLEASING TO THE EYE HE WANTED IT. RECALL THE 14TH CHAPTER OF JUDGES WHERE SAMSON WENT DOWN TO THE LAND OF TIM-NA OF THE HOUSE OF THE PHILISTINES, HE SAW A WOMAN, DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HER, BUT SAID “I WANT HER.” YOU BETTER BE CAREFUL OF WANTING EVERYTHING THAT LOOKS GOOD TO YOU. FOR EVERYTHING THAT LOOKS GOOD TO YOU, ISN’T GOOD FOR YOU. . .
SAMSON HAD PERSONAL PROBLEMS THAT HE JUST COULD NOT SEEM TO GET A GRIP ON. ON THE OUTSIDE EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE, BUT ON THE INSIDE, WHEN IT CAME TO THE VALLEY OF WITHIN, SAMSON WAS “TORE UP FROM THE FLOOR UP.” HE WAS A PUBLIC SUCCESS, BUT A PRIVATE FAILURE.
SAMSON’S DELILAH WAS THAT HE COULD NOT CONTROL HIS DESIRE AND CONSEQUENTLY HIS DESIRE CONTROLLED HIM. YOUR DELILAH MAY BE, CAN BE, AND IS ANYTHING THAT YOU ALLOW TO CONTROL YOU. ANYTHING THAT YOU JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF. ANYTHING THAT HAS YOU SO ADDICTED THAT YOU KEEP RUNNING, GOING BACK FOR MORE, EVEN THOUGH THAT THING IS HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH.
CHOCOLATE – CONTROL YOUR APPETITE FOR CHOCOLATE
SHOPPING – LEARN HOW TO PUT YOURSELF ON A BUDGET
CURSING – BRING YOUR TONGUE UNDER GODLY SUBMISSION
DELILAH WAS HAZARDOUS TO SAMSON’S HEALTH, BUT LIKE A LOST DOG, LIKE A DOG CHASING ITS TAIL, LIKE A DOG IN HEAT, SAMSON KEPT GOING BACK FOR MORE. FOUR TIMES DELILAH TRICKED HIM, PLAYED HIM, YET HE KEPT GOING BACK OVER AND OVER. SAMSON WAS SPRUNG. I DIDN’T SAY IT, THE BIBLE SAID IT. LOOK AT THE TEXT, TIME AFTER TIME SAMSON KEPT RUNNING BACK. WHAT IS IT THAT NO MATTER HOW YOU TRY, YOU FIND YOURSELF CONSTANTLY RUNNING BACK TO IT!
WHAT IS IT THAT WHEN YOU THINK NO ONE IS LOOKING YOU BATTLE WITH? FOR SAMSON IT WAS DELILAH AND DESIRE, BUT WHAT IS IT FOR YOU? MAYBE IT’S NOT A WOMAN NAMED DELILAH, BUT IT’S A MAN NAMED DARYL. WHATEVER YOUR DELILAH IS, YOU NEED TO KICK IT TO THE CURB.
. . .WHY YOU HAVE TO KICK YOUR DELILAH TO THE CURB. FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO RID YOURSELF OF DELILAH, BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T:
DELILAH WILL CONTROL YOU.
VERSE 6: DELILAH: TELL ME THE SOURCE OF YOUR MIGHT. A CAREFUL LOOK AT DELILAH REVEALS THAT SHE DID NOT TRY TO HIDE HER INTENTIONS. SHE CAME RIGHT OUT, SAMSON WHAT IS YOUR POWER SUPPLY, WHAT CAN I DO TO WEAKEN YOU, HOW CAN I BOUND AND AFFLICT YOU. HOW CAN I CONTROL YOU. YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT BOTHERS ME, IT BOTHERS ME THAT AS MIGHTY AS SAMSON WAS, AS WISE AS HE WAS, PERHAPS BECAUSE DELILAH SHOWED A LITTLE LEG, REVEALED A LITTLE CLEAVAGE, HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS MIND AND BODY. A MAN WHO KNEW HIS MIGHT CAME FROM THE LORD, KNEW HIS MIGHT RESTED IN THE LORD, KNEW THAT ALL HE HAD CAME FROM THE LORD, YET LIKE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL . . . HE DEVELOPED SPIRITUAL AMNESIA. SAMSON TOLD DELILAH IN THE SEVENTH VERSE “IF YOU BIND ME, IF YOU CONTROL ME, I WILL BECOME WEAK.” SAMSON DID NOT SAY I’LL LOSE ALL MY POWER AT ONCE, BUT HE SAID “IF YOU BIND ME, IF YOU CONTROL ME, I WILL BECOME WEAK.” ONE THING ABOUT SIN, IT DOESN’T ZAP ALL YOUR POWER AT ONCE. SIN IS LIKE A TERRIBLE COLD OR FLU, YOU DON’T START OUT ALL SICK AND MESSED UP, BUT IT’S A SNIFFLE HERE AND A SNIFFLE THERE. SAMSON TOLD DELILAH ONE THING, BUT SHE TOOK THAT ONE THING AND BEGAN TO CONTROL HIM. ONE THING WAS THE BEGINNING OF HIS END. IF YOU’RE GOIN TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE, THE ANOINTED ONE THAT GOD IS CALLING YOU CAN’T RISK GIVING SATAN AN INCH.
BECAUSE UNDERSTAND THIS ABOUT SIN:
IT WILL ALWAYS TAKE YOU FARTHER . . .
KEEP YOU LONGER . . .
COST YOU MORE . . .
WHEN SATAN APPROACHES YOU ASKING: WHERE IS YOUR POWER SUPPLY, TELL HIM OR HER, THAT ALL OF YOUR HELP COMETH FROM THE LORD.
SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO KICK DELILAH TO THE CURB BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T:
DELILAH WILL CONFUSE YOU.
VERSES 16-17: DELILAH PESTERED AND PRESSED . . . VEXED TO DEATH AND TOLD HER EVERYTHING. DELILAH PRESSED SAMSON SO MUCH THAT HE BECAME AGITATED, ANGERED, AND CONFUSED. SATAN’S JOB IS TO AGITATE, ANGER, AND CONFUSE YOU, AND CAUSE YOU TO BE TOSSED BACK AND FORTH LIKE A SHIP OUT ON THE SEA.
PRESSURIZED FAITH . . .
HEBREW BOYS
JOB
THEN LASTLY, YOU HAVE TO GET A GRIP ON YOUR DELILAH BECAUSE IF NOT:
DELILAH WILL CRIPPLE YOU.
VERSE 19: SHE LURED HIM TO SLEEP ON HER KNEES . . .
SEVEN LOCKS, SEVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLETION. AS DELILAH BEGAN TO SNIP AWAY EACH LOCK, SAMSON BECAME WEAKER BY THE MOMENT AND INCOMPLETE. ANYTIME YOU FOOL AROUND WITH THE DEVIL, ANYTIME YOU SLEEP AROUND WITH THE DEVIL LITERALLY OR SPIRITUALLY, YOU RISK LOSING YOUR STRENGTH, YOU RISK LOSING A BLESSING, YOU RISK BECOMING SPIRITUALLY IMPAIRED. SAMSON LOST HIS MIGHT FOOLING AROUND WITH DELILAH. SAMSON THOUGHT HE COULD GO OUT AS BEFORE, BUT HE DID KNOW THAT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD HAD DEPARTED FROM HIM. SAMSON HAD BECOME CRIPPLED BY THE FORCES OF EVIL. . .
BUT GOD WOULD HAVE YOU AND I TRIUMPH OVER OUR DELILAHS. . .
GO AHEAD, KICK DELILAH OUT OF YOUR LIFE AND TELL HIM, TELL HER, TELL THEM THAT LOVE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE. TELL YOUR DELILAH THAT YOU ARE UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT.
