As with many of the Old Testament characters, Samson was raised up by God at a specific time, for a specific purpose. At a young age it became obvious that the hand of the Lord was upon him.
Verse 5 tells us that Samson was set apart at birth. The words “Set apart” comes from the Hebrew word “bawdal” and means “to be sanctified or to be made distinct”. From the time Samson’s birth he was made distinct from everybody else by the will of God. Each one of us walk in that same distinction every single day.
1 Corinthians 6:11 But you were washed, you were sanctified and set apart, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
God used Samson to do incredible things……
The slaying of lion with his hands - Judges 14:5+6
The slaying of thirty Philistines - Judges 14:19
The slaying of a thousand Philistines with the Jaw bone of an ass - Judges 15:13-15
The carrying away of the gates of Gaza - Judges 16:1-3
But at the same time Samson carried a lot of baggage. He was a conflicted man, a tormented man, a double minded man. He was totally ruled by his flesh and his emotions.
Samson was totally self-absorbed. - Judges 14:4
Samson drank way too much. - Judges 14:10-20
Samson had a severe lust problem. - Judges 16:1-3
Samson was a prideful man. - Judges 15:7-11
Samson did not value his anointing. - Judges 16:4-17
Samson did not fear God. - Everything Samson did tells us that he did not fear the Lord.
There are so many of God’s people who grow to a certain point in there walk with God. They even do great things, but never really break through to victory and freedom. Here’s why some people never break through.
By nature we are totally self-absorbed. We give in to old sins. We are to prideful. We do not value the anointing that God has given us. We do not fear God like we should. And we give up way too easily. If you’re here today and you feel like you’ve hit a wall, it’s not because of God. Everything that happens to us both good and bad happens for a reason. God uses every circumstance of our lives to build us up to what he wants us to be. He uses every circumstance to bring us to a place of victory and freedom.
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
God has something better for you today.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
John 10:10 I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.
1 Corinthians 2:9 Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.
So how do we breakthrough? How do we get from being an up and down, inconsistent, just trying to keep my head above water Christian; to a happy, content, never down, overcoming, walking in victory, spirit-filled, kicking the Devil’s butt from one end of Seabrook to another child of God? Well, I’m glad you asked!!!
You see Samson ended up battered, bruised, humiliated, and defeated because he never really surrendered his whole heart to the Lord. That’s the million dollar question…..Who is really in control of your life?
Deuteronomy 28:9-14 The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
The blood of Jesus has delivered us from the burden of religion. We no longer live under the condemnation of having to be perfect. We live under the grace of God given to us through the blood of Jesus. A grace that allows us fall short and fail from time to time as long as we repent and strive to love Jesus with all of our heart.
Romans 3:20-24 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
But church that doesn’t mean that we don’t have to walk in obedience to the Word of God. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have to be totally surrendered to His perfect will. It doesn’t mean that we can do whatever we want.
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Don’t join together with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devild? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their unclean things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
Sin still separates us from God and from his blessings. Samson took his walk with God for granted. He assumed that God would always be there no matter what he did.
Judges 16:20 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.
That’s how it happens many times. We slide back so slowly that we don’t realize that it’s happening. Until one day something happens and life comes crashing down around us and we realize that we’re all alone. We’ve withdrawn from our church family. We’re making compromises that we would have never made before and we realize that the presence of God that used to get us through is nowhere to be found.
Church we can’t give up. We need to push through to victory. We must allow God to perform His work through the hard times. God is trying to break us, to break our will. To bring us to a place where we are totally surrendered to him and he is in complete control.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifice God desires is a broken spirit. He will not reject a heart that is broken and repentant.
A horse is of no use until it is broken. An unbroken horse will refuse to be led. People are the same way. We will never be led until we are broken and broken is exactly what happened to Samson next.
Judges 16:21+22 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 in the prison. But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
Samson was stripped of everything. He lost his strength, his status, and his freedom. Although he didn’t know it, he was right where God wanted him to be. After years of selfishness, pride, and being ruled by his flesh. Samson was finally willing to be led.
Judges 16:26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Lead me to where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.” Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 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, 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.
Once again God had used Samson to bring deliverance to his people. The Bible says that he accomplished more at the end of his life than in all of his life combined. What exactly happened to make this happened?
V. 22 - His hair started to grow back.
Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you or make up for the years that the locust has eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm.
Those insect are devourers. They consume everything that is alive and leave only death behind them. They are a type of sin. Sin consumes everything and leaves behind sorrow, pain, and regret.
Samson’s hair was growing back which means little by little so was his strength. Sometimes all God needs is time.
Psalm 30:5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Sometimes God just wants you to ride it out. To let him see you through whatever’s happening in your life. As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
In time Samson’s hair grew back and with it his strength and anointing as well. But that’s not all that happened to him.
No comments:
Post a Comment