Samson When the Strong are Weak
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· 6 viewsWhen the strong are weak
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Samson, When the Strong is Weak
Judges
The Book of Judges in the Old Testament was named after the prominent leaders raised by the Lord to deliver his people. This takes place in history after Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Joshua then led the Israelites into the Promised Land to concur it. The twelve tribes are given land to concur and are given leaders. These leaders are called Judges.
The purpose of the book of Judges is to explain: why the tribes did obey not take all the lands promised to them; to show how God was gracious and patient with Israel’s repeated acts of disobedience; to show the need for a Shepherd king instead of a tyrannical kingship; to explain the urgent need for a new momentum, so that Israel doesn’t fall to philistines and intertribal warfare.
There are 14 Judges in the Bible and you can find them in five different books.
Samson
Samson’s story is one for the History Books. Not only does his life story show up in the book of Judges but it also appears in the book of Hebrews. His story in Hebrews is in a section about the heroes of the faith! His story starts before his birth. An angel came down and told his parents, who could not have a baby, that they would be having a son. He told them this, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.[1]
Nazirite
The vow of a Nazarite involved these three things, (1) abstinence from wine and strong drink, or any fruit from the vineyard, (2) refraining from cutting the hair off the head during the whole period of the continuance of the vow, and (3) the avoidance of contact with the dead.
Samson’s life was a repeated show of being “OP” by the spirit of the Lord. I really encourage you all to take some time this week and read about Samson. Just a quick warning, most of his story is rated TVMA.
Today we are going to be talking about an increadibly “OP” man with an dangerously weak will. Today we are going to talk about three attitudes that can make even the most OP person weak.
1. Lust: I want it.
2. Entitlement: I deserve it.
3. Pride: I can handle it.
Lust: I want it!
What is lust?
When a man sees something that he desires, what does he say? He lusts after it and he says:
I want it! I got to have it! I'm going to get it! I want it!
Come on men, give me a little I want it! Tell me how you say it! Give it to me! One, two, three...I want it! That's not bad! You almost have got to get a little growl in there! I'm a man, I want it!
And what will happen is, when we want something we slip into a pattern of lust, and we forgets about all logic. It may be that we want a relationship, the rush, the fun, the sexual thrill. It could be that we want the advancement in school or the money, or to conquer something. It may be the the new car, the computer, or gaming system, whatever it is. But when we want it, we'll forget about every step of logic and we'll pursue what we want with reckless abandon. Let’s see what Samson does… Judges 14:1-2
14 Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife[2]”
Samson goes to a town about 4 miles away from his home and he finds a woman that he thinks he must have! This town is in the Philistine territory. She is a Philistine, one of the people God sent Samson to deliver his people from. Earlier in the Bible God commanded his people not to intermarry with the people that don’t worship me.
And at that moment, he looks at her and he forgets everything else and he says, 'I want it! I don't care what my God says; I don't care what my Dad says. I don't care what my Mom says, I don't care what's right and I don't care what's wise, because I'm a man and I've got my desires and I want it!'
Over and Over again we will see lust make the strong into weak.
Entitlement: I Deserve it
What is Entitlement?
Not only do we want it, but we believe that we deserve it. Come on, give me a little love, everybody say it, I deserve it!
"I work hard, I deserve it!"
"I've been slaving away, I deserve it!"
"I put up with her, I deserve it!"
Whatever you know, "I deserve this!"
And we're going to watch as Samson gets this attitude.
So, Samson is walking to Timnah with his Mom and Dad and they get separated. Samson is walking through a vineyard and a Lion Jumps out and attacks him.
Zoo Story
Well anyway, I just had to tell you that because he came across a lion and the Spirit of God came on him and he ripped this lion apart! Now, that's cocky! That's cool man; he ripped the big cat apart!
Okay now, sometime later, the Bible says, verse eight, we don't know how long, but sometime later, when he went back to marry this Philistine chick, what did he do? The Bible says:
8 After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went.[3]
1. That's nasty, okay!
2. What was he not supposed to touch? He wasn't supposed to touch dead things, things that were unclean.
And what did he do? The same God that gave him the power to rip apart the lion he betrays, he betrays a vow to the God who blessed him. For what? For a handful of honey. Who would be stupid enough to betray God for a handful of honey? The answer is that we do it every single day. Betray our God who blessed us for stupid, sinful things that only hurt us and those around us.
Lust, I want it.
Entitlement: I deserve it.
And then whenever it comes to temptation, there's the third attitude that makes strong men weak, and that is:
Pride: I can handle it.
What do we think? We think, "Oh, I can handle it! I'm strong, I can handle it!
I’m smart, I won’t get caught!
I know when to stop…
What were the three vows? Help me out:
Don't cut your hair.
Don't touch dead things.
Don't get drunk.
So what does he do? Mr. strong, I think I can handle it guy in verse ten says:
10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do. [4]
What are they doing? They're planning a wedding:
...And Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms.
The Hebrew word that's translated as feast is the word 'mishteh'. It means a feast or a party. Very literally, it means an occasion for drinking. Let me tell you what he did, the dude threw himself a keg party, that's what he did. He's about to get married, 'Call in my buddies, tap the keg, I can handle it, I can handle it.'
And that's what happens to strong men over and over and over again. God has given you great potential to do works to bring glory to His name; and yet we think, "I'm strong, I want it, I deserve it, I can handle it, I want it, I deserve it, I can handle it!"
And I don't know what it would be for you. It could be any number of things, but all of us know, a person with such great potential who thinks, "I want a drink, or a bottle, or a pill, or a smoke," or whatever it is, "I deserve it, I can handle it!"
And before long, a substance handles him. We know again and again, someone who says, "I want the game, I want the car, I want the toy! I deserve it! I can handle the payments!"
And before long, we’re drowning in a sea of financial debt and feeling like he cannot get out.
"I want to look!"
"I want to have her stay!"
"I deserve a little sexual...you know, I want it!"
And then the next thing you know, lust leads us into a downward spiral.
"I'm strong!"
"I want it, I deserve it, I can handle it!"
If you fast forward to the end of Samson's life. We see, perhaps the strongest man who ever lived, who from birth had God's hand upon him, God's Spirit strengthening him. And we're going to see this man with his eyes gouged out, nothing but dark sockets. We're going to see the strongest man who ever lived bound with his prized hair cut, and we're going to see him in front of over 3,000 of his enemies in a coliseum, and he is the entertainment as they mock him and he is the total laughingstock. And that is what lust and entitlement and pride can do to a man who should have made a difference in this world. It takes him down.
You see Samson with his long hair looked on the outside like he had it all together, like he was living for God. But on the inside he was a mess. His heart had drifted away from God.
I want to give you three attitudes though, that make weak people strong. Instead of saying, "I want it"; whatever 'it' is, instead you say:
I want God.
I deserve Death.
I can’t handle anything without God.
Everybody say it, I want God! I need God! I need God's strength! I want God! I want His daily power; I want His Word living inside my spirit. I want his strength; I want Him ordering my steps. I want His Spirit convicting me when I sin and correcting me and leading me in righteousness. I want His voice directing me, I want God!
The wages of sin is death, that which we deserve for our sinfulness against a Holy God is death. We don't deserve anything, we're not entitled to anything. "God, you owe me!"
God doesn't owe us anything. When we realize that we are dead in our transgressions and sins, but God in His goodness, while we were still sinners, sent Christ to forgive our sin. Suddenly, we're not deserving, we are humble before a Holy God saying, "I don't have to serve you, I want to serve you!"
And when every other strong man says, "I can handle it, I can handle it!" What are you going to say? You're going to say, "I can't handle anything without God!" I can't handle anything without God.
I don't know about you, but I am capable of anything ungodly without the presence of God. I need God, I deserve death and I can't handle anything without God.
I want to end today with 2 verses.
Eph 6:10
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.[5]
2 Corintians 12:9
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.[6]
When we keep our right perspectives Christ gives us strength for his purpose for our lives.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jdg 13:5.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jdg 14:1–2.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jdg 14:8–9.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jdg 14:10.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 6:10.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Co 12:7–9.