Audio Access Available Above
“Ignominious Ends And Incomparable
Grace” • 9.14.14 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- Among the heroes of the Bible, it's almost
universally agreed that Samson is the most perplexting. He's incredibly gifted,
notoriously strong and overly confident.
- Among even the least informed, the details of
his final chapter are well known. How can this man be a hero? How is it
possible that he is listed in the hall of faith, in Hebrews 11:32?
- Today, we will read of Samson's most infamous
moments which will serve to underscore the wonder of the Lord's most incredible
grace.
Text
• Judges
16:1,2 : "Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to
her. When the
Gazites were told, 'Samson has come here!' they surrounded the place and lay in
wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night,
saying, 'In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.'" :
With his
recent "Jawbone Heights" victory in tow, Samson's self confidence is
turning into arrogance. Who would be able to stop him? It seems that no man had
the power to contend with him!
- It was never men that Samson had to worry
about. He went to Gaza and saw a harlot there!
- He was strongly attracted to Philistine
women, perhaps more likely, to their more casual sexual ethic.
- The world doesn't wait for marriage like
God's people are commanded to and Samson gave in to his sinful appetite with
those who were willing to comply.
- Every person has to deal with this. They have
to surrender themselves to the Lord and then surrender their love lives to Him
as well. Samson did not.
- He saw her. This was not a casual glance or
even an understanding look. He gazed and considered her and then he followed
that fantasy to it's fullest potential.
- Such a high profile character will never go
unnoticed. The Gazites knew that Samson was there and surrounded the brothel.
- Most ancient cities were securely closed off
at twilight and the mob of people quietly set themselves right at the gate and
waited for Samson to emerge in the morning.
- A great percentage of people who are trapped
in any kind of sin, have no clue that they are just about to be caught in their
enemy's clutches.
- In Samson's case, I want to submit that he is
the other percentage, who believes that he is too strong to be caught. What
happens next bolsters that consideration.
• Judges
16:3 : "And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took
hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them
up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the
hill that faces Hebron." : Samson knew of his
predicament. He waited for the dead of evening and simply lifted the doors of
the city out of their place!
- He waited for the men to fall asleep and then
he quietly displaced the doors, carrying them along until he was a safe
distance away.
- Samson put the doors, a unestimable amount of
weight on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faced the
city of Hebron.
- The hill itself only faced Hebron, so he may
not have gone a 40 mile distance, but that does not detract from this powerful
display. This is a profound physical feat.
- It was also a very close call. Imagine
getting to the top of that hill and understanding just how close that was?
- You would think that this would have broken
the hold that this sinful activity had on Samson. It would be similar to the
feelings provoked by a pregnancy or HIV test.
- These close calls in life are God's way of
waking us up to the dangers we are exposing ourselves to! They are meant to
shake us out of our duldrums gracefully!
- The wise person says, "I'll never engage
in that activity again!" Sadly, this was not a strong enough deterrent to
Samson's incredible pride or insatiable fleshly appetite.
•
Judges 16:4-9 : "Afterward it happened that he loved
a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines
came up to her and said to her, 'Entice him, and find out where his great
strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to
afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of
silver.' So Delilah
said to Samson, 'Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what
you may be bound to afflict you.' And Samson said to her, 'If they bind me with seven fresh
bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.' So the lords of the Philistines
brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and she bound him with
them. Now men were lying in wait, staying with
her in the room. And she said to him, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!'
But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire. So
the secret of his strength was not known." :
Take note of the word "afterward." This is after he was surrounded by
the Gazites and narrowly escaped capture!
-
This is after he stood on a hill facing Hebron, a place of strength, a place
that would honor his Lord! This is after he laid down the heavy burden that he
carried upon his shoulders for untold miles!
-
Where is he? "Choice Vines," directly between God's land and
Philistine territory!
-
What good can come from being halfway into the world and halfway into the
things of God? Samson should have turned toward God's land. He doesn't know
that this was his last chance.
-
His heart is drawn to the first woman that Samuel properly names. Delilah!
Samson is in a place of indulgence and meets a woman whose name means
"feeble" or "weak!"
-
I'm not so sure that she was the one who was weak! Samson obviously frequented
her abode, as it was soon known publically that he was there.
-
The lords of the Philistines don't want to capture him. They want her to entice
him, discover the source of his great strength and how to neutralize him, so
that they can bind and afflict him!
-
This is a clear explanation of our Enemy's perpetual agenda. Let's entice him,
let's open his eyes to a few scenarios and a few sordid people.
-
Let's evaluate the source of his strength. When we've discovered it, let's bind
and afflict him! That's the end game! The Enemy allows you the pleasure of sin
but hides the pain that follows!
-
Delilah, being a woman of the world, cannot resist the bountiful monetary
offer. She went to work right away, not even hiding her intent and Samson gave
her an answer.
-
Imagine a playful, flirtatious situation, perhaps even a prelude toward
intercourse.
-
"New fresh bowstrings. That'll do it!" The next thing we see is
Samson tied up, Delilah warning him of his enemy and Samson going to work!
•
Judges 16:10-14 : "Then Delilah said to Samson, 'Look,
you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me what you may be bound
with.' So he
said to her, 'If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been
used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.' Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them,
and said to him, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!' And men were lying in
wait, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread.
Delilah said to Samson, 'Until now you have mocked
me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with.' And he said to her, 'If you weave the seven locks of my
head into the web of the loom'— So she wove
it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, 'The Philistines are
upon you, Samson!' But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and
the web from the loom." : The second and third
attempts on Samson's life follow the same pattern. Delilah makes her request,
noting that Samson has shown her little to no respect. What does he take her
for anyway!?
-
"Samson, how can you build a relationship with me on lies?" Wow, what
irony!
-
She presses her questions and Samson gives his false answers. "Ropes"
for the second time and his hair locks, interestingly, held in 7 pieces, woven
into the web of the loom.
-
Apparently, Samson's hair had been arranged in seven locks, undoubtedly
referring to the Lord. This is akin to a Christian wearing a WWJD shirt going
into a bar and getting drunk!
-
The loom would likely have pointed to Delilah's work in the Sorek Valley.
-
One can imagine Delilah relaxing Samson with one hand and tying the locks of
his hair tightly into her nearby loom with the other!
-
In both instances, Samson escapes, but the second one reveals that Samson is
running out of lies. He has gotten as close to the truth as anyone could
without giving it away.
-
You'd think that he'd have gotten the hint. You'd imagine that he would have
looked at this relationship, realized it's toxicity, and walked away. Sadly,
his heart was stronger than his head!
•
Judges 16:15-17 : "Then she said to him, 'How can you
say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these
three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.' And it came to pass, when she
pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed
to death,
that he
told her all his heart, and said to her, 'No razor has ever come upon my head,
for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then
my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.'" : You can hear her voice. You can sense the tension between them.
Samson has been declaring his love for Delilah and is genuinely smitten.
-
All activities have been cut off and Samson, who like an addict, has returned
for his fix! Instead of the warm embrace, he's getting the cold shoulder!
"Oh, c'mon baby, you know I love you!"
-
"You have mocked me three times! You won't tell me the truth about your
great strength! Don't 'Delilah baby!" me!" This went on for days.
-
She pestered, oppressed, pressured him every opportunity that she had!
-
This was all she wanted from him and if there was ever a spiritual dose of
kryptonite, a woman's expression of negative emotion was it! Samson couldn't
take it!
-
He looked her in the eye, pained by the power of what he believed was a great
love, and he told her everything. He's been consecrated to God for his whole
life!
-
If he lost his hair, his strength would be gone and he'd be like any other
person.
-
It's interesting that Samson has woven his hair into 7 braids and now sees his
whole identity tied up in those braids. Yet, the real source of his strength
was the Spirit of the Lord.
-
Samson substituted the symbol for the reality, a problem that plagues many
today. They set up their own regimen and closely guard their hearts in this one
superficial area!
-
"I don't listen to secular music." "I attend church."
Whatever the example, the problem is that we've made an idol out of something
and forgotten to love the Lord and be grateful for His presence!
-
Remember that it's not your perceived acts of holiness. It's the Lord's act of
righteousness. Be grateful for Him!
•
Judges 16:18-20 : "When Delilah saw that he had told
her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines,
saying, 'Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.' So the lords of
the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. Then she lulled him to sleep on her
knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head.
Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. And she said, 'The Philistines are
upon you, Samson!' So he awoke from his sleep, and said, 'I will go out as
before, at other times, and shake myself free!' But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him." : It was something in the way that he spoke this time. He was completely
vulnerable and she betrayed him as quick as she could get him to sleep.
-
His sleep was so trusting. What did he have to fear? He had been attacked
before and had proven himself time and again. Delilah's sweet soothing voice
and her soft touch worked wonders!
-
The word "lulled" is important. She slowly, methodically,
rhythmically put Samson to sleep over time. She was in no hurry and she could
not afford to mess this up.
-
The enemy is never in a hurry. He'll let you get closer and more comfortable.
When your confidence is at it's peak and your guard is at it's lowest, he
strikes and doesn't miss!
-
Samson's sleep was so restful, he didn't even sense the loss of his hair or the
presence of the Philistine barber called in to do the job!
-
Imagine Samson's thoughts before he drifted off into his slumber.
-
The pleasure, the warmth, the safety of his environment. In the next moment,
his eyes awakened to something else.
-
"She began to torment him." The same word translated elsewhere
carries the meaning of harsh and cruel oppression. Additionally, once she
started, she kept on adding cruelty to cruelty.
-
For the final time she gave announcement to the presence of the Philistines and
Samson played right into it. "I will go out as before, at other times, and
shake myself free!"
-
The irony is that he would never be free again. He had spent his last night of
freedom in the arms of the woman that would take easily from him what no army
of men could!
-
Samson knew his past and stood on the power of his victories, but he did not
know the present and horrifying reality that the Lord had departed from him!
-
"You see! You can lose your salvation!" Let's understand that this is
less a loss of salvation as much as it is a much needed spanking for a failure
to listen and heed!
-
Samson needed to be left to his own devices, to be brought to the end of
himself. God's patience has been legendary, but He will not be party to
enablement!
-
Allowing him to be caught and temporarily bound was a grace, one that I know
Samson is grateful for today!
•
Judges 16:21-22 : "Then the Philistines took him and
put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze
fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. However, the hair of his head began
to grow again after it had been shaven." :
If only we could have seen this first. If only we could see the end of sin and
not the beginning. Here's powerful Samson, the prisoner, the blind man, bound
and humiliated.
-
They put him to work in the wheat grind area, where he went in circles for mind
numbing amounts of time, grinding away at the prison's wheat supply!
-
"Look at what sin does to you: It
blinds you, then it binds you, then it grinds you!" Pastor Chuck Smith
-
The source of his sin, his eyes, were no longer a distraction. He was alone
with the thoughts of his past and the misery of his present. Thankfully, the
Spirit of God never leaves us there!
-
This condition was not permanent for Samson and it need not be permanent for
you either! His hair began to grow again!
-
That symbol of his vow had begun to sprout again and perhaps it was there in
that prison that Samson finally began to understand the depth, not of his
commitment to God, but God's to Him!
-
Samson had not said that he would be a Nazarite from birth for his whole life.
God had! Samson had not said that he would begin to vanquish the Philistines.
God had!
-
And now, God begins his work. Samson has wasted good years and great strength
on his own personal crusades, avenging himself.
Conclusion
- I'm struck with God's grace in this story. We saw in Gideon's life
that he began well, but ended poorly. In Samson's, it's just the opposite.
-
Samson is a poor example who got it right one time. What does God choose to do?
Does he name Delilah along with him in Hebrews
11?
-
God's grace simply accentuates the one time Samson was truly His. He displays
that like a trophy for all to see and let's us know the economy of heaven is
not based in quantity, but quality!
Audio Access Available Above
“Ignominious Ends And Incomparable
Grace, pt. 2” • 9.21.14 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- As we complete our tour of Samson's life, we
recall to mind that what we have seen happen, should never have happened.
- Here is a man with a pair of godly parents,
whose lives are literally visited by the Lord Jesus Christ, and whose life is
planned out before his birth.
- He is to be a Nazarite, a man separated,
consecrated, to God, who shows that first by refusing sweet products of the
vine, a symbolic gesture that his joy is found in the Lord.
- Second, he is not to touch a carcass, and
third, he is never to have a haircut. Samson violates these and every other
principle of God's good law, meant to protect him.
- Samson's theory was that he could protect
himself. He could break every law, force every issue and still escape. That
arrogance was what caused his downfall.
- In chapter 16, we see him deep in the heart of Philistine territory, in the
embrace of a harlot.
- Through a profound feat of strength, he
loosens the city gates and avoids capture, walking past the snoozing guards
that surrounded the city, with the city gates on his back!
- When he got to a hill facing Hebron, he had a
chance to turn around, to understand that this was too close of a call. God's
grace was calling Him to understand the error of his ways.
- Instead, he foolishly chose to ignore it and
met his final Philistine girlfriend, whose name was Delilah. His relationship
with her gave the Philistine rulers the idea of discovering his strength.
- They wanted to capture him with little or no
casualties, so they offered Delilah a lifetime supply of silver and she went
right to work.
- Samson toyed with Delilah, offering her false
secrets to his strength. She refused to give up.
• Judges 16:16, 17a : "And it came to pass, when she pestered him
daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her
all his heart . . ." : She
oppressed him, mentally worked him over until he gave in.
• Judges 16:17b : "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite
to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me,
and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.'" : Consider for a moment Delilah's reaction to
this news. She's known him for this long and he's not mentioned God.
- "You are
one of God's servants and you're here with me?" I can only imagine what
was going through her mind, though it was likely the disgust that anyone has
when they look upon hypocrisy.
- With Samson
fully vested and finally vulnerable, she lulled Samson to sleep and woke him up
with the tormenting hatred of the enemy that she had always been to him.
• Judges 16:20 : "So he awoke from his sleep, and said, 'I will go out as before,
at other times, and shake myself free!' But he did not know that the Lord had departed from
him." : What a horribly frightening
verse. God, in His good grace, allowed Samson to fall into the hands of his
enemy.
- God's
patience has been legendary. He has given every warning, provided every means
of escape and Samson ignored it all!
• Judges 16:21-22 : "Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought
him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder
in the prison. However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had
been shaven." : Samson's
eyes had been his problem from day one. Had he dealt with that early on, he likely
would not have kept them!
- The
Philistines did to Samson physically what sin does to you and I spiritually: It
blinds, then binds, then grinds you!
- It was in
that hopeless and humiliating place that God began to do a work of restoration
in the heart of Samson.
- His actions
could not be undone and the consequences could not be avoided, but his future
was hardly sealed. The hair of his head began to grow again after it had been
shaven!
- God's love
and power to restore is relentless! He won't ever quit on us!
- Samson
finally became the Nazarite that God intended him to be in that prison.
Ironically, blinded and bound, Samson would now be the true powerful instrument
that God could use!
Text
•
Judges 16:23-25a : "Now the lords of the Philistines
gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to
rejoice. And they said: 'Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy!' When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they
said: 'Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, The destroyer of our land, and the one who multiplied our dead.' So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they
said, 'Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.' So they called for Samson
from the prison, and he performed for them." : The lords of the Philistines would have been the leaders of the
five Philistine citiies. Their purpose for gathering was to offer a great
sacrifice to Dagon.
-
Dagon was held to be the Father of Baal. He was a fertility god responsible for
crops. His image is debatable, but many have noted that he may have been
represented as half man, half fish.
-
The Philistines worshipped Dagon and believed that he was responsible for
Samson's capture. He is their reason to celebrate.
-
"Our god has delivered in our hands our enemy!" What do they call
him? "The destroyer of our land and the one who multiplied our dead!"
-
For as little as he did numerically, Samson was certainly a man of great renown
if all of the Philistine lords were in attendance.
-
Their celebration would now be complete with a little Samson parade for their
entertainment.
-
Samson's failure, had given them an occasion to blaspheme the Lord! Instead of
being the feared champion and representative of God, he's a simple circus act
inspiring mockery.
-
Please remember this scene and consider what they must have said about him.
None of it would have hurt as much as that which inspired blasphemy against the
Lord.
-
The most devastating injury sustained by those who have walked down the path of
sin, is that which is caused by the guilt of knowing that their actions have
reflected poorly on the Lord!
-
Your witness at work matters. Your public life and the statements that you make
matter. It's certainly unfair, but taking the name "Christian" means
you accept a higher standard for living.
-
When we behave in a manner not befitting the Name, it is the Lord's reputation
that is dragged through the mud.
-
Consider also that it bolsters the thinking of the unbelieving world. They
worshipped a false deity. They assumed that his capture was a direct result of
their so-called god's intervention.
-
Samson's actions had strengthened their resolve and their belief that Yahweh
could not protect against Dagon, so why fear Him?
-
Please take this to heart! Our lives and our lips should inspire God's praise
and adoration.
•
Judges 16:25b-27 : "And they stationed him between the
pillars. Then
Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, 'Let me feel the pillars which
support the temple, so that I can lean on them.' Now the temple was full of men and
women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three thousand men and
women on the roof watching while Samson performed." Samsons final destination was the centerpiece of this temple.
-
Archeologists have discovered other Philistine temples which follow the same
pattern.
-
Each temple had a large courtyard with roofed area overlooking the temple
center.
-
What they have have found are several pillars, but the main weight distribution
was on the two center plliars where Samson stood now.
-
How fearless were the Philistines at this point? They allowed a little boy to
lead him around!
-
When Samson asks him to place his hands on the pillars, it marks the first time
in Samson's life that he actually partners with another person.
-
At the height of his strength, he could have led the tribe of Judah and
massacred the Philistines! All he has left is this little boy and he makes the
most of this relationship.
-
Once he knew where he was, his mind's eye reminded him of the temple design. He
knew exactly what he was doing.
-
3,000 people gathered to watch this exhibition. It was a Mega Church meeting
for Dagon and a tragedy when one considers their fate. How many are dying in
false religions weekly?
-
These people crowded into and around the building. It was standing room only
and the excitement was palpable.
-
But the worship was worthless, as they worshipped a god that could not save and
indeed did not exist! They mocked the representative of God then as they mock
and reject Christ today.
•
Judges 16:28 : "Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, 'O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen
me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on
the Philistines for my two eyes!'" : This is Samson's
second recorded prayer and the first one that reveals a great sense of humilty.
-
In his first prayer, the focus of his attention was on himself, his needs and
his role. In this second prayer, we see much greater depth, born from suffering
and humiliation.
-
In the first prayer, he cried out to the Lord, but without any address, almost
demanding that God attend to him. Here he calls Him "O Lord God" literally
"Master Yahweh!"
-
I'm not suggesting that we adopt formality for it's own sake, but a recognition
of who it is we are talking to is certainly in order.
-
Samson had lived a life that revealed that he was his own Master. The Lord,
Yahweh, God was His Master now and His dependence upon Him is what God desires
for us.
-
As Christians, He is Lord of all or not at all! Samson had to learn that the
hard way.
-
Far from a demand, he now makes a request. "Remember me" does not
indicate that he believes that the Lord has forgotten him.
-
We would express this prayer, asking for the Lord's present help. "Be with
me right now! Strengthen me!"
-
This from the fellow who woke up in Delilah's lap, believing he would just get
up and deliver himself! He knows now where his the real source of his strength
came from.
-
Samson knew that he was going to die. He asked that he might take vengeance for
his eyes.
"Two pillars for two eyes! That seems fair!"
"Two pillars for two eyes! That seems fair!"
˚ "In
this Samson is a picture of the believer in disobedience. God used him, but he
did not benefit from it. His life ended in personal tragedy, shadowed by the
waste of great potential." David
Guzik
-
Samson is giving his life as a martyr, a witness. That was supposed to be the
goal from the beginning, but it's only now that he truly understands it.
•
Judges 16:29,30 : "And Samson took hold of the two
middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them,
one on his right and the other on his left. Then Samson said, 'Let me die with
the Philistines!' And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the
lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his
death were more than he had killed in his life." : A Philistine temple unearthed back in 1972 reveals the perfect
space for a man's arms to reach across. Most men would have little effect. God
empowering Samson is another story!
-
When the temple toppled, the death toll in that moment was greater than Samson
had accomplished in his life. His death was far more effective than his life!
-
Isn't this ironic? It's our own sacrificial death, the one that says, "I
die to my will and wants and choose to live according to your will and
wants!" That brings life. That brings victory!
-
Is this not the cry of the Lord Jesus Himself when He uttered, "Not my
will, but yours be done!" His life was a consistent witness, a true life
of righteousness which cannot be discounted.
-
But it was His death that accomplished far more. 12 were apostles, another 108
were counted some time later. After His resurrection and ascension, His Spirit
filled thousands!
-
Today, if you have believed in Christ, you are a part of that ever growing
number that were effected by His death!
•
Judges 16:31 : "And his brothers and all his father’s
household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between
Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty
years." : All of Samson's family came to the rubble that had been a
temple and dug Samson out.
-
His brothers, meaning that Manoah and his wife had more children than Samson.
One was consecrated unto the Lord and God saw fit to give more to them.
-
They buried him in his Father's tomb and Samuel again lets us know that Samson
had been on the scene for 20 years.
Conclusion
- Let's pray.
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