“A man named Manoah, had a wife who was childless. The ANGEL OF THE LORD appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to give birth to a son.” (Judges 13:2-3) This was the mother of Samson, Samson’s life is one of contradiction. He was a man of GREAT PHYSICAL STRENGTH yet displayed GREAT MORAL WEAKNESS. He was a judge for 20 years and “a Nazirite, SET APART TO GOD from birth” (Judges 13:5), yet Samson CONTINUALLY BROKE the RULES OF A NAZIRITE.
IF A MAN OR WOMAN WANTS TO MAKE A SPECIAL VOW, AS A NAZIRITE,
- they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.
- no razor may be used on their head. they must let their hair grow long.
- They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the LORD is over
- Throughout the period of their dedication to the LORD, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body
- Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the LORD (Numbers 6:2-8)
The Spirit of God came upon him many times, giving him great strength to fight the Philistines, the oppressors of the Israelites. This in spite of the fact that Samson was a WOMANIZER and a VENGEFUL MAN. Samson’s life illustrates the necessity of SAYING “NO” TO FLESHLY TEMPTATION, God’s use of even FLAWED, SINFUL MEN to accomplish His will, the consequences of sin, and the mercy of God.
“Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?” He replied, “Why do you ask my name? “It is too WONDERFUL (pali: incomprehensible, beyond your ability) for you to understand.” (Judges 13:17-18)
Samson did MANY AMAZING THINGS, for example when the Philistines came to kill him Samson picked up the jawbone of a donkey and slaughtered 1,000 Philistines with it. But he did many foolish things as well. The Philistines bribed Delilah to discover the secret of Samson’s strength and betray him. (Judges 16:5). Delilah begged Samson to know the secret of his strength. After telling her some lies, Samson finally revealed that his strength was due to his vow and the fact that his hair had never been cut. So, she shaved his head and he was captured.
Samson was a man of faith, but he had a problem with MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE! He is mentioned in the Bible’s “Hall of Faith” (Hebrews 11:32). At the same time, he was a man of the flesh, and his MANY MISTAKES serve as a warning to those who would play with fire and expect not to get burned. The life of Samson shows us the importance of RELYING ON GOD’S STRENGTH, not our own power; following GOD’S WILL, not our own stubbornness; and SEEKING THE LORD’S WISDOM, not our own understanding.
SO, WE MUST, “TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL OUR HEART AND LEAN NOT ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING (not my way Lord but your way); IN ALL YOUR WAYS SUBMIT TO HIM, AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham