Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Introduction
As you read the story of the life of Samson it can stir a variety of thoughts in our mind.
On one hand he was mightily used of God and on the other hand he was defeated by his pride and suffered greatly.
Some have said that his life is a condensed commentary on the history of Israel.
This would not be a far fetched comparison considering his ups and downs.
One important aspect of Samsons life was that he was consecrated to God through a vow referred to as a “Nazarite Vow”.
The Nazarite Vow
The Nazarite vow was a unique way to separate and consecrate oneself to the Lord for a particular time and purpose.
There is some evidence that this vow was a lifelong commitment but could have been also used for temporary periods of special dedication (
Judges 13
I.
The Promise of Samson
“…Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt concieve, and bear a son.”
To this point Samson’s parents had no children so this would have been a special blessing and joy
To this point Samson’s parents had no children so this would have been a special blessing and joy
This promise has similar charicteristics to the promise of Christ and his coming to redeem man
His birth was announced by an angel
He had an appointed purpose/ a special call
II.
The Purpose of Samson
“…and he shall begin to deliver the Israel out of the hand of the Philistines”
Israel was in a period of turmoil and lack of fellowship with God due to their sin and were in need of deliverance
Samson had a unique call on his life from the very beginning - God has purpose for his creation
With such an important call comes great responsibility
A. His purpose was significant
“…shall begin to deliver Israel”
B. His purpose was sanctified
We have looked at the promise of Samson and the purpose of Samson… finally we will focus on the pride of Samson:
III.
The Pride of Samson
The pride in Samson’s life had a detrimental effect on his purpose.
If we are not careful the same can happen in our life.
Pride is a dangereous problem and one of the most damaging of all sins that affect Adams fallen race.
We should never forget that God Hates pride!
A. The decline that led to pride
i. Demanding a Philistine wife/lacking submission to his parents ()
ii.
Taking honey out of the carcass of the dead lion ()
iii.
The wedding feast where he probably drank wine/ the Hebrew word used for fest suggests this ()
sin is always progressive in nature
it does not take long for seemingly small decisions to become serious problems in our life
Samson had a vow on his life and he was fully aware of the particulars of that vow
1.
The abstance of wine -
2. The abstanance of dead bodies -
3. The abstinance of the razor -
iv.
His final blow as he revealed the source of his strength to Delilah ()
B. The deception that charicterized pride
At this point Samson thought he had gotten away with his disobedience and he was blinded by his pride
Appllication: How many times have we been operating without the Lord and we were unaware that He was not leading us?
We are all in danger of being deceived:
C. The destruction that was the result his pride
There is always and end of our disobedience and pride
Consider these warnings from Scripture:
Conclusion
What conclusions can we draw from this lesson on Samson’s life?
Samson’s life is a serious lesson in what can happen in the life of one who is consumed with pride.
We are not much different than Samson.
Although an angel may not have announced our birth and it is certainly true that we were not given the task of delivering our nation from it’s decline into pagan idolitry, our lives are no less significant.
Every interaction and moment of our lives have purpose and meaning and pride will certainly destroy these purposes.
Every interaction and moment of our lives have purpose and meaning and pride can have serious detremental effects.
What can we do to midigate this from happening in our own life?
Conclusion
Remember the Lord’s hatred for pride ()
Do not confuse the current blessing of the Lord for his complete approval of your life - God is longsuffering and merciful
Small compromises over time will eventually lead to great disaster
Final Thought - God gives grace to those who stay humble
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