Samson’s Blindness

Text: Judges 16:15-21

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (05/19/02)

Introduction:   

How Much Does It Cost?

1) How much does it cost? 2) What's that going to cost us?  3) If I go that direction, how much will it be?

We ask questions like that all the time, don't we?- it may have been something simple like ordering off a menu...

Surely, when it comes down to more significant decisions, we ask those questions.

Luke 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

That’s a sign of maturity...that’s just being smart.

The problem is -- sometimes folks don't ask that question:

That can happen when it comes to material things...failing to carefully consider what that purchase will cost.

But isn't this true: - that can also happen spiritually.

People make decisions, take steps, go a certain direction without carefully asking the question --- How much is this really going to cost?

Tonight we're going to learn just how much Samson's decisions cost.

Samson was chosen by God to be a "judge" in Israel.

He gave Samson godly parents to train him for this important task

He instructed Samson to take the Nazarite vow, where he would never:

         1) cut his hair  2) drink wine  3) touch a dead carcass...

He also blessed Samson with superhuman strength, and enabled him to do things that no one could do apart from a special work of God.

God wanted him to be a man who was passionate about living for Him in a day when the hearts of God's people had gone cold.

The problem was -- Samson had wasted his opportunities...his strength... his ministry...

In Judges 16, Samson met a woman named Delilah

The problem with Delilah was -- she was using Samson

The Lords of the Philistines (Israel's enemies) had offered her the equivalent of 150 pounds of silver if she could find out the secret to Samson's strength.

The first three times, Samson lied to her.

Of course every time he got up and broke that which bound him like it was thread.

Samson broke the twine (7green withs) and he broke the ropes.

But the third time, Samson's lie got closer to the truth... Because he said -- if you weave something in my hair, I'll lose my strength.

Delilah tried that too -- and of course that didn't work.

It iss with that background that we move into verses 15-21 -- and learn just what Samson's life of sin is going to cost.

Samson's physical blindness---was an example of (and a consequence of) -- his spiritual blindness.

The way he was forced to live physically in that grinding house... was exactly the way he had been living spiritually for years when he was supposed to be making a difference for God.

The tragedy of this story is not what happened to Samson physically-- the tragedy is what was true of Samson spiritually.

Look what Samson's lifestyle cost.  What a tremendous price to pay!!

Now - this isn't just about Samson - Samson's life was an object lesson to God's people at that time.

The way Samson was living as a person -- God's people were living as a nation.

That’s why this book ends with the words, "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

Of course, to take it one step further, these words were recorded in our Bibles -- for our learning, and for our admonition... (Rom. 15:4) so that we would be very careful to ask each time...

….- before we speak - before we think - before we act - before we decide - before we choose.... / just how much is that really going to cost?

Samson's problem was he wasn't a careful man / a thoughtful man / he certainly wasn’t a cautious man...

He was a blind man....he was an oblivious to what was going on around him.

In the time we have left, I'd like us to think of four ways that was true, with the hope that we'll look for any of the same tendencies in ourselves.

I. Samson Was Blind To The Process of Temptation

One thing that is very clear from this text is that this event didn't “just happen”.

There was a whole process of temptation taking place that Samson didn't recognize.

Let's think about that process for a minute.

1) It was a process that involved wrong ("twisted”) thinking.

Delilah was putting one over on him, big time. - she was playing games with his mind.

Did you see it in verse 15 - "How can you say, you love me, when your heart is not with me?"  - that lines' as old as the hills.

“If you really loved me, you'd ___________." (EXAMPLES)

What is all that? - it's twisted thinking.

Twisted thinking is always a part of the temptation process---the worst thing about this is that its happening and Samson doesn't even know its happening.

He was blind to the process of temptation.

2). The process of temptation was also "continual."

In verse 16 – the Bible says -- "she pressed him daily with her words."

Day after day there was nagging and pressing, and pressuring till finally Samson was more than sick and tired of it.  He had had enough!!

Proverbs 27:15  A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.

But Samson had allowed this woman to tempt him in this way!!  He in many ways did’n’t even realize it was happening.

He stayed when he should have been running!!

Some times, it’s difficult or doesn’t seem possible to run... but you and I would be very wise to especially mark any temptation in our lives that is continual.

Someone has said and it goes along with the Proverbs passage -- "A continual dripping wears away the stone."

Can I ask you this tonight -- on a average day, how aware are you of the process of temptation?  Are you constantly on your guard?

Are you careful about letting thoughts into your mind that are wrong or  twisted?

Are you especially careful in those areas where the temptation is continual?

II. He was Blind To The Powerful Effect of Wrong Companions

It's very important to note the first few words in verse 21... "But the Philistines took him..."

Philistines - the people he had called friends / whom he chose to associate with / wanted to be around even though God had expressly forbidden it.

Samson just couldn't seem to break away from his love for the Philistines.

Of course, as we said earlier, that was just a picture of the  nation Israel at the time, that’s exactly what they were doing.

Instead of claiming the promised land like Joshua had commanded, they made friends with the foreign peoples who didn't know the Lord.

God told them -- Don't intermarry with them. Don't make them close companions - they'll turn your hearts from following me.

And that is precisely what happened.

These were God's chosen people -- yet after all he did for them, they went out and worshipped other gods.  Because they didn't see the powerful effect of wrong companions

I'm not saying we shouldn't be kind to the people the Lord has placed around us - of course we should

We ought to see to build bridges to those who don't the Lord - we ought to seek to love those the Lord places around us.

But when it comes to the matter of companions - when it comes to the kind of people that we're going to let influence our thinking and our behavior...

…the Lord wants us to see from the life of Samson...We must not be blind to the powerful effect wrong companions can have.

1 Corinthians 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

I know I'm talking to a lot of folks here who believe this.

In fact, many here would be able to say -- not only do I believe this, but our family is taking definite steps to build the right kind of friendships with people who are going to "provoke us unto love and good works"

EXAMPLES:

Sunday Services (Faithfulness) / Bible Studies / Leadership Training / Development of Ministries etc.

You can't help but wonder what would have happened if Samson would have just listened to his parents on this issue - cf. Judges 14:3; Judges 16:31

NOW, this next point is by far the most important

III. He Was (also) Blind To The Condition of His Own Heart

Samson's big mistake was believing that outward conformity was all that was necessary for God's blessing.

Samson's approach was -- as long as I keep a few outwards standards, everything between me and God is OK.

Of course for him, it was pretty much down to one standard - as long as I don't cut my hair - as long as I keep that part of my Nazarite vow, I'll be fine.

Samson never learned that his hair was not the point. - some other outward manifestation was not the primary issue

His hair was simply a outward demonstration of what was supposed to be true in his heart... That was -- that he was separated unto God in his heart.

That’s what holiness is -- separation to God -- and therefore separation from sin.

If when we say words like separation, and holiness... our first thoughts go to some behavioral issue... to some outward manifestation... then we have missed the point!!!

Some of the saddest words in the text are in verse 20 when he says…

“I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him."

His life could well be described with the NT phrase, "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof."

His physical blindness wasn't near as tragic as his blindness to the condition of his own heart.

And I hope every one of us would pause this evening and say, "could that be me?"

1) I may be speaking to someone who doesn't know Christ.

If you were honest, you'd say - "I'm not sure I have a personal relationship with Christ."  I'm not sure that if I died I'd be on my way to heaven - I'm not sure I've ever genuinely been saved...

At times folks in that condition have taken solace in a few outward rituals...

I attend church (that’s great - but that won't get anyone to heaven) I try to be a nice person / I've been baptized - (water doesn't save)

If you need to make that decision, Can I ask you not to do this - please don't say -- well, I'll do that another day.

2 Corinthians 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Those are the words of Samson.  - " I will go out as at other times before "

2). Can I switch this idea over now to those who do know the Lord?

Is it possible, even for a person who is saved, to be coasting... to be satisfied because some of the outward rituals, or the outward manifestations are in place...without giving careful attention to the heart?

NOW, because we're NT believers, the Spirit of God will never depart from someone who has been genuinely saved.

NT believers are baptized with the Holy Spirit the moment they're saved according to I Cor. 12:13.

We're sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption according to Ephesians 1:13 and Eph. 4:30.

So thank the Lord that a Christian's eternal destiny is not in question on this issue.

But I'll tell you this... our reward at the Judgement seat of Christ is in question on this issue.

Our true effectiveness in his service is dependent in this issue / Being and becoming His kind of person is dependent on this issue

Proverbs 4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Lastly, we need to mention that:

IV. Samson was Blind To The Power of God's Judgement

Samson lived his life on the motto - "it's not going to cost me"

You know, for a while, (in fact for quite a long while), it looked like he may have been right.

We've seen that as we've studied these verses. - You keep asking -- how could Samson get away with that?  How could the Lord allow Samson to do that?

What’s the Answer class?? - God is a God of patience / He's a God who is longsuffering and merciful.

But those attributes are balanced by his holiness, and his justice, and his wrath.

For someone like Samson, who keeps pushing it, and pushing it, and - presuming on God's mercy - presuming on God's grace...

Make no mistake about it - it is a terrible thing to be blind to the power of God's judgement.

There is not always a direct "cause/effect" relationship between a person's sin and the things God brings into a person's life...

But there's no question that there was a cause//effect relationship here. - Samson and his eyes

"I have SEEN a woman in Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines."

"Get her for me, because she LOOKS GOOD to me."

"After a time he returned to take her, and he turned to SEE the carcass of the lion"

"Then went Samson to Gaza, and he SAW there a harlot, and went in unto her."

Samson never chose to handle the lust of the eyes.

God gave him many opportunities to repent and many opportunities to change but he wouldn't.

“… and the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and bound him with fetters of brass, and he did grind in the prison house.”

CONCLUSION: