A man of no strength
Notes
Transcript
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—
who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
heb 11:
The Birth of Samson
The Birth of Samson
opening -
There is no record of God’s people crying out to Him
And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
Jesus -
Manoah -
There is no record of God’s people crying out to Him
And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.
Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean,
for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, 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.”
judg 13:3
birth -
And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child’s manner of life, and what is his mission?”
And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.
She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.”
And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?”
And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”
So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord, to the one who works wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching.
And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground.
So far so good...
judg 13:
And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him.
And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Samson’s Marriage
Samson’s Marriage
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Read
Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines.
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.”
But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”
His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.
Read
His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
He sees a lion -
He sees a lion
He gives a riddle -
Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
Today’s parallel would be if he left her at the altar before the vows and pronouncement
He gives a riddle
And Samson said to them, “Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can tell me what it is, within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes,
but if you cannot tell me what it is, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Put your riddle, that we may hear it.”
And he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” And in three days they could not solve the riddle.
The actions of the father are at least understandable
judg 14:12-
And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.”
And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house.
And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.
judg 14:18-
Samson doesn’t get it -
Today’s parallel would be if he left her at the altar before the vows and pronouncement
Since the Philistines reacted harshly to his own arrogant impetulance, he feels justified
There is nothing underhanded about what her father did
300 foxes
Then he hid
the woman and her father were burned v6
Samson beat them up and then hid
Philistines came after Judah
3,000 judeans came after Samson
Samson slew them -
Samson was thirsty -
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Jesus to the crowd
Jesus to the crowd
Samson and Delilah
Samson and Delilah
The Gazites lay in ambush
Samson lifted the city gates and carried them 40 miles away before putting them down
no mention of the Lord doing this
Delilah - judges 16:4
perhaps also a prostitute
she is bribed
7 fresh bowstrings
new ropes that have never been used
weave my hair into your loom
He gives in -
capture -
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
jn 6:26-
The Death of Samson
The Death of Samson
pagan feast - judges 16:23-25
judges 16:28-30
epilogue - judges 16:31
Lessons from Samson
Lessons from Samson
Rich Ruler
Rich Ruler
luke 18:
No Magic Hair
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ”
And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.
And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
Samson’s strength was from God, and remained obedient to God’s specific instruction
judg 16:20
luke 18:
But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
There is no need to white-wash history
He WAS God’s chosen man
the birth…
His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, 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.”
the continual statement that the Lord
The purpose, the means; all God’s choice
Assyria and Babylon were both God’s choice
2008 & 2016
Don’t think that you or we have such a handle on God as to understand the mysteries of His hidden will; Like Aslan, He is NOT a tame lion!
Pentecost
Pentecost
Don’t expect anybody but Jesus to be Jesus
Don’t expect anybody but Jesus to be Jesus
acts 2:37-
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Neither your job, nor your spouse will be enough
Be fulfilled in Christ; satisfied in everything else
By Faith
How was Samson a man of faith?
not consistently
His final prayer, if nothing else showed his dependency on God
Faith isn’t about the believer anyway; it’s God’s gift
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
May God grant use this story of God’s victory through a fallen and broken man to humble and guide us in our day!