Called to be Distinct (2)

Called to be Distinct

Big Idea: are you being spiritually distinct or indistinct.?

DISTINCT: recognizably different in nature from something else of a similar type

INDISTINCT: not clear of sharply defined.

Samson is the last of the God appointed leaders in Judges.

We have now come to the last ever-decreasing circle. The Lord had given the Israelites into the hands of the Philistines. There were the fiercest enemy they had faced, yet this particular conflict stretches right back to the days of Joshua and projects forward to the reign of David when they are finally defeated.

DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD: The last of the cycle that Israel goes through.

Note: I know this is evil, but I’m going to do it anyway. Yet in God’s eyes the behavior is wicked.

The following problem is determined ultimately by whose eyes are you seeing thing through. What lenses do you look at your sin and the world through.

NOTE: This is the last time that you will hear “And they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

A difficult existence (vv. 1–5)

Monoah and his wife lived in a place called Zorah, which was about two miles from the known border of Philistine territory. They would have had a tense, dangerous existence because they lived so close to the enemy.

Israel’s national life focused around five key Cities.

Ashdod

Gaza

Ashkelon

Gath

Ekron

You had the land between Israel’s hill country and the coastal plain that was called Shephelah, which means “low country.”, and it separates Philistia and Israel.

NOTE: Samson born in the city of Zorah, a city of Dan routinely crossed the boarder into Philistia either to serve God or to satisfy his own appetites.

The Philistia oppression began about 1095 BC and ended in 1055 BC with Israel’s victory at Mizpeh (1 Samuel 7).

About the middle of the period the battle of Aphek occurred when Israel was defeated by the Philistines and lost the ark and 3 priests in the process.

NOTE: There is no evidence given in the text that Israel cried out to God. (or anytime in the fourty years of the Philistines reign.) apparently people had become content with their situation. It’s frightening how quickly one can get accustomed to bondage and begin to accept it.

Samson did not deliver his people from foreign dominion, or rally the armies of God to go fight. It would take a prayer of Samuel and the conquest of David to finish the job that Samson started and give Israel complete victory over the Philistines.

NOTE: The text mentions Monoah 8 times by name but Samson’s mothers name is not mentioned. The lineage of the ancient families were carried on by the male of the households. However the angel appears to Samson’s mother 2 times before speaking to Monoah. The angel performed the same amount of miracles for both of them.

vs. 2-5

Remember that it was the Danites who were unable to dislodge the coastal inhabitants of the Philistines the first time.

1.How does God use the weak to confound the wise?

God uses the weak things of the world to confound the wise.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Why does God Hide Himself?

This question is asked at times not only by the atheist or agnostic seeing to cast doubt on the existence of God, but also by believers seeking a personal experience with God. Therefore, the doubter or skeptic may ask, “Is there a God?” or “if God exists, how can we know that He exists, and why doesn’t He reveal Himself more clearly?” The anxious seeker may say, “Is God in control of the universe?” and “Is God concerned about my life and problems?” In times of trouble and wonder if God is there and if He cares. And finally the doubter, seeker, and follower alike may ask, “How can I know God?”

NOTE: God does in fact reveal himself to us but not in the way we expect. God may deliberately hide Himself in order to expose people’s hearts, drawing closer those who believe, while turning away from those who turn from Him. Yet God encourages us with promises.

ILLUSTRATION

One of the favorite childhood games of any Child is hide and go seek. Why is this such a popular game among kids. I even remember my teenagers wanting to play this game when we had events at the Church. You all remember the game someone counts to 10 while everyone goes and hides. If you are the first one to be found then you become it in the game. The object of the game is not to be found.

This is not on God’s agenda. Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with your whole heart.” It is not that the cosmic God of the universe is playing a game of hide and seek with us. God chooses to reveal certain things to us at specific times for a specific reason and purpose. The thing about God is that he see’s everyone of us, even in our attempts many times to hide from him.

He Sends a baby not an army.

The angel visits a couple and promises to send a baby.

His great plan of salvation got under way when He called Abraham and Sarah and gave them Isaac.

When He wanted to deliver Israel from Egypt God sent moses to Amram and Jockebed.

Later when Israel desperately needed revival God sent Samuel to Hannah.

When the fullness of time had arrived, God gave baby Jesus to Mary and Joseph, and that baby grew up to die on a cross for the sins of the world.

Babies are fragile and weak. But God uses such things to humble us.

vs. 3 “Behold you are barren and have not born children.”

Examples of Barren Women:

Sarah did not bear Abraham a son Issac until she was old.

Rachel was barren, the Lord opened Leah’s womb.

Hannah prayed, and prayed for a child. The Lord finally blessed her with Samuel.

Elizabeth was barren until the Lord opened her womb and gave John the Baptist.

vs.5 “The child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb......” (Indicates God’s all sustaining hand and intimate knowledge of the human fetus from

ILLUSTRATION:

Every aspect of the body, down to the tiniest microscopic cell, reveals that it is fearfully and wonderfully made.

Engineers understand how to design strong yet light beams by putting the strong material toward the outside edges of a cross-section and filling the inside with lighter, weaker material. This is done because the greatest amounts of stress occur on the surfaces of a structure when handling common bending or stresses. A cross section of a human bone reveals that the strong material is on the outside and the inside is used as a factory for blood cells of various kinds. When you examine a sophisticated camera with its ability to let in more or less light as needed and its ability to focus automatically over a vast range of field, you find repeated imitations of the operation of the human eye. And yet, having two eyeballs, we also have depth perception which gives us the ability to judge how far away an object is.

The human brain is also an amazing organ, fearfully and wonderfully made. It has the ability to learn, reason, and control so many automatic functions of the body such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing, and to maintain balance to walk, run, stand, and sit, all while concentrating on something else. Computers can outdo the human brain in raw calculating power but are primitive when it comes to performing most reasoning tasks. The brain also has an amazing ability to adapt. In an experiment, when people put on glasses that made the world seem upside down, their brains quickly reinterpreted the information they were being given to perceive the world as “right-side-up.” When others were blindfolded for long periods of time, the “vision center” of the brain soon began to be used for other functions. When people move to a house near a railroad, soon the sound of the trains is filtered out by their brains, and they lose conscious thought of the noise.

When it comes to miniaturization, the human body is also a marvel fearfully and wonderfully made. For instance, information needed for the replication of an entire human body, with every detail covered, is stored in the double-helix DNA strand found in the nucleus of each of the billions of cells in the human body.

Consider the single fertilized cell of a newly conceived human life. From that one cell within the womb develop all the different kinds of tissues, organs, and systems, all working together at just the right time in an amazingly coordinated process. An example is the hole in the septum between the two ventricles in the heart of the newborn infant. This hole closes up at exactly the right time during the birth process to allow for the oxygenation of the blood from the lungs, which does not occur while the baby is in the womb and is receiving oxygen through the umbilical cord.

“How sad that we live in a world today where society see’s babies as menaces not miracles. Babies are inconvenient not irreplaceable.”

ILLUSTRATION: My family went to see the movie “Unplanned.” The reality for God’s creation is that nothing is unplanned by God.

Psalm 139:13-16

  For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

14  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

15  My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

16  Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

NOTE: We are all fearfully and wonderfully made by God. 139:1 “You know me” intimate connection between God and His creation.

Ephesians 1 | Ephesians 2 >>

11  In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

vrs 5 “A Nazarite from the Womb.”

This is the only judge that was chosen before they were born. And his calling was to last his whole life long.

NOTE: Both before and after the birth the angel instructed her what to do. Ordinarily the Nazarite vow was for a limited period of time, but in Samson’s case, the vow was to last all his life. (Judges 13:7) This would be something that mom and dad would have to teach Samson. The obligations for teaching our children.

Instructions given:

The Nazarite Vow: To be set apart. Numbers 6:1-21

Not to cut their hair.

Not to drink any produce from vines, alcohol or non-alcoholic.

Not to have contact with any dead body.

NORMALLY THE NAZARITE VOW WAS TAKEN FOR A TIME BUT NOT FROM THE WOMB

NOTE: The appearance of the man was like that of an angel of God, very awesome. “I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name.” Samson’s parent’s again do not recognize the angel for who he is.

Samson’s mother adds two points to the command: Nazarite to God and till the day of death.

Judges 13:13

And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child’s manner of life, and what is his mission?” 13 And the angel of Lord said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.

MANOA: The Lord answers his prayer and he gets to ask His question. Monoah now presses the man for his name. The only name that he will give him is wonderful, this is the same name given to Jesus, “he is wonderful. The same word is used for the name of Messiah in Isaiah 6.

He gives you the what, not the How and Why?

ILLUSTRATION

Matilda bakes a cake for her aunt Ruth. (We always want to know the How, and then the Why?)

NOTE: Waiting to be a good and appreciative host Manoah asked the men to stick around and eat. The angel declined to the dinner invite. But would instruct them to present an offering on the alter of God.

THE OFFERING

Ordinarily the Jewish worshippers had to bring their offerings to the tabernacle altar at Shiloh, but since the “man of God” commanded Manoah to offer the sacrifice, who was he to refuse.

Suddenly the visitor from heaven ascended to heaven in the flame, only then did Manoah and his wife discover that their visitor was a visitor from the Lord.

REACTIONS

Manoah knew that no one could see the Lord and live. He was frightened believing that surely God was going to strike them dead. Manoahs wife was the one of reason. “God could not fulfill his plan if we are dead Manoah.” Oh that’s right.

2. What happens when we wander into the enemy’s territory?

What are you trusting to rule your life?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE CROSS INTO THE ENEMIES CAMP

We show that we have a believing faith but not a living faith.

Faith is belief, assurance of God's word and all that he has done. Faithfulness is living in accord with that truth.

Samson had faith, but he was not always a faithful man. He always flirted across the enemy line. Samson fell in love with a Philistine woman. Samson would not listen to his parents when they warned him. He had wondered four miles into enemy territory. Samson was determined to marry this women even though he knew it went against God’s law.

What happen’s when the Lord is not ruler of our lives? (something is always going to rule our lives)

We become nearsighted letting our eyes control our actions.

What happens when we live by sight and not by faith. We let our eyes control our actions.

NOTE: When God isn’t permitted to rule our lives, He overrules and works out His will in spite of our decisions.

Have you ever noticed how God works in us to will and to work for His plan’s in spite of our stupidity. God uses Samson’s continued flirting with the enemy to get his work done.

vv. 5-9

1st mistake: Wondering into a vineyard where he was not suppose to be. Flirting with a danger, as part of his Nazarite vow. Dangerous for a man who is not suppose to have anything to do with grapes.

His sin began with the “lust of the flesh,” then “lust of the eyes,” leading to “the pride of life”.

1 John 2:16

16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

NOTE: The lion ripping apart, consider if might be God placing the lion in the place that Samson was not meant to be for his protection. God did give him the power to defeat the lion.

Samson, did not tell anyone about the incident but concealed it and kept it to himself.

NOTE: Not only did he eat the honey out of the carcass leading to sin, but he also gave some to his mom and dad.

Samson’s Riddle out of Control

Samson must of had a sense of humor.

Samson apparently was some what of a loner, he showed up without any friends of the bridegroom, these men may have served as guards for the Philistines.

The festivities must have gotten boring, so Samson constructed a riddle almost, making fun, or light of the outright sin that he had committed against God. The men frustrated with the riddle threatened to kill Timnah and burn down her fathers house if she did not reveal the answer to the riddle. This is where things took a turn for the worst. This will not be the last Philistine woman who work Samson for information.

Steps that the Enemy uses to pull us into His territory.

ENTICE

CONTROL

BETRAYAL

Those who can’t control their tongue, can’t control their bodies.

James 3:2

2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

Results

30 men dead, Samson was so angry that he confiscated their clothes and left without even consummating the marriage. He went back to Zorah and stayed with his parents. His best man ended up with Timnah.

If Samson had won his way and married the Philistine woman, that relationship would have crippled the work of God had called him to do.

We enter unholy relationships that hinder the work of the Lord.

Too many believers today are entering unholy alliances are sinning and hindering the work of the Lord too.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The Temple of the Living God

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

17  Therefore go out from their midst,

and be separate from them, says the Lord,

and touch no unclean thing;

then I will welcome you,

18  and I will be a father to you,

and you shall be sons and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty.”

Why does the bible teach believers not to marry unbelievers?

Concern that the unbelieving spouse might try to pull the believing spouse away from their faith or convictions. (this is no problem, I can marry X, because they completely respect my faith and believe and will allow me total freedom to practice my faith.)

Concern that the natural response will be to make God less central to everything in your life. (You are entering the closest and most intimate of relationships. It is impossible for your marriage to an unbeliever over time not to have and adverse effect on your life)

What if? You were not a true believer at the time of your marriage?

What if? You were a believer but did not fully realize that this was a problem?

This is why Paul urges believers to not knowingly enter into a relationship with someone who is not a believer. You are entering into a sinful relationship.

Remember the context of these scriptures is not other formal religions but idolatry. Putting other things before or in the place of God in your life. When your spouse doesn’t share your faith. There is a great pressure to push God to the margins of your life.

NOTE: If Samson had sought the Lords leading, the Lord would have directed him. Instead, Samson went his own way, and the Lord had to overrule his selfish decisions.

ILLUSTRATION:

There used to be a show on when I was a kid. You had a panel of judges and then performers who did all kinds of different acts. It was kind of like an early version of America’s got talent. When the peoples acts were horrible one of the judges would grab a huge mallet, and swing in at the gong to get them off the stage.

I view this is as God’s action in Samson’s life. God has swung the mallet at the ridiculous way that Samson had disobeyed the Lord.

There is no such thing as a harmonious co-existence between the church and the world, for where their is no conflict the world has taken over.

CLOSING:

THE PROBLEM OF THE STORY

Timothy Keller

Assimilation: The absorption and digestion of something or cause to resemble.

The Relevant Church Appeal: early part of the 20th century the church went through a paradigm shift to become relevant to the culture. There was a belief that the modern world would lose all interest in the supernatural world. In an effort to de-supernaturalize the Bible was no longer seen as infallible. The very thought of conversion and new birth were thrown out. Becoming a Christian meant to just live a good moral life of mercy and justice.

The Liberal Church Appeal: 1)Personal choice and freedom. 2) Absolute tolerance and rejection of exclusive or absolute truth and personal responsibility.3) Adapting to our culture. (avoid conflict at all costs.)

The conservative Church Appeal: 1) An idealized past 2) the nuclear family, 3) ones own race and traditional culture, 4) Authority. // Moralistic, looking back the good old days of Church, has a superior view of its own culture, and tends to emphasis superiority in it’s own culture, tends to place so much emphasis on family life that the single divorced parent feels out of place and pushed to the margins.

The problem in Samson’s worldview is that God had tried to make Israel distinct and he wanted them to be indistinct and assimilate into the culture around Him.

BIG IDEA: You are called to be spiritually distinct not indistinct