BIBLE STUDIES ARCHIVE.....SAMSON

Samson

In chapter 13 we find a couple that couldn’t conceive who receive a visit from the Angel of the Lord. A barren woman in Israel was a disgraced woman. It is this very person the Angel comes to visit! HE’LL VISIT US IN OUR DISGRACE! God is faithful! The Angel instructs them that they will have a son who is to be a Nazirite: consecrated unto the Lord. The mother, like the son, was to drink no wine, eat anything unclean, and have no razor touch the son’s head, as part of the law of the Nazirites. The task of the son was clear: to begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Manoah desired to bless the Angel with a meal, yet the Angel refused to partake. When Manoah asked the Angel His name, He responded, “why do ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?” The Lord is our Wonderful Counselor – and He demonstrated such wonder by ascending in the flame of the altar where the offering was made. Wonderful means “beyond understanding” – and the Lord is so faithful it is beyond our ability to grasp. They have a son and name him Samson, meaning strength of Spirit.

Ch. 14: Samson identifies a Philistine woman and asks his parents to arrange for their marriage. Despite his family’s objection, they make the arrangements. What they failed to see, the Lord had under control – to put Samson in the right place at the right time for the right purpose! Samson then kills a lion and afterward touches its body, scooping out honey and eating it, sharing it with his parents. This was a violation of his Nazirite vows. They then proceed to the wedding feast, which lasted a week. During that time Samson posed a riddle to his guests. They were only able to solve it through Samson’s new wife, who pressed him for the answer. When Samson found out, his anger rose up, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he killed 30 men. His wife was given to his best man, as he returned to his father’s.

Ch. 15: Samson returns for his wife, only to find she has been given to someone else. His strength once again takes control as he catches 300 foxes, sets their tails ablaze, and sends them through the Philistine camp. The Philistines retaliate by killing the wife and her father. As the Philistines move to Judah in their pursuit of Samson, the men of Judah are persuaded to go arrest Samson. Some 3000 men tie Samson up and return him to the Philistines. Upon his return, Samson breaks free and kills 100 men with the jawbone of a donkey. This is the second time he breaks the Nazirite law.

Samson then complains to the Lord that he has no water, and the Lord provides a fresh spring of water for him. He acted as judge over Israel for 20 years.

Ch. 16: Samson visited a harlot in Gaza and upon his departure, met Deliliah. The Philistines convince Deliliah to “entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him.” This is the ploy of the enemy! Entice, then find out, so the enemy can overpower us, bind us, and afflict us. But we have a God who is greater! After several attempts, finally Deliliah is successful in prying what Samson believes is the source of his strength: his unshaven head. She lulls Samson to sleep, his head is shaven, and he awakens to find his source of strength is gone: the Spirit of the Lord is not with him. Samson is bound , blinded, and put in prison.

HOWEVER THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD BEGAN TO GROW AGAIN AFTER IT HAD BEEN SHAVEN.

Samson recognized the true source of his strength as he was summoned to perform for the Philistines gathered for a feast to their god. The 3000 mean and women watched as Samson did something he had not previously done: he prayed to God. “Remember me, I pray. Strengthen me, I pray.” The Spirit came upon him and he pushed the pillars of the temple so that it collapsed, killing everyone there.

It isn’t how we start; it’s how we finish. The love of the Lord never leaves us, because He is faithful. We keep on sinning – He keeps on giving! Samson’s sin of lust and pride caused him to focus on the things external. Yet God still used him. He can use us; He wants to use us! He doesn’t want us to wait until we are “good enough” to be used – because it won’t happen. He will use us, and teach us while He is doing it. If you’ve ever been down, really down – feeling no good, no where to turn, nothing left to do, feeling like you’ve let your family down again, friends down, God down – let me tell you today God is for you! Your hair is growing back!!!