L c u a C s a o MaR/aPR EvERy Day Jeff Lucas Copyright CWR 2009

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1 Lucas on MAR/APR 2010 Every Day The X-Factor Jeff Lucas Copyright CWR 2009 Published 2009 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, UK Tel: Registered Charity No Registered Limited Company No Front cover image: Getty Images/Stone/Peter Beavis Concept development, editing, design and production by CWR. Printed in England by Linney Print. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of CWR. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Other Scripture quotations are marked: AV: The Authorised Version FSC Mixed Sources SA-COC FSC A.C.

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3 It all happened about three thousand years ago. With no king, either human or divine, Israel was drifting into rebellion, living under God s judgment. She found herself at the mercy of the neighbouring nations of Canaan, Midian, Moab, Ammon and Philistia. The Philistines were Israel s greatest threat over the longest period of their history. Philistine national life focused on the five key cities of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron (1 Sam. 6:17). Occasionally a hero would lead Israel against their oppressors but then she would drift back into her old ways. Judges 17 sums up the cultural mood: Everyone did as he saw fit (Judg. 17:6). The tribe of Dan lived in Zorah, in the Judaean lowlands, the especially dangerous border country between Israel and the Philistines. This tribe was originally assigned the land next to Judah and Benjamin, extending to the Mediterranean Sea (Josh. 19:40 48). Since the Danites could not dislodge the coastal inhabitants, however, they moved north (Judg. 18), although some stayed put. They were a frustrated people, unable to occupy the land that God had given them because of the presence of the Philistines. It was from that tribe that Samson arose. He would have been raised in a place where people talked endlessly about their unrealised dreams, yet made no move towards the God who could restore them. But the Spirit of God was about to stir one man into action. Frustration often fuels calling. Angry about what is and desperate to see change? God may be nudging you. Prayer: Save me from accepting a status quo that grieves You, Lord. Help me to be a change agent. Amen. MON 01 MAR Sin and frustration Judges 13:1 25 Judges 17:6 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lor d. (Judg. 13:1) Frustration often fuels calling

4 TUES 02 MAR Sleeping sickness Judges 13:1 Hebrews 3:7 13 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lor d, so the Lor d delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. (Judg. 13:1) Sin wants to establish a Sin is an anaesthetic. Digging our heels in and embracing rebellion as a lifestyle is dangerous because, after a while, we stop being troubled about our behaviour. To switch the metaphor, we harden our hearts. Israel had been under the judgment of God for four decades, twice as long as any previous period of oppression (Judg. 4:3) but she seemed quite indifferent to it. There s no cry for help, no attempt at repentance; instead, Israel accepts the evil status quo. Sin wants to establish a pattern in our lives: Israel s evil is recorded with monotonous regularity (Judg. 3:7,12; 4:1 2; 6:1; 10:6 7). After a while we can t imagine that we can be different or free: we hoist the white flag of surrender to addiction, abusive behaviour or worse and shrug our shoulders in resignation. Three thousand men in Judah make the tragic profession that shows they were utterly defeated and unable to believe that things could be different: Don t you realise that the Philistines are rulers over us? (Judg. 15:11). Before we consider Samson in detail, a man of great potential whose life was ruined because he refused to be firm with temptation, let s ask ourselves the question: have we offered a welcome to things that we should be rejecting? Hope and holiness are connected, because hopefulness gives us confidence to be faithful even when life is a battle. For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross (Heb. 12:2). Let s take some time today to consider that question the anaesthetic of sin makes us drowsy. Let s be clear, focused and alert. pattern in our lives Prayer: Lord, show me where I have surrendered and compromised. Wake me from the deception that sin brings. Amen.

5 It s the theme that is consistently repeated throughout Scripture: God visits the ordinary with revolutionary news that transforms everything. The announcement of conception, especially to a previously barren woman, is a favourite biblical theme, from Sarah (Gen. 17:15 16) to Elizabeth (Luke 1:13). To be barren was to be ashamed. Not only did a barren woman have to endure the pain of childlessness but her culture also attached a terrible stigma to her. For the unnamed wife of Manoah, who most likely was known as akara (the barren one), all that was to change. And, as we saw yesterday, this was not prompted by repentance and prayer in Israel; God stepped in and took the initiative. Some commentators say that there is a hint of divine impatience in the original text; tired of waiting for His people to realise their sin, God takes action anyway. Everything suddenly is different, not only for Manoah and his family but for the nation. I can easily lose sight of the transforming power of God. The struggles that anyone involved in pastoral ministry gets to witness mean that it can be easier to prepare people for the harsh realities of life. I almost lose any expectation that sicknesses can be healed, the power of addiction can be broken and that a person, bored by the gospel, can make a response to Jesus. Belief in God s healing power only makes sense when we have a coherent theology of suffering; nevertheless, let s affirm that God still moves and His actions are not always in response to a huge wave of prayer. WED 03 MAR Transforming power Judges 13:2 Ephesians 1:15 23 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless. (Judg. 13:2) Prayer: Help me to affirm this in the darker times, Lord: You are great and mighty, the transforming God. Amen.

6 THURS 04 MAR Potential Judges 13:3 Luke 4:1 13 The angel of the Lor d appeared to her and said, You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. (Judg. 13:3) If ever there should have been a success story, Samson was it. He was the only judge in Israel who was described as being blessed by Yahweh (Judg. 13:24). Spiritually, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His birth came as a result of an angelic announcement and so his very existence nurtured in a formerly barren womb was the result of God s desire to intervene in the life of the nation of Israel. Samson s name means sun, like the Assyrian name Shamshanu: his birth could have ushered in the dawning of a bright new day of liberation and restoration for apostate Israel. But just as King Saul began so well and ended tragically, Samson is famous for failure. As we ll see in detail, our choices can cancel out much of what God has planned for us to enjoy. Sadly, I ve known far too many people who have squandered their destiny and frittered away the opportunities God gave them, in a costly deal with sin that always creates terrible regret. Just as Jesus had to do battle with temptation in the wilderness before He could begin His public ministry, so each of us will face opportunities to flourish or fail, with significant consequences for our future. The wrong decision made in the heat of the desert would have spelt absolute disaster for Jesus and for us. The alluring deal that the devil offered came with a terrible (and hidden) price tag. Having potential is no guarantee that we will live significant lives that are truly successful in God s eyes. Our choices do matter. Our choices do matter Prayer: Lord, help me to make the most of the opportunities and blessings with which You have entrusted me. Amen.

7 A hospital in Fife, Scotland, recently reported that every week one baby is being born already addicted to drugs or alcohol. These innocent little victims take their first breaths already in the grip of a life-threatening substance and the number of infant addicts is increasing. They are born with a terrible disadvantage. As we hear the angel of the Lord commanding Manoah s wife to abstain from alcohol during her coming pregnancy, we hear advice for expectant mothers that many doctors now endorse. But there s more here.in the light of the excesses that will later emerge in Samson s life, one might look back to his earliest years and parental home to see if there were negative influences that would contribute to his later downfall. Our earliest years and upbringing hugely shape who we are. How tragic that so many of us walk through life with a limp, injured by abuse or neglect in our formative years. A careful look might indicate that there were some problems with Samson s parents. We ll see that Manoah s wife doesn t tell her husband everything that the angel said: she will omit the vital details about his not being able to cut his hair and his national role. Is this a small clue that all was not totally secure between them? And we ll see that Samson would not always feel able to take his parents into his confidence. None of this excuses his terrible series of life choices, but perhaps he wasn t helped by his earliest years. Pray for parents you know: theirs is a massive responsibility. FRI 05 MAR Without excuse Judges 13:3 5 Romans 1:18 20 See to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, because you will conceive and give birth to a son. (Judg. 13:4 5) Prayer: Lord, help me not to be dominated by flaws in my upbringing. And bless those involved in parenting. Amen.

8 06/07 MAR Judges 13:5 // Numbers 6:1 21 Everyone is different Samson was called to a Nazirite vow with a difference. Usually the vow was taken voluntarily by a worshipper for a limited period of time. In Samson s case, the vow was effective even prior to his actual birth and was set to last until his death. He was called to a stringent lifestyle of abstinence and holiness. Like many Sikhs, Samson did not cut his hair and he was not supposed to drink alcohol. But he was the only one of the Judges who was chosen to live with these constraints. For whatever reason, God singled Samson out to live by a different standard from most which, as we will see, he obviously failed to do. Legalism always crouches at the door of our lives and it can strike when someone takes a personal conviction about how they should live and unthinkingly tries to make that the rule for everyone. There are obviously some general biblical principles and standards that apply to everybody but other issues of personal conscience are not universal. Obey all that God says to you but beware the temptation to turn His instructions into a law for others. Obey all that God says to you Challenge: What is the difference between legalism and biblical holiness?