Life of Samson: #3 The Outcome of God s Blessings Judges 14:5-14 Introduction Over the last couple of weeks we have been looking at the life of Samson. Our goal is never just to gain historical knowledge, but it is to gain spiritual truth. The apostle Paul explained that the things that happened in the O.T. were to be examples for us. Not necessarily examples to follow, but certainly examples from which to learn. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. (1 Cor 10:11, NIV) Read: Judges 14:5-14 5 Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA
2 6 The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her. 8 Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion's carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey, 9 which he scooped out with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion s carcass. 10 Now his father went down to see the woman. And Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms. 11 When he appeared, he was given thirty companions. 12 Let me tell you a riddle, Samson said to them. If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes. 13 If you can t tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes. Tell us your riddle, they said. Let s hear it. 14 He replied, Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet. For three days they could not give the answer. I. Details Omitted A.This is the nature of God s Word. Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 2
3 1. Never intended to be a moment by moment accounting of events in the lives of characters. 2. If it were, we d need a semi-truck to haul it back and forth to church. 3. God selectively chooses what He desires to reveal to us. 4. After all, it is God s Word! B.There will always be some questions about certain events that we will not fully understand until we get to heaven! C.What I would like to know in this passage. 1. Why Samson s parents went down with him to Timnath when he was going to take a wife from the daughters of the Philistines. Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 3
4 2. It is clear from v. 3 that they were opposed to this marriage, and rightly so. 3. But here they are in v. 5 on their way down to this unbelieving city. 4. Also, how did they get separated from Samson along the way? 5. They apparently started the trip together, but when the lion came, they weren t around (v. 6). D.Our focus should be upon what God chose to reveal to us. 1. Someone rightly said that he was more troubled over what he knew about the Bible, than what he didn t know. 2. So let s focus on what God has revealed to us in this passage about Samson, and let s learn from it. II. The Outcome of God s Blessings Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 4
5 A.Blessings Should Bring Us Closer to God 1. The lion that came roaring toward Samson was no accident! 2. God had a reason for allowing that lion to be in that vineyard at that particular time. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, NIV) 3. The shock of this event should have caused Samson to stop and evaluate what he was doing and where he was going. a. Shocking situations have a way of doing that, don t they? b. In fact, most of us have experienced similar situations. Ex. 9/11/01 Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 5
6 c. They cause us to evaluate the seriousness of the event, and to re-evaluate what we are doing. d. Very often, they will draw us much closer to God. e. This event along with the incredible victory God gave him should have drawn him closer to the Lord but it didn t! 4. Samson violated the Nazarite vow. a. Remember when the angel appeared to Samson s parents (13:5)? b. The angel had told them that Samson was to live an unusual kind of life. c. He was to be a Nazarite. d. The word Nazarite means to separate, or consecrate. e. So Samson had been consecrated to God from birth for a special purpose. Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 6
7 f. The book of Numbers explains what that meant for the individual. 1) No drinking of wine. 2) No contact with anything that s dead. 3) No cutting of their hair. 4) All of these things were simply an outward manifestation of the vow made to God. g. The point is this; Samson was supposed to be a separated man (literally = set apart for a purpose). 1) But he took the honey out of the dead lion s carcass knowing that it was wrong, he hid it from his parents. (Note: When you hide the truth of matter, you know it is wrong!) v. 9 Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 7
8 2) He then went to a drunken feast the word used here literally means to drink! (v. 10). 3) Instead of drawing him closer to God, he was becoming less and less holy! 5. The application for us. a. When God blesses us, it should draw us closer to Him. b. It should remind us that we belong to Him and our lives are to be lived for His glory, not our own! c. The closer we walk with God, the less likely we are to get involved in sin (2 Cor 6:14-17). B.Blessings Should Also Make Us Humble. Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 8
9 1. There s no indication anywhere in this text that Samson, even for a moment, thought about the fact that it was God who gave him the strength to do what he did in the first place. a. There s no worship. b. There s no praise. c. There s no thanksgiving 2. This was a tremendous opportunity for God to get the glory He deserves because He s the true God of heaven. a. That is exactly what the nation of Israel needed to see. b. They needed to see someone who would stand for God and God alone c. That is also what the pagan nations around needed to see. Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 9
10 3. Unfortunately Samson s focus wasn t upon God and acknowledging Him. 4. Samson failed to see God at work, because he was full of himself pride is destructive in the life of a believer! C.Blessings Should Make Us Careful. 1. Years later, David would learn this lesson the hard way! a. At a time when he should ve been praying for his soldiers who were at war. b. He was committing adultery and murder. 2. Samson continued his downward slide in sin. a. He got together with 30 ungodly men for his bachelor party. Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 10
11 b. Instead of being ashamed of the drunken feast he was at, and ashamed of the drunken people he was around, Samson was treating them like his good friends. c. Instead of being ashamed of what he had done with the lion and the honey, he made a joke out of it. d. He turned his sin into a riddle. 3. The lesson for us is to learn not to be so casual about sin. 4. We need to be careful to not take God s grace and His goodness for granted! 1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? (Romans 6:1, NIV) 5. Certainly God has forgiven our sins and the eternal consequences of hell Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 11
12 6. But we must not presume upon God s grace and live our lives recklessly! 7. That is a dangerous place to find ourselves! 26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, (Heb 10:26, NIV) 8. The law of sowing and reaping is not canceled out by salvation! 9. Willful sin against God will result in His discipline. Conclusion God s Blessings Upon Us Should: - Bring us closer to God - Make us humble - Cause us to be careful What about it? Do we need to re-evaluate our walk with God? Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 12
13 Has His blessings on us brought us closer to Him made us humble and caused us to be careful in our walk? Invitation Delivered by Dane Boyles to the Leander Church of Christ at Crystal Falls, Leander, Texas, USA 13