Judges 14-16
B. Consequences of Life
Disciplining His Children
Indulgence in our sinful desires always brings disastrous consequences. Experience in life can help us to understand this. That is why older men are typically wiser. They have seen this pattern so many times in their lives that they actually begin to see and believe it. But who wants to wait until one has made all of life's mistakes and then understand this principle?!
Samson's mistakes are splashed before our eyes in newspaper headline style. The captions and pictures are so luring that we are compelled to read the story. God uses this story to catch the attention of youths' so that they can gain wisdom at a young age. The scriptures paint for us a broad sweeping of a picture of a man's life named Samson so that we all know see that every sin has its consequences. Disrespect for God's ways always bring great pain and shame.
Note how because of his lack of self control, Samson ruined:
His character
His marriage
His ministry
His nation
What could have been so glorious is now pure shame. Samson's unwillingness to control his lust has become known all over the world more 3000 years later. Did you ever see the movie, "Samson and Delilah?" I saw it in Asia! And this shame speaks nothing to the good that could have been done had he lived an upright life.
Compromise = consequence
When we do something wrong there are consequences. But because they do not happen right away, we do not connect the relationship between the two. Foolishness is best described by the lack of connecting consequence with compromise. Wisdom sees the connection and so chooses not to compromise.
Let's just review how God brought ruin to each of Samson's disobedient acts. We are not sure whether these were his only sins. They are not written to have us draw such conclusions. But it is possible. It is enough to know that open disobedience brings so much pain and trouble that we should not disobey our Lord.
Each major victory was initiated by Samson's foolishness. Each involved some form of deceit. God was involved in the process all along. They all specify a multiple of 3 in the act of revenge (30, 300, 3000).
A. Incident #1 Fiancee Deceives (14)
Revenge for garments with 30 garments
Samson acted against his parents will (not much of one); he marries against God's law. Judges 3:6-7 connects lust-stimulated marriages with the forsaking of God. (Cf. Genesis 6:1-3).
And they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth. (Judges 3:6,7, ).
Samson quickly learns the story that lust does not hold a marriage relationship together. She capitulates to outside pressures because there is no inner core to keep together. Yes, God did use Samson to wipe out 30 Philistine men from Ashkelon. However, something much greater could have been done had he not sinned.
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Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. |
B. Incident #2 In-Laws Defraud (15)
Revenge for wife with 300 foxes
This second problem follows the first. After he married his wife, he just went off and left her. With no telephone in sight, what was the father to think of their deserted daughter? She brought public ridicule to Samson. His parents figured that Samson didn't want her at all and gave her to Samson's best friend! God used this to stir up Samson's wrath.
Samson in a spirit of revenge ingeniously and powerfully captures 300 foxes. He ties each pair together with a burning torch, and sets them free into the Philistine fields. After the Philistines caught wind of their damaged crops, they destroyed Samson's wife's family. Evidently, Samson gave up on family and life and went to live in a deserted place.
The story continues as 3000 men of Judah call for Samson to give himself to the Philistines. What comradeship! Instead of leading the armies of Israel, he hands himself over to the Israelites so that the Philistines can capture him. However, after they capture him, the Spirit of God comes upon him. The ropes snap and with a jawbone Samson kills 1000 Philistines. Samson finally got revenge for his in-laws betrayal. Something much greater could have been done had he not sinned in his selfish anger.
C. Incident #3 Delilah Deludes (16)
Revenge for sight with 3000 nobles
This famous story of Delilah's web to snare Samson has gone popular in movie form. The more the story progresses, the more dumbfounded the reader gets over the blindness of Samson. In the end God uses the secret information that Delilah got out of Samson to capture him. His hair is cut! His strength is gone. The Philistines gouged his eyes out and mocked him by putting him to work grinding grain. However, Samson's hair begins to grow again. He pulls the pillars down of the great assembly hall killing 3000 people including himself. This was a great climax, but there could have been a much better way had he obeyed the Lord.
Application
We find that there is no such thing as secular life. God interweaves His judgment and will into life itself. He is intimately involved in His people's lives. . The operating principle is clearly stated in Galatians 6:7-8.
Do not be deceived,
God is not mocked;
for whatever a man sows,
this he will also reap.
For the one who sows to his own flesh
shall from the flesh reap corruption,
but the one who sows to the Spirit
shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.
God masterfully intertwines the events of the world with the lives of His people. If they sin, then they will suffer. But if they obey, they will greatly reap wonderful rewards by God Himself. The fact is that many cannot see God's involvement in the world's events and so laugh at God. They will be like Samson looking back in life dreading the decisions they have made. God is not mocked. Next
Biblical Foundations for Freedom
Paul J. Bucknell