Scripture:
Judges 16:15-22 NKJV
[15] Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies.” [16] And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him so that his soul was vexed to death, [17] that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.” [18] When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. [19] Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. [20] And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. [21] Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. [22] However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven.
Observation:
I remember hearing this story as a kid in Sunday school. It was always so fascinating. The little old lady who was teaching would always make sure we understood how strong Samson was and where his strength came from. All the young boys would want to be Samson because he was so strong. Little did we know that a lot of us would grow up to be just like him. Taking in the story over the last 2 days. I noticed some things I didn’t remember hearing as a child. But I paid close attention to today. I’m sure we all know his story. How he had been set apart from birth as a Nazirite. He had taken on a vow to never drink alcohol, touch something dead or unclean, or cut his hair. But as we look back at his life and the way it progresses, we can see that some of those things that he had vowed not to do had been done. Little by little, he inched his way to the edge of a cliff. Then, one day. I’m sure in his mind it happened all at once. But as we read the story, we can see one step here and one step there. So, let’s look at the latter part of the process. Samson had hooked up with a prostitute named Delilah. Who had taken a special interest in him as well? She had been promised a large sum of money if she could deliver him over to the Philistines so that they could take him captive. I’m sure we all know how the story goes. Delilah asks Samson what the secret of his great strength is, and Samson decides to have a little fun with it. Telling her that if he is bound this way or that way, he will be defenseless. Only to overtake the Philistines every time they tried to take him captive. But as the story moves forward, we see Samson inching closer and closer to the edge. The third time that Delilah approaches Samson is to find out the secret Samson gets really close to what he feels like it the truth. Telling her it’s about the hair. So she does what he tells her to do one more time only to find that he is trying with her. But I want us to take a quick look at where Samson’s strength really comes from. It’s something that can be missed, and to be honest, it seems like it gets missed most of the time. In those times when Samson needed extreme strength, what we read is that the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he was able to do these amazing things. So as he inched closer and closer to telling Delilah that it was his fabulous hair and she inched closer and closer to a fat wallet. He doesn’t even realize that he is inching further and further away from GOD. Until the day he wakes up with no more fabulous hair and finds himself with no strength to overtake the Philistines. The phrase that caught my ear in this story is in verse 20, “But he didn’t even know the LORD had departed from him.” Now we all know the end of the story his hair started to grow back and stand in the place of the Philistines he prayed for GOD to restore his strength and takes out thousands of Philistines and himself with one single moment in time. Offering up his life as a sacrifice for victory over the enemy. Does that sound familiar?
Application:
I have been thinking back over my walk with GOD over the last almost 15 years. Sometimes, it’s like watching it on a TV screen in my mind. It never ceases to amaze me how the characters in the bible come to life inside of us if we are paying attention to the stories. Although most of us want to relate to the heroes and their amazing moments if we don’t pay attention to their failures as well, we are destined to repeat them. I’m just going to tell you it’s something that has happened to me, and honestly, it doesn’t have to happen to you. But it can if we don’t heed the warnings given to us in GOD’S word. Realizing that none of this is about us is the key, I believe. It’s easy to let our pride get in the way and think way are doing something when all the while we are inching further and further away from the one who acutely is…GOD. until one day we wake up and say to ourselves… wait, how did I get here? Not paying attention to the fact that every day we have taken one more little step closer to the edge of disaster. I remember the day I woke up to realize I had stepped away from what GOD had called me to do. It hurt, and honestly, it was the awakening that I needed. The thing is, it doesn’t happen all at once. The enemy is very subtle. If he comes at you all at once, you will know that it’s him and surely head the other way. But he gets you to make one compromise here and one compromise there until you wake up and look for something you slowly walked away from. Not even thinking about what you were doing. What I am saying is this… you don’t have to fall… you can catch it right now… the little compromises can stop, and you can get back on track. Just ask GOD to search your heart… HE will point out to you where you have gotten off the beaten path. If we look at the book of Psalms and how King David wrote. His prayers to GOD were often about the condition of his heart. In Psalms chapter 139, verses 23 and 24, you hear King David asking GOD to search him and test him. David wanted to stand before the LORD, knowing that he may have fallen, but he gave his best efforts. Asking to be tested means you have to be on your game. So don’t ask unless you are ready. For me, I want to walk as close to the LORD as I can. I don’t ever want to wake up to find out I have been slowly walking off the cliff of life. I want to stay connected to the source of my strength. Allowing the word of GOD to determine my steps.
Prayer:
Father, I just want to thank you. The way you teach us is so amazing. You have given us a road map to life… a way to determine whether we are close to you or far away. Which is a choice that we make. Help us to stay so close to you that nothing can get between us. We know that you are the source of our strength. We do not want our pride to get in the way. This life is not about us. We want to seek your face. To know your voice and hear you clearly. Open our ears so that we can clearly now the path write your word on our hearts and lead us to the cross where the ground is level. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.