The Book of Judges #22

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:06.280 We asked this in Christ glorious name. Amen. Well, my task was 2 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:10.960 to finish the Samson story, and uh, that's not wasn't going to be 3 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:15.519 really easy. But it means I'm reading a long text. I noticed morning 4 00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:18.839 it seemed I went a little long, but I found out we also started 5 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:23.079 quite late and there were some other features. So that way I can go 6 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:28.039 even longer tonight. At least that's how my logic works. I'm not sure 7 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:30.879 about all of you, but now we come to God's word, and so 8 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:35.320 here I remind you, is God's word. Sampson went to Gaza, and 9 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:39.159 there he saw a prostitute and he went into her. The guy's lights were 10 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:42.920 told Samson has come here, and they surrounded the place and set an ambush 11 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:46.119 for him all night. At the gate of the city. They kept quiet 12 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:48.880 all night, saying let's wait till the light of morning, then we'll kill 13 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:52.759 him. But Samson late till midnight, and at midnight he rose and took 14 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:55.719 hold of the doors at the gate of the city and the two posts, 15 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:59.159 and he pulled them up bar and all put them on his shoulders and carry 16 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:02.960 them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron. After 17 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:04.480 this, he loved a woman in the valley of Stork, whose name was 18 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:08.079 Delilah, And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to 19 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:11.400 her, seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by 20 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:15.680 what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him, 21 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:21.079 and we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver. So Delilah 22 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:23.239 said that the Samson, please tell me where your great strength lies and how 23 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:27.599 you might be bound. The one could subdue you. Sampson said to her, 24 00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:32.159 if they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, 25 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:34.640 then I shall become weak and be like other men. Then the lords of 26 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:38.560 the Philistines brought up tour seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and 27 00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:42.040 she bound him with them. She had men lined in ambush and in inner 28 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:45.799 chamber, and she said, the Philistines are upon you, Sampson. But 29 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:49.120 he snapped the bowstrings as a thread of flax snap when it touches the fire. 30 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:55.159 So the secret of his strength was not known. Then Delilah said to 31 00:01:55.239 --> 00:02:00.319 Samson, behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell 32 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:02.359 me how you might be bound and he said to her, if they bind 33 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:06.200 me with new ropes that have not been used, I'll become weak and be 34 00:02:06.280 --> 00:02:09.039 like other men. So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, 35 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:13.280 and said to him, the Philistines are upon you. Samson and the man 36 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:15.960 line in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off 37 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:21.039 his arms like a thread. Then Delilah said to Samson, and tell now. 38 00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:24.000 You have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might 39 00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:28.240 be bound. And he said to her, if you weave the seven locks 40 00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:31.240 of my head with the web and fastened it tight with a pin, then 41 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:36.120 I shall become weak and be like other men. So while he slept, 42 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:38.919 Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web, 43 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:42.000 and she made them tight with the pin, and said, the Philistines are 44 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:45.439 upon you, Samson. But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the 45 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:49.000 pin the loom in the web. She said to him, how can you 46 00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:52.719 say I love you when your heart is not with me. You mocked me 47 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:54.439 these three times, and you have not told me where your strength lies. 48 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:59.280 And when she pressed him hard with her words, day after day and urged 49 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:02.120 him. It's so was vexed to death. And he told her all his 50 00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:05.840 heart and said to her, a razor has never come on my head, 51 00:03:06.439 --> 00:03:08.719 for I had been a nasa right to God from my mother's womb. If 52 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:13.120 my head is shaved and my strength will leave me, and I shall become 53 00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:16.039 weak and be like any other man. When Delilah saw that he had told 54 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:20.680 him told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the 55 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:23.280 Philistines, saying, come up again, for he has told me all his 56 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:25.879 heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up and brought the money in 57 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:29.919 her hands. She made him sleep on her knees, and she called a 58 00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:32.439 man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head, and she 59 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:36.719 began to torment him, and his strength left him, and she said, 60 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:39.280 the Philistines are upon you, Samson. And he awoke from his sleep and 61 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:43.800 said, I will go out at other times and shake myself free. But 62 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:46.520 he did not know the Lord had left him, and the Philistine seized him 63 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:50.919 and gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza and bound him 64 00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:53.479 with bronze shackles, and he ground at the mill in the prison. But 65 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:58.840 the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. 66 00:03:59.479 --> 00:04:02.199 Now the words of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to day go 67 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:05.639 on their God and to rejoice. And they said, our God has given 68 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:10.319 Samson, our enemy, into our hand. And when the people saw him, 69 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:12.879 they praised their God. For they said, our God has given our 70 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:15.560 enemy into the hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many 71 00:04:15.600 --> 00:04:18.800 of us. And when their hearts were mary, they said, call Samson, 72 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:23.160 that he may entertain us. So they called Samson out of the prison, 73 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:26.959 and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars, and 74 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:30.600 Sampson said to the young man who held him by the hand, let me 75 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:33.600 feel the pillars on which the house rest, that I may lean against them. 76 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:36.519 Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of 77 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:40.360 the Philistines were there, and on the roof for about three thousand men and 78 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:45.439 women, who looked on while Samson entertained. And Sampson called to the Lord 79 00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:48.040 and said, Oh Lord God, please remember me, and please strengthen me 80 00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:51.720 only this once, oh God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines, 81 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:57.160 for my two eyes. And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which 82 00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:00.680 the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand 83 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:03.959 on one on one and his left hand on the other. And Sampson led, 84 00:05:04.040 --> 00:05:08.959 let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed with all his strength, 85 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:11.839 and the house fell upon the lords and all the people who were in 86 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:15.079 it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those 87 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:18.160 whom he had killed during his lifetime. Then his brothers and all his family 88 00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:21.839 came down and took him and brought him up and buried in between Zora and 89 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:28.160 Eshtell in the tomb of Minoi's father. He had judged Israel twenty years. 90 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:33.199 Thus we end the reading of God's word. You may be seated. So 91 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:36.319 last week we looked at the fifteen chapter of Judges. We looked at some 92 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:42.399 of the exploits of Samson among the Philistines, including his tie together three hundred 93 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:46.839 foxes or jackals in pairs with the tors between them, the slaughter of the 94 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:51.079 Philistines using the jaw bone of a donkey, and ending with God's up Sampson's 95 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:56.279 prayer to God asking for water because of his thirst, and that water came 96 00:05:56.399 --> 00:06:00.279 somewhere, perhaps it's unclear, but perhaps from the jaw boning self. Well, 97 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.800 Normally, like I said, I would take at least two messages to 98 00:06:02.839 --> 00:06:06.279 finish the sixteenth chapter, as it's rather long and there's much to be said. 99 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:12.439 But I have decided to abridge it somewhat so that I can give it 100 00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:15.279 all in one message, since this is my last evening message with you. 101 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:18.639 But I hope um. This is just my prayer that this will be a 102 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:23.560 message that will stay with you for a while. But we'll begin with Versus 103 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:28.519 one to three. And in this short story of Samson that we find in 104 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:33.560 chapter thirteen through sixteen, we've seen the same patterns repeating himself again and again. 105 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:38.680 It starts here as it started in chapter sixteen, or excuse me, 106 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:43.399 as it started in chapter fourteen with Sampson not being able to control his passions, 107 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:46.240 and so it will go on in this chapter as well. In verse 108 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:49.600 one, for some reason we don't know. We can't even understand why in 109 00:06:49.639 --> 00:06:53.800 the world of Sampson want to go to Gaza. I thought it's the Philistine 110 00:06:53.879 --> 00:06:56.519 territory. There's no reason for him to go there that we can tell. 111 00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:00.240 And it's one of the strongest, if not the strongest fortified, said the 112 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:05.800 Philistines. And again you might remember also that Sampson had gone down to Ashkelon 113 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:11.800 in chapter fourteen to kill thirty Philistines. But like I said, Gaza was 114 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:15.000 probably the most fortified. So does Sampson think he's going to receive like a 115 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:18.439 hero's welcome there? There's some great reason like that that he should go. 116 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:24.079 We don't know. But he's doing what he shouldn't do, which is like 117 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:29.800 Israel. And Michael Wilcox notice notices when Sampson is not saving Israel, he 118 00:07:29.959 --> 00:07:32.560 is being Israel. And that's what he is doing here. And so, 119 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:38.600 like Israel likes the peaceful coexistence with the Philistine, that appears like Sampson is 120 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:42.240 also doing even though he is seeking it in a way he should not be 121 00:07:42.279 --> 00:07:47.040 seeking it. And in chapter fourteen, even though his passions were directed against 122 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:51.600 a non covenant women, woman that his parents tried to seek him uh to 123 00:07:51.879 --> 00:07:57.759 dissuade him from attempting that marriage. Here at least uh there, I should 124 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:01.959 say, at least he desired to take this woman's hand in marriage. Here 125 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:05.879 he's looking for a one night stand with no intention of marriage. And so 126 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:11.519 in first two somehow, some way, the people of Gaza are told that 127 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:15.639 Sampson has come down to them. We don't know how, but they decide 128 00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:18.800 they're going to ambush them, but we're not exactly clear how they're going to 129 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:22.199 do it. The E. S v. Said, they surrounded the place, 130 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:26.800 but we don't really know what the place is that they are surrounding at 131 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:31.519 that time. But they set some kind of ambush for him at the gate 132 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:35.240 of the city. And for whatever reason, they decided it would be better 133 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:39.240 for them to wait until morning to do their ambush. Perhaps they think that 134 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:46.279 Sampson would be groggy from the night before, or because his passion is exhausted, 135 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:50.000 that he would be weaker. For whatever reason, they decide to wait. 136 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:54.559 The problem is that Sampson appears to be an early riser, in fact, 137 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:58.559 a very early riser, as he gets up about midnight and goes to 138 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:01.679 the door of the city, takes the doors of the gates, and takes 139 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:05.879 the doors and the poles on the post of the doors, pulls them up, 140 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:09.759 as the E. S V Said, bars and all, lifts them 141 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:15.639 on his shoulders and carries them to the top of a hill. Now the 142 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:18.960 text is a little unclear here. Uh. Some texts make it read like 143 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:24.759 he actually took it to the many miles away to Hebron and actually put it 144 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:28.200 on top of a hill there. But other texts, like our e s 145 00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:31.600 V. If you're using that tonight, uh, seemed to indicate it wasn't 146 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.200 necessarily a hill in Hebron, but a hell that would face Hebron Um. 147 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:39.679 So I don't know. I know that I couldn't even walk the hill, 148 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:43.600 much less do it with gates of the city on my back or the door. 149 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:46.120 So I couldn't do it. But it seems as if Sampson is kind 150 00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:50.480 of invulnerable to the Philistines, that he can come and go as he pleases, 151 00:09:50.519 --> 00:09:52.840 and he can do what he likes. But then we begin to look 152 00:09:52.840 --> 00:09:58.759 at verse four and once again in the history of Samson, his passion is 153 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.200 and to get him into trouble. The different in this account from the others 154 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:07.519 that we've had is now we are actually given the name of the woman. 155 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:13.240 Her name is Delilah, and we don't really know what her name means. 156 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:18.000 There's various theories. Some think it comes from a Semitic root that means hanging 157 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:24.240 refers to hanging curls which Delilah may have had. Others think it comes from 158 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:28.120 a different root, which means amorous or flirtatious, which also seems to go 159 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:33.000 along with the story here. Uh. Some think it comes from the Hebrew 160 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:37.639 word for night, which is a word found twice in uh this chapter, 161 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:41.960 and actually midnight also twice in verse three. Others think it comes from the 162 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:48.759 Hebrew word for weaken or impoverished, which also applies in this story. But 163 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:52.279 we're not sure which one of these is the origin of her name. But 164 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:56.159 she lives in the valley of sore Tech, which is actually the home region 165 00:10:56.279 --> 00:11:00.919 of Samson. The text never tells us, however, is she a Philistine 166 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:03.639 or not? We don't know. Again, that's something we'd probably like to 167 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:09.679 know, but we're never told uh concerning that we we most of the writers 168 00:11:09.720 --> 00:11:13.000 that I consulted assumed that she is, but I don't think that we can 169 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:18.639 prove that in any way. And although we have seen sam since liaisons, 170 00:11:18.759 --> 00:11:22.919 as I mentioned already in different times, here, this is the first time 171 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:28.960 it says he actually loves a woman, but the text doesn't tell us again 172 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:33.279 he is. Does he marry her? We don't know. Did he marry 173 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:39.320 Delilah or was she just a lover to him? Since um, I think 174 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:43.759 most of us are familiar with this story. Curious. I'm not gonna ask 175 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:46.320 you to raise your hands or anything, but I wonder how many of us 176 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:50.000 assume, whenever we think of the story of Samson Delilah, that they were 177 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:52.639 married, and how many of us assumed that they weren't married. I'm one 178 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:56.720 of those that assumed they weren't married for whatever reason. I don't know why. 179 00:11:56.759 --> 00:12:00.799 I assume that we're really not told why this. We just have to 180 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:05.120 kind of go on our guesswork there in verse five, the fix, as 181 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:13.480 they say, is in Delilah is offered fifty five hundred pieces of silver because 182 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:16.679 there are five lords of the Philistines, and they each offered to give her 183 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:20.960 eleven hundred, which in my math I went to public school, but in 184 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:26.639 my math that comes to and so they're gonna pay her that much of silver. 185 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:31.279 And again I said earlier, I just want to stress again, I 186 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:37.919 don't think Sampson looked very muscular. Again, I think that that if he 187 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:41.840 did, nobody would be questioning where his strength lies. They know where his 188 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:45.200 strength lies. They'd see all his muscles but I don't think he had that 189 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:48.519 many, and that's why people could not understand why he seemed to have the 190 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:54.679 great strength that he did have at that time. And so again we have, 191 00:12:54.879 --> 00:12:56.639 as I noted last week with you, in the story, there's foreshadowing 192 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:01.559 that happens again. And again the things that pop up earlier in Judges, 193 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:05.720 things that pop up earlier in the story of Samson, are foreshadowing what happens 194 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:09.240 here. We see a lot of this happening actually in the Book of Judges. 195 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:13.720 So uh, in chapter fourteen, remember his bride uh that he had 196 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:16.360 for the wedding, sought to get the secret of his riddle that he had 197 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:20.159 told the Philistine young man, and she tried to get that out of him, 198 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:22.639 and she worked on him. And so we have the same thing here 199 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:26.000 with the Lilah trying to get the secret of his strength. They're both trying 200 00:13:26.039 --> 00:13:30.360 to figure out a riddle, and they're both bothering him. Uh. The 201 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:35.799 difference in the two accounts says that in chapter fourteen, the Philistines threatened to 202 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:39.720 kill the bride and father if she didn't find out, and here, instead 203 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:46.879 of punishment, they use reward and say they'll give pieces of silver, which, 204 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:50.679 by the way, is a lot more money than Judas got for betraying 205 00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:54.919 Jesus. Dr McGee says, you may be sure that the Lilah was more 206 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:58.720 interested in the silver than she was in Samson, and that's probably true. 207 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:03.279 We don't read of any resistance like it seems like we might have thought in 208 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:07.519 chapter fourteen. Doesn't seem like there's any resistance on Delilah's part to do this, 209 00:14:09.080 --> 00:14:13.320 and the text doesn't even give us her answer to the Philistine lords, 210 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:18.320 but simply moves on in the verse six where she's doing what they asked her 211 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:22.320 to do. So we assume she assented, and verse seven give us Sampson's 212 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:28.879 first deception, or to put it more bluntly, lie that if he was 213 00:14:28.919 --> 00:14:31.600 to be tied with seven fresh bowstrings, he would be like other men. 214 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:37.159 So in verse eight that's what de Lila does, the Philistines bringing those seven 215 00:14:37.159 --> 00:14:43.320 bowstrings, and Samson sleeps. She binds them with the bowstrings, and because 216 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:48.360 they were fresh bowstrings, the assumption is they will tighten as they dry. 217 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:52.039 But of course in verse nine we're told something, but we have to be 218 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:58.320 careful. I had misconceptions about this all for many years about what really happened 219 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:01.120 here, because I always wondered you she shows she shouts out, the Philistines 220 00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:03.960 are upon you, and then uh, and then I think, well, 221 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:07.720 the Philistines come out and go heah, and then he's pulls off you know, 222 00:15:07.799 --> 00:15:11.679 the bat bonds, and they all walk away, and then that this 223 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:13.960 goes on several times. But I realized in studying this, I always thought 224 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:18.639 that was really foolish should think Sampson were caught on by some point. Um 225 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.279 and even now you might think he should have caught on, But there's nothing 226 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:24.759 in the text that indicates the Philistines revealed themselves. Since the fact, it 227 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:31.480 seems that they really didn't reveal themselves at that time. And uh So in 228 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.559 verse ten, the lilac Usa Sampson of mocking her and again asked for the 229 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:39.639 method how she can counteract his strength. And this time he goes back to 230 00:15:39.720 --> 00:15:43.840 what he had said earlier. We had this again foreshadow before the New Ropes. 231 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:48.159 Remember when the men of Judah delivered him up to the Philistines, he 232 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:50.120 said, buy me with new ropes, and he said, just don't kill 233 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:54.480 me, and they didn't. But now again we're foreshadowed into this, and 234 00:15:54.519 --> 00:15:58.080 we see the same thing, the new ropes, and again he gets up 235 00:15:58.120 --> 00:16:02.279 and breaks them off like they're nothing. And the Philistines against in their hiding 236 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:07.840 place, so never wanted to give up. Verse thirteen, Delilah again accuses 237 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:12.519 Samson of mocking her, telling her lies, and Sampson apparently having run out 238 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:17.399 of ideas of what to bind his arms with. There's only so many materials, 239 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:19.480 I suppose it you can come up with and in order to do that. 240 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:23.679 Uh, And so now he says that, well, uh, there 241 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:30.559 there's another method. But now again, what's what's happening here is again been 242 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:34.840 foreshadowed earlier in Judges in the story of Jail and Sisera. Remember when she 243 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:38.960 actually drove the tent peg through his tempo and we saw, So this is 244 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:45.960 kind of foreshadowing Dad, but it's also becoming more ominous because Sampson is getting 245 00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:52.120 dangerously close to the truth in this one. The others were really no accord 246 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:56.200 in that sense, but now it appears that he's getting very very close to 247 00:16:56.279 --> 00:17:00.039 what he is saying, and so uh, he's telling her what to do 248 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:07.440 here and again she does put the web in his hair again, and all 249 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:11.480 of this and Uh. Perhaps again, because he said the seven strands of 250 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:15.759 his hair, that might have been a clue if he'd been in messages I'd 251 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:19.200 preached he you know, maybe Delilah had caught on that seven was important. 252 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:23.720 But uh again, Um, that doesn't work. So in verse fifteen and 253 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:29.079 sixteen, again she puts more pressure on Sampson to tell her the secret of 254 00:17:29.079 --> 00:17:33.400 his strength. And even though we are told that Sampson loves Delilah earlier in 255 00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:38.640 the account, we see now that Delilah is really questioning whether or not they 256 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:42.720 love because if two people really love each other, don't they share their secrets? 257 00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:47.440 Don't they share the mysteries together? If they really really love And she's 258 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:49.279 saying to him, if you really love me, how can you keep something 259 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:56.799 from me? Doesn't make any sense? And so one version translates verse sixteen 260 00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:02.160 with such nagging she prodded him day after to day until he was tired to 261 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:07.039 death. That refers to what she did as nagging in that version. So 262 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:11.039 in verse seventeen, Sampson finally gives in and tells Delilah everything, and for 263 00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:18.680 some reason, somehow, Delilah realizes that Sampson has finally told her the truth, 264 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:22.680 and so she arranges for the Philistines to come, and she makes sure 265 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:26.200 she gets her money up front, and she does. And then in verse 266 00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:32.519 nineteen she puts Sampson asleep on her lap, and she calls for a barber 267 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:37.480 to cut off the locks of his hair. And so in verse twenty she 268 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:42.480 cries out once more the Philistines are upon him, and this time they really 269 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:48.279 will be. And perhaps in some way she'd also bound him as well as 270 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:53.480 what she did with his hair, and so uh she uh. He thought 271 00:18:53.559 --> 00:18:57.319 when he awoke, for some reason that he would do be as other times 272 00:18:57.480 --> 00:19:00.480 he must have. Seems like he must have and bound something that he thought 273 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:04.799 he could just break the bonds of whatever has he always had. Sort appears 274 00:19:04.839 --> 00:19:08.799 that that would have also happened, but he didn't realize that his strength had 275 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:15.680 left him. I mentioned early on in my judgestory or in the Sampson story, 276 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:18.640 that there is a theme of ignorance. You see it in the beginning 277 00:19:18.680 --> 00:19:22.200 when Samson doesn't you know that the man and wife don't realize they're ignorant of 278 00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:26.000 who's coming to tell them about the birth of a child. And later Sampson 279 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:30.440 is doesn't tell them he doesn't tell him about killing the line, per say 280 00:19:30.599 --> 00:19:33.319 how it happened. He doesn't tell them about the honey and where you got 281 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:36.119 the honey found, And they're ignorant about everything. They don't know who for 282 00:19:36.200 --> 00:19:40.119 the woman is for sure all of these things. There's always his ignorance that 283 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:44.240 goes through this. But here it's going to be Sampson himself who's going to 284 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:48.119 show ignorance, as he does not realize his strength has left him, and 285 00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:52.960 since it hasn't seemed to bother him at all when he's broken his vowel up 286 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:56.400 to this point, he thinks, why should it be any different this time. 287 00:19:56.440 --> 00:20:00.039 I already broke my vow in several times, so why would this matter? 288 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:06.519 But that does come a time when judgment must come and come to the 289 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:11.799 House of God, and indeed come it does so in verse twenty one, 290 00:20:11.799 --> 00:20:15.400 the Philistine sees him, and they gouge out his eyes to make sure, 291 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:18.240 no matter what, he won't be able to cause them any more trouble, 292 00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:23.960 or so they think. They bind him with bronze shackles, a different method 293 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:29.880 of binding but appears that they think would make him more secure, and they 294 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:33.079 bring him down to the prison to be a grinder in the mill there, 295 00:20:33.799 --> 00:20:38.279 and again Sampson is going down to Gaza one more time, but this time 296 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:45.319 in a much worse condition. As he goes and John Milton's poem Simon agonists, 297 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:51.799 he writes of Sam's should be Samson. Agnesti's mad typing was wrong there, 298 00:20:51.799 --> 00:20:56.359 but he writes of Samson and what he puts it in this poetic form 299 00:20:56.599 --> 00:21:03.119 promise was that I should deliver Israel from Philistine yoke. Deliver ask for this 300 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:07.799 great deliverer now and find him. And here's the line that is memorable. 301 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:15.759 Elis in Gaza at the mill with slaves. Ilis in Gaza at the mill 302 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:19.440 with slaves. Someone is said, and has been repeated many times from this 303 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:26.920 story that Samson endured a binding, a blinding, and a grinding. And 304 00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:29.839 I don't know who first came up with that, but it's clever and it's 305 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:33.720 true. And that's what sin does to us. It binds us, it 306 00:21:33.880 --> 00:21:41.519 blinds us, and it causes us to be grinders as well. So before 307 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:45.359 I move on to the last section in the application tonight, there is something 308 00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:48.519 I'd like to know. I know you can't tell me, and I can't 309 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:53.119 tell you, but It's something I wonder about this story. Is whatever happens 310 00:21:53.559 --> 00:21:57.960 to the Lilah? Does she end up like her namesake in the song? 311 00:21:59.079 --> 00:22:03.359 And why? Why? Why? Delilah? I don't know. Does she 312 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:08.200 live out her life in peace with the pieces of silver? Does her conscience 313 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:12.640 ever smite her for what she has done? Does she ever feel terrible about 314 00:22:12.759 --> 00:22:17.279 doing what she did? Or is she like many other evil people who just 315 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:22.880 keep doing evil and it never seemed to bother them at all? And so, 316 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:26.319 unfortunately, I can't tell you the answer because as far as I know, 317 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:30.759 there's nothing in the scripture that tells us. Well, let's look at 318 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:37.200 the end of the story before we moved to application versus one. There are 319 00:22:37.240 --> 00:22:41.200 several scriptures in the Bible. Well, I love a lot of scriptures in 320 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:42.200 the Bible. I love them all, Okay, just so you're clear, 321 00:22:42.279 --> 00:22:47.480 But if you can love some more than others, Uh, there are some 322 00:22:47.640 --> 00:22:51.039 that I really love. I I call them um. I don't know why 323 00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:55.599 I came up with his name. I call them goose pimple scriptures because when 324 00:22:55.640 --> 00:22:59.400 you read them, they kind of give you goose pimples about something that's going 325 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:02.920 to happen. And uh, there's several of those. One of my favorites 326 00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:07.559 which has nothing to do with Samson. But in Mark eleven eleven, we 327 00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:12.400 read this about Jesus. He entered Jerusalem and went into the temple, and 328 00:23:12.440 --> 00:23:17.839 when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he 329 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:21.440 went out to Bethany with the twelve don't you love that scripture? He goes 330 00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:26.160 into temple, he looks around and walks out, But you know what's going 331 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:29.279 to happen the next day right in the temple. And so it's just one 332 00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:32.000 of those scriptures you go, oh, something's gonna happen here, and so 333 00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:33.759 it kind of gives you goose pimples when when you read it. But my 334 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:40.240 probably my favorite scripture like that is verse twenty two. Here, but the 335 00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:45.680 hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. It's 336 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:51.480 a wonderful scripture. The hair of his head began to grow again after it's 337 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:53.559 been shaved. I'm going to refer to that a few times. I think 338 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:57.799 that phrase can give you goose pimples. In verse twenty three, there's a 339 00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:03.039 great gathering the Philistines and their lords because they want to celebrate what they believe 340 00:24:03.079 --> 00:24:07.799 their god, Dagon has accomplished. Dagon is not a true god, is 341 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:11.200 a false god. Um. There's a beautiful, humorous story later in the 342 00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:15.839 historical books about Dagon and the Ark of the Covenant, which you may be 343 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:19.759 familiar with. But they state in his terms, our God has given Samson, 344 00:24:21.160 --> 00:24:25.039 our enemy, into our hand, which is basically repeated in verse twenty 345 00:24:25.079 --> 00:24:30.079 four. But they're going to realize very shortly the reverse of this is true. 346 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:36.319 Michael Wilcox says they attributed it to the wrong god, and then as 347 00:24:36.359 --> 00:24:41.559 without warning the house collapsed about their ears, they must have realized with blinding 348 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:45.920 clarity that the other God had turned the whole thing inside out, and that 349 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:51.640 it would be Israel that would cry out our God has given our enemy into 350 00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:57.599 our hand. And so apparently they have been drinking. Appears that is a 351 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:02.599 drinking or drunkenfest to vote for. In verse twenty five we read their heart 352 00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:07.000 for maid marry and they call for Sampson to entertain them, which he apparently 353 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:11.960 did does in some fashion. And again, in an instance of foreshadowing, 354 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:18.799 we are told that Sampson stands between the two pillars of the temple, and 355 00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:22.880 so in verse twenty six, Sampson asked the young man who is accompanying him 356 00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:27.240 to let him feel the pillars on each side with his left and his right 357 00:25:27.319 --> 00:25:33.599 hand. In verse seven we found find out not only are the lords of 358 00:25:33.640 --> 00:25:37.119 the Philistines there, but also about three thousand more people that are made up 359 00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:42.799 of both men and women, in particular mention of children there. And so 360 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:48.480 in verse twenty eight, for the second time in the Samson story that we 361 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:52.599 know of Samson praise we mentioned. The first time was at the end of 362 00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:56.240 the last chapter, where he was very, very thirsty and prayed God to 363 00:25:56.240 --> 00:26:03.279 give him water, and God answered that prayer. Now some would again criticize 364 00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:07.519 Sampson here, saying what he's doing is out of vengeance, because he says, 365 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:11.279 you know that that I want to be avenged for my loss of my 366 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:15.279 two eyes. But I do think that this prayer is a good prayer, 367 00:26:15.319 --> 00:26:19.240 and I mentioned and tell you why in a little bit. But having prayed, 368 00:26:19.240 --> 00:26:22.920 in verse twenty nine, he grasps the two middle pillars which the house 369 00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:29.240 stood upon, and leans his weight upon them. And it's interesting that throughout 370 00:26:29.319 --> 00:26:33.359 this account it has been Samson's eyes that have gotten him into trouble, So 371 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:41.000 it's somewhat ironic that his greatest feat happens when he is blind and takes place 372 00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:47.119 there. And so the last prayer in verse thirty is that he may die 373 00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:52.079 with the Philistines. And whatever you want to say about his prayer, I 374 00:26:52.119 --> 00:26:57.119 can tell you something for sure. Whatever you think, God answered his prayer. 375 00:26:59.079 --> 00:27:02.599 And that tells me a couple of things. The Psalmas said, if 376 00:27:02.599 --> 00:27:07.400 I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. So 377 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:11.119 this tells me I don't think this is an ungodly prayer at all. That 378 00:27:11.240 --> 00:27:14.160 Sampson is praying to prayer according to the will of God, which of course 379 00:27:14.680 --> 00:27:19.279 is verified by what happens afterwards. And I also think that he prays it 380 00:27:19.319 --> 00:27:25.000 in faith, because without faith it is impossible to please God. And so 381 00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:29.839 I do believe this is a good prayer. And the greatest moment of Samson's 382 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:36.400 life is Samson's death, so that he kills more in his death that he 383 00:27:36.440 --> 00:27:41.119 did in his life. And even if you want to characterize his death as 384 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:45.279 a suicide, which perhaps it is, it's different than any other suicide in 385 00:27:45.319 --> 00:27:51.920 the Bible, as this one is a suicide of heroism, as he seeks 386 00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:56.319 to kill the enemy, and as he does indeed do so. The chapter 387 00:27:56.519 --> 00:28:02.559 ends with Samson's family coming to get his body and to bury it in the 388 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:06.680 family tomb. We're told that he judged Israel. The last thing we're told 389 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:10.240 as he judged Israel for twenty years. And the ironic thing is, we 390 00:28:10.279 --> 00:28:14.839 really don't even know if Israel realized that he had been judging them for those 391 00:28:14.839 --> 00:28:19.160 twenty years. But I want to move on tonight to Application because I have 392 00:28:21.559 --> 00:28:22.599 I don't want to scare it's not that much, but I do have quite 393 00:28:22.599 --> 00:28:26.480 a bit to say about Application. I think, as we read this account 394 00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:32.920 is very possible. We become puzzled by Samson's behavior. Why does he go 395 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:37.880 to Gaza, Why does he go in to a prostitute? Why does he 396 00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:42.920 love Delilah? Why does he trust her enough to prove to tell him the 397 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:48.359 secretive, tell her the secret of his strength when obviously she's been deceiving him 398 00:28:48.359 --> 00:28:52.440 several times. And we wonder about that, and we think about all the 399 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:55.720 things he didn't We think, why did he do that? And we read 400 00:28:55.759 --> 00:29:00.240 the story and we kind of scratch our head until the answer. So the 401 00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:03.920 riddle becomes plain, and we start thinking about ourselves, and we think, 402 00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:07.960 why did I go to that place, why did I say that to that 403 00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:12.000 person, Why did I do that thing that I shouldn't have done, and 404 00:29:12.119 --> 00:29:17.200 why couldn't I have figured out what was going on back then? And then 405 00:29:17.240 --> 00:29:22.039 all of a sudden, Sampson's character becomes much more easier for us to understand 406 00:29:22.119 --> 00:29:26.720 Sampson in a sense as every man, every man, and every woman, 407 00:29:27.480 --> 00:29:33.599 he represents all of us. At times, at his best, he's delivering 408 00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:37.799 Israel in marvelous ways. We have our best moments, but at the other 409 00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:42.480 times we see him at his worse, as we do with Delilah. But 410 00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:47.440 when we judge Sampson, like the old saying, when you're pointing to one 411 00:29:47.519 --> 00:29:51.480 finger, you have three pointing back at you. When we judge Sampson, 412 00:29:51.559 --> 00:29:56.119 we find we're also judging ourselves. I've told you before on Sunday nights, 413 00:29:56.240 --> 00:30:03.359 whenever God takes an Old Testament character that we think it's flawed and brings up 414 00:30:03.400 --> 00:30:07.519 that Old Testament character in the New Testament, he always does it in a 415 00:30:07.559 --> 00:30:11.599 positive way. And I used a lot you might remember as an example. 416 00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:18.680 But now I want you to notice this about Sampson. With everything we've seen 417 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:25.000 about Samson, breaking vows, always satisfying personal revenge, getting into trouble with 418 00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:30.480 his physical lust, and trapped by the women he trust, what does God 419 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:33.319 say about him? In the New Testament? Does God condemn him? Does 420 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:38.400 God write words that like I have told you tonight about him? Now? 421 00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:42.119 Actually, in Hebrews two, the Faith chapter, the writer goes on to 422 00:30:42.200 --> 00:30:48.039 say in eleven two, what more shall I say? For time would fail 423 00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:52.480 me to tell you of Gideon Barrick, Samson, Jeff, the David, 424 00:30:52.599 --> 00:30:57.799 Samuel, and the Prophets. And there is another clear reference to Samson two 425 00:30:57.880 --> 00:31:03.240 verses later, where it say as others were made strong out of weakness, 426 00:31:04.119 --> 00:31:10.759 and who else could that be but Samson? So he represents us in our 427 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:18.759 failings, but he also allows us to see the grace of God. I've 428 00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:22.680 spoken to you in these messages about Samson being a type of Christ. Of 429 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:26.200 course, he isn't a perfect type of Christ. He isn't even really a 430 00:31:26.279 --> 00:31:33.960 very good type of Christ. But he is a type of Christ. Sampson 431 00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:37.799 possessed the gates of his enemies. As we read in the account tonight, 432 00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:44.440 Jesus possessed the gate of his enemy, so that he said that he would 433 00:31:44.440 --> 00:31:51.279 build his church and the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. Samson 434 00:31:51.319 --> 00:31:56.640 and Jesus were both betrayed by a person who appeared to them as a friend, 435 00:31:56.359 --> 00:32:01.559 Samson by Delilah, and Jesus, of course, by Judas. Both 436 00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:07.000 of them were portrayed, were betrayed ultimately into the hands of the Gentiles, 437 00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:13.720 Samson to the Philistines, Jesus into the hands of the Romans. Both of 438 00:32:13.759 --> 00:32:19.359 them were tortured and mocked by those who they were betrayed into, and as 439 00:32:19.400 --> 00:32:22.480 Tim Keller points out, both were asked to perform in front of the crowds, 440 00:32:22.519 --> 00:32:28.559 although Jesus refused to do what they asked. And the greatest type of 441 00:32:28.599 --> 00:32:31.839 all, of course, is in their death. Both of them, in 442 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:38.880 their deaths become saviors of their people, and both of them were saviors by 443 00:32:38.920 --> 00:32:45.880 themselves. We have many saviors and judges, but not saviors by themselves, 444 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:49.400 per say, all of them had other armies and people that would joined them. 445 00:32:49.400 --> 00:32:52.839 They might have done individual acts, but they were joined together. But 446 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:58.400 Sampson always acted alone. As I mentioned last week, what would it have 447 00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:02.400 been if someone had come alongside him? But Samson always acted alone. Edward 448 00:33:02.400 --> 00:33:07.720 Clowney writes, Edmund clown excuse me. God has shown that he could deliver 449 00:33:07.880 --> 00:33:12.720 Israel with an army of willing volunteers. He's shown that he could save with 450 00:33:12.839 --> 00:33:16.000 a few as three hundred. But when the spirit of God came upon Samson, 451 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:21.599 the Lord showed that he had no need for even three. He could 452 00:33:21.640 --> 00:33:24.599 deliver by one. And so in that way, perhaps more than any other, 453 00:33:25.240 --> 00:33:31.119 Sampanson typifies our Lord Jesus Christ, who saved us, and no one 454 00:33:31.799 --> 00:33:38.160 can share in that salvation. And perhaps the best it's probably the statement of 455 00:33:38.279 --> 00:33:44.359 verse thirty. I will quote from the literal standard version. And the dead 456 00:33:44.480 --> 00:33:47.680 whom he has put to death in his death are more than those whom he 457 00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:52.200 put to death in his life. I know some of you are familiar with 458 00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:54.680 the great John Owen worked the death of death in the death of Christ, 459 00:33:54.799 --> 00:34:00.400 and how Christ destroyed death. But Samson is a type of our Lord doing 460 00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:07.720 that, and what he does here, the devil is saying I won Sampson's 461 00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:13.079 bound. He's become a grinder at the mill I have one. But God 462 00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:19.880 is saying it's not over yet. But there is a big difference between Samson 463 00:34:20.480 --> 00:34:24.559 and our lord as well. When Samson died, he was buried, it 464 00:34:24.679 --> 00:34:30.440 was all over. There was nothing more he could do. But when Jesus 465 00:34:30.440 --> 00:34:32.880 died and was buried, there was more to do. He has to live, 466 00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:37.159 he has to be resurrected, he has to ever live to intercede for 467 00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:43.880 his saints. But there are indeed types. But as we come to the 468 00:34:43.960 --> 00:34:46.159 end of the story of Samson, let me posit something to you this evening. 469 00:34:47.800 --> 00:34:54.840 Why did the Philistines allow Samson's hair to grow back? Why didn't they 470 00:34:54.920 --> 00:34:59.559 hire a barber to come into his cell every morning and shave his head? 471 00:35:00.360 --> 00:35:05.920 Why wouldn't Why wouldn't they do that? I want you to notice that up 472 00:35:05.960 --> 00:35:12.199 to this time in a story, Samson has broken every part of the Nazarete 473 00:35:12.280 --> 00:35:16.880 vowel. He's been in the vineyard wasn't supposed to be. He's touched the 474 00:35:16.920 --> 00:35:22.360 dead carcass of a lion and a donkey, and he's had his hair cut. 475 00:35:23.000 --> 00:35:29.440 So how long did his hair have to grow back? An inch two 476 00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:35.760 inches a foot? And really was with Samson's strength even a result of his 477 00:35:35.880 --> 00:35:42.280 hair? Is that really the case? I went to the barber once since 478 00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:45.920 I've been in Tucson, but I don't feel any more anointed today than I 479 00:35:46.360 --> 00:35:50.480 day that I got my hair cut. So I don't think that works for 480 00:35:50.559 --> 00:35:53.159 me at all, and probably none of you. But I would suggest, 481 00:35:53.440 --> 00:35:57.119 and this is my thought alone. I haven't read this anywhere. It's just 482 00:35:57.280 --> 00:36:00.199 something that I think, and so you don't have to buy into this. 483 00:36:00.599 --> 00:36:05.400 I don't think his strength had anything to do with his hair. Please hear 484 00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:09.800 me out before you start booing me. I don't believe, and it could 485 00:36:09.800 --> 00:36:14.360 be wrong, but I don't believe that every day that Samson's hair grew, 486 00:36:15.079 --> 00:36:19.079 he got a little bit stronger. I don't think that's what was happening. 487 00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:23.199 And I don't think the Philistines thought that either. I think they thought that 488 00:36:23.239 --> 00:36:30.159 he had broken his vow and was now ended for his usefulness. But what 489 00:36:30.280 --> 00:36:37.239 I believe is this. I believe that Samson's hair growing back was a sign 490 00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:40.000 to him. Now. I know he's blind, can't see his hair, 491 00:36:40.119 --> 00:36:44.679 I understand that, but he can feel it, and you can know what's 492 00:36:44.719 --> 00:36:50.239 happening there, and you can know it was coming back. Now. I 493 00:36:50.320 --> 00:36:54.039 hope through these messages that I've done with you these last four months, that 494 00:36:54.079 --> 00:36:59.440 you've been able to pick up one theme. There's been others, but there's 495 00:36:59.480 --> 00:37:04.519 one particular tried to emphasize in various sermons that I preached here, and I've 496 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:08.639 already referred to it already in the message tonight. But I want to try 497 00:37:08.760 --> 00:37:15.320 to have one final big pull together of this theme. And in case you've 498 00:37:15.400 --> 00:37:21.159 missed the theme, let me read it to you one more time. But 499 00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:27.679 the hair of his head began to grow again. Some of you are saying, 500 00:37:27.719 --> 00:37:29.519 well, Pastor, that doesn't help us at all. We don't know 501 00:37:29.519 --> 00:37:35.000 what you're talking about, so let me try to make it clearer. Samson 502 00:37:35.039 --> 00:37:39.480 goes into the vineyards and violates his separation, but the hair of his head 503 00:37:39.679 --> 00:37:45.719 began to grow again. He scooped honey out of the carcass of a dead 504 00:37:45.960 --> 00:37:50.159 lion and violated his vow, which said he should not touch a dead carcass, 505 00:37:51.360 --> 00:37:54.519 but the hair of his head began to grow again. He took the 506 00:37:54.599 --> 00:38:00.639 jawbone out of the freshly killed donkey and use it to kill the Philistines, 507 00:38:00.679 --> 00:38:06.280 again violating his vow a separation, but the hair of his head began to 508 00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:12.159 grow again. He violated the law by going into prostitutes and non covenant women, 509 00:38:13.159 --> 00:38:16.880 but the hair of his head began to grow again. Now some of 510 00:38:16.920 --> 00:38:21.119 you may still be confused, so let me try to make it a little 511 00:38:21.119 --> 00:38:28.159 clearer. And this, to me is a blessed thing. Many years before 512 00:38:28.199 --> 00:38:34.079 our story, an angel of the Lord, perhaps even the Lord himself, 513 00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:42.119 appeared to Samson's mother, and the angel told his mother many interesting things. 514 00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:47.039 But there is one thing that the angel said that you might have forgotten. 515 00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:53.920 So please hear this clearly, because I think it is most important to understand 516 00:38:53.960 --> 00:39:00.800 what Samson would teach us tonight in Judge seven. And the Angel said to 517 00:39:00.880 --> 00:39:07.000 me, behold, you're pregnant and burying a son. And now do not 518 00:39:07.159 --> 00:39:13.840 drink wine and strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing. For 519 00:39:13.960 --> 00:39:20.679 the youth is a Nazarite to God from the womb until the day of his 520 00:39:20.760 --> 00:39:25.360 death. I want you to hear that clearly. He is a Nazarite to 521 00:39:25.519 --> 00:39:36.199 God from the womb until the day of his death, a Nazrite not until 522 00:39:36.199 --> 00:39:39.360 he breaks the vowel, not until he first breaks that, our secondly breaks 523 00:39:39.360 --> 00:39:45.159 it, our thirdly breaks it. He is a Nazareth until the day of 524 00:39:45.239 --> 00:39:50.679 his death. Because Satan comes to all of us and tries to tell us 525 00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:54.679 it's all over. You've failed too many times, you've seen too much, 526 00:39:55.320 --> 00:40:00.079 You've been completely whipped. There's no hope for you anymore. There's no Oh, 527 00:40:00.159 --> 00:40:01.920 grace, you have exhausted the grace of God. You are done. 528 00:40:02.159 --> 00:40:06.480 I know it is one of his devices. Were not ignorant of his devices. 529 00:40:07.639 --> 00:40:12.360 Yes, we've heard that. We've also heard the word. The hair 530 00:40:12.639 --> 00:40:19.119 of his head began to grow again. The Lord is sat Sampson. You're 531 00:40:19.119 --> 00:40:24.880 still mine, and you're separated onto me until the day of your death. 532 00:40:27.320 --> 00:40:31.079 On the last page of William Manchester's first of three volumes that he wrote on 533 00:40:31.119 --> 00:40:36.679 the life of Winston Churchill, which he entitled those volumes The Last Lion, 534 00:40:37.800 --> 00:40:40.000 he writes a very interesting story that I think I've shared with a couple of 535 00:40:40.039 --> 00:40:45.960 you that comes from the year two, which is where the first volume ends. 536 00:40:45.960 --> 00:40:51.719 In Churchill's life. Stalin and Russia was receiving a British delegation led by 537 00:40:51.800 --> 00:41:00.360 Lady Astor. He inquired about particular politicians in England. Chamberlain, he asked, 538 00:41:00.360 --> 00:41:05.519 her, said, is the coming man? Stalin asked what about Churchill? 539 00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:10.880 Her eyes widened. Churchill, she said she gave a scornful little laugh 540 00:41:10.920 --> 00:41:19.599 and said, oh, he's finished. But you say, but Churchill was, 541 00:41:19.639 --> 00:41:24.559 as the biography said, was a lion. I'm a dog. Yeah. 542 00:41:24.599 --> 00:41:30.280 But Ecclesiastics nine four says a living dog is better than a dead lion. 543 00:41:31.639 --> 00:41:37.079 Samson praised one more time, one more time, Lord, one more 544 00:41:37.079 --> 00:41:43.760 time. General Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. It was a 545 00:41:43.760 --> 00:41:45.760 great believer in the move of God and evangelism, reaching out to the Lord. 546 00:41:45.840 --> 00:41:50.599 The Salvation Army, I think was much different in the beginnings. If 547 00:41:50.599 --> 00:41:52.920 you've heard the stories. We might not have agreed with him on everything, 548 00:41:53.519 --> 00:42:00.679 but he did want to reach the lost. One day, many years after 549 00:42:00.719 --> 00:42:04.679 his death, a poor man came into the museum that was dedicated to General 550 00:42:04.719 --> 00:42:09.239 Booth the Salvation Army. He comes to the bronze figure of General Booth that 551 00:42:09.239 --> 00:42:14.320 stood in the entry of the museum, and he turned to the attendant and 552 00:42:14.360 --> 00:42:17.960 said, can a man pray here? And the attendant said, well, 553 00:42:17.960 --> 00:42:23.840 certainly you can pray. The poor man dealt down in front of the statue 554 00:42:23.840 --> 00:42:28.840 of General Booth, and he thought of everything that had happened in the beginning 555 00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:32.039 of the Salvation Army and kneeling with his hands raised in the air and tears 556 00:42:32.079 --> 00:42:37.159 streaming down his cheeks. He cried out, Oh God, do it again, 557 00:42:38.920 --> 00:42:44.000 and can't you just see samps and tears running down his face, hands 558 00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:49.000 on the pillars, crying, Oh God, do it again one more time, 559 00:42:49.760 --> 00:42:52.320 like a spirit used to move me when I judged between Dan and Zora. 560 00:42:52.960 --> 00:42:59.599 Oh God, just one more time. It's not over. God says 561 00:43:00.119 --> 00:43:04.840 that it's over. If there was hope for a man like Samson, there's 562 00:43:04.880 --> 00:43:07.079 hope for us. And that's what I want you to see tonight. And 563 00:43:07.159 --> 00:43:10.480 that's the theme I've tried to continue to tell you in the messages I preached 564 00:43:10.480 --> 00:43:15.880 here. Please don't give up. Don't think it's over. God's grace is 565 00:43:15.920 --> 00:43:20.840 sufficient, and God can change things, and God can do great things in 566 00:43:20.920 --> 00:43:24.239 your life when the enemy tells you it's too late for that. So believe 567 00:43:24.360 --> 00:43:30.280 in Christ, trust in his grace, and don't doubt that He can use 568 00:43:30.320 --> 00:43:34.559 you even though the enemy wants to lie to you. But look at Samson 569 00:43:35.519 --> 00:43:40.360 and understand God's grace is greater than any sin that we have committed. Let's 570 00:43:40.400 --> 00:43:45.079 pray. Lord, we thank you for your word. I mean thank you 571 00:43:45.159 --> 00:43:50.840 for Samson and what he teaches us about your graves and God, we are 572 00:43:50.920 --> 00:43:55.239 people that can be easily tempted to discouragement, even about our own lives and 573 00:43:55.280 --> 00:44:00.760 even about the time we have left what we have done to this point, 574 00:44:00.719 --> 00:44:05.119 and we look at ourselves and think, well, I guess it's too late 575 00:44:05.159 --> 00:44:08.119 for any of that. But Lord, I pray for these people that are 576 00:44:08.159 --> 00:44:14.599 here tonight that hear this message, that in their hearts they would know that 577 00:44:14.719 --> 00:44:19.760 you are a God of all grace, You forgive the sins and the iniquities 578 00:44:20.400 --> 00:44:27.960 of your people. And who knows what you might do with these people the 579 00:44:28.000 --> 00:44:30.159 Lord, as I just have one more week with them, I pray indeed 580 00:44:30.840 --> 00:44:35.480 that you would do great things in this church, and you would use the 581 00:44:35.519 --> 00:44:39.519 people here in this church to accomplish great things for you. And I pray 582 00:44:39.599 --> 00:44:45.719 God that if any tonight are are burdened under the load of sin. Maybe 583 00:44:45.760 --> 00:44:50.159 some have never trusted in Christ, maybe some have never come to the cross, 584 00:44:50.199 --> 00:44:52.320 But Lord, I pray tonight that if they haven't, they do so 585 00:44:52.480 --> 00:44:59.039 tonight. And maybe others have come. But times of discouragement and sin have 586 00:44:59.559 --> 00:45:02.199 hurt the and and jaded them. But I pray God that they could see 587 00:45:02.199 --> 00:45:07.639 again through the life of Samson, that there is grace for them, and 588 00:45:07.679 --> 00:45:12.599 that there's room for them in the Kingdom of God, and that God can 589 00:45:12.639 --> 00:45:15.719 continue to use them. We thank you for your glorious grace. God, 590 00:45:16.599 --> 00:45:21.199 it's all we have, it's what we need. And we thank you Lord, 591 00:45:22.119 --> 00:45:28.559 that were sin abounded, grace did much more abound. And we thank 592 00:45:28.559 --> 00:45:31.079 you for this in Christ's name. Amen. Amen,