06/03/2020 GETTING THROUGH IT
(Lessons from Samson)
Judges 16:28 Then Samson prayed to THE LORD and said “O LORD JEHOVAH, remember me again—please strengthen me one more time….
Judges 13:1-5 Once again Israel sinned by worshipping other gods, so THE LORD let them be conquered by the Philistines, who kept them in subjection for forty years. Then one day The Angel of THE LORD appeared to the wife of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, who lived in the city of Zorah. She had no children, but the Angel said to her, “Even though you have been barren so long, you will soon conceive and have a son! Don’t drink any wine or beer, and don’t eat any food that isn’t kosher. Your son’s hair must never be cut, for he shall be a Nazirite, a special servant of GOD from the time of his birth; and he will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”
SAMSON
GOD IS ABOUT TO MOVE –
I am Samson. My name means “man of the sun.” I know that usually people start from the beginning, but I believe this is where I should start. Right now, I think I am at the end of my last trial, in fact I am in the sunset of my life. I have been imprisoned by the Philistines for a while. They have gouged out my eyes. I have bronze shackles on my legs. I have been treated like an animal---a beast. Like an ox, I grind grain in a Philistine prison. Now that I am weak, the Philistines laugh at me. They make fun of me and mock me because I look so helpless.
Today is a special holiday for the Philistines. They are celebrating one of their gods, Dagon. They worship this god of grain and fish because they think this god is a source of life. And, they are confident that their god beat my GOD and delivered me into their hands. They are drunk and full of themselves today. They have demanded that I be brought to the center of their Dagon temple so they can make fun of me and deride me. Judges 16:23-24 I can hear their drunken laughter. A boy is sent to guide me from the prison to the temple. I asked him to stand me between two pillars in the center of the building. I tell him I want to rest on the pillars. Judges 16:26 In the center, I can hear the noise and laughter of the people in the temple balcony. I can tell the temple is packed---a full house. There must be about three thousand people around me---all making fun of me—my people (the Israelites, who the Philistines rule) and my GOD.
My lips are moving. Those around me don’t know I am praying to my GOD---THE ONE TRUE GOD, JEHOVAH. I am asking GOD to remember me and give me strength. Judges 16.28 I am asking to become Israel’s judge, Israel’s warrior and GOD’s servant, one more time. I grab the pillars on each side and pull. As I stand, I can feel the SPIRIT of JEHOVAH, my GOD! GOD is about to act!
MY BEGINNINGS
I was born to be a judge, a warrior for my people. I was appointed by GOD to defend my people, from birth. My mother raised me as a Nazirite, which means that “I am dedicated to GOD.” The law for a Nazarite was given to Moses by GOD. When a man or a woman makes the vow of a Nazirite, separating themselves unto the LORD, then:
- He or she shall drink no wine or strong drink;
- He or she shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink;
- He or she shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried;
- He or she shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins;
- No razor shall come upon his/her head;
- He or she may not go near any dead body; and
- All the days of his or her life he/she shall be holy to THE LORD.
If he or she is defiled by having someone fall dead beside him, then he/she shall shave his head, he/she will then be cleansed from the contamination of being in the presence of death, on the eighth day there must be an animal dedication (the kind of animal is specified under the law) and he/she must begin all over again with a new vow, let his/her hair begin to grow again. The law provides for other fulfillments if a person defiles themselves. See, Numbers 6:1-21.
My parents listened to THE LORD and raised me as a Nazirite.