The Church of Divine Guidance (CDG) Sunday morning adult bible study group is doing a study of Spiritual Warfare using Samson and his flaws and what not to do in this war. These posts are my notes for each session. Please study with us. You can participate by asking your questions or making comments below. We welcome your thoughts, questions, comments, and prayers.
Have you ever wondered why it's so hard just to follow God sometimes? Why do we have problems in our marriages? Why is it so tough to raise a family? Why do we struggle with our finances when we make good salaries and don't waste money? Shouldn’t it be easy?
Well it’s not easy. And there is a reason for it, my friend. I've got some news for you! Whether or not you have realized it, you are in a fight--a fight for your very life!
You and I have an enemy. His name is Satan, the devil; his mission is to Steal, Kill, and Destroy.
John 10:10 (HCSB) A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
He's hunting you down!
1 Peter 5:8 (HCSB)8 Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.
Yes, you are in a fight.
Have you made preparation for the battle?
Are you ready?’
Paul tells us that we have equipment to protect ourselves in the armor of God and we have a weapon as well, which is the Word of God.
Ephesians 6:10-18 (BBE)10 Lastly, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his power.11 Take up God's instruments of war, so that you may be able to keep your position against all the deceits of the Evil One.12 For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities and powers, against the world-rulers of this dark night, against the spirits of evil in the heavens.13 For this reason take up all the arms of God, so that you may be able to be strong in the evil day, and, having done all, to keep your place.14 Take your place, then, having your body clothed with the true word, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness;15 Be ready with the good news of peace as shoes on your feet;16 And most of all, using faith as a cover to keep off all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.17 And take salvation for your head-dress and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:18 With prayers and deep desires, making requests at all times in the Spirit, and keeping watch, with strong purpose, in prayer for all the saints,
If you don’t use the equipment the way it is designed you can become vulnerable. When you are in a fight you want to eliminate any mistakes that allow the enemy to get the upper hand. This study will identify some of those mistakes and how we can avoid them. We are going to use Samson as our example of someone who made a lot of mistakes. We can identify them in our lives and avoid them.
We talked about Samson in our study on the Holy Spirit. Remember Samson was born to some folk who had not been able to have children. His parents were told that he was to be special.
Judges 13:1-5 (HCSB)1 The Israelites again did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD handed them over to the Philistines 40 years.2 There was a certain man from Zorah, from the family of Dan, whose name was Manoah; his wife was unable to conceive and had no children.3 The Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are unable to conceive and have no children, but you will conceive and give birth to a son.4 Now please be careful not to drink wine or beer, or to eat anything unclean;5 for indeed, you will conceive and give birth to a son. You must never cut his hair, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from birth, and he will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines.”
Samson's birth was miraculous because his mother had been unable to give birth. When she was told by an angel that she would give birth, Samson’s mother was also told that he would lead the nation of Israel as a Judge. In those days, before Israel had kings, God raised up Judges, (deliverers) to rescue the Israelites from their attackers. Samson was to be one of those Judges. The angel also told his mother, and I’m certain although the scriptures don’t say it specifically, that his mother and father told him that there were some things that he was not to do. He was not to drink strong drink, eat unclean things, as defined by the law of Moses, any dead body of any kind, or to cut his hair all because he was set apart for God.
Samson was to be a Nazarite from birth.
In the Hebrew Bible, a nazirite or nazarite, (in Hebrew: נזיר, nazir), refers to one who voluntarily took a vow described in Numbers 6:1–21. "Nazarite" comes from the Hebrew word nazir meaning "consecrated" or "separated".
Numbers 6:1-12 (NLT)1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.2 “If any of the people, either men or women, take the special vow of a Nazirite, setting themselves apart to the LORD in a special way,
3 they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks, they must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins.4 As long as they are bound by their Nazirite vow, they are not allowed to eat or drink anything that comes from a grapevine—not even the grape seeds or skins.5 “They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the LORD. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long.6 And they must not go near a dead body during the entire period of their vow to the LORD.7 Even if the dead person is their own father, mother, brother, or sister, they must not defile themselves, for the hair on their head is the symbol of their separation to God.8 This requirement applies as long as they are set apart to the LORD.9 “If someone falls dead beside them, the hair they have dedicated will be defiled. They must wait for seven days and then shave their heads. Then they will be cleansed from their defilement.10 On the eighth day they must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.11 The priest will offer one of the birds for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way, he will purify them from the guilt they incurred through contact with the dead body. Then they must reaffirm their commitment and let their hair begin to grow again.12 The days of their vow that were completed before their defilement no longer count. They must rededicate themselves to the LORD as a Nazirite for the full term of their vow, and each must bring a one-year-old male lamb for a guilt offering.
This vow required the person to:
- Abstain from wine, wine vinegar, grapes, raisins, intoxicating liquors, vinegar distilled from such substances, and eating or drinking any substance that contains any trace of grapes.
- Refrain from cutting the hair on one's head; but to allow the locks of the head's hair to grow.
- Not to become ritually impure by contact with corpses or graves, even those of family members.
In general there are three types of nazirites:
- A nazirite for a set time
- A permanent nazirite
- A nazirite like Samson
Each one of these has slightly different laws. For example, a permanent nazirite is allowed to cut his hair once a year if the hair is bothersome. Although Samson was to never cut his hair. A Samson-like nazirite is a permanent nazirite.
Samson's birth was miraculous and he was sanctified, or set apart to God he was born for a specific task. We were born again miraculously and we are being sanctified too
John 3:3-6 (BBE)3 Jesus said to him, Truly, I say to you, Without a new birth no man is able to see the kingdom of God.4 Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for a man to be given birth when he is old? Is he able to go into his mother's body a second time and come to birth again?5 Jesus said in answer, Truly, I say to you, If a man's birth is not from water and from the Spirit, it is not possible for him to go into the kingdom of God.6 That which has birth from the flesh is flesh, and that which has birth from the Spirit is spirit.
As people born of the Spirit we must realize that the battle is being waged against us in the spiritual realm, even though we often feel as though we are being attacked physically or emotionally.
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
We’ll learn from Samson’s mistakes in dealing with his physical enemy, the Philistines, so we can avoid making those same mistakes with our spiritual enemy, Satan.
Chasing the Wrong Things
Samson was the strongest man who ever lived. But even with so much going for him-chosen by God, blessed with supernatural strength-Samson just couldn't escape his flaws. His weaknesses kept getting the best of him.
Judges 14:1-2 (HCSB)1 Samson went down to Timnah and saw a young Philistine woman there.2 He went back and told his father and his mother: “I have seen a young Philistine woman in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.”
Samson had a problem with lust. He went to Timnah on purpose. The Philistines were enemies of Israel and the angel told his mother that he was to “save Israel for the power of the Philistines” Then among the enemy he wanted the wrong thing. The law of Moses which the Israelites were to obey forbid intermarriage with those who didn’t worship Jehovah. He told his parents that he wanted this Philistine woman.
Deuteronomy 7:1-6 (HCSB)1 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, and He drives out many nations before you—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and powerful than you—2 and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you and you defeat them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,4 because they will turn your sons away from Me to worship other gods. Then the LORD’s anger will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.5 Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn up their carved images.6 For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.
What about you? Men have you ever stopped, while channel surfing or on the Internet stopped or slowed down when you “happened to see” some hot woman?
What about you women and a “hot” man with no shirts, big muscles and abs?
What happened to Samson was that he was in the wrong place ( in a Philistine town), and then his eyes started to wander and his heart followed (he wanted to marry a non-Israelite woman). He wasn’t thinking about what his parents told him, or the law of Moses, he didn’t care what was right or wrong he just saw something that he liked and wanted it.
Sounds familiar doesn’t it?
You may not have a problem with sexual lusts but you may lust after other things like a promotion on your job, a raise, or prestige. Maybe it’s something material like a big house, a new car, that new entertainment center, that new furniture. Any and all of these things can start to consume your mind and eventually overwhelm your soul. You think about them all the time trying to figure out how to get them.
Ephesians 5:3 (HCSB)3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints.
Get in the habit looking the other way from temptations. It doesn’t make sense to go looking for trouble. Practice common sense and good judgment.
James 4:7 (HCSB)7 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Remember you’re in a fight. This is spiritual warfare. Shore up your defenses.
Follow the Rules or the Roadmap that God has Given us in His Word
Samson was to follow three basic rules:
1. Don't drink alcohol.
2. Don't touch anything dead.
3. Don't cut your hair.
But for Samson it appears that "Rules are made to be broken."
Judges 14:5-6 (BBE)5 Then Samson went down to Timnah (and his father and his mother,) and came to the vine-gardens of Timnah; and a young lion came rushing out at him.6 And the spirit of the Lord came on him with power, and, unarmed as he was, pulling the lion in two as one might do to a young goat, he put him to death; (but he said nothing to his father and mother of what he had done.)
Pretty cool right? Samson kills a lion with his bare hands.
When he come back by though he breaks one of the basic rules the one not touching anything dead.
Judges 14:7-9 (BBE)7 So he went down and had talk with the woman; and she was pleasing to Samson.8 Then after a time he went back to take her; and turning from the road to see the dead body of the lion, he saw a mass of bees in the body of the lion, and honey there.9 And he took the honey in his hand, and went on, tasting it on the way; and when he came to his father and mother he gave some to them; but did not say that he had taken the honey from the body of the lion.
Not only did he touch it he dug his hands into it.
Now let’s not judge Samson too harshly, let’s be honest. Have you ever decided to go your own way even knowing that God has blessed you? I talked about lust earlier it can make you feel entitled, “I work hard, so I deserve a little fun.” “I’m not getting my needs met at home.” “Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.” If you let these thoughts fester in your mind you’ll break the rules about fidelity and marriage, about not coveting, about not lying, or about putting anything before God.
James 4:1-3 (BBE)1 What is the cause of wars and fighting among you? is it not in your desires which are at war in your bodies?2 You are burning with desire, and have not your desire, so you put men to death; you are full of envy, and you are not able to get your desire, so you are fighting and making war; you have not your desire, because you do not make request for it.3 You make your request but you do not get it, because your request has been wrongly made, desiring the thing only so that you may make use of it for your pleasure.
Follow the rules. Remember you’re in a fight. This is spiritual warfare. Shore up your defenses.
Next week we will look at some more flaws of Samson that we need to identify so that if we see them in ourselves we can work of them and the avoid the potential mistakes we may make because of them.
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