Sherwood Community Friends Church

SAMSON: THE ANTI-HERO

On the Rampage:
• “… suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. ” (Judges 14:5-6)
• “Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he returned to his father’s home.”(v. 19)
• “So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.” (15:4-5)
• “Since you’ve acted like this, I swear that I won’t stop until I get my revenge on you.” He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. ” (15:7-8)

Mr. Romance:
• Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. (16:4)
• So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” (vv. 6-7)
• Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied.” He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” (vv. 10-11)
• Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.”(vv. 15-16)
• So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” (v. 17)

Agonizing over God’s Rebuke:
• “Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.” (16:20)
• “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor. 10:11-12)
• “Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.” (16:22)

Repenting at just the right time:
• “Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more. . .” (16:28)
• “Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.” (v. 30)

Take-away’s from Samson’s story…

1. Acknowledge your fatal flaws |“I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.”(Ps. 38:18)

2. Admit you need help |“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” (Ps. 34:17)

3. Avoid temptation |“…Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” (Gen. 4:7)

4. Ask for help
• From God.“O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me once more...” (Jud. 16:28)
• From Others.

5. Incorporate God’s truth into your life | “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”(Ps. 119:11)
6.It’s never too late!