“Intro to Judges”<\/a>). \u00a0It started with no cry for help by the Israelites and it ended with no rest for the land. \u00a0There was no major salvation either. \u00a0And the people were OK with being controlled by the Philistines. \u00a0Gideon was the last judge where we are told that there was peace in Israel for so many years. \u00a0He\u00a0had said, “A sword for Gideon and the Lord.” \u00a0The Judges between him and Samson all seemed to be about their own tribe or city. \u00a0Samson seems to be only about himself. \u00a0Mostly his fights were about revenge. \u00a0Today\u00a0we have Samson asking for revenge for himself one last time. \u00a0He may have “judged” or led Israel but the picture we see is one of leading only for himself. \u00a0At the end of yesterdays reading Samson is a prisoner of the Philistines doing the work of a dumb ox, grinding their grain. \u00a0We were also told tht his hair began to grow back (We will come back to this later). \u00a0Evidently they would bring him out and make fun of him from time to time. \u00a0Todays story is one of those times. \u00a0They were having a major celebration honoring their god, Dagon. \u00a0What better way to make fun of their biggest problem, now solved. \u00a0They had beaten Samson with Dagon’s help. \u00a0They had Samson stand in the middle of the house, near the posts supporting the roof . \u00a0Can you feel the suspense? \u00a0He is leaning against the posts, between two of them. \u00a0the house is full. \u00a0Of the leaders of the Philistines. \u00a03000 people are on the roof. \u00a0All looking at Samson, mocking him. \u00a0More suspense! \u00a0What will he do? \u00a0Wait, what is he doing? \u00a0He praying. \u00a0Oh for revenge again. \u00a0For his eyes. \u00a0For strength. \u00a0He pushes and the house collapses killing all, including Samson.<\/p>\nThe first part of Samson’s \u00a0story seems to have moved pretty fast all within a year. \u00a0Chapter 15 ends by telling us that Samson ruled Israel 20 years. \u00a0Todays reading ends with the same note. \u00a0Sometimes writers in the Bible will repeat a phrase or fact like this as a way of making highlighting what is in between. \u00a0It like putting parentheses around something. \u00a0Scholars call this form an “inclusio”. \u00a0It’s like an envelope with a message inside. \u00a0In this case the envelope is Samson’s reign and what’s inside the envelope kind of tells us what his reign was about. \u00a0As we saw yesterday Samson was about himself and his pleasures. \u00a0The stories of the prostitute in Gaza and Delilah are inside this envelope as well as todays reading. \u00a0All these parts seem to have taken place during the time when he was “ruling”, so within the 20 years. \u00a0I cannot imagine that Samson was wore than 18-20 years old when the story begins. \u00a0His passions all seem to revolve around girls and those kinds of feeling start pretty young. \u00a0At the end of today’s reading Samson is gone. \u00a0Back to the land between Zorah and Eshtaol placed in the tomb next to his father. \u00a0He was probably pretty young, 40 or so.<\/p>\n
Samson’s life was a tragedy but was it a total loss. \u00a0He was definitely driven by his passion and revenge and they led to his death at a probably young age. \u00a0But there is some light in this story. \u00a0He was self centered no doubt and that led to many problems in his life. \u00a0But God was still able to use him to move His plan ahead. \u00a0 \u00a0Samson wasn’t the only person living for his own pleasure. \u00a0The Israelites were content too. \u00a0Their life was Ok. \u00a0It wasn’t too bad living with the Philistines in control. \u00a0Just a few compromises. \u00a0But they were getting along. \u00a0Like the old saying, “Let sleeping dogs lie.” \u00a0But God is not content to let us lie in our lost separated condition. \u00a0He want’s us to get up and drive the enemy out. \u00a0And like Samson the enemy is inside of us, our desires, our wants. \u00a0God stirred Samson and used Samson to stir the Israelites. \u00a0It doesn’t look like the Israelites responded very well. \u00a0No Israelites rallying to war, no\u00a0battle scenes, but the enemy was vanquished, the lords of the Philistines were dead. \u00a0God got a piece of His plan done. \u00a0But what about Samson? \u00a0Is that how it works? \u00a0Does God uses us and throw us away? \u00a0Now to be sure Samson disobeyed God. \u00a0He was a sinner and sin has consequences. \u00a0Death, separation from God, those are the consequences for sin. \u00a0Samson didn’t deserve anything more. \u00a0But it’s not just about justice. \u00a0God is merciful to.<\/p>\n
Centuries after this story we see the Israelite people living in a foreign land, paying the price for their rebellion. \u00a0God sent a messenger to them, Zechariah. \u00a0Zechariah encouraged them to turn back to God. \u00a0They had a chance, it wasn’t too late, God’s plan was going to get done and they could be a part of it (Zechariah 1:1-6). \u00a0“Return to me and I will return to you”, God said. \u00a0God is merciful. \u00a0But what about Samson. \u00a0Remember that little fact at the end of yesterday reading, “His hair began to grow again after it ws shaved off.” \u00a0Remember that letting your hair grow was one of three things you had to do when you dedicated yourself to serving God, when you made the promise of a Nazirite (Numbers 6:1-21). \u00a0It is interesting that Samson was a Nazirite “from his mothers womb” (Judges 13:5; 16:17). \u00a0His parents had dedicated him to God but clearly he had not followed through on that. \u00a0In the whole story Samson only talks to God twice. \u00a0Once to complain about being thirsty (Judges 15:18-19. Notice he doesn’t ask for a drink just complains) and once here in Judges 16:28. \u00a0He asks God to strengthen him so he may be avenged. Although some experts see a selfish end to a selfish life. \u00a0I wonder. \u00a0Before when he talked about revenge of vengence (Judges 15:7) he was reacting. \u00a0He doesn’t pray he just hits back. \u00a0In todays part of the story time is passing. \u00a0And he stops and asks for God to help him. \u00a0I think it’s important that he asks, that he stops. \u00a0I think that the author tells us that his hair began to grow back, not because the hair was the key to Samson’s strength but because it was a sign of the vow. \u00a0Before Samson was dedicated by his parents, now he was dedicating himself. \u00a0I think Samson was returning to God and God returned to him. \u00a0One last piece of the Samson riddle.<\/p>\n
In the book of Hebrews the author is encouraging believers to stick close to God and to each other (Hebrews 10:19-25). \u00a0He then warns them not to ignore what they know about God (Hebrews 10:26-31). \u00a0 Then the author encourages them again to stick together like they did when they first heard about God’s plan, when they first “saw the light” (Hebrews 10:32-39). \u00a0then the author of Hebrews spends a whole chapter talking about faith (Hebrews 11). \u00a0Faith is believing in what you cannot see. \u00a0In this case believing that God’s plan to save people will work out. \u00a0The author then tells them that in the olden days certain men had faith (trusted Him), it pleased God, and God spoke up for them (commended them, gave them approval) (Hebrews 11:1-2, 6). \u00a0Now here is the final piece of Samson’s life. \u00a0Hebrews 11:32 lists Samson as one of those men of faith and Hebrews 11:35 says that they lived by faith in hope of being a part of God’s forever kingdom. \u00a0Finally Hebrews 11:39 tells us specifically that they were approved. \u00a0Samson’s life was clearly one with very little faith. \u00a0But there must have been some. \u00a0In the end I think Samson received his sight back. \u00a0Not the physical ability to see but the spiritual ability. \u00a0He returned to God and asked for help. \u00a0It looks like the help he got was more that he really asked for. \u00a0God helped him into His kingdom forever. \u00a0Lord thank you that you are so giving. \u00a0Even the experts see Samson as a pathetic sorry selfish little man until the end. \u00a0But you saw a little seed of faith. \u00a0Faith as small as a mustard seed and Samson moved a mountain (Matthew 17:20). \u00a0You are amazing. \u00a0Your forgiveness is amazing. \u00a0Open our eyes Lord. \u00a0Help many see. \u00a0Help early in life and live it for you. \u00a0Let me be a servant of your tribe, your people. \u00a0Help us all stick together. \u00a0Let me be the light to the world that you want me to be. \u00a0Let us all be. \u00a0And thank you for eternity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Judges 16:23-31. \u00a0So we come to the end for Samson. \u00a0Or is it? The cycle is falling apart (See “Intro to Judges”). \u00a0It started with no cry for help by the Israelites and it ended with no rest for the land. \u00a0There was no major salvation either. \u00a0And the people were OK with being controlled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/deltaforcedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/deltaforcedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/deltaforcedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/deltaforcedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/deltaforcedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=323"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/deltaforcedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":337,"href":"http:\/\/deltaforcedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323\/revisions\/337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/deltaforcedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/deltaforcedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/deltaforcedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}