Let's pray first before we begin.
Father God, we want to see the way you work so amazingly, so out of our expectation.
And we want to know you in a deeper way through the reading of your word and understanding of your word this morning.
May you have mercy on us and change us through your Holy Spirit.
We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Samson, while this is a well-known story, do you know that it is not actually read in the Jewish synagogue at all?
They don't want to read this story because they consider such an immoral story that it's not a good thing to read publicly.
And so that if our hope is in a religion, then the story of Samson is not a good story to read or to tell the children about.
But by God's grace, we know that none of us get to know God or become pleasing to God in the things that we do.
And that's exactly why the story of Samson is in the Bible.
And we also read in the book of Hebrews that Samson was one of those Old Testament people who received commendation from God and who is also now part of the great cloud of witnesses who are cheering us on to finish the race.
So should we see Samson as a villain or hero?
I think neither.
The answer would be neither.
I think Samson is just an ordinary man, a fallen man whose life was made extraordinary by God's grace.
He is more like a servant of faith than a hero of faith.
His life was not there to tell us how great he was, but his life was there to reveal the glory of God.
So to help us remember the story, I will divide it into four parts represented by four women.
The promise to a mother, the pursuit of a wife, the pleasure from a prostitute, and the play acting with Delilah.
So part one is the promise to a mother.
So we know that Samson's parents lived at a time when people did what was right in their own eyes.
And that is not something surprising or new.
Even before they went to the promised land, Moses already told them that they were living to doing what was right in their own eyes instead of in God's eyes.
So in Deuteronomy chapter 12, verse 8, Moses said,
A day would be coming when God's people would not be doing whatever is right in their own eyes.
So Moses is promising that there will be such a day, but a day hasn't come yet or has not come during the time of judges.
Because that day would come when God gave them rest from all their enemies.
So in the time of judges, even though they were able to subdue some of their enemies,
but there are still some nations they could not overcome.
And God did leave those nations there to test his people, to show them they could not save themselves by their own strength.
So we were told that Samson's parents were infertile until God appeared and promised them that a son would be born to them.
In the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, there are many people that we know of born from infertile parents,
and that is a recurrent theme.
So Sarah was infertile before she gave birth to Isaac.
Rebecca was infertile before she gave birth to Esau and Jacob.
And Rachel was infertile before she had Joseph and Benjamin.
And Hannah was infertile before Samuel's birth.
So this desperate lay of children, in a way, show us that we need a promised son,
someone that God has promised back in Genesis 3,
that there will be a son born to a woman who would crush the head of the serpent
and deliver his people from the bondage of sin.
And that is the son that we've been waiting for.
Until then, we will not have the ultimate rest from the enemies.
These great difficulties in having children imply our inability to produce a son.
When the promised son eventually came, he did not need any human effort to be conceived.
Mary did not even require a man to conceive Jesus.
We read in Judges 13, 3-5,
The angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her,
Behold, you are barren and have not born children,
but you shall conceive and bear a son.
Therefore, be careful and drink no wine or strong drink,
and eat nothing unclean.
For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son.
No razor shall come upon his head,
for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb,
and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.
So God told Samson's parents that they would be given a son,
and this son was to be set apart to serve God, a Nazirite.
A sign of this being set apart is having his hair uncut,
and a Nazirite also should not be touching anything that is dead,
or having alcohol.
So that is the sign given for Samson,
to be showing people that he set apart for God.
When a similar promise was given to Mary about her giving birth to a son
who would save his people,
there was no condition mentioned about how this son should live.
We know that Jesus did not need any rule applied to him
for him to be different to the world.
Jesus loved God with all his heart,
so he would naturally be different to the world.
But Samson, just like us,
naturally loved the way of the world,
so his long hair and his other conditions is a reminder to him
and others that he was supposed to serve God
and not his own pleasure.
So that's part one.
Part two, the pursuit of a wife.
So Samson grew up,
and God was preparing him to be a judge.
And we read in Judges 13, 24 to 25,
and the young man grew,
and the Lord blessed him,
and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahalidan.
So God was preparing him in that area near the Philistine.
But we read that Samson went to Timna.
So instead of staying there to prepare,
he went to the enemy territory.
And he did not go to Timna to fight the Philistine.
He went there for pleasure.
So he saw a Philistine woman and wanted to marry her.
Despite his parents' strong objection,
he went ahead with the wedding.
Samson told his parents,
Get her for me,
for she is right in my eyes.
Samson thought his happiness was the most important thing to him
and also to his parents.
So he insisted to get what he wanted.
But God has set him apart.
What was important to him was to be holy.
His parents might remember Joshua's warning,
but they could not act on it.
Joshua,
after they went and entered into the promised land,
Joshua gave them a warning.
In Joshua chapter 23, verses 11 to 13,
Joshua said,
Be very careful,
Be very careful, therefore,
to love the Lord your God,
for if you turn back and cling to the remnants of these nations
remaining among you,
and make marriages with them,
so that you associate with them and they with you,
know for certain that the Lord your God
will no longer drive up these nations before you.
But they shall be a snare and a trap for you,
a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes,
until you perish of this good ground
that the Lord your God has given you.
So Joshua's,
the warning in Joshua
was there,
but people just couldn't follow it.
In particular,
it said that there will be the thorns in your eyes
and we would see the effects
of what Samson was doing eventually.
So he went to Timna,
and there is a place that he shouldn't have gone to.
But God sent a lion on the way,
or the second time when he was going there,
perhaps to tell Samson
not to expect a good time in Timna.
He might overcome opposition with his strength,
but he may not be happy
without how the event would unfold.
God's purpose for Samson
to be a saviour would be fulfilled,
whether Samson lived by God's way
or his own way.
Samson killed the lion easily,
and some days later,
he obtained some honey
from the carcass of the lion.
So remember, as a Nazi, right,
he was not supposed to touch anything dead,
but he just didn't care.
Samson just did whatever
that was piercing to him.
Because in his days,
sugar is very hard to get by,
and getting something sweet
is a special treat.
But from the honey,
he came up with a riddle
to tease the Philistines
in the wedding day.
So in Judges 14, 14,
Samson said to them,
out of the eater
came something sweet to eat.
Out of the strong
came something sweet.
And in three days,
they could not solve the riddle.
So the riddle
might just be a joke
for Samson,
but there is an important truth in it.
Samson was saying that
a strong lion,
instead of eating others for food,
became a source of sweet food
for others.
Samson would certainly
not give up his own pursuits
to sweeten the life
of other people.
From the strength of Samson,
there was only death
to his opponents.
But this riddle was a prophecy
about a strong person
who would give his body
to be food for his enemies.
Not only for food,
but sweet food.
Food that restores our soul.
Sometimes we might dream
that God would give us power
so that we could maintain
justice in the world,
God is showing us that
when we have power
like Samson had,
we are more likely
to live like Samson,
using power to gratify
the desires of our hearts.
It is only in Jesus
that we see
how something sweet
came out with his strength.
Because of Samson's strength,
he could kill the lion.
From the dead lion,
he found some honey.
From the honey,
he thought of a riddle.
And through this riddle,
a war broke up
between Samson and the Philistines.
So without knowing it,
or meaning it,
Samson began his role
as a judge
to subdue the Philistines.
So start with,
Samson killed
the Philistine man
and destroyed the crop.
So by the end of part two,
Samson lost his wife.
His fun time in Timnah
turned sour.
He was not interested
in fighting the Philistines
to deliver his people.
He just wanted to revenge.
And he said,
after another fight,
he would quit.
It was no fun anymore.
So in Judges 15,
verses 7 to 8,
we read,
Samson said to them,
if this is what you do,
I swear I will be avenged on you,
and after that I will quit.
And he struck them hip and thigh
with a great blow,
and he went down
and stayed
in the cleft
of the rock of Etem.
However,
the Lord did not let him quit.
The Philistines used
Samson's own people
to struck him down.
So another fight broke out.
This time,
we hear Samson pray to the Lord
as he was dying of thirst
after killing a thousand enemies.
This prayer revealed to us
that Samson had some knowledge of God,
and he stayed on as a judge
for 20 years after that.
So his role as a judge
seemed to have started
with a prayer,
and then we will see
that it will end
with another prayer.
So we go to part three,
the pleasure from a prostitute.
So what was life like
for the Israelites
during Samson's time
as a judge?
We are not told the details,
but in chapter 16,
only the first few verses,
we see that Samson
could just walk
into one of the five capitals
of the Philistines
without any care.
The Philistines
were at least
no match with Samson.
We also see that Samson
remained the same
as far as living
for the pleasure
of his eyes is concerned.
He saw a prostitute
in Gaza,
and he slept with her.
Then Samson left the city
by simply taking down
the city gates
with his hands
and carried them
back to Israel's territory.
However,
the Philistines
were not destroyed
or chased out of the area.
The Philistines
and the Israelites
were in a state
of hostile coexistence.
power seemed to have
made Samson
a lone ranger.
He did not seem
to consult
either his parents
or his peers
for any of his actions.
So last week
from the story
of Jephthah,
Rob was telling us
the futility
and foolishness
to use religion
to get what we want.
So Jephthah,
to ensure his success
in fighting the Amalekites,
he make a stupid vow
as if God
would only help him
if God was impressed
with his sacrifice
or his bargain.
Samson did not need
to make any vow.
He knew that he would
be successful
fighting with any enemy.
So Jephthah
was using religion
to try to bargain
with God.
Samson
think that he was God.
Basically,
he could do anything.
And so he thought
that he was a superman.
He was the army of one.
So when we are gifted
in some ways,
we find it a lot easier
to do things on our own.
However,
the kingdom of God
is more about
relationship
than achievement.
So last week,
Rob was urging us
not to use religion
to try to reach God.
This week,
I think,
I would urge
brothers and sisters
to serve God
with one another.
So we learn from those
who are more mature
and help those
who are struggling a bit.
It's not so much
about what we achieve,
but how we work together
to live for God's glory.
And that is
the way
of God's way
for us
to live
as his people.
So part four,
the play acting
with Delilah.
So sometime later,
Samson was attracted
by Delilah.
Delilah was the only woman
given a name
in the story
of Samson.
But the meaning
of Delilah
is flirtatious.
Flirtatious?
Yeah.
So it is
not likely
to be a real name.
Most likely
it will be
a nickname.
But Samson
paid no attention
to the warning
associated with her name.
Delilah even
told Samson
that he was
attempting to find out
how to subdue him.
We can see
that sometimes
the most gifted people
are the most foolish ones
because Samson
was acting alone.
He thought
he was invincible.
He did not seek advice
from other people
and he fell
into the trap.
So in Judges 16,
chapter 16,
verses 15 to 17,
we read,
and she said to him,
how can you say
I love you
when your heart
is not with me?
You have mocked me
three times
and you have not
told me
where your great
strength lies.
and when she
pressed him hard
with her words
day after day
and urged him,
his soul was waxed
to death
and he told her
all his heart
and said to her,
a razor
has never come
upon my head
for I have been
a Nazirite
to God
from my mother's womb.
If my head
is shaved,
then my strength
will leave me
and I shall become weak
and be like any other man.
So it was fun
toying with Delilah
until one day
Samson gave his heart
to Delilah.
Delilah had fully
replaced God
as Samson's idol.
Samson knew God
was not there
to love Samson.
She was there
to gain some profit
from Samson.
The cutting of
his hair
is a sign
that Samson's heart
was no longer
with God.
The Philistines
eventually
subdue Samson.
They did not
want to kill him.
They gouged out
his eyes.
They wanted to
humiliate him
and display him
as a sign
of their victory.
Sitting in the
dark dungeon,
Samson finally
lost all
that he enjoyed
doing.
At the same time,
he was finally
forced to examine
himself and his life.
Now that he did
not have eyes
to see,
he could see
a lot more
than before.
God was
merciful to him.
Samson began
to mature
and draw
closer to God.
His hair
began to grow
again,
signifying
he was having
a new beginning
with God.
While the
Philistines
wanted to
shame him
and his God,
Samson asked
God to grant
him one last
request that
he could die
with the
Philistines.
He died
killing more
enemies
than what he
did in his
lifetime.
The Philistine
leaders thought
that they had
defeated Samson
and his God.
they did not
realize that
they were
bringing death
into their
own camp
when they
captured Samson.
And Samson
thought that
his life
had ended
when he
became weak
and blind.
He later
realized that
his life
with God
was just
beginning
in his
weakness
and blindness.
We had
a friend
in Tamworth
called Barrow.
She passed
away last year,
a dear friend
of us.
she became
blind from
macular
degeneration
for about
10 years
before her
death.
When we
first went
to Tamworth,
I didn't
have much
to do with
Barrow,
but my
wife,
Lei,
did because
she worked
in the
kitchen.
And Lei
was quite
fearful of
Barrow
before she
turned blind
because Barrow
is a
professionalist
in terms of
when she
sees things
not right,
she would
say it
and so
she could
be quite
critical and
difficult to
work with.
But after
she became
blind,
Barrow
just becomes
such a
nice person
to be with.
You just
sense of
her joy
and her
calmness
and so
it's just a
joy to be
with her.
I think
when she
could see
all those
things that
people did
wrong,
all the
mistakes that
people did,
she just
couldn't
resist to
try to
correct
everything.
And that
made her
quite a
difficult
person to
work or
live with.
But when
she couldn't
see anymore,
she just
got to
change her.
And then
there's a
time when
she becomes
joyful in
things.
It's not
so much
of one
thing,
this thing
must be
done this
way and
that way.
But she
just enjoy
people's
presence and
enjoy God's
presence.
And sometimes
that's how
we miss so
much by
being able to
see and
letting so
many things
distract us,
influence our
emotions,
our thoughts.
And missing
out so much
great things,
wonderful things
that God
brought into
our life
because we
are so
insisting on
things to
be done in
our ways and
not knowing
that God
has done
beautiful things
in our life
and other
people's lives
that appreciate
that.
And this
barrel's change
always is a
lesson to
me.
So was
Samson
safe?
So I think
so because
it's them in
Hebrews 11.
and also
the Bible
tells us
that his
family took
his body
back to
the promised
land and
buried him
there.
So when
the Old
Testament
tells us
that someone
is buried,
that is
meaning.
It's not
just tell us
that it's
buried.
But it
tells us
that this
person is
buried in
that land
when God
has promised
that they
have this
hope of
resurrection.
That's
special.
And that's
why we see
when Jacob
went down
to Egypt,
before he
died,
he asked
Joseph to
promise that
he must
bring his
body back
to the
promised
land to
be buried
there.
It's so
important for
him because
he's got
this hope
of glory
and that's
what God's
people are
looking for.
So when
we read
Hebrews,
we admire
the faith
of people
like Abraham,
Moses,
and Gideon,
but we
find it
difficult to
see how
Samson could
be included
in this
list.
So the
fact that
Samson is
included in
the list
tells us
that their
faith was
not their
own,
but it
came from
God.
And if
you meet
people like
Moses or
Abraham in
heaven and
praise them
for their
faith,
they will
tell you
that it
was all
God's
grace.
They will
not boast
in their
faith,
but they
will tell
you that
the founder
and perfecter
of their
faith is
the Lord
Jesus
Christ.
their
lives were
just a
shadow of
the coming
king and
serve as
encouragement
to us.
If God
can save
Samson and
use him for
his purpose,
he can do
the same for
any of us.
So in
Hebrews 12
verses 1 to
2 we read,
Therefore,
since we are
surrounded by
so great a
cloud of
weaknesses,
let us also
lay aside
every weight
and sin
which clings
so closely
and let us
run with
endurance the
race that is
set before us.
looking to
Jesus,
the founder
and perfecter
of our
faith,
who for
the joy
that was
set before
him,
endured
the cross
despising
the shame
and is
seated at
the right
hand of
the front
of God.
So even
Samson is
among the
cloud of
weaknesses
and we
see him
and we
want to
lay aside
every weight
and sin
that clings
so closely.
We don't
want to
live like
Samson.
And let us
run with
endurance the
race that is
set before us
looking to
Jesus.
Does it
seem unfair
that Samson
still had
the hope
of glory
despite his
disobedient
living?
In a way
it is unfair.
It was the
obedient
living of
Jesus Christ
that gave
us and
Samson the
hope of
glory.
In another
way though,
the one
who lost out
the most of
Samson himself
when he
lived in
disobedience,
he missed
out so much
joy of the
Lord when he
was blinded by
the pleasure
of the world.
Samson
refused to
die to
himself.
He wanted
to gratify
all his
desires.
I think
if you
ask Samson
if he had
a good
life,
he would
tell you
that he
was the
prodigal
son who
squandered
all his
father's
gifts on
worthless
things.
And if
you ask
Samson what
the most
painful
experience in
his life
was,
he would
no doubt
say having
his eyes
gouged up.
However,
he would be
most thankful
to having
his eyes
gouged up.
It was
only when
he became
blind that
he became
free from
his own
sinful desires.
Despite
his flaws,
Samson was
a shadow
of Jesus
in three
ways.
One,
he was
a promised
saviour.
So the
real saviour
would come
from God
and be a
promise from
God.
Two,
he was a
strong man
and we do
need a
strong man,
a strong
saviour to
deliver us
from our
enemies.
Three,
he saved
his people
by dying.
So we
can only
be free
from the
curse of
law by
having a
saviour who
would die
for us.
Samson was
indeed a
very flawed
example of
a saviour,
but he did
become a
judge for
20 years.
Even his
prayers were
quite immature,
but at
least he
prayed.
And we
can see
this is
God's
grace.
God is
not looking
for us
to be
perfect,
but at
least there
should be
some sign
of us
being changed,
wanting to
be like
Jesus,
and wanting
to be
gracious to
other people
as well.
Some people
may ask,
can we
live like
Samson and
expect to
be safe
at the
end?
I think
we can
answer this
question with
two questions.
So why
would you
want to
look to
Samson as
an example
to live
by when
we have
the perfect
saviour,
Jesus Christ,
to look up
to?
Number two
is,
and why
would you
want to
drink from
the well
of this
world to
quench
your thirst
while there
is living
water from
the Lord
Jesus Christ?
Hebrews 12,
14 tells us
to strive
for peace
with everyone
and for the
holiness
without which
no one
will see
God.
The power
given to
Samson was
an external
power.
There was
little internal
change in
Samson until
we became
blind.
We do not
need to
become blind
or invalid
to change
from pleasure
seeking to
holiness
seeking,
because we
are given
power inside
us.
That was
why in
Ephesians 3,
the Apostle
Paul was
praying for
the Ephesians
that they
would be
strengthened
by the
Holy Spirit
in their
inner being.
Judges is
a book
about our
fallen nature.
We would
naturally
reject God.
Even the
judges whom
got raised
up to
save his
people were
seeking their
own glory
and pleasure.
God
himself has
to come
as a human
to save
us.
It is
not a book
about external
behavior,
what we
should do
or what we
should not
do.
It is a
book about
our hearts.
Samson gave
all his
heart to
Delilah and
he became a
slave to
his enemy.
On our
Friday Bible
study,
two nights
ago,
a young
man asked
if it
was okay
to buy
shares.
Where is
the limit?
Is it
gambling or
is it
investment?
Is it
wise?
So there's
lots of
factors we
can consider.
But I
think the
most important
thing is
whatever we
do is
where is
our heart?
Whose
glory are
we living
for?
Otherwise
there will
be too
much rules
and regulation
of what
you can
do or
what you
can't
do.
We
look at
our
hearts.
God
brought
Samson
our life
of pleasure
seeking and
bloodshed to
a life of
God seeking
and shedding
his own
blood.
When the
Lord Jesus
was on the
cross,
giving his
body and
blood to
fulfill the
righteousness
of God,
that was
his hour
of glory.
And the
Lord wants
to bring
us there
to share
this glory.
When we
have the
joy of
suffering for
righteousness
sake,
when we
are willing
to live
and die
for something
and someone
greater than
us,
that would
be glory.
Hebrews
chapter 2
verse 10,
for it was
fitting that
he, for
home and
by home all
things exist,
in bringing
many sons
to glory,
should make
the founder
of their
salvation,
perfect through
suffering.
Let us
pray.
Father, we
tremble before
you, thinking
that you
would bring
people like
Samson,
people like
us, to
glory,
not only
to bring
us there,
but by
giving us
your son,
so that
we can
be there,
and not
only giving
us your
son,
but by
letting
your son
suffer,
so that
our sins
can be
forgiven.
Amen.
Father, we
look at
Samson,
and look at
us, and
see how
far we
are
away from
your glory,
how little
we see
and know
about this
glory.
Father, we
thank you for
your mercy upon
us, and
that we
would have
a desire for
this glory,
and looking
for the
city that
is to
come.
Father, we
ask that
you will
help us
to live
our life
worthy of
calling,
that we
might strive
for holiness
in the way
we live.
Thank you,
Father.
We pray in
Jesus' name.
Amen.