Samson and Delilah (Part C)

Pretended to be what he was not all of his life, and I should become Greek says you will become weak as always been weak before God. Now you will be weeping for men so he ends and I will be like any other man save souls when I supposedly like relevant to some degree.

We are just like everybody else, but on another level spiritually were not our opinions, our beliefs and our behavior are supposed to be aggressively in pursuit of righteousness. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher. Rick asked Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Rick is currently teaching through the book of Judges. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's pastor Rick with his continuing study called Samson and Delilah in Judges chapter 16 verse 11 so he said to her, if they bind me securely with new robes that have never been used and I should become weak and be like any other man.

There is a second statement realizing that we understand that he understands that he's not like any other man. At this point in his life members. 20 years into his judgeship. Verse 12 therefore Delilah took new robes and bound him with them and said to him, the Philistines are upon you Samson men lying in wait staying in the room were lying and wasting in room but he broke them off of his arms like a thread.

Again, it's not daunting on him. He thinks he can get to strengthen no one else cannot is already given up secrets in the pastor's wife there and Tim the told his parents about the lien yell the secrets for a while but he couldn't keep them and that's a good lesson. You know, someone may confide in you.

It's not is not supposed to be a shelflife on that. Okay, tell me the secret to be good for year and five days. Once you say it's a secret is supposed to be until the other person can tell you okay you can tell the story or that comes out and then even if then you got to be careful and wise going to be a gossiper join ranks with those who are I should become weak like any other man. Verse 13 Delilah said to Samson. Until now you mocked me and told me lies tell me what you may be bound with Excedrin if you weave the seven locks of my head in to the web of the loom. I mean it's like asking for a headache, it's so scope that I would. Well, he's having a grand old time on the way to the slaughter. Up to now, you've been trying to destroy me. He should've said that's what he is reply should have been.

But you know Samson tell me how I can afflict you if you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom. So now he is letting her toy with the emblem of his devotion.

Now it's getting serious and spiritual realm, but there is a spiritual warfare is indisputable. Paul makes it clear. Daniel makes it clear around us are spiritual forces when we don't understand why God is not doing this or that it is because there are laws within the spiritual realm of war that we do not know about what we do know is that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual prayer. The word Fellowship communion with Christ are things we can do but they're not guarantees because it is still a war.

There are uncertainties as to the results, but our response to the results are always supposed to be faith-based so he just with her team. He jokes with her about the entanglement of his hair because he's entangled in private meetings with could be little things they work. He may make some easy entangled with the hair entangled, probably because that's what was happening.

It's not corny preaching fact, verse 14, so she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom and said to him, the Philistines are upon you Samson and he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the batten of in the web of the loom they wrecked the French corrected or love. I don't know that were the Delilah so by this time I think she knows she can get to him. She still got him on the hook. She's very determined. The fresh bowstrings not yet right. The new ropes. The seven locks verse 15 then she said to him, how can you say I love you when your heart is not with me.

You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is excuse me sister where is it written that I have to tell you know he's not the kind of man with he would've been that got a man with a man. He was a widow who tells you, I gotta tell you anything not not with Delilah and anyone who would use love to manipulate or to exploit someone don't love you.

Don't use love to take advantage of course you know there's some some margin in their human relationships Omak to try to save you know figure it out. Next but certainly not to the harm of the other person not to the harm of the other person saying if you love me hurt yourself. And of course Delilah passionately loved herself, as do those who manipulate someone who they say they love but of the whole time or doing them damage when your heart is not with me that is trip she is laying on him define what you mean by that. Verse 16 and it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him so his soul was vexed to death again. She's determined to get that money. She's already got a plan which is going to do it. You write a book bestseller book how I got the keys from sales Samson this again being pestered daily suggests that he is living with her and also it is a message to us. This is no reason to abandon your principles is no reason to depart from what you know is right being pestered moms might have a little guilt about not read a bunch of little ones because they will pester you till they get that Popsicle thereafter, but the principle remains the lesson is there. That's not reason to give in and these things on easy else the stories would have to be told to us no fight against sin is easy, there's a brand out there that is got our name on it. So do those who may care about the person that they are nagging question. She didn't care about him. It says with words. Another were she wouldn't shut up she would let alone. You would think he would say you know something is wrong with you this you you just obsessed with this and I can't take this anymore know he has no and as articulate as he is, that does not come into the story, not Delilah wanted to be taken seriously. Well, that's fine, but not to my destruction and Proverbs 721 with her enticing speech she caused him to you with her flattering lips. She seduced him and says, and pressed him, she just kept going Crime getting annoyed reading it. I like the jumpiness exams. Let me just handle this right but I want you to sign here that you not to hurt me but I put this woman in her place for you. That won't happen because when a man loves a woman turns back in his best remedy puts her down at the other song goes, because that's a fact of love life he has is not the first time he's been down this road. Judges chapter 14 verse 17. Speaking of his wife and Temne that she had wept on him seven days while their feast lasted and it happened on the seventh day that he told her because she pressed him so much. Then she explainable to the sons of her people.

So cheek pressed him to get out of him to walk away from is found something. It was adorable. It was cute playing with fire and can't take fire to your bosom without your garments going up in flames and that means you going with them so that his soul was faxed to death if there wasn't such a tragic story would be it would be a comedy. It was a full to subject himself to this now back to the question.

You know, so this can sound you know as though the Bible is God is saying only women nag that's not so. Second Kings chapter 2.

This is a story when a large of the prophet is being taken up and shared a fire. He's gone now, so Eliza, the disciple comes back in there sees the school of the prophets the students of the prophets, you know, the college students to seminary students in this case a good and fun place to riot. So an get out of class right I was rooting for the cops in the 60s and I'm rooting for them. The 2020s is where it is anyway. Second Kings of a live show comes back and is aware is Eliza he's gone to find them, they kept bugging him if so, here we go thinking September 17 but when they urged him till he was ashamed to send them.

Therefore, they sent 50 men in the search for three days but did not find they just they just made him a shameless night. Help me to tell you he's gone. Okay fine, go look for in a go out for three days they were obsessed. We can't let, we cannot live a lie should be right.

We gotta find Eliza so we can go back. I can't go back and say okay you're right. What a mess. Well anyway, we need all guard against that you want something too much. It's a problem. Sin did not vex his soul.

The nagging woman did. And that is what another strike for Samson some suppose and and and I think there's a lot of merit to this is a would be bringing it up that she was withholding herself from him and that's where the breakdown really know what I got to get this reversed and use that also human nature cannot rule that out. Verse 17 that he told her in all his heart and said to her, no razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven my strength will leave me and I shall become weak and be like any other man is the third time he says it in its seals his feet. What a blessing to have a mom and dad that would lay this out for him. He knew because they told him they raised him the right way that he is behaving like a beast that's on him. That is not on Manoa. Mr. and Mrs. Manoa is totally on Sampson. They were good and godly people and you read that 13th chapter of Judges and you just love those to you want know more about them such a little tagteam the way they interact with each other the way they interact with the angel of the Lord. What will be the child's way of life know you're wrong. That will you know if you see God and I would be dead to me just to send a dear story know he has no one to blame for himself and he'll be thinking about this, he was not tricked incidentally by Delilah. He was just stupid that that's what it is and said to her, no razor has ever come upon my head. Now we all know we know our Old Testament. We know that there was a law in Israel that no tool iron instrument was to be lifted over the altar. In fact, in the building of the temple when they use the tools to quarry the stone for the temple you didn't do it off-site when you got to the to the temple grounds the no tools no iron tools were to be used and that altar is to be dedicated to God, the altar that was, not victim of iron tools was dedicated to God, and of course the Nazirite was a man dead and I didn't have to be a man know that, but an individual dedicated or consecrated to God, so no iron tool. No razor was to touch the head. The altar was not to have iron make contact with his on shorn locks spoke of his dedication. The source of his strength. They were signs of devotion they want. They actually wasn't his. His hair was, and actually, you know, those of strength in the hair nor was the strength and just having long hair like Absalom and even in the story when his hair grows back. He still has to ask for strength. It doesn't just come exist just this one time.

That was his prayer as he blinded, but his hair has grown back get that, of course, in next session of the same chapter is described in the Nazirite to God from my womb. Now the stories intensifying. Have you have you been a Nazirite from you if we were to charge you with being a Nazirite Sampson other than your hairdo. What evidence would there be to convict you if someone charge you being a Christian with a be evidence enough to to send you to jail for so he says from my mother's womb because the mom who bore him made sure he got story a Nazirite from birth but not in life not in practice that he uses a generic word Hebrew word for God Elohim, why not Yahweh. Why doesn't he use the covenant name the Nazirite was an all about the covenant. That's with the fowl of the Nazirite vow the Nazirite covenant the pledge the agreement with God was binding and I think the word it's a choice word that he uses in a Marxist spiritual detachment from Yahweh's own purposes. The historians will insert Yahweh's name in the story even even before the name was a covenant name, we read of it used its usage in Genesis because the historians are a writing about Yahweh was the creative team lead and have that that covenant name is the Jewish people. Yet it was Yahweh who said in the beginning and and so will Bill do that. Not with Sampson here.

It didn't insert Yahweh into this verse will get that at the end of the story and death. That's when he we will hear Yahweh's covenant name come from his lips.

He says if I am shaven then my strength will leave me and Delilah said I'm going to be rich. I'm going to be filthy rich to see her face she know she not looking at him hearing his voice. He's telling the truth.

She's got him and his heartless woman again seals the fate of this man that pretended to be what he was not all of his life and I shall become weak. He says to her, he will become weak. He's always been weak before God.

Now you will be weak before men, and so he ends and I will be like any other man save souls when I supposed to be like and it will to some degree we are would just like everybody else, but on another level spiritually when not our opinions, our beliefs and our behavior are supposed to be aggressively in pursuit of righteousness that fourth chapter of Ephesians is a beautiful chapter it's Paul saying this very thing were not like other people are taking verses from Ephesians 4 verse 17 first one of my favorite is this I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind. Your life is not a waste.

You understand what's going on. Spiritually, you get it you supposed to live that way and then verse 20 of Ephesians 4, but you have not so learned Christ is not saying you you you would not be is saying this is not how you been taught. If you're a Christian is not been taught to live like the Gentiles league exposing up the section which is not learned Christ that way you not learn to walk like Gentiles, and you could say that to Sampson. You can say Sampson you are a Nazirite from birth. You have not learned to walk the way you walking from Yahweh. This way you picking this up from somewhere else your darkened heart.

Verse 18 and Delilah saw that he told her all his heart and another where she could see on his face.

She sent and called for the Lord of the Philistines, saying, come up once more, for he has told me all his heart and bring the cash that's not in there, but that's happening so the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. They were so it was worth that this is a business deal is like you know what we need to get this guy gone will pay whatever it takes to get it we going to pay you because we don't want word to get out of the something like this happens in the real bread says.

When Delilah saw checkmate chick King shock of his life not is knocking at the door.

She sent and called the lords of the Philistines. Of course there's the mighty man himself is about to die by the greedy woman himself saying come up once more for years told me all his heart. Nothing to add. There was nothing in the heart that he should have been sharing while Yahweh was God and no one else. So the lords of the Philistines, of course came in to them it was worth every cent at the moment but not in the end Sampson does win verse 19 then she lulled him to sleep on her knees and called for Amanda and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him and his strength left him. What if Sampson had found a woman like his mother.

What would the story of been like, but he did not and what if he had been obedient like his father. He was not not yet, not yet the severe well and we won't have time to act without.

We know that there is still a victory this deep sleep. You have to wonder you know if if I'm sleeping and someone is shaving my hair.

I think I'd wake up well out of everything out of the got ever had seven locks of my heroes like this but you tend to think that there maybe was a substance, you know, maybe he had mine that would not be out of character with Sampson fermented drink of some sort, as he seems to really being a deep sleep.

Legally she does wake. He does wake up and anyway this Sampson felt he could get away with all this. He felt that he was untouchable. I will why wouldn't she not just you. Maybe call the guys in a could stab him in his sleep. I think because they felt he was invincible and didn't find out where strength was he get angry kilometer. I can kill me and I'll do damage to them so they probably felt and I will probably superstitious about the whole thing of the people in those days were very superstitious and they felt that we need to find the source of the straight weekly.

We tried a thousand guys on the ones that didn't work and so there is a W Tojo says it is altogether possible to practice fraud upon our own souls and go deceived into judgment that was Sampson practice fraud on his own soul and he went into judgment deceived thinking that he was still strong when he was not in socially long allows him to sleep on her knees again suggestive language not I don't think intentional by the describe of judges, but certainly by the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit knows we would see this because he would pointed out to us. Eddie bowed his head and prayed upon his knees. He would never have lost his sight had he been on his knees in prayer is site would've been very sharp but we don't hear this only time we have heard him pray so far was when he was thirsty, satisfy the flesh nor sit in the seat of the scornful were told in Psalm one Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful nor lies in the lack of the wicked say that but you could add that it would not be the corruption but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, that was not Sampson and that is part of another lesson we want to pass on to anyone interested in Jesus Christ to have a delight in Christ. That's what the singing is supposed to bring out analysis delight for the Lord and so he is here like a sheep man who killed lions treated like a sheep and a call in the bobber of psoriatic and he does human men Dalit wives Hoosier barbers that's the lesson I get out of the whole story there.

Let's pray there's nothing else to learn. Verse 20 and she said the Philistines are upon you Sampson. So he awoke from his sleep and said I will go out as before, the time to shake myself free, but he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Your enemies are attacking to take you Sampson wears a friend in time of need. Pastor friend of mine sent me a random text today and said the Lord is on my side I will not fear what can man do to me. But the party just sent was the Lord is on my side and I texted back, I needed and he texted back at school who I and this Pastor friend were at the same was same age or some older because I know that some smarter than him, but were the same age been administered to same amount of time share the same concerns and it was just a message from God to me. I took it that way and this is a friend. You know when you have a friend I have friends.

Believe it or not, a hand where was the one for Sampson be a friend to someone.

I thing you know it's not enough that there will be a my wife where friends that's great that's wonderful knowing was the anything away from what are you there anybody else benefiting from your friends and if not, ask the Lord. You can't fake it and try to do it and you're on your own anyway. He awoke from his sleep and said I will go out as before, as at other times and he would not, because he laid his head on the lap of indulgent with an reverence towards God it wasn't just that Sampson had this temptation struggle. He was careless about God. On top of all of that. That's the big crime. It wasn't just that he was weak is that we would read the story in Tara with.

I don't have a chance because when I drive God shows me what's missing in my heart. So that's why I say to God when driving. If you could just not listen for a little while so I get to where I'm going, but it's true. God uses other drivers to remind us that we are sinners saved by grace but sin still. And if you're not going to admit to that just proves my point. Well anyway did not know that the strength which was devoured by the aliens.

There had been so many opportunities for him to not do this. Let's stop there because I don't want to rush through this and since we know the story is not a cliffhanger. Next session move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Judges cross reference radio is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. If you'd like more information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com you will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there, and we encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio.

You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast out for just follow the links and cross reference radio.com that's all the time we have for today. Join us next time to continue learning more from the book of Judges right here cross reference rate