Memory Verse: For behold , you shall conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come unto his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” – Judges 13:6.
Bible Passage: Judges 13: 1-5.
Introduction
Samson is one of the few in the Scripture whose birth was divinely pre-announced to his parents (Judges 13:3). He share this honour with Isaac, John the Baptist, and Jesus. Samson whose name means “sunshine” was born sometimes between 1045BC and 1000BC, during a dark period of Israel’s history. His father was Manoah of the family of Danites (Judges 12:2). Samson was born a Nazirite, meaning he was ‘separated’ or ‘set aside’ for God. This means that he was not to drink wine or fruit of the Vine. He could not do near or touch a dead body, human or animal, nor could he cut his hair. (Numbers 6:2-6). After his death, he was buried between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father.
Outlines
1. Achievements and flaws
2. Lessons from his life
ACHIEVEMENTS AND FLAWS
Samson was a judge in Israel. he judged Israel for twenty years with landmark achievements though with flaws worthy of note. God’s purpose for Samson’s life was to begin the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines (Judges 13:5).
Samson was a powerful man with supernatural strength. With the Spirit of God upon him, he killed a lion with his bare hands (Judges 14:5-6), he killed thirty men (Philistines) and took their belongings (Judges 14:19); he killed a thousand men (Philistines) with jaw bone of an ass (Judges 15:14-16); he lifted the gates of the city and took them up on a mountain (Judges16:3). He was also very intelligent with an unusual sense of humour (Judges 14:12-14). Samson enjoyed answers to prayer in fulfilment of God’s purpose (Judges 15:18; 16:28). He repented towards the end of his life and called upon the Lord and his strength returned , he slee more Philistines at his death than he slew during his life (Judges 16:30).
Though he was set apart for special service to God (Judges 13:5), Samson ignored and violated his Nazirite vow of godly devotion and relied upon his own strength and abilities rather than God’s. He was courageous before men but weak when it comes to women (Prov. 5:3; Prov. 6:32; Matt. 5:28). Hos weakness for the Philistines women culminated in his fall (Judges 14:1-3;Judges 16:1-22). His passion for women was.more important to Him than God’s expressed will (Deut. 7:3). While he had almost unlimited potential to deliver his people from the Philistines, his story ends in needless tragedy. he died with his enemies (Judges 15:30). Samson was shallow and vengeful like the Philistines (Judges 15:10) which is the world’s mindset today and contrary to the teachings of Christ (Matt. 5:38). Summarily, Samson’s disobedience and love for strange women led to his defeat , disgrace and destruction.
LESSONS FROM HIS LIFE
There are several lessons to learn from Samson’s life.
1. though we may not be given great physical strength like Samson , God will give us great spiritual strength when we need it (Phil. 4:13).
2. Beleivers should watch out for things and people that can entice them to sin. We must not allow the yearnings of the flesh to control our lives (1 John 2: 15-17; 2 Cor. 6:17).
3. The seemingly harmless sins some believers are commiting and getting away with are simply baits from the devil to encourage them to go deeper . The devil is not stupid; he has planned a big downfall along the line..
4..When you ain, no matter how grievous, repent and call upon God. He.will always hear your cry of repentance and forgive you (Is. 1:18; Acts 2:21; Acts 3:19).
5. Spiritual gifts are not pointers to spiritual maturity. Believers should strive to bear the fruit of the Spirit to remain in tune with God (Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 5:9).
6. Perhaps the greatest lesson we learn is that God would rather forgive than judge. In the final analysis, God saw Samson as a man of faith. This is evidenced by the fact that he is listed among those in the hall of faith (HEB. 11:32).
Conclusion
Samson’s story is a strong warning to every Christian never to toy with sin.
Questions
1. What are the achievements seen in Samson’s life ?
2. Mention four (4) lessons you learnt from the life of Samson.
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I know you might agree with some of the points that I have raised in this article. You might not agree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We will appreciate it if you can drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.
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