Don’t forget Jesus is still on the throne! Judges chapter 14.
The next few chapters are about the life of Samson. We don't learn too much about his childhood because it jumps right in with him wanting to get married. But because of his behavior you can draw some conclusions about what type of person Samson is.
- He comes across as an immature young man always wanting to have his own way.
- Rules don't mean a lot to him.
- He ate honey from a dead carcass which is unlawful.
- He demands a wife from the ungodly.
- He kills when angry.
God, however, uses Samson for HIS purpose in order to bring about Deliverance from the Philistines.
For me this is a reminder that God uses imperfect people. It's always easy to see the flaws in other Christians. Some people are very judgmental towards them because of their imperfections. In reality, I know there are those who talk about me because of my imperfections, or because of my perceived imperfections. I certainly want to be a better Christian, and I know that I'm not perfect, but I am grateful that God still uses me despite the fact that I'm FAR from perfect.
We can't limit what God can do through us and through others. There might be those that we choose not to use in Ministry because of how different they are, but be careful how you judge them, because they might be the very individual God needs in order to fulfill his purposes.
I will not reach perfection till I'm in heaven, so in the meantime, I'm grateful God loves me and is still willing to use me for his kingdom! Thank you Lord!
We can see early on how even though Samson was chosen by God, he had some serious flaws just as Pastor Blair pointed out. Samson seems very impulsive and his relationships with the wrong women get him into lots of trouble as it’s not hard to see how women are definitely one of his weaknesses before we even read anything about Delilah coming on the scene. I’m reminded of a couple of passages from the New Testament that I would like to share here.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
As the Lord uses us as His people, may He help us to grow to be more like Jesus, and less like the world.
Today’s song from ApologetiX is called I Know a Riddle, a parody of I Know a Little.
https://youtu.be/NOHVLkhCl8U
This chapter reminds me a bit of how people can act when they are up against a wall, so to speak… or maybe you’ve heard the saying “like a rat in the corner”. When things go bad, the things said and done are just desperate threats. When the men couldn’t guess Samson’s riddle, they knew they wouldn’t get the clothes BUT they also knew they’d have to give away theirs. So instead of giving up, they threaten Samson’s wife and father. To murder them by burning their house! So Samson’s wife cries and crises and crises until Samson can’t take it anymore and he gives in and tells his wife. To save herself, Samson’s wife tells the men, who then win the riddle. The things people will do when they feel backed in a counter are scary! And I feel like we’ve come full circle to when Samson’s parents first warned him about the type of wife to have. I hope we can respect the advice of those who love us. And learn from our mistakes!