Hey Guys! Judges chapter 15!
There's this ongoing rivalry between Samson and the Philistines who are viscious people. They killed their own people to get revenge on Samson. They burned his wife and her father to death because of their hatredness towards Sampson. They killed their own people out of revenge to their enemy!
Revenge also describes Samson, but God's power and spirit came upon Samson to be able to kill many of the Philistines. In fact 1,000 men were killed by Samson using a donkey jawbone.
Afterwards God took care of him and let him be revived and get his strength back by providing water for him to drink.
We might think Samson easily killed a thousand men. He did have victory because of God's strength but when it was over he was exhausted, dehydrated and weak. He still needed to be revived.
Ministry is hard work. There are spiritual battles all the time which makes it difficult and often overwhelming and draining. But God is with us and he does give us strength to be overcomers. We can however, get exhausted and need to be revived physically and spiritually. It's okay to isolate ourselves and get strength physically with water, food and rest. We definitely need to isolate ourselves and get reconnected with God through our prayers and worship and Thanksgiving.
We also need to remember that we are the body of Christ! We need to work together as a team. We should not have the attitude of doing Ministry alone. Jesus used his disciples and caused the followers to increase so that more could be done. Let us remember to work as a team trusting God for wisdom and strength. And let us not forget to rest physically and spiritually and be revived. Jesus needed rest (Luke 5:16). Samson needed it also. Why do we think we don't need it when in fact we do. Without rest we become ineffective in Ministry and battles.
When Samson would get himself into difficult situations, he probably knew that he would find a way out somehow because of his strength. It didn’t matter whether he was facing a beast or a thousand men! Samson could conquer anything in his way! I wonder if that may have caused him to become arrogant at times. It seems like he just expected to win at whatever he was struggling with at the moment. He ran into trouble with Philistine women and his own carelessness is going to be a really big problem for him when he reveals the secret of his strength. Samson relied on his flesh and on his power so much, but even he had limitations. We saw how he became very thirsty in chapter 15 and he asked God for help, but how much did he put his faith in God rather than himself?
Here’s the same question for us today.
How much do we put our faith in God?
I was reminded once again of Matthew 6:31-33.
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Today’s ApologetiX song is Brush, a parody of Tush.
https://youtu.be/-Ej3BboriN8
“We have come to take Samson prisoner,” they answered, “to do to him as he did to us.”
11 Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?”
He answered, “I merely did to them what they did to me.”
A theme I read many times here:
To do to him what he did to us.
I merely did to them what they did to me.
How many times in our life do we feel this way? When we are mistreated by others, we feel hard pressed to treat them well. Sometimes we even think about how we will get even or seek revenge.
As a teacher I see this ALOT.
“I hit him because he hit me.”
“I called her this name because she called me that name.”
The old saying, two wrongs don’t make a right remains true, although in Exodus and Leviticus we did see the law was to repay tooth for tooth, life for life… but it is so true that “An eye for an eye turns the whole world blind.” As we get into the New Testament we are blessed with the words in Matthew 5:38-42 Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Samson did not take this approach as it would be a long time before this knowledge came to light, but God shows him favor and revives him from his exhaustion.
I pray that we can live our lives less for revenge and more for peace. To not resist evil people in our lives, but turn the other cheek and walk the 2nd mile, in the name of Jesus.