Read Judges
15-17 & Luke
10:1-24
To discover:
As you read note how Israel’s
degeneration is evident.
To ponder:
Having lost his wife to his best
man, Samson sets the Philistines’ corn alight, they therefore burn Samson’s wife and her father, and Samson responds by “attacking them viciously.”
There’s warning here about how vengeance spirals.
Contrasting Judah’s
intended primacy in battle (1v1-3), rather than taking the opportunity this
gave for an uprising, they tied Samson and handed him over. However, “the
Spirit” came upon him,” and he struck down a thousand men with just a donkey’s
jawbone. This seems far fetched. But that’s the point. It could only be done
through God. And here we see Samson is still a man of faith (Heb 11v32),
acknowledging this, and then praying for water – albeit in a petulant way. In
grace, God provided. And we read Samson led Israel
for twenty years. The point about God’s use of a fallible man is therefore made
again, but with emphasis on just how much can be achieved in God’s strength
(Phil 4v13).
Lust and love follow. The Gaza
gates Samson tore off and carried to the top of a hill would have been two
stories high! This seems to be recorded simply to stress how strong he was. But
not for long. Like Judas, Delilah betrays Samson for money. The game Samson
plays with her shows how flippant he was about his strength, whilst his final
revelation shows he knew it depended on his remaining a Nazarite. Once more he
patterns Israel.
She shows little regard for her privileges, and is strong only as long as she
remains set-apart to God. To make this point, as soon as Samson’s head was
shaved “his strength left him,” because “the LORD had left him.” And so he was
seized, had his eyes gouged out, and then imprisoned in Gaza
in “bronze” (so strong) shackles.
As the Philistines celebrate that their god Dagon had delivered Samson to them,
we know it was God’s doing. With Samson’s hair re-growing, the story’s tension
mounts as the Philistines bring him out to entertain, but he asks to be where
he can feel the pillars. Once more he prays. And it is an imperfect prayer for
strength to take vengeance not to glorify God. But he is strengthened
nevertheless, and the temple collapses so that his greatest victory is actually
in his death. Again, this looks us to Christ giving his life to defeat all
false gods. And where the devil or Christ's enemies might be credited with his
death, we know it was actually God's doing and for his purposes (Acts 4v27-28).
Chapter 17 begins the first of two terrible stories that show just how far from
remaining set-apart Israel
have become. Stealing from one’s parents was terrible. Yet on admitting it,
Micah’s mother blesses him in the LORD’s name, and then “solemnly consecrates”
the money for him to make an image and idol for his home! Yet Micah also makes
a shrine, other idols, a priestly ephod which is first worn by one of his sons,
and later by a Levite whom he pays to do the job. This is serious not only
because of the idols, but because priests were to be from the line of Aaron and
minister only at the place God designated. So Israel
had embraced religious relativism, in which everyone could do their religion
their way, and think this acceptable to God. Micah’s conclusion is deeply
ironic: “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me.”
Things can be so
bad within the church too, that those who confess Christ think they are
actually honouring him by sanctioning the very things he forbids, whilst
seeking out teachers who will teach “what their itching ears want to hear” (2
Tim 4v3). Obedience not sincerity is the mark of faithfulness. And without it,
like Samson, the church cannot expect the LORD to remain with her, nor enable
her to remain strong against the world, the flesh and the devil.
Praying it home:
Praise God that he is so gracious
to us. Pray that the church and those who confess Christ would be convicted of
where they are sanctioning what he forbids in his name.
Thinking further:
None today.
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On 96, Judges 15-17, just wondering if there is a reason for substituting 'fiancee' for 'wife'?
ReplyDeleteWell spotted Cora. It should read "wife" - I was still writing with her state when Samson just sought her out in mind. Jon
ReplyDelete