Samson's parents were old when they had him. He was intended to be a Nazirite. He was supposed to be a ray of sunshine, a successful man giving glory to God. One day, he fell into failure and he ended up in great disaster.
The reason behind his early success is not from his own power but from the Spirit of the Lord that was in him. The reason behind his failure is clearly brought about by his own effort.
Here are 5 things that brought Samson to defeat:
1. Disobedience to his parents (Judges 14:1-3)
-He got for himself a Philistine wife against his parents' will.
-He ordered his parents around, maybe because they gave him everything--noting that he is a menopause baby given special treatment.
2. Choice of friends (Judges 14:1, 16:1)
-The people that he associated with the most reflected the values he himself possessed.
-His close associatres were prostitues and non-believers.
3. Uncontrollable body (Judges 16:1,4)
-Lust is desire that is out of control.
-He may have had legitimate needs and desires, but he did not discipline them.
-This may have been remedied by memorizing and meditating on God's Word.
4. Uncontrollable anger (Judges 14:19)
-Anger is cruel and destructive.
-It often allows us to hurt those whom we love the most.
5. Misunderstanding the Lord
-He was a Nazirite with a particular purpose. He chose the opposite of what he must do.
-He thought his powers were from his hair and did not realize that it was from the Lord.
*based on Judges 16:4-30
by Rev. Burton Williams
No comments:
Post a Comment