Aug 11 -- Class Notes-- Samson & His Women
Samson & His Women: The Folly of Passion
or
How Self-Centeredness Leads to Self-Destruction
August 11, 2007
Teacher: Larry R Evans
Quiz for Reflection
[Based on Judges 13-16]
- When a minister makes a serious/moral mistake it is an indication that he/she was not called in the first place. True or False
- God’s special endowments upon a person end once he or she intentionally parts from God’s counsel. True or False
- The example of Samson suggests we should avoid people and circumstances which have a strong influence upon us. True or False
- Samson’s core problem was his lust for women. True of False
- Scripture portrays Samson as a man of faith. True or False
Introduction
C.S. Lewis wrote,
"A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.... A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in."
Abraham Heschel sheds additional insight: “Self respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.”
Our study today is not about lust, bad sex, or even personal failures. It’s all about how to “live an unsheltered” life—a life that builds self-respect by saying no to temptation and even more importantly “How to say ‘yes’ to God and the plan He has for us.” Our primary focus is on the life of Samson, a man known for his physical strength and his weakness of character.
Samson is identified as a “judge” which is a term applied to leaders for magistrates who governed Israel or portions of Israel between the time of Joshua (after entering the “Promised Land”) and the time when a king was chosen (the monarchy). This period of history surely must have been disappointing to God. From the beginning with Adam and Eve, He wanted to establish a special family but His generosity kept being abused by those whom He had blessed. The period of the judges was no exception. The experience of Samson, in many ways, typifies God’s people at this time. His escapades with the idolatrous Philistine women portray a much deeper problem. This period of Israel’s history is characterized by apostasy—being entranced by the idols of surrounding nations and those that worshipped them. Nevertheless, God’s love for them would still not let them go. The Bible describes this generation well when it says, “another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10) With this setting we have a context for our study of “Samson and His Women.”
Our Study and Reflections
- When a minister makes a serious/moral mistake it is an indication that he/she was not called in the first place. False
Our study does not begin with Samson but with his parents who were told by an angel that they were going to have a son. Not only were they to have a son but he was “set apart to God from birth” for a special mission. (Judges 13:10). So responsive were they to their special responsibility that they prayed they would be taught how “to bring up the boy who is to be born.” (13:8) The early impact of their training and commitment to raising Samson are captured in these words, “He grew and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him . . .” (13:24,25) It is clear that Samson was set apart by God for a special mission and that his parents were faithful in their responsibilities. The calling and the training does not take away the choices Samson must make himself.
- God’s special endowments upon a person end once he or she intentionally parts from God’s counsel. True or False
In the case of Samson he retained his God-given strength while carrying on a riotous lifestyle. While in Gaza visiting a harlot he became aware that the Philistines had surrounded him. Using his endowed strength he went to the city gates, jarred them loose and carried them to the top of a hill on the way to Hebron. (16:1-3) It wasn’t until he was with yet another Philistine woman that he had his hair cut – the ultimate outward symbol of his special vow. He told Delilah the secret of his Nazirite vow—specifically that he was not to cut his hair. (16:17)
“Little by little he had violated the conditions of his sacred calling. God had borne long with him; but when he had so yielded himself to the power of sin as to betray his secret, the Lord departed from him. There was no virtue in his long hair merely, but it was a token of his loyalty to God; and when the symbol was sacrificed in the indulgence of passion, the blessings of which it was a token were also forfeited.” {Patriarch and Prophets, p.566}
- The example of Samson suggests we should avoid people and circumstances which have a strong influence upon us. True and False
We have to have at least one tricky question in the bunch don’t we! It’s not bad to be in the presence of strong positive influences. In fact we encourage it! It’s the bad influence that can have such a devastating impact upon our character. So depending on how the question is understood the answer could be either true or false.
From the start, when God made a special covenant with Abraham (Gen.12), God’s intention was to develop a special family relationship that would stretch across the generations. In order to preserve family values He sought to protect His people from those influences which would divert and weaken the very glue that was to hold them together. The principle of choosing one’s spouse was given great emphasis in the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Marriage is only one relationship that can easily influence one’s character. What other one’s can you suggest?
“The mind will never cease to be active. It is open to influences, good or bad. As the human countenance is stamped by the sunbeam on the polished plate of the artist, so are thoughts and impressions stamped on the mind of the child; and whether these impressions are of the earth earthy or moral and religious, they are well-nigh ineffaceable.When reason is awakening, the mind is most susceptible, and so the very first lessons are of great importance.” (Mind, Character and Personality, Vol.1 p.293.)
- Samson’s core problem was his lust for women. False
No question Samson had a problem with lust and the impact of that on his life and ministry was devastating. But was that his core problem?
“Being sanctified as a Nazarite (see Judges 13:5) and raised by God-fearing parents who consistently asked, ‘What shall we do for the child?’ (v.8) paved the high road for Samson’s pursuit of his calling. But Samson chose the low road. He was called to deliver Israel from the Philistines, but the first of act of his manhood is the choice of the a Philistine girl for a wife. ‘Get her for me, for she please me well,’ he almost orders his father (Judg.14:3, NKJV) The wishes of me become paramount, and the will of God is set aside. ‘She pleases me well’ becomes the criterion of the most important choice a man can make. Will she please God? Will she help me serve God? Does she worship my God at all?” (Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, Teachers Comments, August 7, 2007, p.71)
Samson’s self-centeredness created untold heartache for those who cared for him but it also made his own years life most miserable. I remember an illustration I once read years ago from a Rabbi Kahn in which he was challenged with the never ending questin, “Why are rules necessary?” He asked the person, “What holds a kite in the sky?” The person replied, “The wind, of course.” The Rabbi said, “Yes, but it certainly plays a part but so does the string!” “No way,” replied the student. “The string hold it down!” The Rabbi asked what would happen when the string was let go. The answer was obvious.
Rules don’t save but they are a necessary part of developing self-discipline. Rules, if they are only externally observed because of enforcement, do not in themselves create self-discipline. It’s not until the principles of those rules are understood and incorporated into one’s own value system that they become navigational principles in one’s life. We learn from Samson’s experience that even dedicated God-fearing parents cannot make those internal choices for their children – nor can institutions, etc.
- Scripture portrays Samson as a man of faith. True and False
The stories of Samson provide a picture of a man chosen for a critical mission. The way he lived his life, however, revealed an indulgence of weaknesses and passions which made it impossible to fulfill his calling. His life ended as he sought revenge for losing his two eyes. His unique calling was a militant one – to deliver God’s people from the hand of the Philistines.
Blinded and with deep humiliation Samson was led to the pagan temple of Dagon. He heard the jeers and the boasting crowd that their victory over Samson was because their god was superior! These words must have brought him to his senses. They must have hurt him and I would imagine flashing through his memory came the scenes of his own betrayal of his sacred calling.
“In suffering and humiliation, a sport for the Philistines, Samson learned more of his own weakness than he had ever known before; and his afflictions led him to repentance.” (Patriarch and Prophets, p.566)
Judg 16:28-30
28 Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived. (from New International Version)
“Samson’s death should not be considered suicide, but a self-sacrificing act in fulfillment of his calling.” SDA Bible Dictionary, p.951.
There is an amazing insight, however, about Samson’s life and God’s grace. Can you imagine, even for a moment, that if given the assignment of writing down a list of Bible heroes that you would include Samson as an example of faith!! Yet, that is exactly what the writer of Hebrews does as it lists a Hall of Faith.
Heb 11:32-35
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
(from New International Version)
There is hope for all of us! That’s the message of the Bible. As much as Samson wasted his life the early principles that he was taught came back to him. That is not always the case but it does provide hope for many. The sad part, of course, is what Samson could have accomplished for God had he surrendered his self-centeredness and chosen to dedicate his talents to God in the first place!
Conclusion
“Physically, Samson was the strongest man upon the earth; but in self-control, integrity, and firmness, he was one of the weakest of men. Many mistake strong passions for a strong character, but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness of the man is measured by the power of the feelings that he controls, not by those that control him. {Patriarch and Prophets, 567,568}
“Dorothy Sayers has said that God underwent three great humiliations in his efforts to rescue the human race. The first was the Incarnation, when he took on the confines of a physical body. The second was the Cross, when he suffered the ignominy of public execution. The third humiliation, Sayers suggested, is the church. In an awesome act of self-denial, God entrusted his reputation to ordinary people.” (Philip Yancey, Disappointment with God, p.162)
The tragedy with Samson’s life cannot be confined to Samson. He had been selected to play a vital role in restoring God’s people in the great unfolding drama we often call the controversy between Christ and Satan. Samson betrayed God and God, no doubt, paid a serious blow to His own reputation. The amazing revelation still rings true today. Despite what we have done to tarnish the image of God, He still calls us to come home! The story of Samson is our own history of self-centeredness being played before our own eyes. The circumstances may be different but the self far too often reigns unbridled. Can we learn from history or must it be repeated?
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