SAMSON

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SHEEP IN THE WORD MINISTRIES Rev. Robert C. Lewis
Glendale Baptist Church Houston,
Texas quicknotes.org 2002
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SAMSONPART 1

• HERCULES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT,
• JUDGE OF ISRAEL,
• HERO OF THE FAITH

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BIRTH NARRATIVE

• nearly a whole chapter is devoted to the story
  of Samson's birth (Judges 13124a)

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only two sentences are devoted to his childhood
(Judges 1324b25)
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this is the only birth narrative in the Book of
Judges
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the story of Jesus' birth follows the same
patterna long birth narrative (Matthew 12
Luke 12) and a short childhood (Luke 24152)
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sometimes God plans the deliverance of his
people far in advance, as in the case of Samson
(Judges 13) and Jesus (1 Peter 120)
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SAMSON'S LIFE WAS A MIRROR FOR ISRAEL

• he typifies the nation of Israel (1) special
  calling at birth, (2) set apart from birth for
  the LORD,

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(3) endued with unique power,(4) chases after
foreign women (foreign gods for Israel),
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(5) enticed and subdued, (6) loss of strength
and God's presence,
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(7) overcome, taken captive, bound, and
blinded,(8) return of his strength and God's
presence when he asks God for help
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Israel was to see herself in Samson
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A TRAGIC HERO

• a comedy is a story that begins in prosperity,
  descends into tragedy, and rises again to end
  happily (Esther, Ruth, Genesis 38)

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a tragedy is a story of exceptional
calamitya movement from prosperity to
catastrophe (Esau, Genesis 2527 Saul, 1 Samuel
831)
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flaws of character make the tragic hero
responsible for his own downfalland to some
extent deserving of it
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all biblical tragedies are variations of the
theme of disobedience to God
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FIRST OF FOUR DELIVERERS FROM PHILISTINE
OPPRESSION
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deliverance from the Philistines began with
Samson (Judges 135),successfully continued
with Samuel (1 Samuel 7214),failed under
Saul(compare 1 Samuel 916 with 2819),and was
completed by David(2 Samuel 51725 81 199)
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SEVENTH APOSTASY AND OPPRESSION

• the LORD delivered Israel to Philistine
  oppression for 40 years (Judges 131)

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this was the last and apparently the deepest
apostasy
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there is no record of national repentance or
cry for a deliverer during Samsons twenty-year
ministry
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the expected cry of the people for help is
absentthe only person to cry out to the LORD
anywhere in the story is Samson
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the people have acquiesced to bondagethe
only army mustered by Israel was to capture
Samsonnot to fight the Philistines (Judges 1511)
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Samson weakened the Philistines and kept them
in check, but provided no permanent deliverance
for Israel
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Persistent Carnality

• he married a Philistine woman of Timnah
  (Judges 14)apparently God's permissive will
  (compare Judges 144 with Deuteronomy 734)

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he visited a harlot in Gaza (Judges 161)and
had an affair with Delilah (16420)
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he embodies everything that was wrong with
Israelweak will, self-indulgence, the dangers
of success, sensuality, overconfidence, bad
company, recklessness, misplaced trust, and
spiritual complacency
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in spite of his persistent carnality Gods
blessing of special strength remained with
himafter visiting a prostitute he was able to
carry away the city gate of Gaza some 30 to 40
miles (Judges 1613)
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only when his hair was shaved did the Spirit
quit empowering hima careless violation of his
Nazirite vow (Judges 161920)
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RESULTS OF HIS CARNALITY

• he gave the Philistines an opportunity to
  glorify their false godDagon (Judges 162324)

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he was blinded, imprisoned, and mocked by his
enemies (Judges 1621, 2527)
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his last prayer was Let me die with the
Philistinesa tragic end to a careless
spiritual life (Judges 1630)
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in part two we will look at
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NAZIRITE FOR LIFE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT HIS SUCCESSES JUDGE OVER DAN AND
JUDAH HIS SUICIDE HIS TWO PRAYERS
INCLUSION IN THE HALL OF FAME
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SHEEP IN THE WORD MINISTRIES Rev. Robert C. Lewis
Glendale Baptist Church Houston,
Texas quicknotes.org 2002