Samson in the Wilderness - Part 3

This is the third part to a series on Samson.  You can start at the beginning here.

I mentioned in my opening paragraph of Samson- a Faithful Example, that there seems to be a time when Samson fell into a spiritual wilderness, devoid of the power and authority of the Holy Spirit.

Judges Chapter 16 seems to start in this way.  We see Samson visiting a harlot in Gaza.  At this time, Samson was a most wanted man for all the destruction he had caused the Philistines.  The men of the city planned to kill him in the morning.  Samson escaped by leaving in the middle of the night, but there is no indication he did this with the power of the Holy Spirit.  Verse 3 says, “he arose and took hold of the doors of the city’s gate and the two posts, and pulling them up, bar and all, he put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is before Hebron.”

Usually passages showing great strength like this begins with, “And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him.”  This is not the case in Chapter 16.  What this tells me is that Samson is naturally a very strong man.  There is a way that God’s people can walk separate from the Holy Spirit, and in our own strength.  I believe this is what Samson was doing.  The practice of walking separate from God leads us into a spiritual wilderness.  We learned from the Israelites' experience in the physical wilderness that God still provides and is near during this time, but He uses this (very difficult) experience to discipline us and prove our faith (to ourselves).

I’m going to take a slight detour in order to explain the idea of a spiritual wilderness, or the practice of walking separate from God.  In today’s language, we like to make a distinction between religion and relationship.  I have heard it explained that religion is following a set of instructions for holy living without relationship.  God’s people (including us!) have fallen in this category consistently since the fall of man in Genesis. 

After spending much time in the Old Testament Law, I began to understand that there is no distinction between religion and relationship from God’s perspective.  In essence, there is no difference in the Old Testament Covenant and the New.  Today as always, it is God’s intention that true love for Him would be so evident in our lives that we would naturally be concerned with obeying divine instructions pertaining to Holy Living.  It is our flesh which weakens this Covenant, and our human tendency is to separate duty from oneness with God.  Another way of explaining this is to say that we have the tendency to walk independently of God’s Spirit.  It is the sin in our flesh, which we all carry, that has made the distinction and created enmity between us and God.  God made the correction through sending Jesus into the flesh to crucify sin and make it possible for us to walk in Him, or to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and be one with God.  It is through this kind of relationship that the law is fulfilled in us.  As detailed as the law was in the Israelites' lives is how detailed God is with us.  He wants to work, play, rest, love, exercise, clean, organize, serve, lead, and so forth, with us.  (The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence is a gem of a book that can help encourage this.)

So how does this work?  It is only through a true humbling and surrendering to God that we can abide in Him.  It is consistently laying down our own desires and allowing the Spirit to have His way.  It is a lifestyle of obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  It is through the Spirit in us that God’s law (way) is written on our hearts.  Sometimes this means coming to the end of ourselves, which can be a very painful process as we will see in Samson’s life.

It’s not hard to see that many of us aren’t tapping into this kind of living.  Even those of us who are called by God to serve in His Church find ourselves, like Samson, operating in our own strength.  Our flesh has weakness, and has limits.  This can be why so many of us experience burn-out, or a dry season.  Operating in this way leads to destruction, as many of us have seen in our lives and in the church.  Samson experienced this destruction.  But have faith, God uses our destruction to lead us into His Presence and to teach us to walk in His way.  God’s story is that of salvation, restoration, and glory.  Good stuff.

More to come. . .  click here.

Samson's Final Act

This is the last post of the Samson series.  You can begin reading the Samson series here.

I’ve been excited to write this post for a while.  This is where Samson’s story gets really good.  Yes, we start at the pinnacle of Samson’s devastation, but please hear me, redemption is SO amazing.  The spiritual significance of the end of Samson’s story is beautiful.  I can’t wait!

We begin in Judges 16:4 with the famous Delilah.  I’m not really going to comment a whole lot on this part since the story is so well known.  Plus you can read it.  :)

Samson plays this messed up game with Delilah and eventually she learns the secret of his strength and the Lord leaves him.  My heart aches for this part of the story.  It makes me think about Jesus on the cross when He takes our sin upon Him, and the Father turns His back.  Remember Jesus’ heartbreaking cry in agony?  “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  (Matt. 27:46)

There is a way that we can walk, continually in our own way, and eventually Father will let us go.  In His wisdom, He lovingly lets us have our way, though He can see the resulting destruction.  Samson’s fall was particularly brutal.  For those whom God has called, set apart, and designated for a certain purpose, the result of running away can be especially painful.

Delilah shaves Samson’s head, his strength leaves him, the Philistines capture him, and they put his eyes out.  Samson lands himself in prison, blind. 

You may be thinking, how could this happen?  How can a man so clearly set apart for God, so supernaturally gifted, land in such devastation?  How is it that Samson ended up being so far from God, to the point where His Spirit left him?

Remember the pain Samson experienced in Judges chapter 14?  Recall Samson’s failed marriage and humiliation.  Recall the rejection and betrayal Samson must have felt when his own brethren accused him and gave him up to the Philistines (Judges 15:12).  I can’t imagine the loneliness Samson must have felt throughout his life.  His own parents didn’t understand where he was coming from.

In this world there is pain and struggles- that is certain.  It is when we pick up our burdens and carry them in our own strength, like Samson in chapter 16, that our heart begins to stray.  Without consistently coming to God with our disappointments, when we don’t allow ourselves to feel our pain, we run the risk of inadvertently storing up garbage in our hearts.  This becomes a dark corner and begins to harden our heart.  

It is clear that Samson’s prison time did it’s purpose.  It seems Samson truly humbled himself, surrendering fully and completely- even to the point of death- to God’s will for his life.  His hair grows back and Samson is summoned to be paraded around in front of the Philistine lords.

I smell the sweet fragrance of a man completely surrendered in Samson’s last prayer.  Verse 28 reads,

“Then Samson called to the Lord and said, O Lord God, [earnestly] remember me, I pray You, and strengthen me, I pray You, only this once, Oh God, and let me have one vengeance upon the Philistines for both my eyes.”

In Samson’s final act we see him bowing his head and pushing with all his might on two pillars, arms stretched wide, as the temple roof collapses on him and all the Philistine leadership.  The Bible records that Samson killed more at his death than in his life.  As a result, the Israelites gained much momentum toward their deliverance from the hand of the Philistines.

Do you see what I see?

Be Perfect

In my last post, Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World, I mentioned that God’s Kingdom isn’t about outside standards and expectations.  Now you may be wondering, what about holiness?  How does that work?  After all, isn’t holiness moral perfection?  If it isn’t about adhering to a list of do’s and don’ts, then what is God asking for?

“Be holy, because I am holy.”

 Everyone knows... nobody is perfect.  How can He demand perfection?

It is helpful to understand that holy is part of God’s nature, it is who He is.  Holiness also interacts with all of His other characteristics.  It’s what makes Him perfectly loving, perfectly forgiving, and perfectly understanding.

“Be holy, because I am holy.”

It is also helpful to understand that holiness is, in essence, conformity to God’s character.  He calls us to be like Him!  You may not be hearing the good news in this, but this is actually a huge relief!!

There are so many different words the Bible uses to explain how this is possible.  I have written that when we believe God for salvation, Jesus takes our judgement and hands us His nature.  Although the Bible talks about this spiritual exchange using many different verbiage, let’s stick with the new nature idea.  We now take part of divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Ok, here’s the good news... wait for it...  WE ARE HOLY BECAUSE HE IS HOLY!  We have God’s nature in us by the resurrection of Christ.  This is how God can look at us and call us righteous.  This is how we can come close to a holy God.  This is the reason we can be in a relationship with Him!

Good to know.  How is this good news for us today?  I’m so glad you asked!

Instead of trying, failing, trying again, failing again... there is a new way for those who are in Christ.  If we direct all our faculties- all our effort, thoughts, emotions, desires- toward God, He’ll reveal more of Himself in us.  Yes, if we put our energy into getting to know Him, see Him, and recognize Him in this world, we will naturally become more like Him.  As we get to know His heart, our heart becomes more like His.  As we learn to live more and more in His nature, meeting standards and expectations just comes naturally!

The world sets standards and expectations and demands conformity.  There is nothing wrong with standards.  Just as the standards of the Old Testament law are perfect, the standards and expectations in this world are potentially good.  Except when we feel we can’t meet them :(  

What is different for those who follow Christ is that our gaze is not on the standard.  We are focussing on God’s glory in us.  We are focussing on obeying the Holy Spirit.  We are concentrating on learning from God how to do our work.  Reaching the standard is simply a bi-product of who we are rather than an end for our effort.  In this way, a job well done is not measured by reaching the standard, but by our relationship to God.

The difference in perspective causes a change in motivation.  When we are focussed on earthly expectations, we can be self-motivated and relying on ourselves to reach the goal.  This is why it can be so difficult to take when we miss the mark.  Many have feelings of failure, shame and embarrassment.  These feelings are not coming from God, but due to our own pride and expectation.

When our focus is God in all that we do, holiness, excellence, and perfection are just a natural result.  Our expectation relies on God to be holy.  Pursuing holiness is pursuing a relationship with God.  As He reveals his nature and character, we become more like Him.  We naturally live out holiness.  

Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World

Let’s face it, the world’s system is that of external standards, measurement, and judgement.  It’s the way it works.  You either meet the teacher’s benchmarks or you fail the class.  You perform to a certain level or get cut from the team.  You meet your boss’s expectations or get fired.  It’s the way of the world and a system that works pretty well for it.

This worldly system has leached it’s way into the church.  So many see God as a taskmaster, cracking the whip when we aren’t performing to His expectations.  We are driven to do and say because we believe that is what is expected.  We judge mainly because we ourselves feel judged.  We measure others because we feel we are being measured.

God’s Kingdom doesn’t work like the world.  It’s an upside down and inside out way of living.  There isn’t something you can do or say to make Him love or save you.  There isn’t a set of rules to follow or a standard to meet.  You aren’t being measured and can’t get cut from the team.

So how do we live in this world when we are not of it?  When we constant “hear” judgement and condemnation, when we feel we are being measured and told we are unworthy, how do we live out God’s truth?  How do we walk in forgiveness and remain in His love?  How do we live in the world’s system without it damaging our soul?

There’s only one way.  By believing God more than our experience in the world.  When we feel unforgiven, run to God and receive forgiveness.  When we feel unworthy, run to God and receive our worth.  When we feel rejected, run to God and receive His acceptance.  It’s believing Him despite our circumstances, despite what the world is telling us to believe about ourself. 

Great News!

Whether you’ve heard it all your life or are hearing it for the first time, the gospel is a powerful message worthy of our careful attention and devotion.  It is a message we can’t get enough of; one that reveals a little more salvation every time we open our hearts to consume God’s Word.  Our minds are blown and our souls become freer.  Humor me, and let’s marinade together in the greatness of salvation available to all!  

Let’s begin with God.  He is loving, He is compassionate, and He is kind.  When Moses asked God to show him His glory, or His very nature and His heart, God proclaimed in Ex. 34:6, “The Lord! the Lord! a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth,”

Good news, right?  Oh! what a wonderful God He is, worthy of our praise and worship!

Did you notice the comma?  There is more that God proclaimed about himself!  “Keeping mercy and loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty. . .”  This is where the needle scratches the record and all men are silent.  The law comes forth.  The do’s and don’t’s, the rules and regulations, that thing we hate which makes us all cringe.  The law which so strongly makes sins known and places blame, guilt, judgement and shame.

It’s funny how we are.  We like to make life all about the law.  We obsess about this set of rules, or moral code, and constantly measure ourselves and others.  Some run in disgust, fed up with the guilt and blame they feel.  They think that if they just reject or ignore it, the feelings will go away.  Some embrace the law, and in their own effort “submit” and follow.  Some are really good at being good, yet still live under the judgement of the law. 

Actually, the law has little to do with the gospel.  The law is just there to make us realize we all carry sin.  The law points out our sins, something tangible we can see in reality.  And that is why God set it up!!  He wants us to see what He sees!  We all do bad things because it is our nature.  I write a lot about the flesh and this is what I’m talking about: everything in us that goes against the very nature of God.  There is absolutely nothing we can do about that, it’s been here since Adam and it’s here to stay until the end.

But there’s good news.

When we walk in our natural way, cross-grained against the nature of God, there is friction which causes a separation between us and God.  Think about when someone is offended.  There is a withdrawal and separation between friends because the offense is hanging in the middle.  Same thing with God.  He is holy and just.  We can’t go near him in our condition, in our old nature.

Ok, so here’s the good news.  “For God so loved the world He gave His only son, that who so ever believes in Him shall have eternal life.” John 3:16.

God sent Jesus to die for us.  Jesus takes the burden of our sins and crucifies it on the cross.  What do I mean by burden?  All that judgement, shame, guilt. . . yeah, that stuff that makes us so angry and offended by the law.  It’s gone.

I like that, sounds like good news, right?

Truly we are forgiven, but we still have a problem.  We still carry our old nature, or our flesh.  We see it daily when we do things we believe to be wrong.

Here’s where the great exchange takes place.  Not only did Jesus die on the cross and pay the price of our judgement, but God raised Him from the grave, giving us His life.  Jesus takes the weight of our sins and hands us His nature in exchange.  

I think this sounds like GREAT news!

We take on the the very nature of God when we believe Him for salvation.  This is eternal life, or new life in Christ.  We now have Jesus’s nature, and we can walk by God’s side.  When God looks at us, He sees His Son.  He’s looking at our new nature.

As plain and simple as it sounds, many of us haven’t even realized our new nature.  We talk about living in Him, or walking by the Spirit, but haven’t seen or experienced what that looks like in the reality of our own lives.  We need to learn to do life out of our renewed spirit, our new life, or in our new nature.  Through learning to walk by the Spirit, we learn how to come into relationship with God and do life with Him.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” 

(Gal. 5:16)

While we can read all day about the differences of the old and new nature, the truth is everyone has to experience it for themselves.

Just like Moses, we can ask God to show us His glory.  Once we get to know the very heart of God, everything opposed to it becomes clear.  We begin to distinguish that which comes from our flesh.  Paul writes in 1 Cor. 15:31, “I die daily.”  What this means is that Paul identifies what is not from God in himself and practices turning from it daily.  It means lying down our pride, our knowledge, our rights, and believing God.

I hope you join me in pursuing this great news in the reality of our own life!