Green Pastures By Pastor T. O. Banso
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After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion." (Judg 14:8-9 NKJV)
Samson was a phenomenally powerful man but it appeared he lacked a sense of destiny. He came across as someone who was careless and unappreciative of God's calling upon his life. Therefore, he violated the oath of his consecration as seen from the Scripture above. A Nazarite was not supposed to touch anything dead so as not to be made unclean but Samson touched a dead lion he had killed earlier and scooped honey out of it, ate it and gave to his parents. This was a violation of the vow of a Nazarite in Num 6:2-8 which included not coming near a dead body but Samson, whether aware of the vow or not, went to touch a dead lion.
Some Bible scholars even believe that the wine used at the feast that Samson made at Timnah where he went to marry a wife was the forbidden type. One may not disagree with them knowing the tendency of Samson for recklessness. Judg 14:10 says, "So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so." (NKJV) If Samson had provided for drinking the type of wine God had forbidden a Nazarite from drinking and he drank, he would have violated Num 6:2-4: "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk." (KJV)
In Judges 16:1, Samson did what someone who is not even a Nazarite would not do today. God expects holy living of His children and much more His servant but Samson showing disdain for this went to sleep with a harlot. "Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her." (NKJV) He continued in his brazen life of sexual immorality by going into relationship with Delilah, a foreigner, and Israelites were not supposed to go into marriage relationship with foreigners. "Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah." (Judg 16:4NKJV) This was where he met his waterloo. And this happened because Samson didn't have regard for his destiny just as God said of the Israelites in Lam 1:9: "Her uncleanness is in her skirts; She did not consider her destiny; Therefore her collapse was awesome; She had no comforter. 'O LORD, behold my affliction, for the enemy is exalted!'" (NKJV) This was exactly the tragedy that befell Samson; the iniquity in his trousers led him to die prematurely with his enemy because he lacked a sense of destiny!
How could Samson have disclosed the source of his power to a woman who kept on asking him not once, not twice and each time he deceived her, he found her using the information against him with the intention of handing him over to the enemy? Yet he went ahead to disclose the source of his power - no razor shall touch his head. This was a vow that a Nazarite was supposed not to violate. Num 6:5-6 says, "All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body." (NKJV) But because Samson appeared not to value the purpose of God for his life, he disclosed this information to Delilah who got his head shaved and called the enemy in to arrest him. Judg 16:20 says, "And she said, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!' So he awoke from his sleep, and said, 'I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!' But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him." (NKJV) What a pity! The game was over for Samson. His enemy prevailed against him.
Consider your destiny
Friend, do you value the purpose of God upon your life? Do you value your destiny enough to run from the Delilahs around you? Or are you deceiving yourself that you can handle them? 1 Cor 10:12 says, "If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin." (NLT) There will be temptations but see that you don't soil your garment. (Rev 3:4)
You may have stumbled before now but you don't have to persist in error like Samson. He violated the dictum which says, "Once bitten, twice shy." He allowed himself to be betrayed by Delilah. "The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent." (Acts 17:30 ASV)
Consider your destiny; avoid uncleanness in your skirts or trousers! Keep away from every kind of evil. (1 Thess 5:22) Don't be like Samson who violated the oath of his consecration. "Let your garments always be white, and let your head lack no oil." (Eccl 9:8 NKJV) Don't be like Esau who despised his birth right. "Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau." (Heb 12:16 NLT) Guard jealously your destiny; don't let your enemy capture you. Don't become your enemies' entertainer like Samson.
You won't die in the hands of your foes in Jesus' name. Your adversaries shall not prevail over you. The Lord will not deliver you over to the will of your enemies in Jesus' name.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, kindly say this prayer now: "0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God"
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be.
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