Sermon Transcript:

Last time we saw the miraculous birth of Samson. The Lord opened the womb of an old and infertile woman to bring this child of promise. A man that God promised would begin to deliver his people. So, we know the beginning of the story and most of us probably also know how the story ends. Samson will eventually sacrifice himself to save others, but to understand what the story of Samson is really all about we need to understand some things about his early life and that is what we are going to look at today. 

With each new judge we see the nation of Israel descending further and further away from what they were created to be. They have failed to be a nation of priests and a beacon to the world and instead became just like those around them. Rather than being separate from the world, they became like it. Samson is the last judge recorded in the book but in many ways he is also the greatest judge because in him we see most clearly the grace of God. In him we see that even in the darkest moments, God is still faithfully and graciously working for the salvation of his people. 

The main point of the message this morning is God's grace brings blessing out of darkness.

God is at work even in those things that appear to be utterly useless and chaotic to bring blessing upon his people and glory to his name. We begin in verse 1,

1 Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.” 3 But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” 4 His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.

The first thing we see Samson do is to go down to Timnah and find a woman. Chapter 14 is organized around a series of events described in a downward progression. With each step, they go down. The verb is used 5 times and each time it is connected with something secret or hidden. In verses 1-4, Samson goes down to Timnah in relation to the secret purpose of God.

Put yourself in the place of his parents. 40 years your people have been oppressed by the Philistines. For generations they have struggled with idolatry and faithlessness. You cannot have children and then in a miraculous encounter you meet with God who promises you a child. Not only will you be blessed, but this child will begin to deliver your people. He is your joy, your hope, your only son.

But then, when he becomes a young man he runs off to town and tells you he wants you to set him up with one of the daughters of your oppressors. A girl who will not only draw him away from his people, but from God. There is no indication he is in love, just that he sees her, she looks good to him, and he wants her. Samson is presented as a stubborn and impulsive young man. This idea must have been devastating to his parents.

They ask, isn’t there anyone from our tribe or at least another Israelite tribe that you would be happy with. Must you bring shame on our family? But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes. This last part of verse 3 and then verse 4 are critical to understanding what the Samson narrative is all about. Any Hebrew reading this would immediately understand how foolish and how damaging Samson’s impulsive and disrespectful behavior is and the way he responds to his father should get our attention. “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes”.

Remember the key theme of the book of Judges: "There was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes." God providentially orders the life of Samson as an illustration of Israel herself. Anyone familiar with Israel's history would immediately see the connections.

Both Samson and Israel came into the world through the miraculous birth of an older, infertile woman—Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Both Samson and Israel were given special codes of laws designed to distinguish them from the world around them. Israel had the law of Moses, and Samson had the Nazarite code. Both were meant to be separated from others, dedicated, and consecrated to God, called to be holy.

In both cases, God took something weak and made it incredibly strong. Israel easily overcame far superior enemies like Pharaoh, and Samson was given extraordinary physical strength. Yet, just as Israel was drawn to foreign gods, Samson was drawn to foreign women. Samson’s story mirrors Israel’s story.

Samson is being sinful in his pursuit of this woman. Just like Israel, he is captivated by the pleasures of the world around him, drawing him away from faithfulness, but verse 4 tells us something astounding.

4 His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines.

Samson going down to Timnah was part of God’s plan. This does not mean that God is responsible for Samson’s sin. Samson is choosing to do this to satisfy his own sinful desires and so he is rightly accountable for his actions. God does not force him to do anything outside of his will. Yet, we see a profound truth here about the sovereignty of God. He works even through the sinful acts of free creatures to ultimately bring about his plans.

This can be very difficult and even troubling when you first realize it, but it is a wonderful blessing once you understand it. People choose to do what they want to do and are responsible for their choices. We will be judged on our choices. But God is so marvelous, so wonderful, so far above us, that all those choices end up accomplishing God’s plans down to the very last detail.

Samson chose to go to Timnah, but it was God’s plan that he do it. Joseph’s brothers chose to sell him into slavery, but it was God’s plan that he would go to Egypt. The Moabites, and Ammorites, and Philistines chose to invade Israel, but it was God’s plan that they should chasten his people. The devil himself entered into Judas to betray Jesus, but it was God’s plan that his son should die on a cross for the sins of his people. In Acts 2:23, the apostle Peter says Jesus was,

23 … delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

You… lawless men crucified him. You did that, but it was God’s definite plan. The devil entered into Judas to betray Jesus. Even the sinful acts of rebellion committed by Satan himself ultimately will result in the glory of God and the salvation of his people.

Samson is a mess, but God is at work. All of us have children or loved ones and friends we worry about. We see them doing foolish things. It isn’t good that they do those things and we need to do as Samson’s parents did. Point them in the right direction, but never lose hope. Never stop trusting God, he is often at work even in those very things that break our hearts.

Also, if you are hearing this message but maybe you have been avoiding God because God’s people just haven’t lived up to what they should be in your life, I want to encourage you to come. Yes, people at church can often be thoughtless and hurtful. At some point or another there will be plenty of examples of folks not acting like Jesus. That doesn’t mean, however, that God isn’t at work. It is such a comfort of grace to know that God works with imperfect people. That is the very reason I know I am welcome to come. Don’t let another sinner keep you from God. He is often at work in places you don’t expect.

Although they are not worthy and though they are often foolish and unfaithful, God works through his people to glorify his name and provide salvation. Therefore, in Samson we see Israel and if we are honest, we see ourselves. Verse 5,

5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. 6 Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

Samson gets his way and they head down to Timnah. The author gives us another clue that Samson is not where he is supposed to be. They come to the vineyards of Timnah. As a Nazarite, he is not supposed to be anywhere near anything that is associated with grapes. Even Welch’s grape juice would have been off limits, but here he is in a vineyard.

Sin doesn’t overcome us all at once. Like a lion, it is an ambush predator, moving closer and closer, gauging our sensitivity to it until it is close enough to pounce. A vineyard isn’t the place to be if you are committed to avoiding grapes, but that is where he is. Then out of nowhere this young lion charges him and the Spirit of the Lord comes on him and we are told he is able to kill this lion empty handed, in one of the most awesome lines in the entire book. It says, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. You know, as you do.

I have to admit, I have never torn a young goat so I don’t know exactly what that is like, maybe you do. The point, however, is that the spirit of God enables Samson to deal with this lion as if it were something weak and harmless. We often see pictures of Samson making him look like a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, and maybe he was a big guy, we don’t know. I do know that even Arnold could not have dealt with a wild lion as if it were a young goat. It is the Spirit of the Lord that provides the strength Samson has.

The first time, he went down to Timnah and saw the women and God’s purpose in it was concealed. This time he goes down to Timnah and kills the lion, and the secret is the slaying of the lion. He doesn’t tell anyone, but Samson has experienced the power of God upon him. God often gives us previews of his power to strengthen and deliver.

The gospel of Mark says if the disciples had understood the miracle of the loaves, they would not have been surprised by Jesus walking on water. If you and I understand God’s power in causing us to be born again, we should not be surprised at his promise to work all things for our good. Hopefully we do not need to worry about lions, but God shows us glimpses of his power in our lives doesn’t he? That should encourage us. He often calls our attention to his power to deliver in small things to remind us we can trust him in all things. 

7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson’s eyes. 8 After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.

As Samson heads back a few days later to see this woman he desires, he sees the dead body of the lion and it is filled with bees. As a Nazarite, he is not supposed to touch anything dead, but Samson is one who is driven by his own desires. He scoops out the honey from the beehive that was formed in the carcass of this dead lion. We see his strength, but also his impulsiveness and disregard for his calling.

10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do. 11 As soon as the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12 And Samson said to them, “Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can tell me what it is, within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes, 13 but if you cannot tell me what it is, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Put your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14 And he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” And in three days they could not solve the riddle. 

Manoah finishes up negotiations with the bride’s family and Samson prepares a feast. The word translated as feast refers to a drinking party. He has violated his vow in touching a dead body, and now he isn’t just in the vineyard, he is planning a drinking party. Like Israel, he is ignoring those things that are supposed to make him distinct from the world. 

The 4th secret is one that connects the previous 3. Samson comes up with a riddle based on what happened with the lion and the honey and makes a bet with the men of his wife’s clan that they cannot guess the answer. If they win, Samson gives them all new clothes, if he wins, he gets an entire wardrobe. Keep in mind, they didn’t have Men’s Warehouse or Jo Banks. Clothes were hand woven. He tells them the riddle and they cannot figure it out.

15 On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?” 16 And Samson’s wife wept over him and said, “You only hate me; you do not love me. You have put a riddle to my people, and you have not told me what it is.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?” 17 She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. Then she told the riddle to her people. 

Her people come and say, “hey, you are one of us, are you going to let him take our money? You need to get the answer or we are going kill you and those you love.” So, she is under a lot of pressure and she uses one of the oldest and most effective manipulations in any relationship. “If you really love me… you would do…whatever.” She cries for 7 days and it says she pressed him hard.

It turns out, for all his strength, Samson has a weakness for women and he tells her and she tells them. That is the way it is with secrets between people. I know some folks who buy into these elaborate conspiracy theories. I mean really big ones. Well, I have been in corporate leadership long enough and dealt with people at church long enough to know that people are really bad at keeping secrets. As soon as it is in their personal interest, the information starts flowing like water. 

If you know the rest of Samson’s story, you begin to already see the weaknesses that will ultimately destroy him. This is a foreshadow of a far more serious betrayal of a secret that will come in chapter 16 with Delilah. His wife was in a no-win situation and it says she pressured him hard. The same verb is used later with Delilah. In both cases, he caves. There are areas in all of our lives that make us vulnerable to the devil’s attacks.

It is important as we grow to become familiar with our own weaknesses because once he exposes them, Satan will continue to attack them. Last year, on the way to winning the national championship the Michigan football team had to play Penn State in State College. Penn State had a great defense, but Michigan realized they were struggling to stop the run. Once they figured that out, they ran the ball something like 30 times in a row and went on to win the game. 

The devil is a lot like a football coach. He doesn’t care about style points. He will keep attacking a spot as long as it keeps working. Being aware of our weaknesses is the beginning of safety. Fighting sin is serious business and it is hard work. We can be strong in one area and yet weak in another. That’s why we cannot do it on our own, but the good news is we are not on our own. We have the word to guide us, we have the fellowship of the church to come alongside and strengthen us, and most importantly, we have the promise that Christ himself will help us if we pray. Hebrews 4:15–16 says,

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Amen? There is no record here of Samson praying or reaching out for wise counsel. She presses him and he falls for it.

18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.”

Samson isn’t dumb. He immediately realizes what happened and calls them on it. By the way, I know a few of you men are giving serious thought to getting married. I want more than anything for you to model your marriage on biblical principles and examples, but be sure to apply proper Bible study methods. Make sure you are paying attention to context. Samson is not a good example and I do not recommend under any conceivable set of circumstances that you ever refer to your wife using this kind of illustration. 

19 And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.

Again the Spirit comes upon him and gives him great strength. From Samson’s perspective, he is acting in anger arising out of his own foolishness, but we must understand that it was the Spirit of God that came upon him and empowered him to do this thing. God had planned to use Samson to begin to save Israel. Samson kills 30 guys so he can steal their clothes and pay off his bet without it costing him anything. He isn’t a great guy, yet God uses him to begin judgment upon the Philistines.

Remember our main point? God's grace brings blessing out of darkness. In this dark time for Israel, God was working to bring salvation. Even out of the darkness of Samson’s own life, God is working to deliver his people. What about us? This world is spiritually a dark place. God is openly mocked. His good and righteous moral laws are not only ignored, they are laughed at. The result is pain, loneliness, and devastation of all kinds everywhere you look. People use drugs and alcohol, or use sports, entertainment, or pleasure, or money to distract themselves from what they know to be true.

The world is dark. Yet, in that darkness shines the light of the gospel. Even now, God is at work to save his people. The world is evil but the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church of almighty God. Every day the kingdom advances. Every single day people come out of darkness into the saving light of Christ through the good news of Jesus Christ.

God sent his son, Jesus into the dark world. Jesus lived a sinless life, he is perfect. Then he took upon himself the penalty, the darkness and wrath that all the sins of everyone who would believe in him deserved, and he gave his life on a cross. He did that so he could exchange his righteousness, his light, for our sin and darkness. Jesus died in the place of all who will accept what he did as their only hope for salvation.

You could say that Jesus experienced hell so that you don’t have to. The full righteous wrath of God was poured on him so that the full blessings of God could be poured out on us. He died, but on the third day, he rose from the dead in glory. He still bears the marks of my sin and yours, but he is risen and seated at the right hand of the Father where he is our advocate.

Friends, God brings blessing out of darkness. Your life may be dark. There may be places where the devil has absolutely overrun you. I want you to understand in all your weakness and in all your loss, God may be doing the very work that will bring you to glory. If you will repent and believe, your sins will be forgiven. You will be adopted as an heir to the kingdom of God. If you believe, God is working even to bring light out of the darkness of your life. Samson shows us that God is pleased to use even the messy and the foolish.

The world is dark, but God is light. Our only hope is to repent of our love for darkness and run to Christ in the confidence that he keeps his promises and we will be raised up on the last day to the glory of his grace. When the multitude of angels and saints see us shining like the sun, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, all will know that this is his work and he gets the glory for it. In Samson, the power of God was displayed in a small way. It is not much for God to make a man stronger. But in us the power of God will be on full display, because it is no small thing to make a sinner righteous!

But that is exactly what he promises to do for those who put their faith in him. If you have, walk in the joy and peace of knowing him. If you have yet to come, here the words of our lord in John 6:35–40,

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Amen.