Judges 16:20, "And she said,
The Philistines be upon
thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and
said, I will go out as at other times before, and
shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was
departed from him."
This morning, one of the most woeful and sorrowful
verses in all the Bible is upon our minds. While it
is never pleasant to consider these moments, segments
of God's word like these are for our instruction, as
we are liable to fall into similar situations. My own
experience contains situations when the Lord was
absent, and I knew it not. While we understand that
His presence is not far from every one of us,
fellowship with God that we so enjoy can be wanting
when we follow after our own imaginations instead of
His precepts. David encountered a similar time when
in the depths of woe for his transgression, and he
cried out, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation."
(Psalm 51) Therefore, let us learn what we can about
these times in the lives of Biblical characters to
become more steadfast in our approach of our own lives
so that we would be found walking with God instead of
away from Him.
This account is in the midst of the life of Samson
(one of the judges of Israel). He has been blessed
with remarkable human strength and blessing from God
that makes apprehending him impossible by the
Philistines. Many times they tried to take him, but
each instance was marked by a great deliverance from
the Lord. So, the Philistines bribe Delilah to
beguile Samson to unlock the secret of his great
strength, and then be able to capture him. After
several series of events, Samson tells Delilah that if
his hair is cut with a razor, he will be weak as
another man. After his locks are shaven, the verse
above follows in which Samson is apprehended. But,
notice that he immediately did not know about his
plight. He arose to shake himself just like any of
the previous times! How often we today think that if
we have done something a certain way before, and we
can just do it again the same way. James cautions us
about saying we will do this or do that without the
all- important "if the Lord will."
So, Samson's demise comes without him even knowing
(at least for a time) that the Lord's presence had
departed from him. How sorrowful a condition! Yet,
even though he did not know at that moment that he was
weak, those about him that sought his destruction did
know. Delilah was convinced of the sureness of this
event (even though Samson lied to her 3 times before).
She felt sure that cutting his hair would indeed lead
to his capture. Therefore, the question is, "How
would we know that the presence of the Lord had
departed from us?" To answer that question, I believe
we must answer another question, "What was the source
of Samson's strength?"
There is a popular mode of thought that Samson's
strength was in his hair. Yet, the hair of his head
was only symbolic of where his true strength lie. As
a birth by promise, Samson's parents were told by an
angel of the Lord what they must do and how the child
must be brought up. As a Nazarite, his hair was not
to be shaven, he was not to drink wine, etc. Each of
these outward things were symbolic of him being
special in the Lord's sight. Notice that the
deliverances that Samson wrought before were not just
second nature. When he slew the lion with his hands,
the 1000 Philistines with the jaw-bone of an ass, etc,
each occurrence is marked by the LORD's presence. The
Spirit of the Lord came upon him, or he besought the Lord for the deliverance. Therefore, Samson's
strength did not rest in his hair but in the LORD.
The hair represented a covenant (if you will) of the
Lord with him as a Nazarite of God.
Even when Samson kills more in his death than in his
life, he has to beseech the Lord for that deliverance
and victory. Without the Lord's strength, Samson
could do nothing, but notice that the symbol of the
Lord's presence had once again grown upon his head.
While the Lord works mighty miracles of deliverance
according to His good pleasure, He has given us some
things to follow that we are blessed in. He gave
Samson some precepts to follow that he would be
blessed in keeping, and today, we have been given
things that we will be blessed in keeping. Could the
Lord bless Samson with remarkable strength and him
have no hair? Absolutely! But, the Lord removed His
presence of providential protection from Samson when
he broke the covenant given his family before he was
born.
Now you might say, "Where are you going with this?"
The point is this: the Lord has given us things to
follow after that we are blessed in keeping. His
church is to worship Him in spirit and in truth. What
happens when we neglect these items? What happens
when we leave our first love? We can be a body whose
candlestick is removed and wist not that the presence
of the Lord has departed from us. What happens when
we seek to preach ourselves instead of Christ Jesus
the Lord? The Lord can dry up the minister's gift and
everyone see it but him. What happens when we leave
the good way where rest is found for the soul? The
Lord can remove His hand and Satan stand up to provoke
us.
The Lord many times blesses us in spite of
ourselves, and Samson's life is marked by many follies
and transgressions. Yet, the Lord was merciful to not
depart from him, but there came a point when there was
no remedy. (II Chronicles 36:16) That point was when
his hair was shaven, and we today need to remain
separate from the thoughts and aims of the world.
While we live in the world, let us not live of the
world. He has been merciful to us in our endeavours
in spite of ourselves, but may we draw closer to Him
in the future than we have in the past. May we cling
to the precious truths and precepts that He has given.
Indeed, Samson looked different with his hair by the
keeping of God's commandments. May our conduct look
different to the world by the keeping of the things
that God has blessed us with. Samson needed the Lord,
and we need Him today. May we outwardly live to show
forth the Strength of our lives understanding that He
never leaves us or forsakes us, but striving to feel
His presence with us through every course and scene of
our lives.
How tedious and tasteless the hours
When Jesus no longer I see;
Sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet flowers,
Have all lost their sweetness to me;
The midsummer sun shines but dim,
The fields strive in vain to look gay.
But when I am happy in Him,
December’s as pleasant as May.
His Name yields the richest perfume,
And sweeter than music His voice;
His presence disperses my gloom,
And makes all within me rejoice.
I should, were He always thus nigh,
Have nothing to wish or to fear;
No mortal as happy as I,
My summer would last all the year.
Content with beholding His face,
My all to His pleasure resigned,
No changes of season or place
Would make any change in my mind:
While blessed with a sense of His love,
A palace a toy would appear;
All prisons would palaces prove,
If Jesus would dwell with me there.
Dear Lord, if indeed I am Thine,
If Thou art my sun and my song,
Say, why do I languish and pine?
And why are my winters so long?
O drive these dark clouds from the sky,
Thy soul cheering presence restore;
Or take me to Thee up on high,
Where winter and clouds are no more.
In Hope,
Bro Philip
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