Gleanings from the life of Samson – Part 1

Text: Judges 13:14, 15

Key Verse: Judges 13:1, “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.” (KJV)

At every point in time, God raised up Judges for Israel, who delivered them from the hand of their enemies that took them captive, as a result of their sin against God (Judges 2:16). The announcement and birth of Samson was at a time the people of Israel were “again” in oppressive bondage in the hands of the Philistines for forty years on account of their sin (Judges 13:1).

God raised up Samson as a Judge for Israel and for the purpose of beginning the process of deliverance of Israel out of bondage from the hands of the Philistines.

The word “again” was used in Judges Chapter 13 verse 1, “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord”.

“Again” means that the children of Israel had done it before and did it again. The book of Judges from Chapters 1 to 10 recorded how the children of Israel sinned against God before. For instance, in Judges Chapter 2, after God had driven their enemies out of the Promised Land and they had possessed their possessions, the Bible recorded in Judges Chapter 2:11, “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baal.” Consequently, the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel and He delivered them into the hand of their enemies.

“Again” because they did not learn from what happened before; they did not learn from their captivity; they did not learn from their slavery; they did not learn from their sufferings; they did not learn from their pains and they did not learn from their tears. They did not learn and the Bible said at that time when the Philistines took them captive, God decided on 40 years. Their fathers had spent 40 years roaming about in the wilderness. God said, ‘For 40 years was I grieved in that generation and I say they will not enter my rest’ (Hebrews 3:10; Psalm 95:10). God delivered them into the hands of their enemies. Why? They did evil; they committed sin; they were living sin; they loved sin; they supported sin; they promoted sin; they created an atmosphere of sin; they were living and walking about in it and they didn’t care.

We should not accept and allow an atmosphere of sin. We should resist people who want to create it and plunge us into such an atmosphere because we know the effect of sin, how God turns His back on His own people, when they lived in sin; how the prayers of God’s people are not heard; how their pleadings are not heard; how God closes His ears; how God’s Hand become short and how the Almighty can no longer save because of sin. The Bible said in Isaiah 59:1, for the Hand of the Lord is not too short to save, but our iniquities have separated us from Him. God will not hear when we live in sin. We cannot live in sin and pretend that we are worshipping God. We cannot live in sin and pretend about praying. It will be pretence because from every revelation of Scripture, it doesn’t work whether for an individual, family and group. When people live in sin, even the man that was born blind said I know that God does not hear sinners.

Today’s Nugget: We should not accept and allow an atmosphere of sin.

Prayer: Lord, help me to hate and reject sin
Prayer lines: 08054477940.
E-mail: servantofgod111@yahoo.com
Rev. Pastor Ejikeme Ejim, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria.