The Eyes of Samson
Heb. 11:32 - Samson had faith. My wife came to me some time ago and asked me why a man who lived like Samson would be in God’s “Hall of Faith.” I didn’t know the answer, but maybe this study will show us the reason why.
Vow of a Nazarite:
Numbers 6:2-4 – He shall have nothing at all to do with grapes.
Numbers 6:5 – He shall not cut his hair at all.
Numbers 6:6-7 – He shall not come at any dead body; friend, foe, otherwise.
How Samson showed faith in God:
Judges 14:1 - Timnath is in the Tribe of Dan. A mixture of Philistines and Israelites live in this city. There is always trouble when good and evil is mixed like this.
1. Note word “saw” - our eyes get us into trouble.
2. Desired her before he talked with her (see verse 7).
14:4 - The occasion against the Philistines in right, but the method is wrong. (verse 3)
14:5,6 - Broke his vow by going about God’s will wrong.
14:17 - Samson broke down because of his wife (wasn’t doing things God’s way).
15 - God gave a great victory in spite of doing things wrong.
16:1 - “saw” His eyes get in the way.
6:4 - Loved - Because of step by step going away from God. Now his heart is in trouble.
16:6 - Why should Delilah want to know? except to hurt Samson?
16:7,11,13 - Steps 1,2, & 3 - getting closer and closer to the truth.
16:16 - urged him to death (verse 15).
16:17 - Don’t cast your pearls before the swine.
16:19 - Sleeping in the lap of the devil, while Anti-Christ works on us.
16:21 - Put out his eyes.
1. God will get rid of those things that destroyed his life.
2. Now he could only see inside - the blackness of his sin.
3. Mark 9:47 - Pluck out thine eye to get into kingdom.
16:21 - Samson brought low in order to be brought high.
16:22 - New hair - growing in grace after a fall. Devil never thought to cut it off again.
16:23-25 - Mocking at Samson’s expense.
16:26 - lad - nobody strong, but a young person.
1. Many people are being brought up in the ways of the devil.
16:28 - Prayer of Samson.
1. Two eyes - not just the loss of his physical eyes, but the loss of his spiritual sight.
2. He’s actually asking for forgiveness for wasting his life; breaking all his vows.
16:29 - His stance.
16:30 - “all his” is in parenthesis - leave it out. Samson put his might and God supplied all the rest.
Conclusion:
Heb. 11:32 - Maybe now we can understand why God counted Samson among the people of faith. He came to the place in his life where he completely trusted God and by faith killed more Philistines than he ever killed without faith. He finally did the will of God with all his heart. Let us not be like Samson in this respect.