Lion Tamers - Pt. 1
I. Introduction
The king of the jungle. Fierce. Loud. Teeth bared. Claws sharpened. Ready to pounce. Ready to destroy. Infinitely powerful. Striking fear in everyone! Lions. One of the top attractions at zoos and circuses! We don’t mind watching them when they are caged up and at a safe distance. However, the truth is most of us, even though we may not have on the costume, carry a whip, or have a chair handy, are daily squaring off against lions. An issue, a sickness, a relationship, a reoccurring problem that is just as much a man eater as if it had a mane and a nerve shaking roar. So how do we tame lions? How do we handle the beast that is trying to handle us?
II. Text
Judges 14:1-14
1 Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” 3 Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she looks good to me.” 4 However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
5 Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him. 6 The Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, so that he tore him as one tears a young goat though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. 7 So he went down and talked to the woman; and she looked good to Samson. 8 When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. 9 So he scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion.
10 Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this. 11 When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me now propound a riddle to you; if you will indeed tell it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes. 13 But if you are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Propound your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14 So he said to them, "Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet.”
III. Lion Taming Truths
From this encounter with a lion Samson teaches us some powerful Lion Taming Truths.
A. Lion Tamers Need a Good Eye Doctor
Samson was a man driven by impulse. He finds himself squared off against this big cat simply because his eyes got him in trouble! He allowed something he saw to take him into the pathway of trouble. He could have taken control over his eyes and denied himself and he would have avoided this cat.
How many of us wind up in dangerous, life threatening, faith threatening, family threatening, lion filled moments simply because we won’t walk away from what looks good. Everything that looks good isn’t necessarily good. Just because the job looks good doesn’t mean that it is. Just because the friendship looks good doesn’t mean it is life it could actually be death. Our eyes can lead us into trouble. That is why one of the key Lion Taming Truths is that as children of the King we are not allowed to walk by sight! We are required to walk by faith. Our sight can take us right into a face to face encounter with lions! Most of the lions we face could be avoided if we would simply control our eyes! We need a good eye doctor that will help us monitor our sight!
B. Lion Tamers Will Be Sent Lions
There is another way to look at this passage. According to the writer, although his parents were upset by his desire, Samson’s attraction for this young lady was actually God inspired. God wanted to use Samson to destroy the Philistines and this was a God ordained door He used to begin that process.
I mention this because I think too many of us are convinced that when we are certain that God is sending us along a particular path we expect that path to be easy, unobstructed, and painless. Samson following God runs into tooth and nail! Don’t think that following God diminishes your chance of fighting lions! It actually increases your chances! You can’t be a lion tamer until God sends you lions to tame! Some of us get mad at God for sending us trials and tests, but all He is doing is honing our Lion Tamer Skills so that we will be able to face off against and handle bigger enemies later. David was able to handle a bear because he was first sent a lion. David handled Goliath because he first downed a lion. The lion you are facing now may actually be a gift from your Father! Handle this lion and greater victories await. If you are facing a lion you should be excited about what is ahead!
It still amazes me how many people who have asked for and gone out of their way to be trained in the art of lion taming who are shocked, disappointed, thrown into a constant state of depression, and even mad at God for allowing them to face a lion! He owes it those who have been trained to fight lions to face a lion!
C. Lion Tamers Know That Honey Comes From Being Hunted
Samson squares off against the lion. He is in hand to hand combat for his life. Hunted by a young, strong, quick, man-eater. The lion full of fury charges him ready to rip him to shreds. Samson finds himself in a bad situation. However, once again God intervenes and covers Samson and he destroys the lion with his bare hands. Then several days later, one version says "after some time", he returns to the scene of the bloody battle and discovers that the lion that threatened his life now is full of honey. So he scoops out the honey and eats it.
How many of us can remember moments when we have walked either purposely or inadvertently into harm’s way only to have our Father step in and rescue us? How many of us could testify that God inserted Himself in our battles even when they were self-inflicted fights?
But I came to share with you a great lion tamer truth that you need to be aware of today! Not only does God rescue us, save us, fight for us He also has a propensity to take what the enemy meant for harm and turn it to our good. He can take what was supposed to rip you apart, destroy you, eat you for lunch, scar you and when the day is done and the battle is over not only do you walk away in victory you can, after some time, actually revisit what was supposed to be a place of pain and instead you find honey . . . something sweet in place of the battle. God can actually use what was assigned to bring destruction as an incubator for nourishment for you! What could have killed you can actually sustain you!
Fight your battle knowing that as painful as it is right now. As overwhelming and unpleasant as it may seem at the moment a day is coming when you will be able to walk back into it and find honey. I didn’t say you won’t be clawed. I didn’t say you won’t experience a painful scratch or bite here or there. However, it is essential to remember that damaged doesn’t mean defeated or dead. It would do us good to remember that lions can become lairs for honey! You can’t find honey until you first find yourself hunted! In pain now feeling like Pooh later . . . honey everywhere!
Some of you need to revisit the painful places of your life. You have been running from them. You have hidden them. You have tried to forget them. You have boxed them up and avoided them at all cost. However, until you come to the place where you can walk back to the place that the enemy did his best to kill you but failed you will miss the honey that is now there. The memories that have caused such pain can actually nourish you with courage as you recall that God came through. The instance that felt like hell itself can become a reminder that heaven is for you! Honey is often hidden in a hell filled place! You won’t ever heal until you can walk back into that place and find handfuls of purpose there!
The day can come when you, like Samson, can see the life threatening battle you have just been through, as a reminder of God’s grace and find that out of what was supposed to be the eater you are eating and out of the strong you have discovered the sweet! By the way . . . Samson shared the sweetness with others. What you have been through and overcome can sustain others to if you would but share the honey!
