Now brethren, let’s continue our theme last meeting: "When Light is Conquerred by Darkness." Today, we will tackle our next topic: The reasons why light is overtaken by darkness.
II. THE REASONS WHY LIGHT IS OVERTAKEN BY DARKNESS
A. WE ARE MISFOCUSED (Judges 14:1-7; 16:1-4
“Then Samson went down to Timnah and SAW A WOMAN IN TIMNAH, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her former a wife.” Later in v. 7 we read “So Samson went down and talked in the woman, and SHE WAS RIGHT IN SAMSON EYES.” What was wrong with SEEING A WOMAN?
1. Take note of the response of Samson’s parents in Judges 14:3. Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” The hesitancy of his parents were understandable (see Gen 26:35; 27:46; 28:1); also Ex 34:11, 16; Dt 7:1,3). “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing” (Ecc 1:8).
2. Take note of the consequence. The woman of Timnas was given to his bestman (Jud 11:20), which enraged Samson, and led him to catch 300 foxes and used them to burn the standing grains, along with the vinerdas and groves of the Philistines. They in turn burned the woman and her father (Judges 15:1-7).
Maybe, there is nothing wrong with seeing tempting situations but when you look again, or you turn around and come back again, our eyes will lead us to want inside and then do something which we would regret later on, James wrote –
But each one is TEMPTED when he is CARRIED AWAY and ENTICED by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death. (James 1:14-15).
But Samson did not learn from this, in Judges 16:1, we read again, “Now Samson went to Gaza, and SAW A HARLOT THERE, and he went in to her” (16:1), This will not be the last in Judges 16:4, he would see and fall in love again to a Philistine. Warning, unless WE REPENT, that is radically change our perspective and turn around from our wrong lifestyle we remain entrapped in the domain of darkness.
B. WE TAKE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR GRANTED (Judges 14:8-9).
Samson knew that he was a special person, with special endowment from God. He also knew the responsibilities that went with them (Judges 13:2-25; cf. 16:17).
However, in 14:8-9, on his way back he looked at the carcass of the lion that he killed, and behold there was a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. You know what he did? “He scraped the honey into his hand and went on, eating as he went… he gave some to his father and mother, and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion.” What was wrong with it?
God generally forbade Israel to eat of unclean things. The angel of the Lord specifically forbade both the mother not to eat unclean thing (Judges 13:4,7,14). Samson did not just violate God’s law, he even made his parents sin without them knowing.
A story is told that a huge tree was not put down by severe rains and storms, but to surprise or many, one sunny day it just fell. When they examined the inside, it was destroyed slowly by small insects eating the trunk. Small sins may appear harmless, but it is they that can blind the eyes! Don’t think that because of God did not do anything it is alright our God is simply patient, wanting us to get rid of it ourselves, than He dong it to our pain.
C. WE ARE PLAYING WITH ENEMIES (Judges 14:8-18; 15:1-8; 16:1-15)
Samson knew that he was special (Judges 13:2-24) and he knew he was strong (Judges 13:25; 14:6). However, instead of using them to serve the Lord and His people, he used them to play with the Philistines. He did it several times –
1. During the wedding he propounded a riddle and gave the people 7 days to solve, if they did, he would give them 30 changes of clothes, but if they lost, they would give Samson 30 changes of clothes. He even used his sin as the context of the riddle. What were the results? The wedding, which should have been festive became TENSED and TREATHENING (14:15), instead of the bride rejoicing, she was weeping (14:16), you know how long? Seven days (14:16-18). Of course the Spirit of the Lord helped Samson fulfill his obligation (14:19).
But looked at the further consequences, after Samson went to his house, the father gave the bride to the bestman as a wife. This enraged Samson, and he burned the standing grain, vineyards and groves of the Philistines, who in turned burned the girl and her father. After which Samson took revenge and struck the Philistines ruthlessly with great slaughter (15:6-8).
2. In Judges 16:1-3, he played games with the Philistines gain, he went to Gaza and stayed with a harlot, the Philistines surrounded him and waited for him silently all night at the gate of the city, they were planning to kill him in the morning. But at midnight, Samson arose and took hold of the doors of the city gate and the two posts and carried them up to the top of the mopuntain which is opposite Hebron.
3. The third time, he fell in love with Delilah, who was promised money for betraying Samson, Delilah inquired from Samson, “she bound him with 7 fresh cords” and gave the signal, but his strength was not discovered. Delilah again inquired from Samson, she even accused him of deceiving and lying to him. Samson told her that if he is bound tightly with new ropes which have not been used, he would become weak.
Delilah did it and bound him and gave the signal, but again Samson snapped the ropes. And for the third time, Delilah accused him of lying to him, and Samson told him another way to make him weak. Samson was really enjoying his games. And again for the third time, he awoke and freed himself.
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall.” (1Cor 10:12)
D. WE SUCCUMB TO PRESSURES (Judge 16:15-17).
Like in the other dialogues, Delilah accused Samson of deceiving her about the source of his strength. TAKE NOTE, the name Delilah meant NIGHT or DARKNESS, and the name SAMSON, is related to the word for SUN or LIGHT. So we see that in three round the darkness was not able to overtake light. But in Judge 16:16-20, the darkness prevailed – How? We read in vv. 16-17,
And it came about when she pressed him DAILY with HER WORDS and urged him, this his soul was ANNOYED (lit, impatient to the point of) to death. So he told her all that was in her heart.
If you will recall this was the same strategy that the woman of Timnah used also earlier in Judge 14:17. “However, she wept before him seven days while the feast lasted. And it came about in the seventh day that he told her because she pressed him so hard.” Samson, because he was in the domain of darkness, did not have the moral strength to do what was right, he succumbed to the pressure. Is there a way out? Of course there is (1Cor 10:13).
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded… (James 4:7-8.)
Illustrations – Joseph in Gen. 39:7-12
If God has already given you yellow or moreso, red signals, slow down and stop already. If not you will surely be courting troubles… You may get away with it for sometime, but not all the time. If you smell or sense something FISHY already, let us ACT DECISIVELY, CUT THE LINE OF CONTACT WITH THE SOURCE OF TEMPTATION, or else we will slip down into sin. If we rationalize and wait, it may be too late. BE WARNED, God is not mocked, like Samson, you will surely reap what you are sowing.
