Judges Chapter 16 – Samson's Tragic End Due to Imprudence in Faith
After reading Judges Chapter 16, we see the tragic end of Samson, once a formidable figure, who was blinded and crushed to death. What does this passage reveal to us? It tells us that even someone like Samson, whose mother was visited by an angel during her pregnancy, and whose father received a personal revelation from God about Samson's mission, can meet a tragic end if he is not prudent! If it were someone like you and me, whose parents did not receive angelic visitations when we were conceived, what a tragic outcome it would be if we adopted Samson's imprudent attitude in our faith! Aren't the scandals involving churches and pastors illustrating the same point? Brothers and sisters, we must be truly prudent in our faith!
Where did this tragedy begin? It all started with imprudence. Let's go back to Chapter 13. You see the angel's words to Manoah and his wife, urging them to be prudent. (See 13:4 and 13:13). Prudent in what? Prudent in observing the regulations of a Nazirite! Since he was a Nazirite, he had to keep the Nazirite vows! The angel only mentioned a few key examples, such as abstaining from alcohol, not eating unclean things, and not shaving his head, etc. In fact, the rules for Nazirites are clearly written in the Pentateuch. This prudence is not a one-off thing; it is a lifelong commitment. How can one not be prudent about something that concerns one's entire life! But this couple was not prudent, nor did they teach Samson to be prudent. Living casually is not a way to live. It will inevitably lead to tragedy. Living according to God's established rules will surely lead to a beautiful life! Those rules are not restricting us, but protecting us! Those rules are the way of life, they are spiritual, not just superficial regulations. Those who do not keep the way of life will end in tragedy.
This word "prudence" is very important in our lives! We Christians are, in fact, Nazirites. Why? Because we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our reasonable service. We are all redeemed by the Lord Jesus. We should be prudent about God's requirements for us! Is keeping these rules so important? Does keeping these rules give us power? No. Keeping these rules does not bring God's power. Our faith can bring God's power into our lives. However, if we do not keep these rules, live an unholy life, and are not prudent about God's Word, not taking it seriously, and being casual about being a Christian, God will not be with us! The end result will be like Samson being blinded and crushed to death! Imprudence and carelessness are not acceptable!
Samson ate unclean things, taking honey from the carcass of a dead animal, and there seemed to be no problem at the time! He was still alive. Drinking alcohol was also not a problem. At first, he drank one can, then two, and later he drank freely, and he didn't die! Later, he married a foreign woman, and there seemed to be no problem. He also casually sought out women and committed prostitution, and there seemed to be no problem! But doing these things, violating the prudent message conveyed by the angel, did not result in immediate death. But these things laid the foundation for being blinded and crushed to death twenty years later. When these disasters came, it was too late, and there was no power to reverse them! When the seeds sown are harvested, it is too late. What you sow, you reap. Samson sowed seeds, and he reaped the fruit of having his eyes gouged out and dying at the hands of his enemies! How tragic. Some may say, why didn't God intervene? God did intervene, but people didn't listen, desperately sowing seeds of corruption. When it comes to harvest time, how can God intervene? Be prudent.
Where did Samson being blinded and crushed to death begin? It all started with imprudence! Don't blame God. God gives us the freedom to sow. Don't think that nothing matters. When it comes to harvest time, you will know the power of the seeds you have sown! God recorded Samson's tragic end in the Bible to show us how serious the problem of imprudence can be! This Samson, who came into the world with a mission given by God, with an angel personally appearing and speaking to his parents, still met such a tragic end due to imprudence. For those of us whose parents did not have angelic visitations or miraculous experiences when we were conceived, what reason do we have not to be prudent! As Christians, we must be prudent. Downloading TV series every day and watching 20 episodes at a time. When a crisis comes, what will you use to resist it? What can those TV series do to help you? When I see our brothers and sisters being imprudent and not making good use of their time, I am anxious! I myself have not watched movies for more than ten years. What have I lacked? I have lacked nothing. When I was an engineer, I studied prudently, hoping to be a good engineer. When I became a pastor, I studied prudently, improving myself, hoping to be a good pastor. Am I not living joyfully! Where does joy come from? It comes from fulfilling God's mission. Everyone should learn this lesson from Samson's tragedy. His parents were not prudent, and Samson was not prudent, and the result was tragic!
The devil's most powerful trick is the slow boiling of a frog. When the water gets hot, the frog has no chance to jump out! Be prudent. We do indeed look down on worldly things. But we cannot live with the attitude that everything is going to pass away, so we don't need to live realistically. We still need to live realistically. Christians are Nazirites. Imprudence is not acceptable. Our Pastor Chou and his wife led Taipei Bread of Life Church for 34 years. They handled hundreds of millions of dollars. But they were still clean. It was because of their humble and prudent attitude. They told me several times that preachers should not handle money! I think we should emulate them and be clean preachers!
The devil's greatest trick is deception. The devil deceived Samson, and Samson's power was paralyzed. Don't think you can skip prayer. Once you don't pray, twice you don't pray, and soon you will be deceived. Once deceived, you lose your strength! The spirit of death entered Samson because he ate unclean things. It led Samson down the path of death. His union with a prostitute and his deception led to the corruption of death!
Samson regained his strength before he died because he said, "Let me die with the Philistines." God can restore power to a person who is not afraid of death. Judges Chapter 16 is the fruit of Chapters 13-15. It all starts with small things. Everyone must be prudent!
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