April 5 - Judges 16:1-18:31

Good morning everyone,

Today we begin our reading with a look at how Delilah wore Sampson down. Sampson loved Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines, who thus far, had been unsuccessful in capturing Sampson, knew this and offered Delilah eleven hundred shekels of silver if she would find out the secret of his strength for them. The average annual income of the time was ten shekels so she must have been thinking “score!” Not a woman to mince words she flat out asked Sampson “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” Seriously?! But maybe it was in some playful way she first asked him because he tells her a silly tale, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” But she bought it, tried it and of course he easily broke free of the bowstrings. Now, though, one would think that Sampson might be a little suspicious from here on out and maybe even dump his girlfriend for trying to get him killed, but no, he continues to be vulnerable to her as she continues to ask for his source of strength until one day her persistent nagging wears him down and he finally tells her all she has been paid to find out. Note worthy, this is the second time Sampson has allowed himself to be worn down by constant nagging, first his wife and now Delilah sadly this time it would not bode well for him. The Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza where in shackles he would grind grain in prison.

In the end Sampson would wipe out more Philistines in one day than that of his entire life but look at all he gave up in his disobedience to God and it all started so subtly. Where he could have walked down God’s narrow path of obedience he chose to “party hearty,” missing out on so many blessings. Often we allow ourselves to fall prey to flattery, having our ego played to in an effort to get us to compromise our beliefs. Beware! One of the devils greatest tools is constant temptation, nagging lies, saying things like, “Oh just one drink, who will know”, “Everyone else lives together before marriage” or “Does the Bible really say that?” You name it and the enemy is right there trying to woo you away from God with it. Beware!

In chapter 17 we come to a man named Micha. There is no leader, no king in Israel at this time and it is just a little crazy in the neighborhood as everyone did as they saw fit. Now this guy Micha had stolen eleven hundred shekels of silver (curious, the same amount Delilah got paid) from his own mom, probably her life savings. While she is quite naturally not happy about that, not knowing it was her son, puts a curse in the person who stole it. He finds out about this curse and takes the money back to her, fessing up. She is so pleased with him for returning it she has a silver idol made. Again there is so much cRaZy going on in Micha’s house, he adds the god to a shrine he has along with other gods, an ephod - which you remember is the vest a priest wore. To go along with all that, he has installed his own son as priest until a Levite came strolling through town whom he then hired as his priest. He is a man worshiping what he wants and living by the rules he wants to live by. Then one day five Danite spies rat him out and all of what Micha possessed was stolen by the Danites who go on to attack Laish, a people at peace, take over their city and rename it Dan continuing to use the idol they’d taken from Micha, we’re told, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh.

This is a picture of how easily it is for us as mere humans to excuse God out of our lives, turning to any number of false gods or idols to fulfill the void in our soul. Worshiping images of any sort is not worshiping God even if it resembles true worship in some way. Every church is godly in its own sight, because they have a “form of godliness”, their ministers will preach philosophy, politics, worldliness, common sense and basically anything they think will interest you as a trap, using Bible verses and religious clichés in the name of Jesus Christ to do it. But it is only through God of all creation, His Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit that you will satisfy the longing in your soul. The only way you will really feel the peace that surpasses all understanding and the absolute only way you will ever step foot in heaven. I would encourage you to not let the world wear you down, nag you into sinful behavior or trick you into serving false gods of any sort. Choose the Truth, choose Life by choosing Jesus.

I pray you have a great day to God be the glory.

God bless you all …