Samson - Strength and Sadness

Warning!  Sometimes the Bible gives us some pretty sad stories and this is the case with Samson.  But . . . It's a good thing the Bible doesn't skip over the real life situations that even heroes of faith found themselves in (and yes, Samson is listed in the faith chapter as a hero of faith, Hebrews 11:32).

When I first heard Samson's story as a boy, he seemed like a giant of a man with no weaknesses.  But like superman he had his kryptonite.  Turns out, Samson was a "he-man with a she-weakness".  Samson has a problem with carnality.  We have a similar problem today.

I want to say a word about just one element of Samson's story -- the deception of sin.  I know we are not altogether comfortable with that word - sin.  The Bible calls any attitude or action, which does not line up with God's nature, his principles of truth, or his will for our lives, sin.  The Greek word for sin, hamartia, helps us understand what the Bible is getting at.  Sin is missing the mark; falling short of God's best!  So . . . let's admit it - we do this everyday, in small ways and sometimes big ways.  We sin.

My question is this - What impact does that sin (call it a bad decision) have upon us if it is unforgiven and never "corrected"?  The Bible seems to suggest that sin left unchecked in our lives not only produces a barrier between us and God (Romans 6:23), it blinds us spiritually, so that bad seems good and wrong seems right.

This was the case with Samson.  Even as he lay with Delilah he knew she was trying to trick him, but he told her the secret of his strength anyways.  How blind could he be???  His carnal descent from God's blessings and presence in his life had left him spiritually blind.  In the end, spiritual blindness produced physical blindness as well.

There is a good side to this story and I hope you will join us Sunday as we work our way through Samson's strength and sadness.  But for now let us receive and important warning.  There is great sadness, grief, complication, and brokenness with sin.  Sin doesn't confront us; it sneaks up on us and like "the frog in the kettle" we are cooked before we know it.

Be careful out there.  Pastor Tom