Chaos in Life; Character in Death

Samson, judge of Israel --what do you know about him? Well, if you've got a basic Sunday school knowledge of his life, you know he had long hair, was really strong, let Delilah get the best of him, but killed more in death than he did while he lived. But the account of Samson's life which begins in Judges 13 is not even close to being that simple. 

First of all, his mother was barren, and if we learn anything from Scripture, it's that God can work wonders with a woman labeled "barren". As such, the news she was going to have a baby was announced to her by a special messenger from God. He told her the child was to be consecrated unto the Lord, a Nazarite; she was not to drink of the vine or eat anything unclean, and he was not to cut his hair. When she relayed the information to her husband, Manoah, she confessed she'd not gotten the messenger's place of origin or name. Speaking of names, here's a fun fact: Manoah's name means "quiet, rest," but he seems unwilling to do that. He begins to pray the messenger would return; he wants to know more about how to raise this special boy. Have you ever considered the people who God places in your path? Have you ever prayed, Lord, show me how to minister to the people You send my way today? Have you asked God for the resources it will take for you to raise your children? There was nothing in this man, Manoah, that said, Yeah, I got this covered. He was chasing after whatever God was willing to give that he might accomplish the assignment he'd been given.

Secondly, the details. The announcement of Samson's birth encompasses all of chapter 13 and includes an account of what happened when the messenger did return. Chapter 14 develops the character of Samson the adult. He's arrogant, lustful, impulsive; not the usual qualities we look for in a redeemer. This same chapter covers Samson's marriage, the strange riddle Samson used to taunt his wedding party, and the giving of Samson's bride to another. Chapter 15 finds Samson using three hundred foxes to torch (literally) Philistine farms and set off a cycle of revenge that finally ends with a thousand Philistines being slain by Samson using the jawbone of an ass. Lastly, the bulk of chapter 16 records the seemingly never-ending deceptions of Delilah, an account that leaves most of us shaking our heads and wondering why Samson didn't just get himself outta Dodge before she could hire a barber. By verse 21 of the chapter, Samson is a blind slave in Philistine territory, and verse 22, renews hope with However. Something big is about to happen.

And that brings me to the final portion of Samson's life. We're told there's a celebration. We're given the words to the hymn they sang to their god. And in fewer than ten verses we're told of Samson's victory over three thousand Philistines which cost him his own life that day. Verse 26 records the words he spoke to the young man who led Samson like a dog into the temple that day, and in verse 28, we are privileged to read the cry of Samson's heart:

O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!

Samson asks for the ability to enact vengeance on his enemies and the enemies of God, but there seems to be more to it than that. There is an indication of repentance there, of a humility that only comes when one has been made to realize just how helpless they really are. Matthew Henry, in his commentary writes, The strength which he (Samson) had lost by sin, he recovers by prayer. In giving one's heart up to the Lord, in coming to know life in our physical bodies is not the highest end, there is infinite strength.

The details of his life are many and complex, but the simple gravity of his death surpasses them all, and not only because of the thousands he took with him. His final moments are a testimony to the strength of hearts broken for our King. Had Samson walked in that kind of surrender throughout his life, we can only imagine the return. Instead, it was his character in death that exhorts us today. May we live with humbled hearts and bring down the house while we still have more days ahead.  

 

Midweek: Work Has Been Canceled on Account of Words

Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.

~ Saint Francis of Assisi

NOT the words of St, Francis and NOT necessarily biblical. What he did say was (and I'm paraphrasing), Your actions should match your words. Now, that certainly has the support of Scripture. But have you ever tried to share Jesus with someone? People can resist --rudely.  

I know individuals who have the gift of evangelism. They see an empty chair at the DMV and before anyone has opportunity to object, they're sitting there chatting up those around them and sharing the Gospel. One of my sisters, with absolutely no hesitation, will grab a bottle of vitamins off the shelf at the pharmacy and ask, If you take vitamins for good physical health, what are you doing for spiritual health? No matter the reaction, she engages in those conversations with enthusiasm as long as anyone will allow. Talk about conviction and thick skin! If attempts to share the Gospel don't get you kicked out of the pharmacy, they could get you cursed out, spit on, laughed at, or pulled into the office for the "workplace decorum" talk. In short, the use of words can be unrewarding. Jesus warned His disciples they would be hated by the world (John 15:18) and called out folks motivated by earthly desires (John 6:2-27).

Actions, however, tend to be better received. You can walk away from handing out sandwiches to the homeless and feel as though you've done something truly useful. You can drive the folks to and from their appointments and no one will flip you the bird. As a matter of fact, you may be spoken of in terms of salt and earth. Serving others through good deeds has its visible results and its tangible rewards. And who turns down a freebie? The chances of getting taunted when you're donating money are pretty near zero, I would think.

I'm not saying helping others is without merit. Scripture clearly says we are to help others. But it is extremely important we are rightly motivated: for the glory of the Father, first and foremost. Whatever accolades or warm fuzzies we get out of the deal are His gift to us, a mere byproduct. Additionally, it's important we don't lead others to develop wrong motives. If Jesus had continued healing and feeding with nothing more than "God bless you", the people would have been conditioned to seek only gifts, ignoring --or never knowing --the Giver. Jesus directed folks' attention to the Father and they crucified Him for it! Are we any less responsible for the message we deliver? If we're not making it crystal clear who God is, we will be held accountable. Would the people you are currently serving be thrilled to listen to a sermon or sit through a Bible study before you handed out the free backpacks? Are we teaching people that the God of the Bible is bigger than physical needs? Do we accept that, sometimes, we're not supposed to help? What if God is trying to do something with someone's situation, in someone's situation, in spite of someone's situation? And here we come, on our white horse, ready to rescue every damsel and plug every leak. Much easier to plug a leak than walk with someone through doubt and tears week after week; to say again and again, Let's pray; to watch as they struggle.

Daniel faced lions. His friends entered the furnace. Because there was a message. That message is still important today, and it is meant to be delivered in the form of actions that uphold our words, not replace them. 

         

Be Clean

Years ago, I attended a local women's conference. Apparently, or at least in my case, hospitality was not high on their list of priorities (Retreat! Retreat!, 2011). I have learned not to get bent out of shape about such things. If there seems to be a spirit of exclusivity or pride in the body of Christ, I think it's biblical to call those things out; but in my prior situation, there were plenty of other smiling, content, welcomed women. Somewhere, somehow what I expected from this situation was not what God intended for me. And I've come to really enjoy that. When articles don't post or friends cancel or illness takes me out of the game... Okay, God, I'm all Yours!

In 2 Kings 5 we're introduced to Naaman. He had expectations, too, and a skin disease. Some translations render this as "leprosy", but it was recognized as a condition closely associated with sin and the condition of one's heart. It was recommended to Naaman that he seek the help of Israel's prophet, Elisha, to be cured. Naaman was well-respected by his king and, as a commander of the king's armies, had the loyalty of many men. But when he and his entourage arrived at the door of the prophet's home, he got no further. Adding insult to injury, his treatment instructions were relayed to him by the doorman. Imagine expecting to see a doctor and having the receptionist hand you a Post-It with some websites scribbled on it. Of course, you'd wonder what sort of operation this was. You might be pretty incensed if the doctor was any distance away or you'd had to find a sitter last minute when they squeezed you in. And the thought just might creep in, I deserve more respect than this! You probably do; but for Naaman, it got worse. Those instructions he was given? Wash in the Jordan seven times. No fire, no incantation, no waving of a cloak or "holy touch". Just, Leave my doorstep, go wash in the dirty Jordan, and be clean. Not at all what Naaman expected. For Naaman, commander of a king's armies, to travel expectantly to a prophet of Israel's home, be greeted at the doorstep by a bossy servant, and subsequently comply was not as easy as you might think. Additionally, the Jordan River was much less desirable a bathtub than the rivers of Syria, Naaman's homeland. Could he not have sent word of his condition and received his prescription via messenger? Could he not have bathed in a river nearby and dispensed with all the travel arrangements? But doing it God's way required more of him: humility and faith. Not to mention, the be clean part. How, exactly, does one be clean? 

By God's grace, Naaman had some sober-minded escorts. When he initially balked at the idea, his servant threw a little common sense his way (v.13): 

My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’? 

In other words, Look at the great things of which you are capable! Are you not able to do this very simple thing? And he was. And he did. Humbly and with faith. Expectations laid aside like robes on the banks of the Jordan. And, by this simple thing, he was healed. Clean. But to be clean? 

The same is true of those who place their trust in Christ today. We are cleansed, sins forgiven. But just as the disciples before whom Jesus knelt, we collect road dirt as we journey through this life. Unmet expectations that cause us to contend with others. Fear that keeps us from speaking up when something needs to be said. The lives of others imposing on ours, and our resentment of it. The sins we commit are that road dirt and, though we are cleansed, we still have to wash up. Being clean, however, walking in the cleansing of the cross is the way we shorten that list of "road dirt offenses" and lessen the frequency with which we need to wash. Being clean happens when we walk humbly and faithfully with our God moment by moment, day after day. The way we come to Him the very first time is the way we need to come to Him again and again: as those with broken and sick hearts, casting aside our expectations, and humbly, faithfully yielding to whatever He will do in us and with us.