Lessons from Samson, Part 2: When Tragedy Strikes

LESSONS FROM SAMSON, PART 2: WHEN TRAGEDY STRIKES: Judges 14-16 – MHAFB, 26 April 20 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Series: Days of Anguish, Days of Hope / Topics: Samson; Philistines (Judges); Helper; Strength; Comfort; Trial; Hard; Hope; God: Grace Before Worship: Pray with leaders! Openings Verse: Psalm 34:4–8, 15–18 (Psalm 18:1–19, 130:1-8; Jonah 2:2–9) Songs: Holy Ghost; In Christ Alone; God I look to You ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre Sermon Opening: Ch Ellis 1. Welcome! 2. Note online posted sermon notes 3. Read Psalm 34:4–8, 15–18 Prayer: Nina Worship: LaShae & Anthony 1. Holy Ghost 2. In Christ Alone 3. God I look to You Sermon SLIDE-Transition to Sermon Introduction Attention: 1. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines a tragedy as a. “an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress.” 2. What are some of the greatest tragedies in history? a. The death of 10 million in WWI? b. The death of 11 million in the Holocaust? c. The death of 50 million in WWII? d. The 40 million killed in the rule of Genghis Khan in the 1200s? e. The death of 1/3 to 1/2 of the world’s population, from the Black Death in the 1300s? 3. Without question, our world has been filled with heartbreaking tragedies. a. While some of these are distant in time & space-b. Other tragedies strike very close to home: i. The crushing of a once life-giving dream ii. Career-ending consequences to a bad decision iii. A debilitating injury or sickness iv. The loss of loved ones. c. While we experience happiness, joy, and peace— i. Let us be honest to the fact that tragedies also invade our lives ii. And some, more than others. 4. Yet as a Christian, we have great hope, even in the midst of tragedies. a. And it is because of our great God, b. Who He is & what He does. c. His closeness & His care. Big Picture: 1. And so today we conclude our series of Judges, “Days of Anguish, Days of Hope,” in… a. SLIDE-Title: Lessons from Samson, Part 2: When Tragedy Strikes b. Where we will hear about Samson— i. A man who was physically strong, but morally weak 2. Tragedies are nothing new to the book of Judges. a. In many ways, the entire book is a tragedy, i. Written to show us what happens when a people cast off the spiritual leadership of God & do whatever they see fit. ii. You have the initial tragedy of Israel’s rebellion against God’s command— 1. They leave the people in the land 2. They take on these foreign gods & goddesses 3. They turn away from the Living God who brought them out of Egypt. iii. Israel is the conquered by various peoples 1. Their quality of life plummets as they are brought to dire poverty 2. Undoubtedly many people die in the raids and battles iv. Yet, despite these tragedies… despite the tragedies in our own lives… 1. We see this resounding theme throughout the book—a focus of sermon today— 2. SLIDE-Thesis: God strengthens and helps His people through tragedies, even those they create. Passage: 1. Context: a. So, I invite you to join with me as we look into this very thing. b. We’re picking up the story right after last week, i. But our read will only be from a selection of Judges 14-16. 2. Verses-3 Slides: I invite you to open your Bibles & join me as read (Judges 14:1-4; 15:1820; 16:17, 28-31)… Judges 14:1–4 CSB 1 Samson went down to Timnah and saw a young Philistine woman there. 2 He went back and told his father and his mother: “I have seen a young Philistine woman in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.” 3 But his father and mother said to him, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines for a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” 4 Now his father and mother did not know this was from the L ORD, who wanted the Philistines to provide an opportunity for a confrontation. At that time, the Philistines were ruling Israel. a. Slide, Break: In this you see Samson’s disregard for God, i. marrying a woman who followed other gods b. A bit later you see his further disregard for his role as a Nazirite, holy to the Lord, i. Slide, Lion: When he purposefully finds the carcass from a lion he killed earlier, 1. He hand-scoops and eats honey from a bee nest inside of it, sharing it with his parents. ii. Nazirites were not to touch anything dead (Numbers 5:6) 1. Eating honey from a dead animal c. Slide, Break: The drama of his 7-day wedding feast creates a cycle of violence between Samson & the Philistines i. They threaten his wife & her family, cheating to solve his riddle 1. He kills 30 Philistine men (14:5-19) ii. His father-in-law gives his daughter away to another man 1. He creatively uses wild foxes to burn their grain, vineyards, & groves (14:20 15:5) iii. The Philistines kill his father-in-law & wife 1. He struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughters (15:6-8) iv. The Philistines camp against Judah, demanding Samson be delivered to them (which Israel does) 1. Samson killed a thousand men with a donkey’s jawbone (15:9-17) d. Verses-2 Slides: Interestingly at this point we see Samson call out to God once in his life… Judges 15:18–20 CSB 18 He became very thirsty and called out to the LORD: “You have accomplished this great victory through your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 So God split a hollow place in the ground at Lehi, and water came out of it. After Samson drank, his strength returned, and he revived. That is why he named it Enhakkore, which is still in Lehi today. 20 And he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines. a. Slide, Break: Sadly he does not maintain faithfulness to God… b. Samson spends the night with a prostitute in Gaza, i. Escaping a morning ambush by tearing the gates off the city at midnight & dragging them miles away (16:1-3) c. Then Delilah caught Samson's eye and affection i. The Philistines offer her great amounts of money to betray Samson 1. She accepts this offer & goes to work ii. After two unsuccessful attempts to weaken him for capture, 1. Verses-1 Slide: she ‘annoyed him to death’ and “he told her the whole truth and said to her, “My hair has never been cut, because I am a Nazirite to God from birth. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become weak and be like any other man.”” (Judges 16:17) iii. Slide, Delilah: She then lures him to sleep, cuts his hair, and betrays him to the Philistines. 1. Although the Scriptures make clear that Samson strength and power were from the Lord, not his hair— a. God honored what Samson declared and left him when his hair was cut. 2. Sadly, Samson was so spiritually dead that he doesn’t even know that God had left him (16:20). 3. He is captured, his eyes are gouged out, & he is enslaved to work a grinder in a Philistine prison iv. And yet, this tragedy is not done… d. Slide, Break: The Philistines host a massive party with thousands of attendees at the temple of their god i. They praise their god for handing Samson over to them ii. And they bring Samson out and make sport of him iii. Verses-3 Slides: Samson gets positioned next to the two central support pillars of their temple, and we read… Judges 16:28–31 CSB 28 He called out to the LORD: “Lord GOD, please remember me. Strengthen me, God, just once more. With one act of vengeance, let me pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Samson took hold of the two middle pillars supporting the temple and leaned against them, one on his right hand and the other on his left. 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” He pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the leaders and all the people in it. And those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed in his life. 31 Then his brothers and all his father’s family came down, carried him back, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. So he judged Israel twenty years. 3. Thanks be to God for His word! a. Please be seated. Transition: 1. And so you have the tragedy of Samson. a. A man called out with such great promise! b. But a man whose open rebellion against his calling led to his horrible demise. 2. So, what can we learn through this story? Again, I hope that we will see… a. God strengthens and helps His people through tragedies, even those they create. 3. Let’s start by looking at… Main Point 1: The Tragedies of Sin Explain: 1. The broken world that we live in is not the world we were created to have a. It is the world that we have given ourselves over the millennia of sin 2. MP1: In the beginning, everything was “Very Good” (Genesis 1:31), but… a. Sin crept its way in as Adam & Eve chose to rebel against God b. This “First Adam’s” sin led to our Great Fall i. It broke our relationship with God, and ii. Henceforth evil has continually deteriorated the human heart, our relationships, and the created order c. MP1: Our sinful rebellion has resulted in tragedy upon tragedy in our lives, our relationships, & creation (Genesis 3). 3. Death, divorce, diseases, disabilities, devastating natural disasters— a. This is bet a sampling of the great tragedies we brought upon ourselves. b. They lead to great suffering for both good & bad people. Bible Story Connections: 1. In our introduction we talked about the various tragedies in the book of Judges, a. Not even hitting on Gideon’s & Jephthah’s downfalls! 2. A quick turning through the pages of Scriptures will continue to reveal the tragedies of sin… a. King Saul had such great promise! i. But he abandoned God, became obsessed with murdering David, & then fell to the Philistine sword. b. King David had such great promise! i. But he abandoned God’s calling on him, embracing laziness, lust, adultery, & murder c. King Solomon had such great promise! i. But he abandoned God’s all to only marry God-fearing people ii. He even led Israel into the worship of false gods d. And the list could go on… Expand: 1. Think about your life & your family— a. Have there been tragedies? b. Have there been heartaches? c. Are there some happening right now? 2. While we live in such a broken world— a. Thanks be to God that He meets us here! Transition: 1. So, let’s change our focus now from the Tragedies of Sin to… Main Point 2: The Strength & Help of God Explain: 1. MP2: Provided even in the midst of tragedies! 2. MP2: It is a great manifestation of His gracious love that we looked at last week! 3. MP2: It is mercifully given to an undeserving people! a. Often even before they even ask for it! 4. Have you seen this during our time in Judges? Examples from Samson: 1. So, let’s consider our text today—How did you see God provide strength & help in the midst of tragedies? a. In the tragedy of Israel becoming comfortable in their oppressed state, i. God helped them by rising up Samson to start delivering them b. In the tragedy of Samson’s choice to marry the people he was supposed to lead Israel into victory against, i. God helped by allowing the Philistines ethnocentrism and pride play violently against Samson’s lust and rage c. In the tragedy of Israel handing Samson over to the Philistines for death, i. God’s spirit came upon him for a mighty victory d. In the tragedy of Samson’s impending death from dehydration, i. God answered his cry for help & provides water e. Finally, in the tragedy of Samson’s blind and humiliated state in the Philistine party, i. God answered his cry for help, strengthening him for one final victory 2. How many of these tragedies deserved God’s help? a. Not one of them. b. As a matter of fact, almost every one of those was a tragedy of their own making! i. Behold the love of our God! 3. How much more do you think God will help His children that cry out to Him? a. Even if the tragedies they face are, in part, by their own making? Expand: A final reflections concerning this—when God strengthens and helps us, 1. MP2: It will glorify God and be good for His people a. As Joseph reflected in Genesis 50:19–21, “…You planned evil against me; God planned it for good…” b. As Romans 8:28 shares, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” c. You’ve heard the phrase, “Never let a crisis go to waste?” i. This is spoken usually with fear about people wrongfully ceasing power in a crisis d. Brothers & Sisters, let me reassure you of this greater truth the will always trump that fear— i. MP2: God will never let a crisis go to waste. 1. And if you know His heart, that is a very comforting truth. 2. He is good & His lovingkindness is better than life itself (Psalm 63:1–8)! ii. You can see this truth if you look for it— 1. Abd often even when you don’t! iii. You can see His good being worked out through the tragedies that strike our world & your own life. 1. Are you looking for it? e. Consider Samson’s story— i. His mother was told this he was set apart to start Israel’s deliverance from the Philistines— 1. A liberation that would reveal the great power & love of God to His people & all who heard ii. And while Samson lived rebellious to his calling, 1. At strategic times, God strengthened and helped him to continue in the mission God had given him f. Consider, again, the story of Joseph. i. Or ultimately, consider the story of Jesus’ betrayal, denial, arrest, beating, humiliation, & death g. God is wise enough, strong enough, good enough, & loving enough not to let any tragedy go to waste. 2. Do you trust Him in this? I pray that you do! Transition: 1. Now, let’s close this off… Conclusion: Conclusion Reiterate: God strengthens and helps His people through tragedies, even those they create. 1. We considered the many tragedies of sin— a. From our original fall, to the story of Samson, & even w/in our own lives b. But we didn’t end here… 2. We remembered how God meets us in the midst of our tragedies with His amazing strength & help! a. He mercifully gives these manifestations of His gracious love to an undeserving people b. And He does so in a way that both glorifies Him and is good for His people c. He will never let a tragedy go to waste—join Him in this redeeming work! Apply: Con: So, how should we respond? 1. Perhaps you are not in a season of tragedy right now; a. perhaps you have never had such a season! b. I encourage you to use these times to do this first point… 2. Con: Prepare for future tragedies a. The rains will fall, the storms will come. b. Use this season of life i. To deeply learn about God’s closeness & care ii. To find out how to meet Him there and receive His comfort & guidance And with this, when tragedy strikes… 3. Con: Bring yourself fully to God a. Doing this goes hand-in-hand with honestly responding to the tragedy. i. Allow yourself to truly experience the pain & loss that it brings 1. It is never healthy to run from or ignore that. ii. Go through a time of hurt, grief, confusion, and anger— 1. But don’t go through it alone. 2. You have a good & loving God who will join us in these tragedies b. But remember… don’t do this alone! i. Consider again Psalm 34:15-18 Psalm 34:15–18 CSB 15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help. 16 The face of the LORD is set against those who do what is evil, to remove all memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit. i. Or, as Psalm 147:3, 6a share, “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds… The Lord helps the oppressed.” c. In these times of brokenness and pain, cry out to God! i. In sorrow, brokenness, fear, & anxiety… ii. For help, comfort, peace, & restored joy… iii. Con: Know that God is near, He helps, & He heals d. Furthermore… 4. Con: Trust in Jesus as your Champion & Savior! a. Samson was not the ultimate hero for Israel i. He was a man that accomplished incredible feats 1. In a season of his life, he was even a great man of faith (Hebrews 11:32) ii. But he was a man enslaved by various sins 1. And the relief he brought was limited in many ways. b. Through Jesus (see Romans 5:12–21; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22, 45–49) i. We find true salvation from the greatest of tragedies—sin & it’s final consequences. ii. We have the Last Adam… iii. God’s grace, the gift of righteousness, the resurrection of the dead, the indwelling Holy Spirit, & true life overflowed to many! iv. If you have come to Him in repentance & faith, 1. This is your standing & inheritance! 5. Con: Trust that God can do good through the tragedy (e.g. Romans 8:28) a. Remember Joseph (Genesis 50:19-21). i. Ultimately, remember the cross. b. Paul, James, & Peter all three wrote about... i. … how afflictions, various trials, & grief can create prized personal qualities ii. … like endurance, proven character, hope, maturity, & faith (see Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-9) Appeal: 1. Do you trust God enough to journey through a tragedy closely with Him and see these very things grow in you? a. When tragedies first strike & grief comes into play it can be very hard to do this b. Have grace on yourself in the midst of a tragedy 2. And when you are able to— a. Diligently join God on this journey of growth. b. Draw near to Him c. Find Him to be the God of strength & help. 3. For indeed, “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) a. And “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds… The Lord helps the oppressed.” (Psalm 147:3, 6a) Conclude: Pray with me… Post Sermon Offering: Announcements: Benediction: 1. May the Father of Mercies, our God of All Comfort… a. …comfort each of us in our affliction… b. … and enables us to bring His comfort to those who are afflicted. 2. Christ, may your comfort overflow within us all.