March 19, 2014 - Wednesday

Start Time: 6:39 A.M.

End Time: 7:09 A.M.

Title: Samson’s Vengeance on the Philistines

Scripture: Judges 15:1 – 20

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ Later on, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. He said, “I’m going to my wife’s room.” But her father would not let him go in. “I was so sure you hated her,” he said, “that I gave her to your companion. Isn’t her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead.” Samson said to them, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.” So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves. When the Philistines asked, “Who did this?” they were told, “Samson, the Timnite’s son-in-law, because his wife was given to his companion.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death. Samson said to them, “Since you’ve acted like this, I swear that I won’t stop until I get my revenge on you.”  He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam.

NOTES:

Ø God gives us control of our anger and does not condemn us when we it let out against others instead He turns our wrong actions for our own good! God gave Samson self control!  When the Philistines answered his riddle by using his wife to trick him into giving the answer, Samson was mad yet he did not go in rage against them.  But God sees the hearts of the people and He has a plan for everything.  Not until Samson got a reason to attack the Philistines, he kept his cool and did not make any move.  But when his wife was given to them, it provided him the reason to let out his rage and he did so against the Philistines. Despite of Samson’s wrong actions, God was with him as he fought against the Philistines. Good thing today, there is no need for violence for God does the vengeance for us!  Praise Jesus!

→The Philistines went up and camped in Judah, spreading out near Lehi. The people of Judah asked, “Why have you come to fight us?” “We have come to take Samson prisoner,” they answered, “to do to him as he did to us.” Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?” He answered, “I merely did to them what they did to me.” They said to him, “We’ve come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said, “Swear to me that you won’t kill me yourselves.”  “Agreed,” they answered. “We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock. As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands.  Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. Then Samson said, “With a donkey’s jawbone, I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey’s jawbone, I have killed a thousand men.” When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was called Ramath Lehi. Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, “You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore,^[c] and it is still there in Lehi. Samson led^[d] Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

NOTES:

Ø God humbles us down when necessary!  After Samson attacked the Philistine, it was a victory yet when his people came to him to bound him and give him over to the enemy, he willingly do so.  Samson knew that though he just had victory against his enemy, he knew that his action was not right as it was led by his anger.  It was allowed by God for a purpose yet God also ensures that Samson possessed humility towards His people.  The people that Samson was created to serve and protect! 

Ø God fights for His people and does not give up without a fight for us! Samson was bound and given up to the enemy, yet God’s Spirit was upon him and struck them all down.  We are God’s beloved and He will not allow the enemy to just take us without even fighting for us!  And when He fights for us, for sure the enemy will never be able to take a hold of us!  Hallelujah!

Ø God’s provisions for our needs restore our strength and revives us! When Samson was thirsty because of the battle he went thru against his enemy, he asked God to quench his thirst and God opened up the hollow place in Lehi so water came out of it.  No matter where we are and no matter what others or what our minds think is, when we are in need, there is no impossibility that God cannot make possible to provide for us!  Praise the Lord!  He will break the norms just to provide for our needs!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Amazing God, wonderful Savior, Commanding King, Prince of Peace, Almighty One and Everlasting Father!  I praise You for there is none like You!  Thank You because Your provisions for our needs are miracles!  They are impossible turned to possible!  You are willing to break the norms just to provide for what we need!  Great Lord and King!  You are truly the greatest!  Thank You because You fight for us and You do not give up on us without a fight!  Thank You because You give us control of our emotions and humbles us down when needed.  Lord continue to take control of my life because when You do, even with the negativity around me, I am fully blessed and changed from glory to glory!  Praise Your Name Jesus!  Continue to shower me with Your love, favor and grace as I walk with You every day in my life.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!