Getting What You Don't Want

Introduction

She was called Garbage Mary. She lived in a small town in Florida. Every day she would be seen dressed in her rags, walking down the streets, scavenging through garbage cans for food, which she hoarded in her car or in her tiny two-room apartment. She was a recluse with no friends, and, as it was believed, she was losing her mind and living on the verge of destitution. Finally, the police picked up Garbage Mary and took her to a psychiatric unit for treatment. When court officials went to her apartment, they were amazed to discover that there was money everywhere. Scattered throughout her apartment and her car were bank books, stock securities, oil-drilling rights, real-estate documents, and cash. Garbage Mary was worth over one million dollars.

Mary actually had a family. After two failed marriages, her brother said she had begun to act strangely. Her psychiatrist speculated that living alone resulted in her having nothing which stimulated her mentally and she was left in a mental rut. The tragedy is that Mary was far from poor. She had great resources but she lived as if they didn’t exist. Samson is a spiritual reminder of Garbage Mary. Here is God’s chosen man. Given great resources, but he lived at times as if they didn’t exist at all. This morning we will look at Judges 14 and see an episode in Samson’s life in which he ignored his resources and lived selfishly and without God.

The Story

Samson is a grown man. He has grown up in a godly household. His mother and father have dedicated him to the Lord from conception. This is to be God’s leader among his people. The Philistines have been Israel’s enemy for some time. Samson travels down to Timnah, a Philistine city and there he sees a woman who intrigues him. He returns home and insists that his parents make the arrangements for them to be married. This is not what his parents want. They didn’t dedicate their son to God so that he could sin against God. The parents and Samson go to Timnah. Along the way, a lion attacks Samson. With the power of God, Samson kills the lion with his bare hands. He doesn’t tell his parents what has happened.

Arrangements are made. Samson goes to Timnah for the wedding ceremony. He separated from his parents and discovered that a swarm of bees had built their nest in the lion’s carcass. The bees had produced lots of honey, so Samson took the honey, ate it and shared it with his parents. At the wedding feast, Samson offers a riddle to his groomsmen. If they could answer he would provide a change of clothes for each of them. If they could not answer the riddle then they had to provide him with thirty changes of clothes.

“Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.” For three days they ponder the riddle. On the fourth day, they insult the bride so that she pleads with Samson to tell her the answer to the riddle. At first Samson refuses. But after seeing his bride cry for so many days, he tells her. She promptly tells the groomsmen and they give the answer to Samson: “what is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson goes to Ashkelon and with God’s power kills 30 Philistines. He takes their clothes and gives them to his groomsmen. He leaves Timnah in anger and his bride ends up marrying the best man.

Lessons

Interesting story. One great line in verse 18: “if you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.” More than just a bit impolite, but it gets the point across. But what are the lessons. There are several, but let’s concentrate on two.

First, look at Samson’s potential. He grew up in a household which loved God. His parents dedicated him to God from birth. And twice in this chapter, the Spirit of God comes upon him with power. We might say that Samson grew up knowing God. He grew up knowing only God. And as Samson grew older, God demonstrated his presence in a powerful way. Samson had every spiritual advantage.

Some of us like Samson have known only God since our birth. Our parents made sure that we knew God. And as we grew older there was no doubt about God’s presence in our lives.

Others came to know God later in life. Through a series of events and people, God made sure you had ample opportunity to know him and his power. And in his time, you gave your life to him.

Whether we came to know God early or late in life, each one of us has the same advantage and potential of Samson. While we are not called to a special position and ministry as he was, each one of us who know God have been given the power of God’s Spirit to live within us. We have been saved by the blood of Christ. We have come to know God as a faithful Father and loving Savior. And the Spirit of God empowers us not physically but spiritually in our walk with God.

For those of us who want to know God, he has left no doubt that he is present with us and that he can be trusted. Our God has not let us down. He has not left us alone or isolated. He has shown us his presence and demonstrated his power. Like Samson, there is no doubt about who our God is and what he is capable of doing.

But with all of that Samson had a character flaw. It was more than just an annoyance. It was more than just an occasional thing. This was a serious defect in his character. The defect for Samson was not that he couldn’t control himself sexually, although that was how the defect revealed itself. In chapter 14, Samson sees this Philistine girl and he wants her for his wife. So he demands that his parents make the arrangements. In chapter 16, Samson sleeps with a prostitute and then carries off the city gates. Then there is Delilah and she leads to his ultimate demise. We see Samson’s character flaw as he interacts with women, but unbridled sexuality is not the problem.

Look at 14:4. The NIV says “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” The NASB says “Get her for me, for she looks good to me.” The Hebrew literally says “take her for me, for she is right, pleasing in my eyes.” In Judges 17:6 and 21:25 we read: “And in those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right (or pleasing) in his own eyes.” There’s the flaw. Samson did what was right in his own eyes. The character flaw revealed itself in sexual matters, but it comes down to that Samson did what he wanted to do. Samson like all the other judges before him was to lead the people away from the Philistines. He was to be the leader which called the people back to God, but as you read through the story, Samson doesn’t do that. Why? Because he does what is right in his own eyes.

We live at a time of great ethical and spiritual anarchy. The clarion call is to do whatever you want to do. If it pleases you, then do it. The only authority that is valid is what is inside of you. You become Lord and Master. You decide what is right and wrong and most of the time the ultimate decision is made based on how we feel and if it tingles the emotions. Samson had a hard time saying “no” to his wishes and desires. This was his character flaw. He did what was right in his own eyes. Samson had a relationship with God which few had. But he lived like Garbage Mary. Instead of taking advantage of the spiritual blessings he had, he willingly settled for what pleased him rather than remaining faithful to God.

Being God’s disciple means that we give our best. Obedience is what helps us to take full advantage of God’s blessings. Samson had a lot of potential. The Bible tells us that God still used him, but how much more could he have been used if he had listened and obeyed God. Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Let’s obey him. Let’s not listen to ourselves but let’s listen to God.

Follow Jesus

If you’d like to respond to this message or learn more about following Jesus, please reach out.