Archives - October 2007, Part 3, from www.timewithgod.blog-city.com

timewithgod.blog-city.com — October 2007

Judges 13 -- The Wrong Kind Of Pride In What God Is Doing In Your Life

not humble

His life had already been laid out for him.  Before he was born, the Angel of God had told his childless parents that he would be special.  And he would save Israel.  But he wasn't Jesus.  He was Samson.  God even told his parents that his mother should abstain from any grape products while she was pregnant with him, and her child was to never have any grapes or wine or beer.  Nor was he ever to cut his hair.  These would prove to become a temptation for him because of his pride.

My commentary said that such a Nazirite vow was normally chosen by a person of his own free will.  It wasn't handed down by parents with the child expected to keep the vow.  That can lead to resentment and a feeling of having to meet someone else's expectations rather than your own.

God, in His perfect knowledge and perfect will, had a plan for Samson's life.  His parents accepted that vow for him before his birth, but later would seem unable or unwilling to help their son keep it.  He was to become arrogant, prideful, and brash, and this would lead to his downfall.  The "ownership" he took of his "specialness" was unfortunately not humble and of God, and that was where the trouble began.  Without being used by God in humility, Samson was setting himself up for failure.

Father, it is an awesome thing to be used by You.  It can be heady stuff, and our human tendency to think that "I'm special" leads us to more prospects for sin than we could ever dream, for it often sets us up to believe that the rules don't apply to us.  I've watched that happen in my own life.  Father, I pray for my boys, asking that You help them to marvel in humility at what You are doing in their lives.  Let their pride be in You and not in their own works.  Teach them to especially obey when they feel least like obeying.  Help them not to kick against Your goads.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Published: Monday, 29 October 2007

Judges 14 -- The Perils of Great Strength and Aggressiveness

Samson began to show an ugly side early on.  Perhaps his parents had told him about the angel's visit and it had gone to his head.First, he desired a Philistine woman.  The Philistines were the occupying force in Israel at that time.&nb

Samson began to show an ugly side early on.  Perhaps his parents had told him about the angel's visit and it had gone to his head.

First, he desired a Philistine woman.  The Philistines were the occupying force in Israel at that time.  His self-centeredness was causing him to sin, and you can hear it here:  "I want you to get her for me!"

When his parents tried to persuade him to instead marry within his faith, according to the Law, he was very disrespectful to them, screaming, "Get that woman for me!"  Yet God in His sovereignty would be right in the middle of his disobedience, using it to begin to provoke confrontations between Israel and the Philistines.

On a trip to arrange the marriage, Samson's willingness to compromise and his "the rules don't apply to me" attitude were brought to the surface.  God provided him with incredible strength to kill an attacking lion.  Yet on a return trip, Samson partially broke his Nazirite vow by touching the dead body of the lion.  He then defiled himself by eating honey from a honeycomb which bees had subsequently built within the lion's carcass. Then he disrespected his parents, defiling them by sharing the honey with them and not telling them its source.

At the wedding feast, Samson planned a bet that he knew he'd win, intent on swindling his guests out of 30 changes of clothing.  They took the bet, and when they couldn't find the answer, they threatened his wife and her family with death, leading her to betray Samson before their wedding.  She could have simply told him about the death threat.  To pay off his lost wager, Samson sinned by killing 30 Philistine men, robbing them of their clothing.

Great physical strength, and probably the testosterone that has a hand in it, is often followed by pride and aggressiveness that does not honor God.  It becomes idolatry if left unchecked.  Although it says a lot about what God can do despite our sins, how differently this story might have turned out if Samson had yielded his strength and his pride to God for His service.  Samson simply comes off as a bully here.

Father, help me to turn over my temper to You.  Please control it, because often I can't.  Help my sons not to want to "be like me" in that area.  Help those I know who struggle with aggressiveness and all that accompanies it to turn it over to You.  Rid them of anything that doesn't reflect Your Son to others.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Published: Tuesday, 30 October 2007

Judges 15 & 16 -- The Story We REALLY Need To Emphasize

willful blindness to what is trying to separate us from God

Have we so glamorized the story of Samson that our kids are missing the most important part?  Probably any kid who's been exposed to church can tell you about the man who was stronger than humanly possible so long as his hair wasn't cut, but once shaved off, he was normal again.  That's probably where Satan wants to leave it, because it will only be seen as a super-hero story.

Some super-hero.... We have a man supposedly set apart for service to God from birth as a ruler of His chosen people who:

    --treats his parents with contempt

    --marries someone of another faith (an idolater)

    --wastefully wipes out an entire country's wheat crop over the loss of a woman he already hated

    --murders indiscriminately

    --has a huge problem with lust, even seeing a prostitute openly

    --cohabits with another woman of another faith

    --lies and distrusts those closest to him, making them feel like fools

    --dares to still say he is set apart to God with all of this happening in his life!

My commentary summed it up quite well:

"Loss of separation (sanctification) leads to loss of power and eventual ruin.  To yield our members to sin is to pursue self-destruction."

It has to be willful blindness on our part if we are pursuing self-destruction.  We can see it coming on the horizon but we choose to look the other way as we get near it.  We become attracted instead to the object of our sin, taking our eyes off of God.

Father, none of us are immune to this.  We are all just one step away from our own loss of separation.  Please sound the warning bells loudly and help us to see the great loss we risk in taking that one small step.  Help us to then draw closer to You for our protection.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Published: Wednesday, 31 October 2007