Today I just want to look into the story of Samson from the start to the very end of it. This is a story of grace, it's grace written all over it. It shows us how God is gracious towards us and it also warns us as to how grace can be abused. It shows us how grace can be taken so lightly. Finally, it shows us the consequences of, abusing God's grace.


The Cycle of Sin in Judges
But the story starts with God being gracious. It tells us exactly as to how the grace of God works. There is a pattern in this book. The people of Israel, they sin. They are delivered into the hands of their enemies, then they cry out to God, and then God raises a deliverer. And then they again sin. This is the cycle. But surprisingly enough in this story that cycle breaks, this pattern breaks.

You see this book starts with they sinning and for eight years, they are serving a leader, a enemy, then they cry to go and God raises Othniel. And then they again sin, this time, they are punished for 18 years. They cry to God, and God raises Ehud. They again sin, they're punished this time for 20 years, they again cry to God and God raises Deborah and Barack. They again sin. This time they serve the enemy for 7 years, they cry out to God. God raises Gideon. They again sin. And this time again, they are punished for 18 years, and they again cry out to God. And God, raises Jephthah. And this story comes where again sinning. And they're punished this time of 40 years, but they don't cry, they are not asking for help. They are not asking for a deliverer, and God anyway, God raises Samson.


God’s Grace
You see that's Grace. Grace when you're not even asking for it. For 40 years, people are under the bondage of a foreign king, they're like slaves there. They are in their land, they own the land, but yet their slaves. They are supposed to have one Lord, but instead of having one Lord, now they have many lords ruling over them. And they are supposed to be serving God, but for 40 years they are under bondage in sin and they're serving their enemies. Every time they're asking for help, at some point they always break down. At some point they always cry out. But this time they are not. I mean, they have come to a place of position where they have accepted this lifestyle. They've accepted this horrible life, they have accepted this punishment and for 40 years, it has been going and nobody's asking for any help.

You see it's just in our human behaviour to sin and then to sin, and then to sin, it's like an inclination to sin. And every time God is gracious. In him, we can find forgiveness. But here is a situation where Israel has sinned after sinned after sinned after sinned that now, they've accepted it to be a norm. They have accepted it to be their status. It's like they have lost hope that they will ever come back now. Or they are feeling shameful as to how many times should they cry out to God?

It's exactly the kind of thoughts the devil brings to us. How many times will you sin? And how many times will you go and ask forgiveness? At some point the sinner loses hope. At some point, the sinner continues to be in sin. And some point, the sinner continues to groan in that sin. I'm not sure if anybody over here is in that condition. If you're helpless, if you've made sin a lifestyle, and you've lost hope that you can ever come out of that, that you have forgotten now to even pray and ask for help. Like the people of Israel you have accepted it to be a lifestyle.


Picture of Gospel
This is the story of Samson. When people were not asking for God, when people were not calling out to Him, when they were not crying unto Him, when they didn't want him, God raises a judge. That's the description of Grace. You see sometimes when we share the gospel, some people ask, why did Jesus die for me when I didn't even ask? You see, that's the beauty of God's grace. We weren’t asking for it. We weren’t loving God. God loved us first.

You see God so wants us to depend upon him. God wants us to repent of our sins. God wants us to come unto him with a broken and contrite heart. But then God also knows that some of us, some sinners are so dead, so hopeless, so groaning that they are not even able to pray and yet God saves them. When they were not seeking God, God comes seeking them. When they were not calling unto God, God calls them and when sin upon sin upon sin, increased for 40 years and God is patiently waiting, that they would at least for once call upon Him. At least for once asked for help. '40' is like the number of perfection in bible, it's like a lot of sets of 40 and at the end of 40 years, God just raises Samson.

God quits waiting. He just wants to show grace and wants to redeem His people. You see, this is exactly what happened, in the fullness of time God sent His son and even in this story, God sends His son. God sends an angel, who is his own son. You see the people when they saw, they recognised him to be an angel. But eventually, they realised, that he is God's Son. In the Bible whenever they saw somebody otherworldly, somebody out of this world, they always used the word angel, but it takes a realisation that this is not a mere angel, this is Jesus Christ. Isn't this a beautiful picture of the gospel, of our story? When we were so dead when we were so off-limits, Christ came into this world, and He has good news.


What is Your Name?
Let's just look into this and counter between Manoah and our Lord Jesus. Vs18, they're asking, what is your name? What is your name? And in throughout the whole of the Old Testament, this is a constant question. Remember the story of Jacob? The Lord Jesus asked Jacob, what is your name? And he said, I'm Jacob, the Lord said you would be called Israel. Then Jacob asked the question. Same question, what is your name?

And in a way of chastisement the Lord says, why do you even ask my name? The Lord would not reveal his name. You see, Manoah is asking the same thing, what is your name? And in the way of chastisement the Lord is saying, why do you ask when you know it is beyond you to even understand what my name is. You see, this is Lord Jesus Christ, the second person in Trinity. The brightness of God's glory. He has a name that is unutterable He has a name that is unknowable. He has a name that's incomprehensible, nobody can even understand it.

The book of Proverbs ends with the same question. Do you know the father and do, you know the son? Do you know the son's name? Proverbs 30:4 the last part, what is His name? And what is his son's name? Can you then? what is his name and what is his son's name? It was a constant question throughout the whole of Old Testament, what is the name? And very often the people of Israel, though they did not know the name of this person who keeps appearing to them, they realise that it is for the namesake that they are not consumed. It is for the namesake, that God did not destroy them. I am the Lord, and that's why you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

And this unknowable name, this unutterable name, this understandable name, nobody ever saw this coming. Nobody could have ever imagined that the Lord would one day send an angel to Mary in Nazareth and say his name is Jesus. Yeshua. That's such a common name even. I know, maybe over here folks have named Joshua. It's the same name. It was such a common name that in history at the time of Christ itself, there are 40 people with the same name Jesus. And that's the name of the second person of Godhead? Such a common name. Just about everybody had it.

They all wanted their sons to be the Saviours of the Roman Empire. So just about everybody over there was called Jesus and all the prophets and all of the law was searching for that name and that name is so simple. Because that's the only person who wore that name Saviour and became a saviour. The only person who bore the name Saviour and saved people not from dominions of kingdoms, kings, empires, or a foreign army but from the domain of sin. This is God's grace, the name Jesus, the name Jesus that we can tell our friends outside. The name that could not have been uttered, could not have been understood, is understood in Jesus Christ.


The Story of Samson
Well, this is the story of Samson. The very start of it is God's grace written all over it. Now let's go ahead and see as to how Samson abused this grace. Let's turn back to Judges 14. Judges 14:1, he saw a woman. The word saw is a little deep it's not just like, we see a lot of things. He saw with intent he saw with a purpose. Vs 3 the last part, Samson said to his father, get her for me for she pleases me well. I think that's the right translation in Tamil, the right translation is, she is right in mine eyes. In English it's like she pleases me, like I like her, but actually, Samson is saying this woman is right in mine eyes.


First Woman
Samson story has three women in it and from the very start to the end, Samson has a very unhealthy relationship with his eyes. He's saying I want this woman because she's right in mine eyes and this is what the abuse of grace really looks like. Because you know it is wrong. There are enough laws in Leviticals and Deuteronomy to say that you should not be marrying this woman, that she does not know the Lord that you know and Samson knows it and deliberately goes about with a relationship. You know it is sin and you still do it.


Abuse of Grace
That's the abuse of grace. You see a lot of people try to justify what Samson did here. They say that it is of the Lord. It’s written in vs4, that it was of the Lord, so the Lord was approving it. Did the Lord really approve? Was this union of the Lord? Well, let's understand something that God is immutable. His laws do not change and he himself will not contradict the laws that he put. And just because God can overwrite man's foolishness and still bring about his sovereign will does not mean man did something right. Just because Samson sinned, and God still did something great out of it does not mean Samson is let go of his sin.

Well for a record, this is the very first sin written in the book of Judges at Judges 3. A lot of people were already doing it. It's written they gave their wives and daughters to heathens. So, when Samson went down to that particular place of a heathen region, he went down to do this. He went down to commit this sin. It was not an exception. He was not the first person to do, the only person to do. Everybody was doing it. And that became a norm. But for a God, who is immutable sin remains sin and we realise now through the end of the story as to how bad this one instance ended up.

Finally, the boy and the girl they meet, they talk and just read once again in vs7. Exactly. The boy and the girl, they talk, they liked, and Samson is again stressing, this girl is right in my eyes. Brethren, do you realise how dangerous something like this is? Just forget the sin, but just to decide something because your eyes says it. To like something to find it good, just because you find it good in your eyes. To consume it just because you like it with your eye. To decide if it is right or wrong, sin or not, just because you like it or not, this is the sin of Genesis 3. If you eat this fruit, Satan told Eve that, you will be like God.

And this is Samson being God to himself. I like this so I'm having it. I like this so this is right. It's right in mine eyes so I'm doing about it. I am God, I decide what's right for me. My heart says I like it so I'm going about it. My desire says I want it so I want it. I am the Lord, I am the master, I decide for myself. That's the sin of Satan. He wanted to be God he suggested Eve you can be like God, and here is Samson deciding for himself. This is the danger of our eyes.

Let's realise this one thing. There are just two ways, anything in this world, or anything of God can enter our hearts. One through our eyes and another through our ears. These are the only two ways for anything to enter your heart, for your mind, for your soul, for yourself. That's why this eye is what the Lord said, is the light of the body. And if your eye is unhealthy, imagine the darkness in you. You see this is so important for today's time. It's something called visual pollution. Samson just got to see this one woman, but we get to see a lot more things than Samson. And we get confused as to what we see is what we want.

It's a common saying, the heart wants what the heart wants. And if you want it you'll get it. But the Bible says your heart is desperately wicked and deceitful about all things. So you might know it in your heart, but the Bible says, you know, nothing it's deceitful. It is cheating you and this is Samson. A Nazarite. A sanctified person for God. Sanctified from his mother's womb. Called for a great purpose to deliver his people and called for that purpose even before his conception. So much responsibilities. Committing sin so callously, so deliberately. So knowingly.

Well, how does this relationship between this first woman and Samson end? Vs19 the last part, and his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. Something that started as love in the chapter ends as anger. He supposed to be married with this wife, but he leaves his wife and goes back to his father’s home. You see how cheated he was? He thought this is the right thing. He thought this is the best thing for me and in that romantic love, he thought this is for me.

But true and genuine love can never become anger. 1 Cor 13, Love is not easily provoked, and this is just one of those examples where it is lust, it is not love. It is lust that Samson is not being able to control, and that lust becomes anger, sometimes lust becomes hate, sometimes lust becomes horrible sin. It is not love at all. It is just the desires of his flesh.


Second Woman
Let's go into the second woman. Chapter 16, vs1. This is a very short relationship. This was just for a night. He just wanted a relationship with a woman. And what is written in the verse just before that? Just read the last verse in chapter 15. He judged for 20 years, and this book begins by saying the Lord judged through these people. That God for these 20 years was working through Samson. That Samson was actually in the place of God for these people. For 20 years it happened. For 20 years he was discerning between right and wrong for the people. For 20 years he protected the people from the enemies.

In today's times we can say, here is a man who is so heavily into ministries. So much used by God. Undoubtedly God is working through Samson, and yet Samson would do these things. Yet Samson would not overcome his weakness. Yet Samson would continuously abuse grace. He was supposed to be a Nazarite. He was supposed to be a separated person. He was not supposed to touch anything unclean, but he eats something of a dead animal. The abuse of grace, you know it is wrong and still do it.


Abuse of Grace
When sin abounds grace will much more abound, so you take grace as a licence to do things that you know are wrong. And Samson has been doing again and again. If this was just a harlot, you can assume that this was not probably just the only time when Samson did it. This was Samson's lifestyle, a lifestyle of sin. He's not supposed to drink wine, but he throws up a party where everything is there in it. This is a story of self-indulgence. To want what you want, to do it, and still be used in God's ministry. Just because you're part of a ministry, just because God is using you mightily, just because you're serving God in some way, does not mean you are holy.

Here is a man God used for 20 years and still, he had a lifestyle of sin. I hope you're realizing the danger of Christian life. Everything that is demanded in the Bible. Everything that is demanded of a Christian. Those things demanded can be done in your flesh. Those things can be done in your mind. Here is a man who judged for 20 years, everything written about Samson, is his heroic acts, his muscle, his power, but not one righteous deed. None of his teachings, not any of the way he judged, it's written he judged but what did he judge, nothing. No instruction in righteousness. Whether Samson provoked the people to come out of idol worship.

Samson story is just known for his muscle power. But a judge is a whole lot more than just muscle power. And being a judge as to how did he judge, the Bible is completely silent on that. You see this ends very badly, it has to end badly.


Third Woman
We'll come to the third woman. Vs4 Delilah. We don't know if she's a Jew, she's a Philistine we do not know that. Samson loves this woman. He's in a relationship with her. But it's not even called marriage. No mention of wedding. But he has a relationship with her. You see things exactly like this are happening today. Where marriage is under threat. People can walk in and walk out of relationships anytime they like. Samson is doing that here. Samson is loving this woman but will not walk into commitment. And Samson knows what's behind this woman.

Let's read Vs7. Samson says if they bind me, if they bind me. Who's they in this verse? The Philistines. But how did Samson know it is the philistines? Delilah never said Philistines will bind him. Delilah was a very charming, very pleasant woman trying to expose Samson and trying to corner Samson, but Samson figured out it is the Philistines that want to bind him. Delilah never said the Philistines are behind her. But he eventually figured out it is the Lords of Philistines. The Philistines want to bind him. And it's written that they wanted to bind him to afflict him and that they might in vs5. That they may prevail over him they might bind him and that they might afflict him.


Abuse of Grace
These are the enemies of Samson. They want nothing less than his death. And Samson knows behind this woman is them. But he's not ready to walk out of that relationship. He's not ready to run out of that situation. He knows this is fire and he's ready to play with it. He knows they want his death but he's ready to play with it. Exactly what the abuse of grace looks like. You see there are some sins that are not worth fighting. You're supposed to flee from it. Bible says, flee from youthful lust. Flee from sexual immorality. Those things are not worth fighting for. Like Joseph just run away. And Samson knows all about it, knows the plot, knows the conspiracy, and still wants to peddle with it. Again and again this woman keeps saying that. And again and again Samson is saying if they bind me. He knows it's them. He knows the enemies are after him.

Somebody would say this way that we as Christians also behave the same way. We are so careless about our enemies. Samson's enemy was the Lords of Philistines and our enemies the lord of those lords. Our enemy is a roaring lion. Our enemy is roaming about seeking to whom he may devour. And we are so careless, careless with our life, careless with the things we indulge with. Just like Samson, not caring that somebody wants our death. Somebody wants to devour us. Somebody wants us to be useless to God, that somebody wants to see that this grace of God is in vain. That this grace that God has given to us that has saved us, should go in vain. That's why Paul would say, do not frustrate that grace.

You see Samson has abused that grace his whole life. Finally, it comes to a point where Samson is allowing for his hair to be cut. From Sunday School times you've been told that Samson was strong because he had long hair. His power was in that hair. But that's not true. In vs20 it was not the hair, it was the Lord. The Lord departed from Samson and Samson did not even know it. You see this is a conclusion of how grace is abused. Just not the words of Samson here. Samson's words, just noted it. I will go out as at other times.

Just like before, just like the many times before. I have touched unclean things and God still worked for me. I have drunk wine and God's still worked for me. I had horrible relationships with women, multiple women and God still used me. Many times I've sinned and God still uses me. What's with the hair? Now, let me cut my hair. And like other times, God will still use me. Many times I've sinned. I have experienced God's grace the other times and just like the other times this time also. See literally the abuse of grace. Just like other times, God has been with me and God will be with me. I can live my life anyhow.

Then he says I will shake myself. That sounds like a procedure. I will shake myself as if that's gonna get me power. That sounds like something external I'm going to do. That sounds like something like a formula or a secret or something that I have done every time before I went for a war. That sounds like some procedure, some mechanical thing like I'll shake myself and it'll all happen. You see Samson so depended on what he did for God to work for him. All the external things that he did. He thought even shaking will help them. But that was not true.

You see, this is the danger of Christian life. You can be shaking yourself. You can be part of a church. You can be doing a lot of things in the church. And God could be using you mightily. Paul adds the extreme and says you can even burn your body for the sake of Christ. Paul says you can do even that much without loving God, without genuine faith. Trusting your work. Trusting your effort. Trusting what you're doing. Just like Samson. We as human beings, we give so much prominence to the things we do something external. And we try to look at those things to ratify our fate. Bible reading your prayer, being part of the church, being organization or anything, no matter how great a person you are, nothing of that saves you. Your faith should be in Christ and Christ alone. It's not in what you do.

Not like Samson saying the other times I've done this and that is going to help me this time. I will shake myself and will work. I'll do this and that and be good for me. No, your faith should be in Christ who said on the cross, "It is finished". Christ said it is finished so you don't have to do anything. What you do is not what saves you. Well, Samsung relied on what he did. He was a judge. He had a relationship with God. He used to offer offerings. He used to offer sacrifices. When he looked at all the things that he did, he thought he's right before. But all the while he continued to live in sin.

You know what is sad about this? Here is somebody who was chosen even before his conception to deliver the people. He took advantage of a God who works all things good for those that love Him and those that are called according to His purpose. If God has called he will work all things good. If God gives grace, abuse it.


God Departed
Finally, his eyes are gouged out. He has no power because the Lord is not with him. Let's ask ourselves what does it mean for the Lord to depart? What does it mean for the Lord to depart from us? I mean, what does it mean? It's true that God is there everywhere but then its written God departed from Samson, like is Samson left alone? In the Bible a lot of people it's said about it. For example, Cain went out from the presence of God. Where did he go? Did he go to a place where God is not there? Jonah went from the presence of God to Tarshish, like where there is no God, where did he go like, is God's presence so limited?

You see when it is written this way that God departed that they went out of God's presence, it's not that they are going to a place where God is not there. The presence of God is always associated with the word 'Know'. Samson here, he did not know. Jacob had a dream and he says I did not 'know' that the Lord was here. So the presence of God is not a special place and not a special experience and not a special feeling of Goosebumps. It is your relationship with God. When the Lord is departing, when Cain walks out, when Jonah goes down, all they were doing was just going out of the relationship.

You see, this is what David feared the most. When he committed adultery, he says, Do not take away your spirit from me. And then he says, restore unto me the joy of salvation. Not restore salvation, he's sure he has not lost salvation, but the joy of it. The joy that comes out of a relationship. You see, this is what the Psalmist says, again David says, At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. And in Your presence is fullness of joy. And that is what we experience in God's presence. It's your relationship with God. That helps us to be joyful. That helps us to enjoy the pleasures of God's right hand. It's not a special place. It's not an experience, not your feelings or emotions, it's not goosebumps or feeling something great about. It is your relationship with God. Like the Psalmist says, "that the wicked are far from you, but I will draw near to you". This is what Samson lost, a relationship of joy, of communion, of fellowship, he lost it.


Prodigal Samsons Final Words
I've been thinking about a lot of Prodigals in the Bible. Prodigals like Jonah for example, like Samson, like Manasseh. They all rebelled against God. They ran away from God they all had sin in their life. And they all were brought down to a horrible place where they broke down, and they all prayed. They all have a prayer. And then except for Samson, they were all restored. Except for Samson, they all got a second chance. They all could be restored to God's presence. But Samson's story is a little different. He is in the jail over here. He has lost his power. No more eyes. He has come to a point where now there is no more second chance, no more restoration. He has realized that he has come to a point where he has wasted his life. Now the only thing left is death. And with that realisation he prays a prayer.

When he realizes that only death is left, he says this way. Let's read 16:28. He's barely praying for himself. He's barely, he's not even praying for himself. He's not asking for his eyes back. He's not asking to be a judge once again. This prayer is a death wish. He wants to die. In verse 30, He says let me die with the Philistines. I mean, Samson has come to a point where if his life was wasted at least in his death, at least in his death, he might fulfil the purpose. At least in his death, he can sacrifice himself and fulfil the purpose. That though he die at least, at his death he might fulfil what God called him for.

We know the story he pulls down the pillars of the hall. And what's important is not the number of people dying there. But it's written there that, all the lords of the Philistines were there. In one instant, he killed all the leaders of the enemy. I mean, just for an example. Imagine in our country, when the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have a joint session something very bad goes, something very bad happens like this, like the whole house falls on them. In a single instance, India loses all its leaders. If there are no leaders the country will disintegrate. That's what Samson did at his death. He killed all their leaders. And finally, Israel came out of the dominion of Philistines.

This is Samson's life, a life that was wasted but at death, he came back to God. That's why Samson is called a hero of faith. He's called a hero of faith because finally with faith, he could kill and subdue the kingdom. May God bless these words to our hearts.