The Book of Judges – Life Application – 4

My study today, Judges Chapters 15 – 19 is a study of a people in chaos. We see the result of Samson’s insistence on “sleeping with the enemy” in his choice of Deliah, another Philistine woman, after his dismal failure with the un-named concubine.

In order to better understand the utter foolishness of his choices, I sought to understand a little better the life that God had set aside for Samson in contrast to the life he chose to live.

I read the requirements for being a Nazarite as found in Numbers 6:2-21 and still I struggled to anything in Samson’s life outside of his poor choice of women to explain his fall from grace. This was one I had to put down and walk away from for a while because sometimes the truth is too clear to see.

I encourage you to re-read the scripture describing Samson’s life and discover (at least for me) new understanding of his fall.

The Nazarite was not allowed to:
Eat or drink of the fruit of the vine (Judges 13:4,7).
Be contaminated by any unclean thing {nothing dead under any circumstances} (Judges 13:4,7).
Cut his hair (Judges 13:5,7).

My focus of study of the life of Samson before this point had been his very poor choice of women. This is what I had heard in sermons and seen in movies and this helped me miss some very simple truths which were right before my eyes.
a) Samson was to be dedicated as a Nazarite from birth (Judges 13:5).

b) The Nazarite was not allowed to:
i) Eat or drink of the fruit of the vine (Judges 13:4,7).
ii) Be contaminated by any unclean thing (Judges 13:4,7).
iii) Cut his hair (Judges 13:5,7).
c) The first two items of the Nazarite vow was also to apply to Samson's mother (Judges 13:14).

d) The regulations for a Nazarite are given in Numbers 6:2-21.
Now, lets look again at the life and actions of Samson.
e) On one occasion on his visit to his prospective wife at Timnah, Samson stopped at the carcass of the lion which he had killed with his bare hands (Judges 14:5-9) and ate honey from it. This was in direct opposition to Numbers 6:6 and in this he failed to keep from being contaminated.

Not only did he eat honey from a carcass, a dead thing which he was not to touch, but he took the honey to his parents, thus contaminating them.
f) On Samson's fourth visit to Timnah (Judges 14:10-20), threw a big party as was “customary for young men to do”.
I wonder if this feast involved fruit of the vine, another thing forbidden for Samson. (this is not expressesly said in the scripture).

The other thing I had missed, or not focused on, was the reason for becoming a Nazarite in the first place.
Whether one became a Nazarite for a month, which was common in Samson’s day, or for a lifetime, the purpose was to dedicate one’s self to Almighty God.

Numbers 6:2-21 (Amplified Bible)
2Say to the Israelites, When either a man or a woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, that is, one separated and consecrated to the Lord,

Samson was supposed to be separated and consecrated to the Lord. His actions just don’t support a consecrated life.

My life application for today was to look beyond the obvious, that which had been told and retold in lessons, sermons and even movies and see other messages from the Holy Spirit.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!