King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Friday, April 05, 2019
Chapters: Judges 16-18
Message: Through God’s Eyes
Hello My Friend,
As you are reading God’s Word, the more you read the testimonies of some of the people God used you often wonder what these people were thinking in the choices they made. How can they make such foolish decisions? I mean, I know I have made some foolish decisions, but to keep doing it over and over again. Anytime we go against God’s Word, it really has nothing to do with not knowing His Word, it is in doing what is right in our own eyes. I say that because I knew right from wrong even before I knew one word from God’s Word, but it is God’s Word that clarifies and teaches us things that go beyond our conscience. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” – II Timothy 3:16-17.
“throughly furnished unto all good works.” When we are doing what is right in our own eyes we are fully aware of God, and yet, somehow seem to associate Him with everything, including religion or spiritual. The fact is, things like religion and spiritualism are not of God, they are of the devil, and he will make it look like the things we are doing to be accepted by God. Samson, like all of us, was born with a purpose, God had already decided that he was going to be brought up as a Nazarite. However, Samson was just the opposite, in fact, quite worldly, committing fornication, eating and doing whatever he wanted. You see, while we have the freewill to choose whether or not to fulfill what God has appointed for us, we also suffer the consequence of doing what is right in our own eyes. God was about to use Samson to bring judgment upon the Philistines, but not before bringing judgment upon Samson himself, and He used his love for a Philistine woman named Delilah to do it.
“And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.” – Judges 16:4-5,16-20.
“And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.” You see, the entire time, Samson thought his strength came from his own might, he never once considered it was God. Until we come to the realization that we are nothing without God He will take our strength from us. Now, after the Philistines capture Samson, put his eyes out, and enslaved him they decide to throw a party to their god for delivering Samson to them.
“Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.” – Judges 16:23,25,27-30.
“And Samson called unto the LORD,” This is the first time you hear of Samson calling on God at all, and the only thing God really used him for was to take out some of the Philistines. The Philistines learned something, their god is dead. Let me tell you, The devil is patient, he in not after the ones who have no idea who God is, he is after the saved souls, he knows that while he cannot touch their souls, he can stop them from being that light that leads others to Christ. However, God is merciful, and anytime we call on Him sincerely He hears us, and His strength will help us get vengeance on whatever the devil took from us, even if it is the last thing we do on the earth. “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.” – Hebrews 10:29-30.
“I will recompense,” To compensate; to make return of an equivalent for any thing given. When God’s people chose to go against His Word, and do what is right in their own eyes, they only have themselves to blame for the repercussions that come back to haunt them. God’s first two commandments, have no other gods before me, and make no graven images, yet time and time again, people not only made other gods and images to their own gods they bring God into it as well. Do you recall earlier we learned that the Philistines paid Delilah eleven hundred shekels of silver to get her to convince Samson to tell her what his weakness was? Apparently, they stole the money. Her son Micah, took it back, and to thank him she used some of the money to have idols made for him.
“And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.” – Judges 17:1-2,4-5,7,10,13.
“Now know I that the LORD will do me good,” Micah thought that a Levite priest, one who was supposed to be one of God’s ministers coming to his door was a sign that he was doing right and God was going to finally bless him. How many people do you think get caught up in cults because they think they are hearing from God. What they really are is lost, and who they really need is Jesus Christ. Contrary to what people do right in their own eyes, there are not several paths that lead to God, there is only one path, and that is Jesus Christ. Until we are saved we really are like lost sheep, we walk around searching for a place we can call home. When the promised land was distributed by Joshua, considerable territory was allotted to each tribe, including the children of Dan, but they were not very faithful to God, and as a result not only failed at removing the inhabitants as God commanded, had been run out of their own towns. Now, they were in search of their own and came upon Micah.
“When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go. And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him. And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.” – Judges 18:3-6,11,15,18-20.
“Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God,” This goes to show you that so many want God in their lives, and are willing to go through anything to get them. The sad thing is that they go about it the wrong way, and have no clue who they are worshiping. God will have no gods before Him, He is a jealous God, He will not allow His people to worship other gods nor will He accept any kind of worship, we must come to God through Christ, and we must worship Him His way. “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” – Luke 13:24-27.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” – Judges 16:28.
Today’s Prayer: God, You have given us an example of how You want us to worship You and that is by first receiving Your Son as our Saviour, a man who was tempted at all points just as we are, a man who gave His life so that we can live with You forever. We are not required to be perfect, just to believe in Your perfect Son, but You would like us to be a light that shines Your Son in the world so that others can worship You in truth. Lord, give me Your power and wisdom to be more like Jesus, keep me in Your word, help me to discern right from wrong, and if there is anything I need to eliminate from my life give me Your strength to do it. As I stick close to You, love You, talk to You, and walk in the strength of Your Son, I know I can do all things. I ask these things in Your name Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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