April 1, 2006 - Judges 13-15 and Luke 6:27-49
Today, we read about the life of Samson. This is a classic study of the sovereignty of God and man's free will. Many people have huge problems understanding how these two truths work together. I don't believe God wants us to have this problem. I believe He wants us to trust that He is sovereign, but He is powerful enough to allow us to have a free will at the same time and still work out His will. That is what happens in this passage, and that is what happens in life.
There is no doubt that Samson was chosen by God before he was born to be a judge in Israel. Chapter 13 makes that plain as Jesus appears to his parents and explains that he should be set apart as a Nazarite. The Nazarites were to be holy in the strictest sense. They were to stay away from grapes and wine, while refraining from anything unclean. However, Samson did not follow his parents instruction. He went to the Philistines, who were unclean, for a wife. He ate out of a dead lion, which was unclean. It is evident that even though God meant for him to be holy and to serve Him in holiness, that Samson chose not to do that. That was his free will. We all have the choice of whether or not to follow God's plan for our lives or not.
However, God still used Samson to inflict defeats on the enemies, the Philistines.Hhe did this by using Samson's wrong choices. God is able to do that in His wisdom and power. It was not His perfect will, but He still worked out His will using Samson's choices. This is what He does with us today. It is so much better if we trust Him completely, but if we don't follow Him, He can work out His will in other ways. He is not responsible for your sin. That is your choice. He wants to bless you through your obedience, and that is your choice. However, if you sin and are disobedient, He works His will in another way. Praise God for His wisdom and power!
Then look at Luke 6 and think about the difference between what Jesus teaches there and how Samson acted toward his enemies. It is partially a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament times, but it is also the difference between people who follow God's will and those who don't. If Samson had followed God's perfect will, he would not have taken personal vengeance on the Philistines, but he would have been used in God's power to punish them for their sins. There is a big difference between the two. If we allow God's Spirit to fill us and guide us, our lives will be examples of love, forgiveness, and wisdom. People will see Jesus in us. Is that what you want? Then, follow God's sovereign design for your life, instead of trying to work it out yourself. Yes, you have a choice, but the best choice is to do it God's way. Anything else is sin.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 16-18 and Luke 7:1-30.
There is no doubt that Samson was chosen by God before he was born to be a judge in Israel. Chapter 13 makes that plain as Jesus appears to his parents and explains that he should be set apart as a Nazarite. The Nazarites were to be holy in the strictest sense. They were to stay away from grapes and wine, while refraining from anything unclean. However, Samson did not follow his parents instruction. He went to the Philistines, who were unclean, for a wife. He ate out of a dead lion, which was unclean. It is evident that even though God meant for him to be holy and to serve Him in holiness, that Samson chose not to do that. That was his free will. We all have the choice of whether or not to follow God's plan for our lives or not.
However, God still used Samson to inflict defeats on the enemies, the Philistines.Hhe did this by using Samson's wrong choices. God is able to do that in His wisdom and power. It was not His perfect will, but He still worked out His will using Samson's choices. This is what He does with us today. It is so much better if we trust Him completely, but if we don't follow Him, He can work out His will in other ways. He is not responsible for your sin. That is your choice. He wants to bless you through your obedience, and that is your choice. However, if you sin and are disobedient, He works His will in another way. Praise God for His wisdom and power!
Then look at Luke 6 and think about the difference between what Jesus teaches there and how Samson acted toward his enemies. It is partially a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament times, but it is also the difference between people who follow God's will and those who don't. If Samson had followed God's perfect will, he would not have taken personal vengeance on the Philistines, but he would have been used in God's power to punish them for their sins. There is a big difference between the two. If we allow God's Spirit to fill us and guide us, our lives will be examples of love, forgiveness, and wisdom. People will see Jesus in us. Is that what you want? Then, follow God's sovereign design for your life, instead of trying to work it out yourself. Yes, you have a choice, but the best choice is to do it God's way. Anything else is sin.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 16-18 and Luke 7:1-30.