RTW April 5
A Force Against Or Tool For
So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.”
Judges 16:6
My Takeaways
Something Old
Women have power!
Delilah
- Manipulated Samson, and was manipulated by the Philistines. Enticed: to lead on, by exciting hope or desire; allure; inveigle (to ensnare by flattery) (Judges 14:15 Samson’s first wife also.)
- Pouted to get what she wanted, because she did not get what she wanted. Pout: thrust out the lips in displeasure; to look or be sullen
- Nagged Samson until he broke down and told her what she wanted to hear. Nagged: to keep in a state of troubled awareness or anxiety, as a recurrent pain or problem
Something New
Judges 17:12
You can have a personal priest? No. You can not find a Levite and compensate him to be your personal priest.
Something to Do
Use my power against the enemy, not as a tool for my own agenda.
Been there done that!! I am so thankful that God has shown me that using manipulation is so wrong. When I started believing the verse. Not by might not by power but my my spirit says the Lord, God began wrong things out so much better.
Delilah. Wow! what a horrible picture we see of who & what she was like as a wife of Samson.. And then I am reminded of my own shameful behavior. It is so very shameful and painful to remember the things I have done, the words I have said, how I must have hurt others. I have to ask myself “what was I thinking?” Was I thinking at all? I am so sorry for all of the hurt I must have caused, the angry words spoken without thinking, and the lies I have told-the lies that just “fell out” of my mouth so easily-without a thought. Deceitfulness and dishonesty are not from God.
Thank God that I am forgiven and I pray that I am never the “old” self again.
My Takeaways: Hallelujah,Wendy! I couldn’t agree with you more in the way that women can manipulate. You are so right, throughout the Bible we see this sin as the downfall of many good men. Proverbs7:21 says it best “So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery.” This is an ongoing problem that we still see so often in our own society.
Something Old: Poor Samson he just couldn’t keep it together. He was given everything, but threw it all away. He had to live with the consequences given to him due to his poor choices. But God never forgot him, in spite of all that he did. God answered Samson’s prayer and destroyed the temple and all its worshipers. God never stopped loving him. God is always there, no matter how far away I am. He just wants to hear from me and restore me into a right relationship again. God’s will always prevails. “…So he killed more people when he died then he did during his entire lifetime.” (Judges 1:30).
Something New: “The people did whatever seems right in their own eyes.” (Judges17:6) Sounds just like our society today. We fall the same way. It begins with the church, when they follow their own desires, instead of doing things God’s way. Just like Micah and his mother. Soon it spills over into the families, just like the Priest and Levites who were to serve the people, their tribe in the way of the Lord. So sad how no one had a desire to worship God anymore, they just used him for their own selfish desires.
Something To Do: Invest my life in Jesus, let him be my idol. Realize that even though I might be successful, doesn’t always mean I’m pleasing God and receiving his blessings. Take a step back and as myself, “What would Jesus do?” Never disregard truth. Don’t allow the darkness to enter the light. Remember it’s a slow fade. After all 300 years had past since the Israelites had entered the Promised Land.
My two Take aways from the Comments:
“God is always there, no matter how far away I am.”
“Don’t allow the darkness to enter the light.”
Thank you, lkennedy! Jotted these down……in my heart!