The Lord Left

The Lord Left
August 8, 2011
Judges 16:20 "Then she called, 'Samson, the Philistines are upon you!' He awoke from his sleep and thought, 'I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.' But he did not know that the LORD had left him."

Samson was a Biblical version of a modern day superhero. He had supernatural strength and no one could best him in battle, not even a thousand men. Recall the story: he was born a Nazarite and he could not cut his hair, consume alcohol, or touch a dead body. Because of this dedication, the Lord was willing to give Samson special strength, as He had a specific purpose for Samson to fulfill. Most people believe the source to Samson's strength was in his hair, because it was when the devilish woman cut his hair that his strength was noticed to have vanished. But I would submit to you that the source of Samson's strength was not in his hair, but in his relationship with the Lord.

Samson violated the "dead body" rule when he scooped some honey from a dead lion carcass. It is believed Samson violated the "alcohol" rule the night Delilah cut off his hair (how else could she have a man come in to shave his head unless he was drunk?). And then of course, he violated the "hair cut" rule by giving away his secret, thus falling prey to the woman's trap. The only way he could so willingly violate his vows was if they no longer mattered to him. If his vows to the Lord did not matter anymore, then certainly his relationship with the Lord was not top priority, either. The night Delilah had Samson's hair cut off, she cried out that the Philistines were attacking. The Bible says Samson arose and said, "I’ll go out as before and shake myself free." Notice Samson didn't say, "The Lord will deliver me again." In Samson's arrogance, his words declared that he alone possessed the strength, never acknowledging it was from the Lord.

After Samson's hair was cut, the Bible doesn't say "his strength failed because of his hair." No, it says, "the Lord had left him." What a powerful statement, "the Lord had left him." The Lord doesn't honor people who have no regard for Him. Samson's actions had demonstrated that the Lord and his relationship with Him were not too important. The Lord finally got the hint and walked away from Samson, taking His strength with Him. The Lord didn't take away Samson's strength; the Lord took His own strength from Samson. It was never Samson's in the first place. Anything Samson did, or accomplished, was a direct result of the Lord's presence and strength in his life.

Christian, you can do nothing on your own apart from what the strength of the Lord allows. You may not feel like a modern day superhero, but every thing in your life is a direct result of the Lord's presence and strength. If you decide not to acknowledge Him, He is willing to keep His strength to Himself. When the Lord takes His presence from your life, it leaves you vulnerable to attack. Samson learned that lesson the hard way when they gouged out his eyes and imprisoned him for years. But there is always a second chance to get the Lord's presence and strength back, once you've re-established your right relationship Him. Samson, at the end of his life, after ALL his failures, had more success with the Lord's strength in one moment than during all his previous years combined. The Lord brought His strength back into Samson's life and gave him one more victory. Yes, his hair grew back, but so did his right relationship with the Lord.

Don't take my word for it; look it up: Judges 13-16, John 15:1-8, Phil 4:13