Samson and Me (Part 2)
Teacher’s Guide Page
Samson and Me (Part 2) April 25, 2010
A. Remind the class to see themselves and the characteristics they share with Samson. We can all relate to him in some way on our journey in this life.
B. (Judges 14) Review last week’s lesson and that Samson had been betrayed by his Philistine wife had been threatened that if she did not find out the answer to the riddle and tell them, that her and her father and family would be burned alive. She cried, pouted, and nagged Samson everyday for a week until he finally gave in and told her the answer. Then instead of being honest with Samson about what was going on, betrayed him by telling the enemy the answer. After Samson gave the garments to those men he had the bet with, he went back to his father’s house and the word of God says He was furious. Now God was in this and had a plan to use Samson to begin to free Israel from the Philistine rule. The Philistines were the enemy and the betrayal had caused Samson to burn with rage. God’s Word tells us that we can be angry but not to sin in that anger. (Ephesians 4:26; Psalm 4:4)
When the enemy does things to us, we are allowed to have that Godly anger to rise up in us as we prepare for battle! We do not have to sit quietly by and just allow him to beat us to death! We can rise up in that anger and fight back with our swords of the Spirit which is the word of God! We can be angry but we must not sin and stoop to levels of sinful ways to try to get back. The only way we can truly win battles is to obey God and fight back with prayer and His word as well as obedience in what He tells us to do.
C. (Judges 15:1-6) Samson’s wife is given to another man! She had schemed and made a pact with the devil and it backfired! You and I cannot make a deal with the devil and expect to be a winner.
She did what they told her to do and the Philistines burned her and her father with fire. This is the exact same thing they threatened her with when they wanted her to get the answer to the riddle for them. She did what they wanted and they ended up doing it anyway! You and I cannot make a deal with the devil out of fear what he might do. You and I will NEVER win when we make dealings with him. Whatever thing he is threatening us with, he WILL do it anyway after we sin and give in to him. NO! We must be wise and say no to any “deals” he will try to make and we must trust God to handle him. Had Samson’s wife gone to him and told him the truth, God would have helped Samson protect her and her family, but she chose to make a deal with the devil and it cost her the life of her father and her very own as well.
D. (Judges 15:7-20) ALWAYS Believe, Trust, and Obey God!
Discuss Samson’s great victory over the enemy even though his own people turned him over to them, instead of offering to help him fight. God didn’t need all those other men, Samson had been chosen and Samson was all God would use at this time! Samson had just gone through a very hard time, his wife had been given to another man, then her and her father had been burned alive. I’m sure Samson at times must have felt alone when the men came to arrest him. However he chose to believe, trust, and obey JEHOVAH! Has the enemy caused something tragic and painful in your life? Do you feel as if you are fighting a battle all alone? Do you feel as if your own has turned on you and handed you over to the enemy? Rest assured Child of God, He does not need all of them to win this battle, and He may be just going to use you to do it! You stand strong and know that your God will fight this battle for you. When you are on His side, you cannot be defeated! What you have gone through now is just a set back, it’s just a time of regrouping, God is going to deliver you and give you great victory if you continue to believe in Him, and to trust and obey Him! Romans 8:28 was active in the life of Samson, and Hallelujah it is alive and active in your life and my life today! Believe it! Know it! Trust it! God’s promises are always true! If God has allowed it in your life, then He will use it for your good and His glory! (Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:13)