The Sweetness of Sin

    Though evil is sweet in his mouth, and he hides it under his tongue, though he spares it and does not forsake it, but still keeps it in his mouth, yet his food in his stomach turns sour; it becomes cobra venom within him. Job 20:12-14

    Samson, possibly the strongest man who ever lived was set apart by God to be a Nazirite. He could not cut his hair, nor drink strong drink, nor eat anything unclean or go near a corpse. His great strength came from God's anointing given to him to defeat the Philistines!

    Although he performed many miraculous feats of strength, his character was extremely weak. He never seemed to have any relationship or intimacy with God, always running with his enemies and going into harlots and he was consumed with lust. He even married a Philistine woman against his parents' wishes but lost her to his best man causing a deep hatred that led to bitterness.

    It is important to take this story to heart because we, like Samson are wide open for the powers of darkness to deceive us and temp us with something sweet! Lust is prevalent in today's society tempting men and women to commit adultery and fornication as well as becoming addicted to pornography! 

    Flee youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. II Timothy 2:22

SAMSON DEFILES HIMSELF

    Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat. Judges 14:5,6

    Sadley, superior physical strength does not avail us much against the sins and lusts of the flesh! A strongman with a stronghold, on a slippery slope and emotionally distraught with no accountability to anyone!

    After killing the lion time passed and Samson came back to see the carcass where a swarm of bees and honey were in the corpse. He took some and gave his parents some defiling himself and them by touching a dead body! Doesn't sound like much but he broke his Nazirite vow to God and began a journey that would cost him his life!

    Even though Samson was defiling himself God was still using him to destroy His enemies because the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable! Once you break your vow to God the powers of darkness begin to lead you down a dark path that leads to death. The sweetness of honey tempted Samson to disobey God's command!

    "Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet." Judges 14:14

A SIN UNTO DEATH

    If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. I John 5:16

    Samson was taken captive by a spirit of lust that blinds us to the truth and gives our enemies power over us to rob, kill and destroy! He had numerous sexual encounters with harlots, defiled himself and his parents, disobeyed them and then was set up by the Philistines to trap him with a woman named Delilah!

    Again, the sweetness of sin and immorality led the big man to give up the secret of where his great strength comes from. Delilah got it out of him, and he fell asleep on her lap and his enemies came upon him, shaved his head, gouged out his eyes and bound him with bronze chains, a symbol of judgment! Samson's sin and arrogance led to his capture and subsequent death!

    The Philistines had Samson grinding grain in bondage until his hair began to grow and slowly his strength came back! Then they led him to a coliseum where they made sport of their trophy until he cried out to God and led by a boy to the columns that held up the building, with one last burst of strength he pulled the whole coliseum down killing the Philistines and himself!

    Then Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords of the Philistines and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. Judges 16:30

Your servant in Christ, Timothy Laughlin
   Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ