Brower: Sampson in One Night

Judges displays the faithfulness of God.
"God desires obedience from the heart and not faith unfeigned."

Judges 13-16
Sampson's story is structured to show us 3 stories/pictures. It is not necessarily chronological.

Note when the Spirit alights on him:
CH 13 - Miraculous birth, preparation of parents, and oath.
CH 14 - Reason why a bad person can do some good things.
     > The only time: because of the Spirit of God
CH 16 - Answer: what led to his downfall and did he recover?
          Sampson shows the cycle in an individual. What's true of Israel is true of all people.

Why raise up Israel?
     No peace
     Sampson is an object lesson. A picture of Israel.

Chapter 13 - Godly parents
More spiritual = woman
Barrenness = Every good spiritual thing is a holy miracle
Nazarite (Num. 6) = Key to Sampson
       Key words for the vow: Voluntary. Heart. Separate Vow.
       Seek the Lord Jesus, or you'll miss the point of your studies.
       1. Man/Woman - Both can do it
       2. Separate: To the Lord. Never from the Lord (as a mandate).
       3. Wine - Pleasures of the world. Find pleasure in the Lord.
       4. Hair - Submission/shame
       5. Defilement - None of it. The end of sin is death which separates from God. Do not be separated from God.
Sampson's mom lives the Nazarite Vow
     For Sampson, it was only external

Chapters 14 & 15 - Self Seeking, Proud Man
Self love is the opposite of Godly love.
Traditional teaching says he was a womanizer.
14:4 "he"=Sampson? Sampson hates the Philistines. Any occasion was a reason to kill them.
14:5 Kill lion / get honey. Riddle about his own accomplishment. Highlights his selfishness.
15:18 But the Lord has a way of getting us so thirsty that we will come to Him and give Him glory.
16:17 You will only lose the outer symbol, the strength is from the Lord.
     Sampson's head (7 locks = Spirit) is in their (the World / $) lap.

Chapter 16 - Great Loss, Great Repentance
(20) What he lost...
   Power (Spirit) of God
   Sight
   Freedom
   Dignity
   Testimony
(28) Repentance - Call out to the Lord
  Knows where power is from
  Devotion - Go to death for God's glory

Three Principles
CH 13 - We can have a Godly heritage, family, calling and potential but still miss it.
CH 14 & 15 - You can have God's Spirit move and work through you and still miss it.
CH 16 - No matter how low and far you've fallen from your calling, you can still be restored and used of God.