READING FOR FEBRUARY 13, 2025: JUDGES 16, MATTHEW 9, PSALM 7:1-7 JUDGES 16 Connecting this to the last verse of chapter 15, we know that this chapter begins while Samson was in this 20th year as judge over Israel. Here we learn again just how imperfect he is. On a trip to Gaza, he had sexual relations with a prostitute. This word got out to the Gazites who waited at the gate to kill him the morning. Samson simply got up at midnight and destroyed the gate, throwing it down a mountain. His character was terrible, but his God-given strength bailed him out again this time. This foreshadows the church at Corinth. Paul states that they “are not lacking in an any gift” (1 Cor. 1:7), but later laments, “It is actually reported there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles” (1 Cor.5:1). Let’s not assume because our church or any church has gifted people, that we are walking in obedience to the Lord.
True to form, Samson enters into a relationship with the deceitful Delilah, who lived near the Philistines. The Philistines offered her a reward of 1,100 pieces of silver if she could pry from Samson the secret to his strength. Three times she pleaded with him for this information. Each time Samson gave her false information, and each time the Philistines lying in wait were thwarted. Verse 15 implies that Samson had expressed his love for Delilah before, which gave her leverage over him. Is it true that this kind of romantic love can blind our minds to a reality that others might easily perceive? Is it wrong to take an action that we know displeases God just because we “feel love”? Using this information, Deliliah once more pled with Samson, whose soul was by now defenseless. Delilah conveyed to the Philistines that the key to defeating Samson was to cut his hair. This enabled them to bind him, gouge out his eyes, and imprison him in Gaza. They falsely believed their god Dagon delivered Samson to them. How tragic it is our disobedience to God can lead others to place faith in false gods. The responsibility to remain faithful to God goes beyond our lives to a watching world.
In the midst of the Philistines’ sacrifices to their god Dagon, they brought out the helpless Samson for their own sick entertainment. At this moment, Samson humbly asked God to remember him one more time so that might do what he was intended to do all along: deliver Israel from the Philistines. With thousands present during this “religious” event, Samson bent the pillars and brought down the enemy’s building, causing the death of all who were present. God’s purposes achieved. Was this final prayer and act by Samson indicative of his coming back to faith in God after straying from God? The writer of Hebrews gives us that indication: “Samson... who by faith... from weakness were [was] made strong” (Heb. 11:32-34).
READINGS FOR FEBRUARY 13, 2025 CONTINUED: MATTHEW 9, PSALM 7:1-7 MATTHEW 9 This chapter has several fast-moving vignettes. Space allows for observations about only two The Paralyzed Man—A heartwarming aspect is that it was the man’s friends who brought him to Jesus. What better kindness could friends extend than to a bring a person to Jesus. Ironically, today people often say they don’t want to offend their friends by mentioning Jesus. Do we have the faith to do this? Notice Jesus included the friends’ faith as causing the man’s sins to be forgiven, which Jesus implied is more important than healing. Finally, notice that the skepticsperceived Jesus was claiming Himself to be equal to God. They were right on that point, but wrong not to worship Him themselves. Tragic mistake.
The Tax Collector—It seems that Jesus favored busy working people to be his disciples. It shows busyness isn’t a barrier for people with the right priorities. As with his other disciples, when Jesus called, Matthew immediately left his work and followed. Smart choice. As with the friends in the story above, Matthew apparently connected Jesus with his professional colleagues. (See a trend here?) At the gathering of tax collectors, Jesus made two key statements: 1) He came to call sinners to repentance, and 2) people cannot receive Jesus’s call if they mistakenly think they don’t need to repent.
We really feel Jesus’s heart at the close of this chapter. He noticed that the crowds, just like so many today, were distressed because they had no purpose in life. Because of His compassion, He told His disciples to pray for workers to reap the plentiful harvest, to bring these sheep without a shepherd to Jesus. Let’s pray the same. Maybe we can be the answer to this prayer
PSALM 7:1-7
David told God that he has taken refuge in Him. Perhaps this needs to be done daily, although we tend to think about it more urgently when facing threats. David cried out to God about the threats pursuing him. What kind of threats are we facing today: the challenges of aging, loneliness, health, family problems, or personal disputes? Without taking refuge in God, these forces “can tear the soul.”
How did David take refuge in God? He asked God to save him from these threats, to examine his own life, and to battle his adversaries for him. The Christian song, “The Battle Belongs to the Lord” paraphrases many Bible verses. Here’s one: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chon. 20:15). If we know this song by Jamie Owen-Collins, sing it to the Lord, at least in our hearts: In heavenly armor we'll enter the land We sing glory, honor
The battle belongs to the Lord Power and strength to the Lord
No weapon that's fashioned against us shall stand We sing glory, honor
The battle belongs to the Lord Power and strength to the Lord
