FAITH || Lesson 21 

FAITH

Text:  Hebrews 11

Lesson Twenty-one – V.32

Examples of the ancients who were commended for their faith: (Cont’d.)

SAMSON [Part 1]: V.32 – And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets,

See Judges 13.

Judges 13:1 – Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

Let us thank the Lord for continuing urge us to avoid evil and its terrible consequences.  Note:

Romans 2:6-11 – ⁶God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”  ⁷To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  ⁸But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  ⁹There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; ¹⁰but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  ¹¹For God does not show favoritism.

Hebrews 2:1-3 – We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.  ²For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

Hebrews 10:26-31 – ²⁶If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.  ²⁸Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  ²⁹How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?  ³⁰For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  ³¹It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Judges 13:2 – A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless.

Was sterile and remained childless – Let us thank the Lord for delivering us from such spiritual condition.  Romans 6:20-22 – ²⁰When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.  ²¹What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!  ²²But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

Judges 13:3 – The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son.

The angel of the LORD appeared to her – Let us thank the Lord for Titus 2:11-14 – ¹¹For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  ¹²It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

But you are going to conceive – In comparison, let us thank the Lord that we have been miraculously conceived.  Note:

John 1:12-13 – ¹²Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

James 1:18 – He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

1 Peter 1:23 – For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

See John 3:1-21.

And have a son – Compare John 15:16 – You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

Judges 13:4 – Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean,

Let us thank the Lord that we are similarly instructed.  Ephesians 5:18 – Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Judges 13:5 – because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

He will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines – Let us thank the Lord that we are called to: (a) “Work out our salvation with fear and trembling” – Philippians 2:12 (Contemporary English Version) – My dear friends, you always obeyed when I was with you. Now that I am away, you should obey even more. So work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved.

(Amplified Bible) – Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).

(b) “Fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life” – 1 Timothy 6:12 – Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

2 Peter 1:10 – Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,

1 John 5:4 – for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Judges 13:8 – Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: “O Lord, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”

Let us thank the Lord for reminding us of the importance of prayer.  Luke 18:1 – Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Romans 12:12 – Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 – And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Colossians 4:2 – Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – pray continually;

Judges 13:24-25 – ²⁴The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the LORD blessed him, ²⁵and the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

The Spirit of the LORD began to stir him – Let us thank the Lord for stirring us in accordance with Galatians 5:25 (Amplified Bible) – If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]