SAMSON
The biblical battle of Samson and the Philistines was not an ordinary battle, with two armies lined up to fight one another. No, this was very much a one-man show. With Samson vs. the Philistines, however, we know that our God is stronger than any army, no matter what size, so Samson never really was alon
In Judges 13:1–5, we read about why Samson was battling against the Philistines. “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
God called Samson apart, to be different, and to deliver His people. So, before we look into all the action-packed conflict between Samson and the Philistines, let us look at another battle in which Samson fought throughout his whole life and ultimately failed—his weakness for Philistine women. Now, you would have thought that he would have learned his lesson after several failed relationships with Philistine women, resulting in hundreds of deaths and much destruction. And that is why I call it a battle. Although his inability to win this battle, despite his great strength, led to his demise. “But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.” Judges 14:4
“God’s promise that through Samson He would ‘begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines’ was fulfilled; but how dark and terrible the record of that life which might have been a praise to God and a glory to the nation! Had Samson been true to his divine calling, the purpose of God could have been accomplished in his honor and exaltation. But he yielded to temptation and proved untrue to his trust, and his mission was fulfilled in defeat, bondage, and death.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 567
So we can say that, although, for a while, it seemed as if Samson’s weakness resulted in the Philistines defeating him, we can see that, through a series of unfortunate events, it ultimately led to Samson’s victory over the Philistines. Of course, Samson could have defeated the Philistines without having to suffer if he had obeyed his parents and God; he could have lived a happy and victorious life. But nonetheless, this teaches us a good lesson in obedience and self-control.
“Physically, Samson was the strongest man upon the earth; but in self-control, integrity, and firmness, he was one of the weakest of men. Many mistake strong passions for a strong character, but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness of the man is measured by the power of the feelings that he controls, not by those that control him.” –Ibid., p. 567–568
Now, on to the amazing feats of strength! Samson killed a lion with his bare hands, caught 300 foxes, killed 1000 men with a donkey’s jawbone, and took a couple of city doors up a hill. He was undeniably the strongest man in existence. Even though he seemed to be the only one fighting the Philistines, he wasn’t alone. God was with him, giving him this extraordinary strength, to serve His purpose. And, although he had proved unfaithful in certain aspects of his life, God never goes back on His word. He called Samson to be the deliverer of His people.
“And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.” Judges 16:30
“The very ones whom God purposes to use as His instruments for a special work, Satan employs his utmost power to lead astray. He attacks us at our weak points, working through defects in the character to gain control of the whole man; and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. But none need be overcome. Man is not left alone to conquer the power of evil by his own feeble efforts. Help is at hand and will be given to every soul who really desires it. Angels of God, that ascend and descend the ladder which Jacob saw in vision, will help every soul who will, to climb even to the highest heaven.” –Ibid., p. 568
Elaine Romero
SAUL AND THE AMALEKITES
Saul had been proclaimed king by Samuel, God’s prophet. “Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” 1 Samuel 15:3
Saul went to Amalek, but he did not obey God’s command. He returned with Agag, the king, and with the best of the sheep and oxen. Saul wanted to be like other nations, and that is why he spared the king’s life and took the spoil. He did not obey God.
Sister White writes that, “This victory over the Amalekites was the most brilliant victory that Saul had ever gained, and it served to rekindle the pride of heart that was his greatest peril.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 629
While Saul and his men were returning home, Saul received a message from God. “Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.” 1 Samuel 15:10–11
Early the next morning, Samuel left his home to meet the erring king. Samuel had hopes that Saul would repent of his sin. But when Samuel asked Saul the meaning of the bleating sheep, Saul excused himself by saying, “They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best . . . to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 1 Samuel 15:15
He blamed the people for his disobedience and he did not repent for sinning against God. But Samuel said, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.” 1 Samuel 15:22
So, Saul had now failed the last test. God could not keep him as king over His people. Saul felt sorry—sorry for the consequences of his sin, but not sorry for disobeying God.
“When Saul turned away from the reproof sent him by God’s Holy Spirit, and persisted in his stubborn self-justification, he rejected the only means by which God could work to save him from himself. He had wilfully separated himself from God. He could not receive divine help or guidance until he should return to God by confession of his sin.” –Ibid., p. 633
It is my wish and prayer that we may learn from this story and never wilfully separate ourselves from God.
Stephen Newby
THE BATTLE WITH ONESELF
We have been speaking about a number of Biblical battles. But, I am going to talk about a different battle, one that is not a literal battle of swords and spears. This is a battle that can take place anytime, anywhere and to anyone.
This is the battle with oneself. This battle will take place in the mind, and it will affect the way you act around your peers. The definition of inner conflict is the following: mental struggle arising from opposing demands or impulses. But, what causes inner conflict? As the definition states, “from opposing demands or impulses,” the cause of inner conflict is temptation.
In the Bible, almost everyone that was fighting themselves was because of temptation.
We already have the cause, but what are the effects? The first effect that inner conflict leads to is depression, and once someone suffers from depression they will do anything to escape reality, whether it is by drugs or self-harm, and once that individual feels like nothing can help them escape reality anymore, they may make a sad decision, which could even lead to ending their own life.
“When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put
Him to death: And when they had bound Him, they led Him away, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed Him, when he saw that He was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.” Matthew 25:1–5
We see here an example of what inner conflict can lead to if the person in question does not seek help. The only problem with getting help is that most of the victims will say, “don’t tell anyone;” and if no one hears their problem, they may go to desperate measures. And if they do not harm themselves, they may harm those around them. A good example is Cain; he was unable to control himself and ended up killing his brother.
“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:41–44
As we see here, Jesus was able to control His conflict and speak with a Counselor. It is my wish and prayer that if we confront someone that has been fighting themselves, we will know what to say and how to help them. Amen.
Mathew Romero