The Samson Syndrome: Untangling the Strands of Bitterness Week 3 We have been looking at the life of Samson, in week one of this series we talked about his purpose and calling, Samson knew he had been chosen, last week we continued and even though Samson knew he was chosen by God he allowed the temptation of pride get in the way of his why. And this week we will see how his pride turned to betrayal and bitterness. According to Merriam-Websters dictionary betrayal means: to fail or desert especially in time of need.
Betrayal is one of the most challenging experiences to deal with because, it comes from someone we trust. Their are so many that have left friends because they felt they were betrayed, and also as true some have chosen to walk away from their destiny in the Kingdom because they felt betrayed by God. Something didn't happen the way they thought it should, it seemed as God didn't hear their prayer and so the felt betrayed and walked away from their calling. It has been said, “trust can take years to build, but only a second to break.” In a sermon entitled “When Your World Turns Against You,” Max Lucado explains: “It's more than rejection. Rejection opens a wound; betrayal pours the salt. It's more than loneliness. Loneliness leaves you in the cold; betrayal closes the door. It's more than mockery. Mockery plunges the knife; betrayal twists it. It's more than an insult. An insult attacks your pride; betrayal breaks your heart.” Think about those in Scripture that felt betrayed. Joseph. Cast into a pit, sold into slavery, ended up,in a prison. But stayed faithful to his dream and God’s promises. Never compromised what he knew was right. Joseph had every right to think, wait until I get my hands on my brothers, but choose a better road. Proverbs 18:19 - 19 A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel. A fortified city is one with massive walls for protection, an example of a fortified city was Jericho. It has been excavated and those who have done so suggest that the walls were around 61/2 feet thick and up to around 17 feet tall. Not easily crossed over. And Scripture tells us, A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel. Or consider David betrayed by king Saul and even some of his own family and friends. Listen to how David describes it. Psalm 55:12-14 - 12 If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. 13 But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, 14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers. Or Isaac we dug the wells of his ancestors. Then the enemy fills them again. (Talk about the water, and another well with more water). Or consider Jesus - talk about being betrayed by Judas, Peter, the religious folks. Now let’s get back to Samson. Consumed with pride and lashing out at the sting of betrayal, Samson sets out on a quest for vengeance. With his decision to marry a Philistine woman, Samson plunges into a downward spiral of bitterness, anger, and rage. It's far too easy to go from a broken heart to a bitter soul, allowing unresolved anger to fuel the consuming fire of vengeance. For some, vengeance is expressed in cold fury. Seething from within, they withdraw to plot their cold-hearted revenge. For others, revenge equates to an explosion of anger and rage. Self- control is the victim of an all-consuming thirst for vengeance. This is where we find Samson. What began as a personal matter between Samson and his father-in-law soon escalates into something much more. Many Philistines (including Samson’s wife and father-in-law) are dead and their wheat fields, vineyards, and orchards are laid waste. In retaliation, the Philistines tighten their hold on the Israelites. Imagine what suffering prompted 3,000 men of Judah to pursue Samson to the cave where he hid. By the way the riddle from last week, they got the answer from his wife, the Philistines pressed her and threatened her. And after Samson had destroyed their crops by catching 300 fox and tied their tails together set them on fire and released them into the fields. And when they found out who did it this is what the Scripture tells us. Judges 15:6-7 - 6 When the Philistines asked, “Who did this?” they were told, “Samson, the Timnite’s son-in-law, because his wife was given to his companion.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death. 7 Samson said to them, “Since you’ve acted like this, I swear that I won’t stop until I get my revenge on you.” 8 He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam. So here he is in the cave the Philistines are looking for him, and the people of Judah go to Samson and asked what’s going on. And when pressed for a reason, Samson’s response is a familiar one to us even today. Listen to what Samson tells us: Judges 15:11 - 11 Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?” He answered, “I merely did to them what they did to me.”
“I only did to them what they did to me” I only gave them what they deserved. Ever done that? How often have we responded the same way? We feel disrespected or betrayed, so we strike out to hurt our offenders. Unrestrained, they, in turn, seek to wound us even more deeply, and the “battle” escalates seemingly out of control. Listen there will be times that you even feel justified in your anger. I get that, but God has such a better way to handle it all. If we handle it our own way what happened is that when our anger passes, we find ourselves in the modern equivalent of a cave left to lick our wounds and survey the devastation. From our vantage point, it’s clear that there were a number of “turning points” where Samson could have chosen to end the destructive back and forth but didn't. What can we learn from Samson? God’s Word offers us an antidote. With keen insight into the downward spiral of bitterness, The apostle Paul wrote in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1, Hebrews 12:1 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, Take a moment to reflect on what those weights might be in your own life. They could be, the approval of man, the wounds of the past, your hunger for revenge, lust, greed, envy . . . The list for each of us is both unique and common. And I’m afraid a bit too long. Like Samson, we have been supernaturally gifted by God to fulfill His unique purposes. From the womb, God’s hand has been on us to accomplish extraordinary things for His glory and to advance His kingdom. Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 2 Timothy 1:9 - He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, But if we are honest, we might also glimpse a less worthy parallel. As with Samson, have there been times when our anger, bitterness, and thirst for revenge have brought darkness instead of light and death in place of life? To be transformed from the shackles of our “eye for an eye” culture, we must heed the wisdom of Ephesians 4.
What is that wisdom? Glad you asked,
Separate from the Past In our flesh, we hurt because we have been hurt. It is only by making a clean break with that way of thinking that we will be free from its bondage. If we are to find the strength to counter hurt with compassion, anger with empathy, and wounds with forgiveness, it will only be through the power of the Holy Spirit. Listen to what Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 Ephesians 4:22-24 - 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Stop the Slide Recognize that being transformed into the image of Christ is a process. Your automatic response to betrayal might well be anger or rage. Recognize the trap it reflects and decide to cry out to God for His strength to respond in a way that reflects Him. Listen once again what Paul told the church in Ephesus. Ephesians 4:26-27 - 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. Take a breath, hold your tongue, leave the confrontation, seek wise counsel. Before the heat of the moment, decide how you will respond to avoid being swept away by your emotions.
Listen to what Solomon the wisest man writes to us in Proverbs.
Proverbs 19:11 - A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
God’s Healing for Vengeance Every day, you will encounter those who are operating under the philosophy that entangled Samson and inspired destruction and loss. They hurt me so I will hurt them. And in those moments you have the choice to get bitter or better. Just as it is not sufficient to just cut off the tops of the weeds that grow in your garden, we must be willing to explore the source of bitterness, rage, and other evil in our lives. Piece by piece, wound by wound, examine what lies at the root of your behavior and choose to subject it to God’s transformation. Listen again to Paul, Ephesians 4:31-32 - 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. It is in light of God’s forgiveness of us that we not only find the strength to return good for evil, but we also declare to a world trapped in the endless cycle of revenge that there is a path of light and life. Let’s take a look at this clip from the Samson movie, in which Samson reaches a point of surrender to the Lord: [PLAY CLIP] Samson finally surrenders to God. And church that is really the only way to get over the betrayal.