Consider "Why Should I Do This?" Compared To "Thou Shall Not..."
Jason Bryant
Why all the warnings in the Bible? Warnings, advice, preventive soul medicine, and cautions? Not so much "Thou shall not have temporary sin for a season" but loving warnings such as warning! Poison do not ingest! Warning! Diving into this shallow end of the pool can lead to serious injury or even death! Instead of looking as it as rules, commands, forbid I even use the TERRIFYING precept of l...aws and commandments (I speak to Saints) why warnings? Why flashing red lights and blinking yellow lights? Why do not pass signs? Why speed limits? Here in this passage of the last judge of Israel, who had judged over twenty years, we see signs that Samson KNEW he was disregarding. He knew God's ways, expectations, and loving warnings all too well, YET he disregarded the instructions of a loving Father, ignored warning labels, and dove head first into the shallow end of the pool:
"15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.
21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house." (Judges 16:15-21 KJV) Choices ALWAYS have consequences, sin ALWAYS costs someone, many times more than just the disobedient sinner.
"22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to OBEY is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king." (1 Samuel 15:22-23 KJV)
Saul knew God, God's ways, and he choice to ignore the warning labels and caution signs. It cost him dearly as well, Christian do not think yourself above loving chastisement because you are under grace and not condemned to hell, that's when the divine spankings really hurt.
"15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.
21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house." (Judges 16:15-21 KJV) Choices ALWAYS have consequences, sin ALWAYS costs someone, many times more than just the disobedient sinner.
"22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to OBEY is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king." (1 Samuel 15:22-23 KJV)
Saul knew God, God's ways, and he choice to ignore the warning labels and caution signs. It cost him dearly as well, Christian do not think yourself above loving chastisement because you are under grace and not condemned to hell, that's when the divine spankings really hurt.
Love in Christ -Jason Bryant Facebook page is Jason Bryant, Laurel MS
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