King James Daily Bible Study: The Living God
Date: Monday March 28, 2011
Chapters: Judges 15-17
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-march-28
Details of Today's Reading: Samson is denied his wife and kills 1000 Philistines with a jaw bone, Samson is enticed by Delilah to reveal his strength, the Philistines capture Samson, put out his eyes, and make him a slave, Samson's strength is restored one last time to his death, Micah introduces idolatry to Israel and hires a Levite to be a priest.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
When you stop to think about all the false religions out there in the world you realize one thing that they all have in common with Christian's and that is they truly believe in their god. They pray and follow laws and commands just like we do. When something goes well they praise and thank their god for answering that prayer. The difference between us and them, we serve a living God, when all their gods fade there will only be one left, the one, the true, the Almighty God, and Creator of all things. “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens...Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.” - Jeremiah 10:10,11,14.

The Philistines were probably Israels biggest thorn in their side, they were in constant battle with one another, sometimes Israel would be in control, but often God allowed them to control Israel, that is until they had enough and sought God's help in defeating them after repenting. God brought up a man named Samson, a Nazarite, chosen before he was even conceived to serve God as judge in Israel, and to free Israel from the Philistines. Unfortunately Samson's heart was not always with God and instead of fighting them he made friends with them, that was until they double crossed him.

“But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.” - Judges 15:1-3.

God makes use of Samson's potential marriage with a Philistine woman to punish the people. God uses every situation, even those we make all on our own to His advantage. God used Samson to judge Israel for twenty years, but just like every heart that does not give God 100% his halfheartedness caught up to him when he met a Philistine woman named Delilah. For money she conned Samson into telling her his weakness.

“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. 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. 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. 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 16:18-21.

The strongest man on earth is a weakling without the power of God. Samson was captured, his eyes were gouged out, and he was forced to live like an animal. Now, the Philistines were boasting about their god and how it delivered Samson into their hands. Little did they realize that God was using Samson to deliver them their death.

“Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars...And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 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 16:23-30.

Samson knew his life was coming to an end, during his time of blindness and slavery his eyes were finally opened to see that his purpose in life was to serve God. He repented and asked God for His strength one last time to defeat the Philistines taking out their false god temple in the process. Samson’s strength was not really in his hair, but in his Nazarite consecration, of which his long hair was, but a badge. By losing the badge, he forfeited the strength of God through it. What was real in Samson was his great faith in times of awful apostasy and God honored this faith to his death. Whatever purpose God calls us for He will get us to follow through one way or another. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” - I Thessalonians 5:23,24. Samson's death is an illustration of Christ, who had all the power of God in Him, yet submitted Himself wholly to God and gave His life for the sinner. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16.

False gods will come and go, but the one and only living God is forever and ever, He was and will always be in control, Satan himself is under the power of God, even he knows there is only one God. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” - James 2:19. Satan knows his fate and he does not mind taking the rest of the world with him, but praise God that all who put their faith and trust in Christ will not go where he goes. They will be face to face with the living God. “Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” - Revelation 7:15-17. Praise God!

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through the strength God gave to Samson for his last victory over the Philistines. We can do all things through Christ. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” - Philippians 4:13.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

Learn How Jesus Can Set You Free: http://www.godsprice.com
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Subscribe To This Devotional: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com