TO READ: Judges 13:1-14
Parental Limits
aYou will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to G.o.d as a n.a.z.irite from birth. He will rescue Israel from the Philistines.a Judges 13:5
Women in developed countries who become pregnant know that the health and well-being of their unborn children is directly related to the care they take with their own diets and lifestyles. In fact, expectant mothers can be charged with serious offenses if they jeopardize the well-being of their unborn child.
In Old Testament days, this kind of information about diet and lifestyle was not readily available. However, there were situations in which expectant mothers were told to take special precautions in their diet because of the special nature of their child.
Such was the case for the wife of aManoah from the tribe of Dana (Judges 13:2). She had been unable to bear a child. Then she was visited by an angelic messenger, who not only gave her the good news of her impending pregnancy but also announced that her son would be a n.a.z.irite, a man dedicated to the Lord for special service. Manoahas wife was instructed, aYou must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink or eat any forbidden fooda (13:4). As an evidence of his special status and responsibilities, her son would never be allowed to have those things, and it had to start while he was in the womb. In addition, his hair was never to be cut. As a result, he would readily be identified as a man dedicated to G.o.d. Manoah and his wife duly carried out their instructions and the boy, Samson, was born. No doubt he was told about the unique circ.u.mstances of his birth and his privileges and responsibilities as a n.a.z.irite.
The day would come, of course, when the young man would develop a mind of his own, and the ability of his parents to control him would be limited. He would begin making his own decisions. If he chose to shave his head and take to alcoholic beverages, there would be little that they could do about it.
G.o.dly parents in all generations have been faced with similar issues. In good faith they dedicate their children to the Lord (though they rarely encourage the unrestrained growth of hair!), and they earnestly set about the task of raising their children in the knowledge and acknowledgment of the Lord. And so they should. But there comes a time when their role is limited and the responsibility shifts to the young person. At this point, great care is called for. Authoritative statements will rarely produce positive results, and a parentas frustration at the young personas failure to live up to expectations will rarely turn things around. But consistent example and winsome concern, coupled with prevailing prayer, work wonders. Thatas because you canat manufacture dedicated servants. But you can help grow them!
August 24
TO READ: Judges 14:1-20; 16:1-4
Calling and Character
One day . . . [Samson] noticed a certain Philistine woman. . . . aI want to marry a young Philistine woman I saw in Timnah.a . . . One day Samson went to the Philistine city of Gaza and spent the night with a prost.i.tute. . . . Later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek.
Judges 14:1-2; 16:1, 4
When President William Jefferson Clinton was impeached, the United States was anything but united in its att.i.tude toward what was happening. Apart from the obvious political maneuvers that were taking place, a great debate was going on regarding the nature of leadership. There were those who insisted that the president was clearly doing a fine job and his personal life was of no concern to anyone else. On the other hand, others argued that a major aspect of the presidentas job description is to provide moral leadership to the nation, and this he had manifestly failed to do. Underlying this debate was a bigger questiona"what role does moral character play in the life of a leader?
The question could certainly have been asked of Samson, the gifted strong man of ancient Israel. G.o.d had called Samson to be a n.a.z.irite, a man dedicated to G.o.das service from the womb. Samsonas mission was to overpower the enemies of G.o.das people. In order to fulfill his calling, he had been specially endowed with supernatural strength. The most obvious outward evidence of Samsonas n.a.z.irite calling was his uncut hair. Because his supernatural gifting (his charisma) was directly related to his calling, his strength remained undiminished as long as his hair remained uncut. So there was no question about his calling or his charisma. But sadly, there were major questions about his moral character.
In particular, Samsonas relations with the fairer s.e.x left much to be desired. His unsuccessful marriage to a Philistine woman (14:1-20), his dalliance with a Philistine prost.i.tute (16:1-3), and his ill-fated love affair with Delilah, yet another Philistine (16:4-22), speak volumes about his character. The one thing more important than anything else in Samsonas life was the maintenance of his n.a.z.irite vow. But as soon as he afell in lovea with Delilah (16:4), he disregarded the fact that her unusual interest in the secret of his strength was directly related to a Philistine plot to destroy him, and he recklessly played with her and his vow until he was defeated. Samson was careless about his character, he was casual about his calling, and inevitably, he was stripped of his charisma.
Whatever politicians and the public decide about the place of character in the life of a president, there is no question about its significance in the life of a spiritual leader. The words of Dr. Peter Kuzmic, the gifted and powerful Christian leader in the former Yugoslavia, should be heeded. He told a reporter at the height of the Bosnian crisis, aCharisma without character equals chaos.a Too bad Samson never met Peter Kuzmic!
August 25
TO READ: Judges 16:4-22
Restorationa" in Time?
Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and she called in a man to shave off his hair, making his capture certain. And his strength left him. . . . So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and made to grind grain in the prison. But before long his hair began to grow back.
Judges 16:19, 21-22
In the 1980s, a number of highly visible and influential televangelists experienced high-visibility moral failures. The effects of this tragic demise of spiritual leadership will reverberate well into the next century. When a Christian leader experiences moral failure, the fallout is immeasurable. The leader is shamed, his family is dismayed, his followers are confused, his enemies are delighted, and (most importantly) the cause of Christ is set back. So great are the ramifications that the credibility of the Christian cause is called into question. Accordingly, great care is needed if the offending parties are to be treated appropriately.
Herein lies an apparent problem. Some people, quoting Paul, say, aIf another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are G.o.dly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourselfa (Gal. 6:1). From that point of view, the fallen leader should promptly be restored to leadership, shouldnat he? The issue Paul is talking about here, however, is fellowship, not leadership. Certainly a fallen brother should be helped to come to terms with his sin, repent, and seek restoration. It is a completely different question, however, whether or not the fallen leader should be restored to leadership. If the impression is given that the leader agot away with it,a what does this say to the confused followers who have been deceived and disillusioned? How can onlookers take the moral p.r.o.nouncements of the church seriously if leaders who defy them are treated with kid gloves when discovered? A safe rule of thumb should be this: It is always appropriate to take steps to restore a fallen brother to fellowship, but it does not follow that a disqualified leader should be restored to leadership.
The balance can probably be found in the story of Samson. After his crushing defeat and fall, Samson was blinded, imprisoned, chained, and humiliated. No doubt he was given ample opportunity to contemplate his actions, to evaluate his behavior, and to come to conclusions about the ways in which he had abused his calling and failed in his G.o.d appointed task. We are not told about his heart-att.i.tude at this time, but subsequent events hint that he probably came to a point of repentance and desired to be restored to his former power and glory. But it would take time.
There is a subtle but powerful statement in the story. We are told, aBefore long his hair began to grow backa (Judges 16:22). He was being given a chance to show, by allowing his hair to grow, that he was renewing his vows. It takes time for a n.a.z.iriteas hair to grow. And the restoration of a fallen leader is not the work of a moment. But handled properly, a fallen brother can be restored. In some instances a failed leader can even be reinstateda"but not quickly. It takes time.
August 26
TO READ: Judges 16:23-31
Strength in Weakness
Then Samson prayed to the LORD, aSovereign LORD, remember me again. O G.o.d, please strengthen me one more time so that I may pay back the Philistines for the loss of my eyes.a Judges 16:28
Having been captured by Israelas traditional enemiesa"the Philistinesa"as a result of his own ill-discipline and carelessness, Samson was blinded and put to work in a mill. The Philistines interpreted Samsonas downfall as a triumph for their national deity, Dagon. So they organized a huge celebration to honor him. aThey praised their G.o.d saying, aOur G.o.d has delivered our enemy to us!aa (Judges 16:24). Religious fervor, fueled by alcohol, stirred up the crowd until they demanded that Samson be brought out and further humiliated. So the pitiful, blinded, former strong man was led by the hand into the midst of the jeering crowd, where they proceeded to make sport of him.
Samson was born with the express intention that he should arescue Israel from the Philistinesa (13:5). This was his raison datre, his reason for being. But his present circ.u.mstances were a brutal reminder of his ignominious failure. Far from delivering Israel from the Philistines, Israelas mighty man was held by them, bound and blind, his life blighted. So not only was Samson an object of ridicule, but he had also dragged Israel down to the status of laughingstock. Even worse, he had given the followers of Dagon the opportunity to believe that their man-made idol was stronger than and superior to the Creator G.o.d, Jehovah.
As Samson stood in the midst of the crowd, unseeing but aware, he prayed! aSovereign Lord, remember me again. O G.o.d, please strengthen me one more time so that I may pay back the Philistines for the loss of my eyesa (16:28). Apparently, even at this juncture, Samson had vengeance in mind, rather than the fulfillment of his divinely-ordained taska"to deliver Israel from the Philistines. But he acknowledged that the Lord was the source of his strength and that his failure had left him estranged from his G.o.d. And he now wanted to be strengthened again.
G.o.d granted his request. While Samson was concerned about revenge for his eyes, G.o.d was interested in displaying his own majesty and superiority to man-made idols. So, in one awesome display of power, Samson pushed on the main supports of the building. Both he and the jeering crowd were then ushered into eternity amid screams of terror and a monumental architectural collapse.
Questions naturally come to mind. For example, was G.o.d aiding a vengeful man or a.s.sisting a suicide? But these questions overlook the main point of the story: G.o.d is willing to use imperfect people to further his endsa"so long as they acknowledge their dependence on him. It was true of Samson, and it is true of you and me.
August 27
TO READ: Psalm 62
Trying to Get Rich
Donat try to get rich by extortion or robbery. And if your wealth increases, donat make it the center of your life.
Psalm 62:10
For the first time ever, more than 50 percent of American households invest in the stock market. Given the opportunities for online trading and the lure of get-rich-quick investments, some young families are selling family heirlooms to invest the proceeds in the market. Some even take out second mortgages on their homes with a view toward quickly doubling their money on Wall Street. Others make plans to make enough money to enable them to retire by fifty years of age at the latest. Such is the state of financial frenzy in which many live during prosperous times and bull markets!
King David lived in very different days. There was no stock market, and even charging interest was looked upon with disfavor. But David recognized that atry[ing] to get richa (Ps. 62:10) was on the minds of at least some of his contemporaries. He warned them about trying to get rich by aextortion or robbery.a For those who had no intention of engaging in fiscal illegalities, David added, aAnd if your wealth increases, donat make it the center of your life.a In saying this, the great king put his finger firmly on a sensitive spot.
Wealth has its own fascinating allure. It holds out the promise of the abest of everythingaa"the best seat in the stadium, the best table in the restaurant, the best car in the lot, the best school in the suburbs. It beckons with offers of untold delights, it suggests it can cure all ills and satisfy all desires, it whispers that it can open doors otherwise closed, and it boasts that it can solve intractable problems. Is it any surprise that people look to wealth as their savior and make it the center of their lives?
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with wealth. How can there be when G.o.d is the one who gives people the ability to get wealth (see Deut. 8:18). It is the prominence that wealth is afforded in the heart that is often wrong. Wealtha"or the search for it, or the control of it, or the expenditure of ita"does not belong in the center; it is at best peripheral.
Powerful as wealth isa"and who can deny its power?a"wealth can do nothing about a fundamental aspect of human existence. Human beings are extremely fragile. aIf you weight them on the scales they are lighter than a puff of aira(Ps. 62:9). Not only is wealth incapable of solving this aunbearable lightness of being,a but when a man for whom wealth is central is wafted into eternity, he goes minus his center. He is hollow. And standing before the one who is the center to all life, he sees his errora"but too late.
August 28
TO READ: Luke 9:37-48
Status
Then there was an argument among them as to which of them would be the greatest.
Luke 9:46
When men get together, they love to talka"about themselves! They tell war stories from the battlefield or (more likely) the football field. They talk about the fish they caught (and the one that got away), the deal they closed, the raise they negotiated, the car they drive, or the promotion theyare expecting. The issue is not so much competence as compet.i.tion. Theyare not necessarily trying to show that they are greata"just that theyare greater. The compet.i.tive instinct seems to come with the testosterone.
When Jesusa disciples got together, it was no different. Luke tells us that the disciples had a difficult time understanding why Jesus, at the height of his popularity and success, told them that he would be betrayed. In their minds, he stood on the brink of triumph. In his mind, he was staring at a cross. Jesus was trying to convey to his students that he was about to take the lowest possible place (Luke 9:44). They responded by getting into aan argument . . . as to which of them would be the greatesta (9:46). So sure were the disciples that Jesus would banish the Romans and restore Israelas independence and glory, with Jesus himself as the supreme ruler, that the only significant thing remaining to be discussed was the role that each of them would play in the new administration. And that made the compet.i.tive juices flow.
But Jesus, who aknew their thoughtsa (9:47a"presumably when they saw him coming they abruptly changed the subject), chose not to discuss who would be greatest. Instead, at a much more elementary and necessary level, he ill.u.s.trated what it means to be agreat.a Placing a little child before them (in that culture a child had practically no social or legal status), Jesus told them that a great person is one who reaches out to people whom, like the child, society regards as insignificant. In ministering to the ainsignificanta there is a sense in which we minister to the Lord himself.
Jesus was not deifying the poor or the helpless. He was reiterating the worth of all of G.o.das creatures. That being the case, the great man is not driven to compete and compare. He is much more inclined to reach out to the lowly than to be grasping for the top. Should he ever worry that his masculinity is slipping, he looks again at the one who wasa"and isa"the greatest!
August 29
TO READ: Luke 9:49-62
The Cost of Discipleship
Jesus told him, aAnyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of G.o.d.a Luke 9:62
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the brilliant young German theologian, was executed by the n.a.z.is in the concentration camp at Flossenburg on April 9, 1945. This modern martyr had thought and written much about the cost of discipleship, not least because of the perilous times in which he lived. He was convinced that the gospel that Jesus preached to his disciples was not without challengea"but not without its own special comfort, too. Bonhoeffer said, aThe command of Jesus is hard, unutterably hard, for those who try to resist it. But for those who willingly submit, the yoke is easy, and the burden is light.a30 He was right. Jesus was not at all reluctant to rebuke his wayward followers. When they tried to stop an exorcist who was not in their group, they were told, aDonat stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for youa (Luke 9:50). When they wanted to exterminate some Samaritans, they were rebuked by the Lord for suggesting such a thing (9:51-55). And those who gave halfhearted responses to his call, like the man who indicated he would follow Jesus if it didnat interfere with his family life, were told, aAnyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of G.o.da (9:62).
The problem with plowing and looking back at the same time is not so much a stiff neck as a crooked furrow. And the end product of the Christian that halfheartedly follows Christ is a crooked life. A halfhearted Christian commits part of his life to Christ and manages the rest personally.
There is something in a manas heart that is resistant to a wholesale commitment to the lordship and leadership of Christ. It is hard for the man as he resists, because a battle of wills is in progress. It is a battle the man cannot win, but he insists on fighting to his own dismay and discomfort. It would be far better to accept the rebuke of the Lord. It is infinitely better to see things his way. And it is wonderfully liberating to exchange the harsh shackles of selfishness for the benign restraints of Christas call, wherever it leads.
Bonhoeffer went to his death, which he called the asolemnest feast on the road to eternal freedom.a31 He was convinced that this, the ultimate cost of discipleship, was a price well worth paying. This is an approach to discipleship that bears the stamp of authenticity.
August 30
TO READ: Luke 10:1-20