TALE OF TWO SOULS
This is the story of 2 famous Bible characters whose lives ended radically different from each other. The life of Samson and the life of Joseph. When you compare their lives you see that one ended up a loser and the other a winner. The question is why? It’s worth having a look at, as we can learn a lot from them both.
“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11
Samson had everything going for him. He was the product of a miraculous birth, raised by godly parents, and given supernatural strength. He must have been quite a handsome fellow as there always seemed to be a constant flow of women in his life. He was a real ‘stud muffin.’ Yet he failed miserably. Why?
(1) He did not pray. The only time we read of Samson praying is when he was in trouble. Sound familiar? If you conduct a post-mortem on your biggest failures, somewhere in the wreckage you'll find that you've forsaken the place of prayer. You can't run your car on an empty tank, work on an empty stomach, or pay bills with an empty bank account. And you can't live a victorious Christian life without daily prayer. So many people only pray when they are in trouble. Look at America for example after 9/11.
"After 9/11 when the twin towers fell in the USA, by some estimates, on the Sunday following the terror attacks roughly half of the adult population in the United States attended a religious service. But the attendance dropped off starting in November. According to Barna Research, a polling firm that specialises in religious data, religious activity is back to just about what it was before the attacks in a couple of months. Forty-two percent of Americans polled said they attended services and 84 percent said they prayed before Sept. 11. And now, 43 percent said they attend services and 83 percent said they pray.
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church was a real man of prayer and look at all he achieved in his life. He travelled 400,000 km on horseback, averaging 32 km a day for 40 years. He preached 40,000 sermons, produced 400 books, and knew ten languages. At 83, he was annoyed that he couldn't write more than 15 hours a day without his eyes hurting. And at 86, he was ashamed he couldn't preach more than twice a day. He complained in his diary of an increasing tendency to lie in bed until 5.30 a.m.
There is an occasion in the Bible where the Children of Israel got into trouble when they didn’t pray. It was over the incident of the Gibeonites. These heathen people knew they were no match for the Israelites so they lied to them that they weren’t from Canaan Land but some far off country for they knew they would be destroyed if they didn’t make a treaty with them. Joshua forgot to pray.
“However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.” Joshua 9:2-6
“The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.” V14
I have noticed in my short Christian life that public prayer is becoming less and less important to people. Sadly prayer meetings often coincide with television programs that people want to watch. Jesus however tells us to pray more as we see the day of the Lord approaching. He says if we are weak then it’s most likely because we don’t pray enough.
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1
(2) He refused to live by God's Word. When confronted by his parents over marrying the wrong woman, Samson told them, '...she pleases me well.' Judges 14:3. When you're led by sentiment rather than Scripture, you're heading for trouble. One of the best definitions of 'disobedience' is 'incomplete obedience.' You can't pick which Scriptures you want to live by and turn a blind eye to the rest! When we are led by feelings it always ends up in disaster. Today some Christians think that it will be OK to marry or live with an unbeliever regardless of what the Bible says - for they please me well. One famous Evangelist said that the trouble with this theology is that you end up with the Devil as your Father in Law. We are meant to be a people of the word and not just going to Church now and then. Saying ‘praise the Lord’ isn’t enough.
(3) He had the wrong spirit. While Joseph extended forgiveness to those who'd harmed him, Samson prayed for revenge. Any time you give in to resentment you're allowing someone other than God to dictate your actions, and you end up suffering even more.
(4) He was motivated by greed. Consorting with the Philistines, he placed a bet with thirty of them, saying, 'If you can't tell me the answer, you must give me...thirty sets of clothes.' Judges 14:13, we should not be motivated by greed as Christians. God can ask us to do things that may cause us to lose financially. Look at those who left their country and homes in days gone by to do mission work in far off lands. It wasn’t for monetary gain, but the kingdom of God.
You might say, 'What's the point?' If it could happen to Samson, it could happen to you!
While Samson had everything going for him, Joseph however had everything going against him. Notice:
(1) He was badly treated by the people of God. Joseph's brothers resented the vision God gave him and the favour that was upon his life, so they sold him into slavery. Who told you everybody would appreciate you? Not God! Jesus said, 'If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me first.' John 15:18. While Samson asked for vengeance Joseph maintained a forgiving spirit and not only ended up being reconciled with his family, but he fed them during the famine.
(2) He was alone in a land where no one had knowledge of God. But like a lily in a mud marsh, he stayed clean and grew in faith. It's not the circumstances that surround you, but what's within you that determines your success. Look at Daniel in Babylon. He too was brought up in a hostile land but remained faithful, and God prospered him. Today many blame their situation, their parents, the government or just anybody else. We forget that if Joseph could do it so can we.
(3) He was exposed to temptation. Joseph was lonely, far from home, and subject to every impulse a red-blooded male can have. Potiphar's wife tried repeatedly to seduce him, but he said no. In his case, there's a good chance that he might have got away with it. But his reason for saying 'no' was, '...How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?' Genesis 39:9. Nothing meant more to Joseph than his relationship with the Lord.
I recently heard a preacher say how foolish it was for an older minister to fall into adultery. He gave the reasons why it would be foolish. It could be possible to rise again when you are young but not when you are old. He never mentioned that we should not do it because we would sin against God, but rather at all we would lose. Our greatest loss is our relationship with God.
(4) His integrity came at a price. Based on false accusations by Potiphar's wife, Joseph went to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Did God fail him? No, the contacts needed to get him to the throne were waiting for him in prison. So be true to God and He will bless you eventually.
I love how the bible says that Joseph was ‘suddenly’ brought out of prison. God knew the time and on a day that he least expected it, his name was called and promoted far above his wildest dreams. God can do this for you too. Be faithful to the Lord. Forgive those who hurt you. Don’t blame others for your circumstances. Resist temptation and keep your integrity. God has not forgotten you He can suddenly bring you out of your situation and into a large place.
Some of these thoughts were gleaned from a Bob Gass teaching
There are links to other messages available on the pdf download below