Don’t think you’re on the right road, just because it’s a well-beaten path

The inclination of 20th century societies to disregard God has resulted in social degeneration foreseen in the first chapter of Romans as a direct result of failing to fear God. “When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God…”so God gave them their pleasure in unrighteousness, certainly not as a reward, but as a curse. And what a curse it has proven to be!

A common attitude we often see around us is one of fearless defiance of God. This same attitude is also seen in children’s attitudes toward parents or authority figures. We live in a society that shows no respect, no reverence for anything and therefore no awe and no honour toward God. God reminds His people in Deuteronomy 14:23 to ‘…learn to fear the Lord your God always.’ Why is fear important and a necessary thing to salvation?

Properly fearing God is not a natural proclivity humans are born with, anymore than children naturally fearing their parents. It is something humans need to be taught.

In the Bible, “wisdom” is used to translate the Hebrew word (pronounced) kok-maw meaning to be wise in thought and deed, and the Greek word (pronounced) sof-ee-ah meaning clear, or wise. The Scriptures make plain that wisdom that is based upon the Word of God is the only true wisdom, while carnal “worldly” wisdom is nothing more than dead-end self-righteous vanity.

There are many examples of God-fearing men and women in the Bible. Most would agree Samson’s feats are legendary—used in a mighty way by God, but was he a God-fearing man?

Did Samson fear God in a right way? Did he grow up being respectful and in awe of Almighty God? Let’s look at Judges 13: 4. An angel appears to his mother. She is told to not drink wine, nor strong drink, not to eat anything unclean, nor to cut Samson’s hair. It is evident his mother fears God and obeys instructions given. Because of her actions, because of her fear of God, her child grows and becomes very strong. It seems Samson was raised in a God-fearing home. But has the mother’s example of fear, honour and obedience been passed on to her son?

As an adult, Samson became a judge and a warrior and seems successful in life. Yet, it seems Samson never did get really serious or careful about his spiritual walk with God. Samson did not develop a healthy fear and it shows in how he lived his life (maybe he was so strong he did not have to rely on God.) Samson doesn’t show respect for his folks either. If he had, he wouldn’t have behaved the way he did.

Reading Judges 14:2-3 it shows scandalous behaviour for a man of God in that social climate, that culture. Samson wants to marry one of the enemy’s camp—a Philistine woman. It would have been a well known command that Israelites (God’s people) do not marry heathen women. In even contemplating this plan of action Samson shows he does not fear God, nor does he listen to his parents advice. Just ‘get me what I want and get it for me now’ attitude.

When humans fail to get serious with God it shows in the way they conduct their lives. Samson was always doing his own thing. He lived for himself. He allowed his own personal desires and fondness toward pretty women dictate his actions.

God’s plan for Samson was greatness, just like it is for those God calls, but Samson’s pattern of living was indifference and arrogance. He just took things for granted and never really got serious with God. And yes, God did use him (in spite of himself) in a mighty way for the nation of Israel. We see the words used and “the spirit of the Lord came upon him” many times in this account. God used Samson to keep the enemy nation in check. Yet a vital ingredient in Samson’s character was missing.

We know the story about the beautiful Delilah. This little woman, whose name means delicate, was his down fall. Satan launched a clever sneak attack in the form of a delicate woman weapon against the mightiest man of Israel. And this little lady won!

The problem wasn’t Satan’s sneak attack, but Samson’s spiritual arrogance. He was so strong and self-sufficient he had not learned to fear God. Are we so self-sufficient and strong we do not turn to God when we need to? Do we fear and respect God enough to ask His advice?

Samson not only finds himself ensnared by the charm of the temptress, but he succumbs in such a way that he is made completely vulnerable and didn’t even know it. Now if Samson has a healthy fear of God he would have looked to Him to help him out of this temptation in the first place.

The problem was Samson felt he could handle it. He believed he was in total charge. Samson prided himself on the assumption he could never fall. What was Samson’s prayer life like—His connection to God? We do not hear him asking God for directions. He plunges headlong and does whatever he wants to do. Samson turns to God only when he gets in a jam. We find Samson selective in his obedience to God. He does not fear God enough to look to Him always.

Let’s examine Samson’s own words—an example of Samson’s relationship with God in Judges 15:18: This was after he had killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. “And he was sore athirst and called on the lord. ‘You have given me this great deliverance into the hand of your servant and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised.’” Did you hear Samson’s words? They are challenging words. First, Samson reminds God of what God has done for him, then he puts his need in the form of a demand “and now shall I die for thirst?” That’s like a child reminding its parent. “Hey, you brought me into the world, it’s up to you to see that I am taken care of. Hey Pops, you gave me the car, it’s your job to keep it filled with gas.” It’s like Samson’s God-given right. We don’t even hear the words ‘please God—give me a drink’ or thanks for helping him through a nasty situation. Samson’s words reveal an attitude toward God; it is not an attitude of fear and humility.

Let’s compare those words with his final prayer after he’s blind and humbled by imprisonment. “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”(Judges 16: 28).

What a difference in attitude! He addresses God as O Lord God, his tone contains humility, reverence, awe and fear. This time Samson addresses God as O Lord God and O God. If we look back on his previous conversation, He addresses God as You. ‘You have given me this.’

Samson learned to fear God, to reverence the Great God and with that fear came wisdom—a little late for him in his physical life. Samson chose a hard way to learn—having his eyesight taken away and having to work like a beast of burden for twenty years. But is this what it takes before humans learn to fear and respect the awesome Almighty, Majestic God of the Universe? Nevertheless, I am sure God was pleased to see Samson’s humility and fear at the end of his life.

Like Samson, sometimes human’s self-sufficiency is their tower of strength and gets in the way of learning to fear God. Let’s not have to learn the hard way like Samson. Let’s learn to fear God now and use the wisdom He so generously grants us. God says we can learn to fear Him at the Feast of Tabernacles and throughout the year— that’s a much easier way to go than Samson’s route.

“This is what the LORD says: Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord (Jeremiah 9:23-24 23).