Aim: To stay united to Christ—by grace through faith.
Doctrine: Faithless decisions lead to trouble with God and man. Samson's next set of offenses may seem relatively ''harmless'' (at first sight), but they end up costing him dearly.
Exegesis: Samson's progressive demise (and how we are not to imitate it): he approaches something dead (breaking the Nazirite vow) (vv. 8-9); he (almost certainly) drinks wine (further breaking the Nazirite vow) (vv. 10-11); he ''fellowships'' with the heathen (who were God's enemies) (vv. 12-14).
Further application: Why the faith-filled churchman is to be careful to walk closely with Christ: because otherwise we think ''small'' sins are of no consequence, resulting in major problems down the road.
Key verse: v. ''So [Samson] said to them: 'Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.' Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.''
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Rev. Mark Henninger received his Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and he has been Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Illinois for more than 30 years.