Judges 2024

Judges chapter 16 starting from verse 1. 1 day, Samsung went to Gaza where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. The people of Gaza were told Samsung is here.

So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the City gate. They made no move during the night saying, at dawn, we'll kill him. But Samsung lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate together with the 2 posts and tore them loose, bar, and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill, that that faced Hebron.

Sometime later, he fell in love with a woman in the valley of Soketh, whose name was Delila. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, see if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overcome him so that we may time up and subdue him. Each of us will give you 1100 shekels of silver. So Delilah said to Samsung, tell me the secrets of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued. Samsung answered her.

If anyone ties me with 7 fresh bow strings that have not been dried, I'll become as weak as any other man. Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her 7 fresh bowstrings that had not been dried. And he tied, and she tied him with them. With men hidden in the room, she called to him Samsung, the Philistines are upon you. But he snapped the bowstrings as easy as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame.

So the secret of his strength was not discovered. Then Delilah said to Samsung, you have made a fool of me. You lied to me. Come now, tell me how can you be tied. He said, if anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I'll become as weak as any other man.

So Delila took new rope and tied him with them. Then with men, hid in the room, She called to him, Samsung, the Philistines are upon you, but he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads. Delila then said to Samsung, all this time, you've been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied. He replied.

If you weave the 7 braids of my head into the fabric on the loom, and tighten it with the pin, I'll become as weak as any other man. So while he was sleeping, Delila took the 7 braids of his head wove them into the fabric and tightened it with the pin. Again, she called to him, Samsung, the Philistines are upon you, He woke up from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom with the fabric. Then she said to him, how can you say I love you? When you won't confide in me.

This is the third time you've made a fool of me, and haven't told me the secret of your strength. With such nagging, she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. So he told her everything. No razor has ever been used on my head, he said, because I have been a nazirite dedicated to god from my mother's womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.

When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philacines. Come at once more. Come back once more. He has told me everything. So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in hand.

After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the 7 braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Then she called, Samsung, the Philistines are upon you. He woke from his sleep and thought, I'll go out as before and shake myself free, but he did not know that the lord had left him. Then the Philistine seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza, binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding corn in the prison, but the hair on his head began to grow again after it'd been shaved.

Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to dig on their god and to celebrate saying, our god has delivered Samsung, our enemy, into our hands. When the people who saw him, they praised their god saying, Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands. The 1 who laid waste our lands and multiplied our slain. While they were in high spirits, they shouted, bring out Samsung to entertain us. So they called Samsung out of the prison and he performed for them.

When they stood to him amongst the pillars, Samsung said to the servant who held him, put me where I can fill the pillars that support the temple so that I can lean against them. Now the temple was crowded with men and women. All the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about 3000 men and women watching Samsung perform. Then, Samsung prayed to the lord sovereign lord, remember me. Please god strengthen me just once more and let and let me with 1 blow get revenge on the Philistines and my 2 eyes.

Then Samsung reached out towards the 2 central pillars on which the temple stood bracing himself against them, his right hand on the 1 and his left hand on the other. Samsung said, let me die with the Philistines. Then he pushed with all his might, and Dan came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus, he killed more with his death when he died than while he lived. Then his brothers and his father's whole family went down to get him.

They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Estoll in the tomb of his father. He led Israel for 20 years. Guarant. Good evening. My name is Garrett.

I'm 1 of the members here at Cornerstone. I'm really, really excited to be opening up god's word this evening, let's pray as we do so. Heavenly father, we praise and thank you for for this evening. Thank you for your word. Thank you for this magnificent story.

And we pray father that that you would speak to us, all of us individually, that you would speak to our hearts, that you would show us the glory of the lord Jesus Christ so that we may want to to live for him because of how glorious he is. So we pray these things in Jesus' name. Oh, men. I've been reading a book recently. But, whatever book you've got in your mind right now, it's not that 1.

I'm a primary school teacher. I've been reading the super miraculous journey of Freddie Yates. It is a brilliant book. It is a stupid book. It's a phenomenal book.

I've loved it. The class may have it read to them as well. But, part of this book, part of what's happening in this book is that the the children in the book, Freddie Yates and 2 of his friends, they're on a journey from Andover to Saint Davis in West Wales. And they they're trying to get from a to b, and they a lot of stuff goes wrong, and they are 10 and 11 years old. And the question is often asked throughout the book.

Who is in control. They run out of money at 1 point when in when they're in Barry, when they're in Barry Island. And, I'm gonna read a a little part of the the book because, they when they run out of money, lo and behold, There's an onion eating competition in, that barrier hosting. It's the hundred and fourteenth, actually. But, unfortunately, the reigning champion, Big Trev, is is back.

And, and it says because they're trying to regain control of the situation. They're trying to get back on track to Saint David's. And it says competitors, raise your onions to your mouth, keyboard Keith, the 1 who's sort of conducting all this. To clears, but do not begin eating until I give the command. What's the command?

1 of the children Keith Scald. The command is to eat. Big Trave must have misunderstood because he took a bite of his onion, the crowd gasped. Charlie and I looked at each other. Something bad had happened.

Keith blew angrily into his trumpet and shouted, disqualified. Big Trave's gone. Their main competitor is out of the running. The the winner of the onion eating competition is up for grabs. And they do win it.

Charlie wins it actually. 2 of them are are rubbish at eating onions, but Charlie wins the onion eating competition, and they regain 50 pounds and they can they can set sail back on course for Saint Davis. They're back. They're they're in control of their destiny That's that's 1 of the themes in this in this book. And I do genuinely highly recommend it if you've got, children or a slight interest in in books like that.

So, yeah, that that's that's 1 of the themes that we're gonna look at today, the theme of control. Another area that we we saw this, this theme of control was in the the TV show traitors if if you did watch that a couple of months ago. It was a a fantastic bit of TV where Paul, 1 of the traitors, the the guy who's holding all the cards, He looked like he was in total control. He was the the intelligent 1 that the he was voted the most popular amongst the group. It looks like he's he's in total control.

But if you've seen the program, you'll know how it turns out for Paul. You'll know that In the end, he doesn't win. He's not in control. Somebody else is in control. It's really interesting Paul's journey, not yet, Paul the traitor guy, not Paul Bible guy.

Paul's journey, actually, because what what sets the sale of the course for Paul to start being questioned is his own stupidity. He decides to to put a question mark on himself. He puts himself in the dungeon, and then eventually people start looking at him. His pride gets in the way of of him winning this this show. And then afterwards, he also gets betrayed by 1 of his fellow traitors, the guy who's actually in control by Harry.

And if you haven't seen the traitors, I I probably should have given this spoiler alert, really, but, yeah, spoiled. Who is in control? That's the theme that we're we're looking at today. Paul thought he was in control. The children in this in this book are wrestling for control.

What about you in your life? Who do you think is in control? I think for us, often we can think that that we're in control, I think it's actually really, really hard for us. It's really hard to to not think that. We live in the west.

We live where there is an abundance of of food on shelves there's there's money to be to be earned. In many ways, we can convince ourselves, and it it's not hard to we can convince ourselves that we're in control. It's a question that we'll come back to, a few times this evening, the question of who's in control. And it's a question that's being asked in judges 16 here. We're back in judges 16, back in the story of Samsung.

Thinking of that this question who's in control. Now let's remember that, judges is taking place in a time where everyone did what was right in their own lives. The Israelites, at this point, are living and the Philistine. Last week, we saw we saw Samsung drinking with the Philistines. That was genuinely an accident.

I was getting, yeah, really dry mouthed. Samsung drinking with, yeah, I'm really strong too, by the way. Samsung was drinking with the Israelites, and, we saw that, that Tom commented that Samsung reflected the nature of of the Israelites as a whole. The chosen people, a holy nation, under god, they've left their god. They've left yahweh and have taken the Philistine god.

Dagon. Gradually, they've become accustomed to Philistine culture. And what would have been so shocking at the beginning, they they've totally accepted Tom used the the, illustration of the egg. They've become used to the smell of egg. Perhaps the Philistines think they're in control.

But at the same time, Samsung has been doing some pretty crazy things up to this point. He's already defeated 30 men for their garments. He's been able to to take items when when he wants. He's been able to take people when he wants. He's caught 300 Jackals or foxes He's tied them together.

He ended the previous chapter, defeating 1000 men with a jawbone. So the Philistines may think that they're in control. Samsung may think that he's in control. The question is who is in control? And we're gonna be looking at that in in 3 ways this evening.

First, we're gonna look at the game, and then we're gonna look at the humiliation of Samsung. And then we're gonna look at the hope of Samsung. The first point will be slightly longer the game. Now to set the scene of this game, we need to introduce the the players. In verse 4, we're introduced to the the old romantic.

If you look with me, A verse 4 of chapter 16, sometime later, he fell in love with a woman in the valley of Zurich, whose name was Delilah. There's an old romantic in in this game. Samsung has fallen in love yet again. This is not the first woman. This isn't even the first woman in this chapter.

We will come back to that in a moment. He's fallen in love again. This is like this is like children in my class who say, oh, I'm in love again. I think who this time? Who this time?

He's in love again. But the second player in this game is is Delilah. She's the woman. But verse 5 adds an interesting detail about delilah. She's got ulterior motives as to why she might be playing this game.

She's been chatting to Samsung's enemies, And she's been offered some money. 1100 shekels of silver. If you flick forward to chapter 17, 1111 hundred shackles of silver she's been offered. Chapter 17 verse 10, Then Micah said to him live with me and and, live with me and by my father and priest, and be my father and priest, and I'll give you 10 shekels of silver a year. 10 shekels of silver a year was the wage being offered here.

But Delil is being offered 1100 shekels of silver all in Mongolia. The Philistines have got money behind them, money to say we're in control of this game, this situation. The line has hit the jackpot really. This is for her. This is security for life.

For the rest of her life, she can ensure food, she can ensure clothing, shelter, for herself for for lifetime. This is surely she's gonna take this. She's been promised security And securities is found in money. That's where we find security. And so Delilah does.

She she takes up the offer And she said, yeah, I'll I'll help you capture Samsung. We're in control. We're in control together. So there's the 2 players. We've got the old romantic and Delila, the 1 who's offered the money.

And there's this weird third party that's sort of observing the game, the Philistines, the rulers, the ones offering to Lila the money. And then we come to the game itself. Now childhood games, 1 of the things that shocked me, about moving to to Surrey London area when, when I moved across from Wales, is that you go to the playground, games are called vastly different things. It is something that you all, I think, say, for the game tag. What about is it?

It? Because you're it. I get it. But It's not the it's not the name of the game. And another 1 is the 1 that really angered me, actually, was 40 40.

Why is it 40 40 it? Was 40 fortieth. We call it Marvin Wales. I'm not gonna explain the get the my favorite 1, in a welshman, we'll call it Bobby knocking. Some people will call it ding dong ditch.

Some people, I don't know what they don't know why. We'll call it knockdown ginger. No, nobody knows why. Knockdown ginger. But the game that we're looking at here, the game that Delila and Samsung are playing, that the Philistines are watching, the game is called the Philistines are here, That's the game.

And there's rules to this game. The rules are the game must be kicked off by a conversation between the the players every round must be started with a conversation between the players, and the conversation goes like this, tell me your secret. And then player 1 offers a secret. It's it's this is my secret. Then the then player 2 has a secret meeting with the third party that player 1 isn't aware of.

Player 2 puts player 1 in the position or in the secret that they've said about. And player 2 calls out, the Philistines are here, and that everyone runs like mad from player 1. And then player 2 is left upset. And then you go to round 2. Round 2 is started with 7 fresh bowstrings.

So there's a conversation that kicks things off What's your secret? Tell me your secret behind your great scent? Oh, well, my secret is, if you were to tie me up with 7 fresh bow strings that have not been dried, I I would lose my power. Brilliant. I'm gonna have the secret meeting, secret meeting.

I can't tell you that though because it wouldn't be secret. And then I come back, tie you up, that's what you said tie you up. And then I call out when you're sufficiently tied up, I call out the filler starter here And then you player 1 breaks free breaks free from from the shackles, and the Philistans go running. And the line is upset. And then round 3 starts.

What's your secret what's your secret to your great strength? Tell me your secrets to your great strength and player 1 this time says, oh, well, if you tag me up with new ropes that have never been used, New reps that have never been used, I will become as weak as any other man. Brilliant. Secret meeting, player 2 puts player 1 in the position and player 2 calls out. The Philistones are here.

Philistones are here. And again, Samsung breaks out, and the Philestone's go running, the Scarpa. The line is now more upset. But that starts the next round. A secret.

What's your secret? Tell me a secret. Player 1 offers a secret. Well, if you weave the 7 braids of my head into the fabric of the loom and tighten it with a pin, I will become as weak as any other man. Secret meeting, player 2 puts player 1 in this position with the hair in the loom, player 2 calls out, the filler stones are here, and everyone runs like mad.

Dahlil is more upset this time because once again, this has happened, and she's now got a broken loom. And then the the last round this is the the we're reaching the climax of the game year, and Delilah starts to turn up the heat. Delila turns on the the relational arguments about trust and intimacy. How can you say you love me if you continue to lie to me? Interestingly, the words here, the word that she uses, the word prodded, we we, obviously, we're not hearing it in the original Hebrew, but Samsung's already heard this word.

Samsung's heard this word in chapter 14 When he's asked to explain his riddle, when his wife pressed him and pressed him or prodded him until he explained the riddle. This is the same Hebrew would. She's prodded him. She's pressed him, and we know how this turned out last time. Look at this 17 of chapter 16 with me.

She's prodded him verse 17, so he told her everything. No razor has ever been used on my head. He said, because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to god from my mother's womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man. And then there's a secret meeting, verse 18.

Samsung rests his head. Play 2 puts player 1 into the position. Samsung's hair is shaved. And verse 20, she shouts out once again. The filler signs are here.

He awoke from his sleep and thought, I'll go out as before and shake myself free, but he did not know that the lord had left him. Verse 21, game over. The Philistines are in control. The Philistines have seized Samsung. The Philistines have won.

Verse 21 says Then the Philistine seized him, gouged out his eyes, and took him to Gaza, binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding corn in the prison. First 22, but the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. You see, we have to ask the question here of Samsung. Surely, we're asking the the question what is he doing? He's had warning after warning after warning in this this charade in this game.

Why is he trusting Delila? Fair enough for the first 1. It was quite a good move on his part. Tell her a lie, see if she buys a lie, and then kick her out. Get rid.

She tried to put your hair in in in the way that you said to. She wants you to become as weak as any other man, What's he doing? He had total control over the situation. Why did he tell her his secret? Why has he done that?

I think I think that the answer can be found, actually, in Samsung's prize. I think we can find the answer in Samsung's calling to keep the Nazirite vow. Tilly mentioned in in the first Samsung, in in the first sermon on Samsung, that when this promising hero comes, When this promising hero comes from birth, he's told 3 things or his parents are told 3 things that he is to avoid contact with the dead, that he's to abstain from wine or anything from the vine and that he's never to cut his hair. That is to avoid contact with the dead. I mean, he's done that countless times, Samsung.

So maybe there's a part of him thinking, I don't really need to keep this vow. Maybe my strength comes from me abstain from wine or anything from the vine. I've I've had my fair share of wine. I've had my fair share. Maybe I my strength comes from within.

My strength comes from me. But I want you to take you back to the play the the meeting place in verse 4 the place where the game began, the place where the old romantic saw Delilah verse 4, where does the game begin in the valley of Sorek? Now Soric is a place where grapes in large quantities were grown and later processed into wine. Valley of Sorek could be translated as the valley of the choice vine. Samsung's gone to the valley of the choice vine.

He's been told, don't stain from wine, abstain from anything from the vine. He's gone to the mouth of the lion. And he thinks I'll be fine. I was fine last time. I was fine last time.

He doesn't expect it. He went down to the main wine section. You see Samsung's broken this Nasirite vow so many times that he must think there's there's no difference in breaking it 1 more time. I don't know if you you can hear echoes of yourself there like I can. I've seen and and done that so many times.

I'm actually accustomed to this This feeling, the smell. I'm happy to live in it. My strength does not live or lie in a nazirite vow. My strength lies with me. I'm in control.

I'm in charge. My secret is my hair cut my hair because I'm in charge. How can we apply this? How how how in our lives do we say I'm in control in our work situations How are we saying I'm in control? How are we like Samsung there?

When when your boss is being a nightmare. When your boss has been an absolute nightmare, are you are you going behind your boss's back and gossiping about your boss, regaining some somewhat of the control. Oh, I can control what people are saying about about my boss him or her. I can control that part. I'm gonna go to the staffroom.

I'm gonna go to the office party, and I I I'm gonna I'm gonna make sure I chat to this person, make sure they know what the boss has done. Maybe your your child comes home from school. And they are beside themselves. They've had a they've had a horrific day. Someone's been picking on them.

Who do you say is in control there? What are you modeling to your children? Are you saying to your to your child? Look. Let's let's pray together.

Let's let's sit together. That sounds awful. That sounds awful what you're going through. But do you know that god is in control, even of this situation, even in your classroom, even with your teachers that god is in control there? Or do you say to your child?

Right. That's it. I'm gonna talk to talk to the headteacher tomorrow. And of course, of course, there's a time to do that. But do you also model that you're not in control that god is in control?

Rohrey mentioned it this morning. When it comes to saving the world. Who's in control of that? Are you preaching to to children, to young ones that they have to be worried about the future that they have to be picking up plastic on the way to school, or are you preaching to them that god is in control? And of course, I'm I'm not saying that we shouldn't be looking after the world.

We should, of course, but we look after the world and god is in control. We're not looking after the world because we need to because we need to save it because god ultimately will do that. So that's the game. Secondly, the the humiliation of Samsung. Samsung can't be in control.

He's been captured Even worse, he's been humiliated. This is 1 to 3 which is a really mad story in itself where Samsung finds another woman finds a prostitute and guess what? He wants her, and he goes into her into the city gate, and the Philistines want to take him. They want to take Samsung here. But instead, Samsung manages to take the city gate to take it to Hebron, which is about 20 miles away, to take the city gate itself and to walk out of there.

How does this come under the headline of the humiliation of Samsung? Well, the same word that's used for Samsung taking the city gate is the same word that's used in verse 21, where the israelites sieged. Samsung. The power that he had has been given to someone else. The very thing that he was able to do, other people are doing to him.

I used to watch WWE when I was growing up. Loved it until I for years, I thought it was re it was the best sport in the world until I found out it was scripted. That was a horrible day. 1 of the best moments in WWE is when a wrestler has a finishing move, bang, and someone else does it to them. Someone else does their finisher move to them?

If if the finisher is the choke slam, and they pick them up and they choke slam them, that's the the guy that they're fighting, go, right, I'm gonna choke slam you. I'm gonna humiliate you so badly that I'm gonna use your finisher on you. I'm gonna you took the city gates. We're gonna siege you. We're gonna humiliate you.

He's humiliated again though. Look back at, judges 14 chapter chapter 14 verse 1 to 4. Samsung went down to Timna and saw they're a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother. I have seen a Philistine woman in Timna.

Now get her for me as my wife. His father and mother replied, isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives among all your people? All our people must you go to the uncircumcised Philistat to get a wife, but Samsung instead to his father, get her for me. She's the right 1 for me. See, if if you were here last week, you'd have heard you'd have heard Tom Sherman, where Tom, Tom did an amazing thing.

I think as preachers, you're when you're doing a a little series, you're always, worried about someone like Tilly coming along and taking your But Tom did a fantastic job where he said, you see, they're living in the time where everyone did what was right in his own eyes. In his own eyes. She's the right 1 for me. Could have been translated as she's right in my eyes. She's right in my eyes, and Thomas this lovely phrase But he said, is he god's gonna deal with Samsung's eyes later?

Get her for me. She's right in my eyes turns into get him for me and gouge out his eyes. Blind. This powerful once behemoth of a man, captured blinded humiliated. The final way that he's humiliated back in chapter 16, verse 24.

His enemies have total victory over him. So much so that they're now singing over him. Singing over Samsung. When was the last time we heard singing? The last time we heard singing was when Samsung had defeated a thousand men, With the jaw bone of a donkey singing with a donkey's jaw I I don't know the melody.

Sorry. I'll give it. With a donkey's jaw bone, I have made donkeys of them. That's not a singer song, is it? With a donkey's jaw bone, I have killed a thousand men.

What rhymes? With a donkey's jawbone, I have made heap of them. A heap of them. A mountain of them. With a donkey's jawbone, I have killed a thousand men.

That was Samsung last chapter. That was Samsung's voice, singing. Singing because he's winning. Singing because he's winning. 1 of my favorite things in in football is when the fans are chanting things like, you only sing when you're winning.

You're only seeing when you're winning. And then and then you eventually hear or hopefully hear You're not singing anymore. You're not well, Samsung's not. Samsung's not singing anymore. See, assumptions not singing anymore.

He's humiliated. He's trapped. The Philistines look upon him. This man who has terrorized this this nation. This man with a terrifying kill count.

He's trapped. We've got him, and now we're singing verse 20 for our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, something's hearing this. He's hearing the crowd singing this. Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the 1 who laid waste our land and multiplied our sleigh. Now god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the 1 who has, who laid waste towards land.

And multiplied our slain over and over. Here in the echoes of this song, Samsung is totally totally humiliated here. Totally humiliated. He's lost, not in control. He's thinking that's me they're singing about.

I'm the 1 who's been delivered into their hands. Dagon has won. How could this have happened? What have I done? I'm not in control.

And he hears someone say, come with us. And he's unable to see where he's going so we have to hold the hand of the man And he and he's brought out. And there are people singing this song. So many so that there are people on the roofs celebrating his capture. And verse 23, Samsung is told to entertain us.

He's brought up and he's told to entertain us. The final way that he's humiliated, dance, dance for us. Oh, mighty Samsung. Do you see how much more powerful we are? Dance.

This promised hero This 1 with the hopes of a nation resting upon his shoulders is chained. Blind, powerless in Dagon's temple. As Tilly said far from a masterpiece He's turned into a disaster piece. All hope seems lost. All hope seems lost.

But did you spot it? Did you spot the hope? A third point the hope of Samsung verse 22. But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. Now the the hair on Samsung's head is is not magical.

The hair isn't magical. His strength came from his god. His strength came from god. But his hair was a sign of that strength, was a sign of god with him. Do you see the hope?

Samsung doesn't deserve this. Samsung doesn't deserve this verse. Samsung told the line of the enemies his secret. Samsung thought that he was in control. Samsung's pride said, yeah, yeah, yeah, shave my hair.

Shave my hair. I've got this. And god says his hair began to grow back. You see, We will sometimes drift from god. We will sometimes say I'm in control.

Me. Look at me. But, dear me, what glorious news that we have a faithful god? A faithful god that even when we are in Dagon's temple. He will stay with us.

He will not leave us. 1 who never leaves us and who hears the cry of Samsung's prayer in verse 28. Verse 20 eighth of chapter 16, then Samsung prayed to the lord, sovereign lord, remember me, please god strengthen me just once more, and let me with 1 blow, get revenge on the Philistines for my 2 eyes. You see in chapter 15, the chapter ends with Samsung praying for life. But here in chapter 16, the chapter ends with Samsung praying for vindication or life to come from his death.

Do you ever find yourself like Samsung? Let's let's look at applying this briefly here. Do you ever find yourself in Daigon's Temple? In the the the valley of the choice vine because you've wandered once again to the place of temptation. Isn't it mad?

The Sam's Samsung doesn't have to come from day from Daigon's temple. God hears his prayer when he's in Daigon's temple. God hears his prayer. Samsung's been humiliated. Yes.

But god is being humiliated. The praise that is offered to day gun, that singing that is offered to day gun belongs only to god. Belongs only to yahweh. Samsung doesn't have to come away from the temple. Even despite despite the way he's treated yahweh, god hears his prayer.

God grants forgiveness grants repentance from inside Daigon's temple. Are you trying to regain control for yourself? You've you've fallen. You've You've gone for temptation once again, perhaps. To are you crying out to god?

Are you verse 28 calling out from inside Daigon's temple? Or are you hearing the cries of the people and saying, Right. How can I fix this by myself? How can I get myself out of this situation? Well, do you call out to god The hope of Samsung, the hope in death this 29 and 30 of chapter 16.

Then Samsung reached towards the 2 central pillars on which the temple stood bracing himself against them, his right hand on the 1 side and his left hand on the other. Samsung said, let me die with the Philistines. Then he pushed with all his might and down came the tempo on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus, he killed many more when he died than while he lived. See, Samsung's death Samsung's death defeats the Philistines.

In his dying, He kills more than when he was alive, not because he's in control. But Samsung's death does so much more than achieve that. Samsung's death points us to the lord Jesus Christ. Do you notice how Samsung died? What what does it say?

What does it say in verse 20 eighth? Then Samsung reached towards the central pillars on which the temple stood bracing himself against them. His right hand on the 1. And his left hand on the other. And he pushes out, and the pillars come down.

And the Philistines die, and Samsung dies with his arms outstretched. Samsung is pointing us to the lord Jesus Christ, who with his arms outstretched died a death upon a cross, and in his dying granted life to millions. In his dying achieved so so much. Is he another way that Samsung points us to Christ? Delila betrayed Samsung for what?

1100 pieces of silver. Jesus was betrayed. Jesus was betrayed by Judith for what? For silver. Samsung points us to the lord Jesus Christ.

Samsung pointers to the lord Jesus Christ, and Samsung is crying out and is telling us, you're not in control. I thought I was in control. I had it all under control. I looked for all worldly standards as if I had things under control. There is only 1 who has it under control.

It's not the Philistines. It's not the mighty power of the day. It's not whoever has the most money. The 1 who has things under control, the 1 who is in control of all things, is the 1 who is able to walk the road with a cross upon his back. Samsung may have walked to Hebron with the city gate, but Christ walked with a cross upon his back.

To the place of the skull, to golgotha. He walks up that mountain, Samsung walks up Hebron. Christ walks up the place of the skull with this cross. Christ has nailed with his arms outstretched. Christ has done nothing wrong.

Samsung has done everything wrong to deserve this. Christ walks this way. He doesn't run from it. He doesn't run when Peter, and John shouts The religious leaders are here. The religious leaders are here.

He doesn't run. He says put away your weapons. For I am in control, I am in control of all things, and I will walk this road. I will drink the cup that my father has given to me. The 1 who was perfect, the 1 who broke no vow or law, the 1 who deserved life instead.

Gave himself up in order to be betrayed in order to stretch out his arms and in order to save me and you. Do you know this Jesus? The savior, the 1 in control of all things? I'm gonna leave with a with a question. Who's in control?

What do you say? Who is in control? You see this this book, the super miraculous journey of of Freddie Yates, The children in my class, when I asked them the question, they said that, that Freddie largely was in control. And sometimes it was 1 of his friends, and sometimes it was the other friend. I said to them no.

You're all wrong again. You're all wrong. You're Freddie's not in control. Despite Charlie's ability to eat an onion, he's not in control. The person in control of the super miraculous journey of Freddie Yates is Jenny Pearson, the author.

Jenny Pearson is in control of this story. Jenny Pearson is the author of this story. When I ask you, who is in control? If your answer is you, you are not the author. Jesus is the author and the per perfecter of my faith.

Jesus is in control. Who is in control? It's not Freddie Yates. It's the author. It's not Samsung.

It's god. It's not you. You are not in control. It's the lord Jesus Christ the spray. Heavenly father, we praise you for the lord Jesus Christ.

We thank you father god for the way that Samsung points us to Christ. Points us to who Christ is, whilst also pointing us to our our need for the lord Jesus. To our need of a savior, and what a glorious savior he is. So we pray father that you would be with us now. In Jesus' name.