Judges 17, Proverbs 25, Hebrews 10

Wandering in Sin. The scripture doesn't tell us how many years passed between Samson and Micah. Because of Micah's complete failure to realize his idolatry, we may assume it was a long time. Not even the young Levite understood the situation. Without a leader, the people, just like a flock of sheep without a shepherd, wandered away from the pasture of good grass to a weedy, rocky place. Although it looked good to them, it was the wrong place. The mixture of Judaism with pagan idolatry was a sin.

Today, Christians can run into the same situation when we allow the concerns of the day, or our desires for things or leisure, to dilute our passion for Christ.

Spiritual Self-Control. Don't you love a good mystery? So does God. (By the way, that's why we do. We're made in His image.) He plans for us to seek: to seek a relationship with Him, to seek truth. The book of Proverbs is rich in truth. Proverbs 25:28 stands out today because it explains what happened with the Israelites, particularly Micah and the young Levite. They failed to rule over their own spirits in the matter of worship, doing what felt right instead of what was right. Then they became like a city broken down with no walls. They had no sense of restraint or security.

The Right Leader. Jesus Christ's death on the cross provided us with the only sufficient sacrifice for our sins. At that moment, He became our perfect priest. The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that holding onto our faith with endurance assures us of receiving the promise of heaven. Failure to do so guarantees the fearsome judgment of God.

Let's avoid the company of Micah and the young Levite and follow our Perfect Priest.

Judges 16, Proverbs 24, Hebrews 9

Pride. Samson was a great man with a great weakness: pride. He knew he was special and that God appointed him for mighty works in the literal sense of the word. Even his failures God used for Israel's good. After twenty years he must have felt invincible, because he trusted Delilah even after evidence that she was not trustworthy.

Consequence. When Samson disobeyed God in the one critical act of allowing his head to be shaved, God followed the principle of tough love and logical consequences. Samson knew the presence of the Spirit of the Lord was symbolized by his hair. He knew if he cut it the Lord would depart. So did God. And that's what happened.

Destruction. The resulting suffering taught Samson what nothing else could: humility. When Samson humbled himself before God and everyone else, then the Spirit of the Lord performed His greatest work.

Warning. Wisdom, knowledge, understanding and righteousness are compared to a well-built house and productive field. Honestly, industriousness and steadiness are qualities leading to prosperity. But the most important teaching in this chapter of Proverbs is found in verses 11-12. A soul-winner is described in verse 11 and verse 12 teaches individual accountability. Ignorance is not necessarily and excuse.

Reformation. The tabernacle Moses built, and the temples after it, stood as symbols of spiritual truths and heavenly realities. Their purpose was instructional and as stand-ins for the Real Deal. In spite of their inferiority, they were necessary until the coming of Christ. Then He replaced them with His perfect sacrifice, shed blood, and resurrection. This is called "the time of reformation" in verse ten. This chapter is a beautiful description of the doctrine of atonement.

Salvation. Christ died for us, that by His power we might be saved. If we will turn to Him, away from our path toward death, and put our trust in Him instead of our own strength, we will be saved from destruction.