Kyrkan sover i Delilas famn

At the beginning of the summer, I had a brief vision. I saw a sleeping man. His head was in the lap of a woman. Both the man and the woman were dressed in clothes which pertained to the Biblical days. The woman looked exotic, foreign. I immediately sensed that this man and woman were Samson and Delilah.

"Daughter of My people," the Lord spoke to me, "what do you see?"

"I see Samson asleep in the lap of Delilah," I replied.

"This is My church," the Lord responded. "This is how My Bride is being attacked by the enemy."

I was puzzled at the Lord's words. "Daughter of My people," the Lord said to me, "understand the vision."

In the days, weeks and months which passed after I experienced this brief vision, along with the Lord's admonishment to understand the vision, I read and reread, and read again, the accounts of Samson's conception, birth and life (as related in Judges chapters 13 through 16). I studied, pondered, read, meditated and prayed about this brief vision, and these four short chapters in Judges.

Small bits of light would be illuminated to my understanding. Small moments of revelation would suddenly flash into my heart and mind as I continued to read and meditate upon these four chapters of Scripture.

I felt the Lord asked me to share with others what He was revealing to me. It is a task that I feel incapable of accomplishing on my own. I need the Holy Ghost to illuminate to each person who may read these words, what was revealed and illuminated to me. I cannot do this through my own words or wisdom. I am only a vessel for the Lord to move through and speak to whomsoever He will. I feel like a very small, insignificant vessel. May the Lord quicken these words to your heart. May you also understand the vision through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Not only was Samson called by God to be a Nazarite, Samson's mother was also called to be a Nazarite.

Judges 13:3-5 ~~ "{3} And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou are barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. {4} Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: {5} For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

The law of a Nazarite is found in Numbers 6:2-6 ~~ {2} Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord: {3} He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, not eat moist grapes, or dried. {4} All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. {5} All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. {6} All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no dead body."

There were three requirements of a Nazarite: 1) to separate themselves from wine and grapes and grape products (even raisins), 2) to have uncut hair, and 3) to touch no dead body.

The word "Nazarite" (Hebrew "nazir" from "nazar," meaning ~ "to set apart") designates one who has been set apart and dedicated wholly to the Lord. This dedication could be for a specific period of time, or for life (such as with Samson). The Nazarites were raised up by God Himself in order that through their lifestyle they might demonstrate His highest standard of holiness, sanctity, and commitment in the presence of the people. The Nazarite vow was voluntary. It was designed to teach Israel that total devotion to God must come first from a person's heart, and then come to expression in self-denial, visible profession, and personal purity. The complete devotion of a Nazarite serves as an example of what every Christian should seek to be. (Notes taken from the Full Life Study Bible, page 219.)

I did an intensive study on wine in both the Old and New Testaments. It was very obvious after doing this study, that the Lord was adamant about His people not partaking of wine. The most basic of these reasons is that wine is formed from a process of fermentation, and in the Bible, fermentation represents corruption and sin; things the Lord abhors.

Nazarites were not to drink wine (either fermented or unfermented), they were not to eat any product of grapes, not even raisins.

Proverbs 23 verse 31 says to, "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright."

Nazarites in particular were commanded to not only not drink wine, but to not even look upon it.

A Nazarite was also to not cut their hair. In the Bible, hair represents a spiritual covering or covenant. 1 Corinthians 11:14 states that usually it is a dishonor for a man to have long hair. The long, uncut hair of a male Nazarite may have represented his willingness to bear reproach and ridicule for the Lord. It was also to proclaim visibly to all that this person had a vow upon their life. It was a public statement of a covenant entered into between a man or woman and their Lord.

A Nazarite was also not to touch a dead body. Death was never God's will when He created man. Death is the absence of life, and is the consequence of sin; which is why a corpse was viewed as being unclean.

Samson's mother was called/commanded by an angel of the Lord to be a Nazarite from before Samson's conception, to his birth. Samson was called to be a Nazarite from before his conception to his death.

As I studied Judges chapters 13 through 16, what I became progressively aware of, and appalled by, was Samson's total lack of regard and respect for his calling as a Nazarite.

Samson loved foreign women, and married a woman of the Philistines. Mixed marriages were forbidden to the Israelites. What struck me, was where Samson met his Philistine wife.

Judges 14:5 ~~ "Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath..."

When I first began to study this portion of Scripture, the Lord stopped me and spoke the following to me. He said, "Daughter of My people, if Samson was forbidden to partake of the vine, why was he even in the vineyard?"

In Judges chapter 14 verse 19, and also in Judges chapter 15 verse 15, Samson breaks another requirement of a Nazarite:

Judges 14:19 ~~ "And the spirit of the Lord came upon him <Samson>, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle...." (To get the garments off the men he had just slain, Samson had to touch their dead bodies.)

Judges 15:15 ~~ "And he <Samson> found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith."

Repeatedly, Samson is found in places and situations where he should not be found. He is repeatedly right in the middle of compromising and sinful situations. He repeatedly shows a total lack of respect and regard for his calling as a Nazarite.

After he slew the thirty men, his Philistine wife was taken from him by his father-in-law and given to his friend (Judges 15:2). In retaliation, Samson catches 300 foxes, ties their tails together, puts lit torches between the tails of the foxes, and releases the foxes into the harvest fields and vineyards of the Philistines. Once again, Samson is found near vineyards.

We then find Samson in the lap of Delilah (another Philistine woman). Samson first met Delilah in the valley of Sorek. Delilah means "lustful." Sorek means "a choice vine." Once again, we find Samson in a vineyard ~~ a place forbidden to him as a Nazarite.

Delilah was a spy for the Philistines and agreed with them to betray Samson into their hands for a sum of money (Judges 16:5). Three times, she seeks to betray Samson. Three times he lies to her about where the source of his awesome strength lies. Finally, worn down by her constant badgering , Samson tells her what causes him to be as strong as he is.

Judges 16:16 - 17 ~~ "{16} And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; {17} That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."

Once before, with his first wife, Samson had also been worn down by continual nagging and "pressing of words." As with Delilah, Samson had also had his soul "vexed unto death" by the constant badgering of a woman.

Judges 15:16-17 ~~ "{16} And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? {17} And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people."

After hearing his words, and perceiving them to be true, Delilah contacts the men she has agreed to betray Samson to. She causes Samson to fall asleep in her lap.

Judges 16:19 ~~ "And she <Delilah> made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him."

When Samson wakes up, he does not even realize that God's presence has departed from him.

Judges 16:20 ~~ "And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him."

He has become so cold and indifferent to the Spirit of God in his life, that when God's Spirit departs from him, he doesn't even realize it.

Samson is then blinded, chained in fetters of brass, and made to grind in the prison house. "Howbeit, the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven." (Judges 16:22).

At the last, we see a young boy leading blind Samson by the hand into a pagan celebration of the Philistines. The Philistines ridiculed and mocked Samson, and made sport of him. During the time he had been grinding in the prison house, Samson had returned with a fervent heart unto the Lord his God. He had a repentant heart and a renewed faith in God. Samson now called upon God to remember and strengthen him. He then took hold of two pillars of the banqueting house, leaned upon them with all his might, and caused the house to cave in. There were over 3,000 Philistines killed. Samson was killed as well.

As well as the first brief vision I experienced (the man asleep in a woman's lap), I also had three other brief visions (what I refer to as "mini-visions"). Each vision pertained to a particular scenario that I was reading in Judges chapters 13 through 16.

"Daughter of My people," the Lord asked me after I had done extensive studying of these four chapters of Scripture, "have you understood the visions?"

"I don't understand how Samson's birth, life and death represents how Your church is being attacked by the enemy," I replied.

"I have called My people to be a holy and separate people," the Lord replied. "The enemy is seeking to cause My people to mingle themselves with the things of the world. The enemy desires My people to compromise with those things which I have warned them against. These things at first truly appear desirable and harmless. If the enemy can seduce My children to partake of these things, he will have succeeded in causing My children to fall asleep in the lap of sin.

"The enemy is attempting to attract, seduce, and distract My people. He is luring and enticing them through their eyes and their minds. He is seeking to have My children trust more in their knowledge of Me than in their relationship with Me. This is a subtle spirit of pride that the enemy is unleashing against My children.

"If My children allow themselves to be seduced and distracted by these things, they will become spiritually blind. The spiritual eyes of their understanding will be darkened and dimmed. The enemy is greatly desirous at this time to put out the spiritual eyesight of My children. Their spiritual eyesight is enhanced by their separated lifestyle of holiness and consecration unto Me.

"The enemy is offering a diluted Gospel, a watered down mixture of My Word, unto many of My children. He is doing this slowly and gradually. He is dulling the palate of My children with that which is not My pure and holy and unmixed Word.

"The enemy is seeking to bind My children with fetters of brass. These fetters of brass are spiritual in nature. The enemy is seeking with these fetters of brass to bind My children from fulfilling My will and plan for their lives. They will be powerless and ineffective. Yet they will be unaware of this, for their minds will be darkened and deceived.

"The enemy has brought a myriad of situations into the lives of many of My children. His plan and efforts are to wear My people down. My people are feeling as if they are enduring one trial and hardship after another.There is little surcease for them inbetween each new difficulty.

"Their time has become filled with chores, duties, needs of others. They are weary, harrassed, distracted. The enemy is seeking to imprison them and force them to endlessly and repeatedly grind over and over again the same problems and situations.

"I am calling My people to return to Me with the faith of a child. I desire greatly for My children to fall in love with Me completely all over again. By knowing Me intimately, My children will not be attracted, seduced or distracted by the false. They will not be deceived.

"I desire for My children to return unto Me with all their heart. And I will be found of them, and I will heal and restore to them all the enemy has stripped from them. I will have mercy on those who have been forsaken. I will gather again those who have been driven away. They will stand up against sin and wickedness, and shall prevail.

"I will have a people who are called by My Name, and who have separated themselves fully unto Me. Sin will have no dominion over them. They will be able to withstand and subdue the further coming evil, and shall turn the hearts of many back unto Me.

"I have sent a holy hunger and thirst for Me into the hearts of My children. I have withheld Myself from them. I have remained silent to many of them. I am desiring for them to feel My absence, and to once again seek after Me with all their heart and soul. Only when they feel devoid of My Spirit and Presence, will they truly hunger and thirst once again to be filled to overflowing with Me.

"If only My children knew and were aware of how greatly beloved they are by Me! They would cease to fill their days and their time with things of little or no profit. Their hearts and souls would pant after Me.

"Return unto Me, My children, and I will be found of you. The terrible emptiness you are feeling will be filled with My Spirit. My desire is unto you, My children. My hands are outstretched unto you. Return unto Me. Return."

(Hollie L. Moody, Sept. 2nd, 2001)

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