Sin's Binding

When your thoughts turn to “great strength,” what Bible character first comes to mind? Samson, you say?

Let us contemplate some of the episodes in his life. Do you remember? Samson had taken a Philistine bride; she divulged the answer to a riddle that Samson had given to the Philistines. He went out and slew thirty men and took their garments to pay the wager. His father-in-law, thinking that Samson now hated his daughter, gave her to his companion. Samson caught three hundred foxes, bound their tails together, and set them on fire in the midst of the Philistine’s corn along with their vineyards and olive trees. When the Philistines discovered that he had done this deed because of the father-in-law’s action, they in turn burned Samson’s wife and her father with fire. Samson then smote more Philistines. Following all that, the Philistines came to Judah with the intentions of binding Samson. Then three thousand men of Judah approached Samson: “What is this that thou hast done unto us?” “ Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us?” No, I don’t think he did! And the Philistines were beginning to have serious doubts about it also! They come almost apologetically; they almost seem to be asking his permission: “We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. . . And they bound him with two new cords.” (This account is found in Judges chapters fourteen and fifteen.)

“And when he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands” Judges 15:14.

What immediately followed is legendary: how that Samson took the new jawbone of an ass and slew a thousand men!

Then came Delilah. “And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bindhim to afflict him” Judges 15:.5. And she actually told him! “And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mayest be bound to afflict thee” (vs. 6). Heknew what they were up to! (I fear our hero has become arrogant and far too self-confident.)

“And Samson said unto her, If they [the Philistines] bind me with seven green withs [bowstrings] that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.” (vs. 7) “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” I Cor, 10:12. “Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them” (vs. 8). Samson’s having a big time sporting with those silly Philistines. Ha! They can’t bind him!

“Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him. The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow [loose threads] is broken when it toucheth the fire” (vs. 9)

“And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies.” Well, - she’s right! That’s exactly what he’s been doing!

“now tell me O pray thee, wherewith thou mayest be bound. And he said unto her, if they bind me fast with new ropes that were never occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man” (vs. 11) We know what happened - “he brake them from off his arms like a thread.”

“Samson. . .tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound.” “If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. . . Samson, be careful: you’re flirting with temptation.

What are they doing anyway? Are they looking for Samson’s strength - or searching for his weakness?

“She pressed him daily. . .urged him. . .he told her all his heart: A Nazarite unto God from his mother’s womb, if his hair be shaven off then his strength will go from him. . .”

Oh Samson! Open your heart unto the Lord your God; not unto Satan your enemy! Why would he reveal the truth of his strength; and then fall asleep with his head in her lap; knowing all the time what evil plans the Philistines had in mind for him!

Is it possible that Samson fell for the oldest lie known to men: Oh, go ahead Eve! Take the fruit! Thou shalt not surely die! Oh, go ahead, Samson! So what if they shave your seven locks off. You won’treally lose your strength!

        “And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him” (vs. 20).

No, Samson, the green withs nor the new ropes can bind you or hold you; but the strength of Sin can bind you, take you captive, make you its slave, its prisoner. “But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes. . .bound him with fetters [chains, shackles] of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.”

How strong is sin? Strong enough to bind a Samson.

        Let us recall the words of the Philistine rulers: “Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him.” Here’s the New Testament counterpart: “But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and ENTICED. Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forthdeath” James 1:14,15.

The Philistines might easily have thrust Samson through with a sword or killed him with many arrows. But no: they would ENTICE him, they would draw him away from RIGHT; that they might BIND him; that they might AFFLICT him. And then, when they were FINISHED with him, he would DIE.

Notice in James: “When lust hath CONCEIVED it BRINGETH FORTH - SIN.” Sin is an illegitimate child whose intent is to BIND and AFFLICT; whose end is to “bringeth forth death.”

And Samson did die. But for the intervention of the Lord it would no doubt have been a death void of strength and victory.

Yes, Samson exhibited tremendous strength. But do you know that there was a man in the New Testament whose strength apparently equaled if not exceeded the strength of Samson?

Jesus and His disciples “came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there meet Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with CHAINS:Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him” Mark 5:1-4.

Samson had been bound with ropes, but this man with chains and shackles, yet he was of such strength that they were broken in pieces!

Samson broke the cords with which he was bound because “the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him” Judges 15:14. In contrast, the Gadarene’s strength was because an “unclean spirit” had embodied him.

As in the case of Samson, the chains and shackles made by men could in no wise restrain the Gadarene, but Sin is of greater strength than any of these, and this man was bound by Sin.

Satan is the master counterfeiter. If God would empower a man that ropes could not hold him, then Satan must show his power in enabling a man to “pluck asunder” fetters and chains!

When Moses and Aaron gained an audience with Pharaoh, “Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents” Ex. 7:10-12. The Lord commanded that Aaron should smite the waters of Egypt that they turn to blood - And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments” (vs. 22). Again the Lord commanded and “Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt” Exodus 8:6,7.

When the Gadarene of which we spoke earlier, “saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most. High God?”

When Paul and Silas were in Philippi, a “certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination. . .followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, which show us the way of salvation” Acts 16:16,17.

In Acts chapter nineteen we are told “Then certain vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. . .And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.”

Let us not take lightly nor choose to ignore the knowledge and power of the principalities of darkness. Think not that the scriptures say in vain that “the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour!” I Peter 5:8.

Returning to the damsel possessed with the spirit of divination: Paul commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. As a result her “owners” lost their means of monetary gain and had Paul and Silas brought before the magistrates, who promptly had them thrown into prison. “And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely. Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God. . .Acts 16:23- 25.

An earthquake. . .the foundation of the prison shaken. . .the doors were opened. . . every one’s bands were loosed. Every one that is, but the jailor’s. No, his hands and feet were not shackled; he was not fastened in the stocks: he was bound by sin. And sin was just about finished with him. “And the keeper of the prison awakened out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here” Acts 16:27,28.

The jailor called for a light and his darkened eyes were opened to the Truth of the Word. He cried, What must I do to be saved, and received the Word of reconciliation: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. And he fell before Paul and Silas receiving the Word of Deliverance; and the “ropes brake off his arm like a thread;” the chains were “plucked asunder” and the fetters were “broken in pieces.”

The earthquake, the shaking of the foundation of the prison, the prisoner’s bands being loosed - is without doubt a notable miracle; but none can surpass the greatest wonder of all - the breaking of the shackles of SIN’S BINDING!

Sin is a Self Inflicted Nail,

Whereby one is held captive

By his own will; he is made

Of himself a willing and

Obedient slave.

The net into which one

Finds himself drawn, was

Cast forth of his own hand.

As the caterpillar, from

Within himself, forms a

Cocoon around himself;

Even so does sin from

Within, form its own

Prison without.

The shackles that bind

Are those forged in the

Foundry of Pride and

Selfishness.