WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.680 You're listening to the Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.440 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in 3 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:15.039 practical ways. Welcome to the Bible Guys. We sincerely welcome you. 4 00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:17.719 Yes, we are so grateful that you decided to keep 5 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:18.679 coming back every. 6 00:00:18.519 --> 00:00:20.160 Day, and we're sincere about it. 7 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:23.160 We are sincere. 8 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.679 So today we're in a launch into well, no, actually 9 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:28.399 we're doing we're finishing up the story of Samson. 10 00:00:28.760 --> 00:00:30.800 For your presence and your time with us today, we 11 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:31.879 are truly thankful. 12 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:37.600 Yes, yes, However, we have a segment beforehand and Desiree 13 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:39.240 is giving us today. 14 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:40.799 And it's called this is a cool one. 15 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:46.479 It's mailbags, Mailbags. There you go, and this is from Laurens. 16 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:49.880 It's a cool one. So Hi Lauren, Hi Lauren. 17 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:53.719 So Lauren says, what's something you've learned about yourself through 18 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:57.880 a hobby or activity that you didn't expect to Do 19 00:00:57.920 --> 00:00:58.600 You have hobbies? 20 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:05.799 Chris, h hobbies? I mean, like, like golf is a hobby, right? 21 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:07.560 Is that? Is that a hobby? 22 00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:09.359 I don't know it? 23 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:11.879 Yeah, I think so. I think so. 24 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:12.879 So golf is your hobby? 25 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:13.640 Yeah, but like in. 26 00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:17.680 Terms of like rock collecting or you know, gun shooting 27 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:24.400 or uh, collecting collecting stamps. No, I don't really have 28 00:01:24.599 --> 00:01:25.040 much of that. 29 00:01:26.439 --> 00:01:27.159 I am. 30 00:01:27.319 --> 00:01:30.480 I am into experiences more than I am like individual 31 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:33.439 type things. So like, you know, we're big on family 32 00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:35.760 game night, which is happening you know tomorrow night. 33 00:01:35.799 --> 00:01:37.480 By the way, you. 34 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:39.439 Know, we we do we like family game. 35 00:01:39.640 --> 00:01:43.400 Yeah, we do games all the time. We're into experiences, 36 00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:46.280 you know, we have we have. We're pretty simple family. 37 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:48.560 So like, for instance, in a couple of weeks, we're 38 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:51.000 going up north and we're going to our favorite place, 39 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:54.480 which is the Pirate's Cove pop up place up in Patowski. 40 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:56.519 And uh, my daughter, is. 41 00:01:56.519 --> 00:01:59.239 Your favorite place well like on the planet when you 42 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:02.840 die and they and they cremate you. You know, you're envisioning 43 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:04.640 that they would put your ashes out at pirates to 44 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:13.719 just sprinkle your ashes at the nineteenth. 45 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:16.960 No, I was saying, my favorite our favorite place to 46 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:19.159 go in potas in Potoski. 47 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:21.680 I heard it that this is your favorite place in 48 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:22.000 the world. 49 00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:25.039 So that's probably where I said it. Okay, so but 50 00:02:25.240 --> 00:02:27.719 we're going to be doing that. But we're simple people, 51 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:31.080 so like so I so my daughter Sarah actually said 52 00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:33.840 she goes. I think that place is actually in my 53 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:38.080 top three places that sort of define my childhood. 54 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:40.800 And I was like, wow, you know so, I. 55 00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:42.599 Mean it's a pretty great place. 56 00:02:42.759 --> 00:02:44.240 It's pretty great place. We love it. 57 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:46.400 That might be where you're spending eternity. 58 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:49.719 In fired Okay, so what have you learned to another 59 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:54.599 day it's like pirates, what what have you learned through? Then, 60 00:02:54.680 --> 00:02:57.919 because we were asking about hobby, a hobby or activity, 61 00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:01.120 I immediately that you didn't explen I have an answer. 62 00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:07.439 I thought that doing things would cure me of my 63 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:11.520 fear of heights, but it is not at all. 64 00:03:11.639 --> 00:03:13.560 Oh like ropes, courses or. 65 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:17.680 Well, I have jumped out of three airplanes, so I've 66 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:22.080 gone I've gone skydi having three times. I've done parasailing twice. 67 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:26.680 And I'm talking about the maximum amount like one thousand, 68 00:03:26.840 --> 00:03:30.360 two hundred feet in the air of parasaling. And by 69 00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:32.680 the way, that's not straight up, that's that's like that's 70 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:36.599 that's back end up, right. But it's so unbelievably high. 71 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:40.719 I mean, you're you're ten times higher than the hotels, right, 72 00:03:41.080 --> 00:03:43.080 I mean, so you're you're you're pretty much up there. 73 00:03:43.879 --> 00:03:46.280 You know, I've gone up to Just last week, I 74 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:49.759 went to one hundred and second story of the one 75 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:51.039 World Trade Center. 76 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:52.759 I've gone up in little. 77 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:56.960 Planes, I've done bungee jumping, I've done rock climbing, and 78 00:03:57.080 --> 00:04:01.080 I still am absolutely terrified of heights. I keep on 79 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:04.680 doing stuff because it's thrilling, which is why. 80 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:08.919 Maybe not really afraid of heights. Maybe maybe you love 81 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:10.960 the rush of being afraid of heights. 82 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:13.280 I think in early on I was doing it to 83 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:16.639 overcome my fear of heights. But like, for instance, I'll 84 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:19.519 give you an example. So we did go up north 85 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:21.959 to Potowski and there's a Have you ever been to 86 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:24.480 that place where there's like a glass bridge you can 87 00:04:24.519 --> 00:04:25.160 go see the trees? 88 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:26.680 I know about it. Yeah, yeah, I don't think I've 89 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:26.920 been there. 90 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:30.319 But turn and you go there and you watch all 91 00:04:30.360 --> 00:04:32.800 the trees turn colors. Well we did that last year 92 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:35.319 and there's like a section of the bridge that's glass 93 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:38.959 and it's really high, and I just freaked out. I 94 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:42.439 was just holding onto the edges. I couldn't move. And 95 00:04:42.519 --> 00:04:45.600 my youngest daughter, who is dating a pilot of a 96 00:04:45.639 --> 00:04:47.839 plane and they go up in these little planes all 97 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:50.000 the time, she looks at me and she goes, Dad, 98 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:50.600 are you kidding me? 99 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:51.079 Right now? 100 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:55.160 You can't walk on this bridge. You've you've jumped out 101 00:04:55.160 --> 00:04:59.759 of airplanes, and I'm like, I'm just terrified, and it's 102 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:03.000 really not that scary, right, and yet I'm terrified. 103 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:05.680 Well that's what you learned, is that you didn't overcome 104 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:09.480 your fears. That's correct, you just indulge in them. Yes, yeah, 105 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:12.199 Well that's very very enlightening, super exciting. 106 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:14.560 Well remember when you said you went balloon riding. Yeah, 107 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:17.240 hot air balloon. Yeah, I wonder if I can handle that. 108 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:19.680 It's really incredible, incredibly peaceful. 109 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:21.680 Yeah, I just wonder if I can handle it. 110 00:05:22.120 --> 00:05:25.600 Yeah. 111 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:30.639 I So I like to hunt right, white tailed deer, 112 00:05:30.839 --> 00:05:34.000 pretty much anything, but I enjoy hunting. But for a 113 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:36.839 kid with ADHD, it was really weird to find out 114 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:38.879 that I can sit in the woods for five hours 115 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:42.920 without moving, right, and that there's there's something very cathartic 116 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:45.360 about being in nature for me that just calms me down, 117 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:48.600 because there's no place else in my life that I 118 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:51.519 can just be in a place for, you know, five 119 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:56.240 hours without moving or talking or doing anything. But when 120 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:59.480 I get out in the woods, it's just a surprise 121 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:01.680 to me that I can can sit there. I have 122 00:06:01.720 --> 00:06:03.639 a lot of focus, a lot of clarity. 123 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:05.000 That's what you learn a lot of peace. 124 00:06:05.079 --> 00:06:07.759 Yeah, now do you get You get a lot accomplished 125 00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:08.720 and you're thinking like. 126 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:09.519 You think through things. 127 00:06:09.639 --> 00:06:09.839 Yeah. 128 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:12.399 Yeah, I really have a lot of clarity when I'm 129 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:14.959 out in the woods. Sometimes, depending on where I'm hunting 130 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:16.279 and whether or not there's a lot of deer stuff, 131 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:19.040 I'll take a New Testament with me, and I've had 132 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:21.319 I don't know, probably ten hunting seasons where I just 133 00:06:21.319 --> 00:06:23.360 read through the New Testament during the three or four 134 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:26.199 day period that I was hunting or whatever. So that's nice. 135 00:06:26.360 --> 00:06:28.480 But then even if I don't bring something to read, 136 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.480 which I normally don't, I mean, out of all my seasons, 137 00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:36.079 maybe I've done that ten times. But just sitting and thinking, 138 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:39.199 it's really amazing how sort out the thoughts, and I 139 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:41.040 feel like I have more clarity sitting in the woods 140 00:06:41.079 --> 00:06:43.000 than I have clarity anywhere else in my life the 141 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:43.759 whole rest of the year. 142 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:44.279 Wow. 143 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:45.600 Yeah, that's pretty incredible. 144 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:47.600 Yea, it's kind of a weird, weird thing. I don't 145 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:47.920 know why. 146 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:51.439 Yeah, well, you know, I mean it is pretty clear 147 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:53.680 based on books that we've read and studies that have 148 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:56.639 been done that people are wired, you know, to feel 149 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.360 even connected to God. That's a spiritual pathways nature. 150 00:06:59.560 --> 00:06:59.800 Yeah. 151 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:03.480 Right, so there's something about our relationship with this planet. 152 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:07.199 So when I remember going to I don't know as 153 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:09.720 a seminary class, I think and they said we were 154 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:10.839 created for relationships. 155 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:13.040 And they said there's three relationships. 156 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:16.480 And I thought, what three? And and and this. This 157 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:20.040 professor said, our relationship with God is primary our relationship 158 00:07:20.040 --> 00:07:22.560 with others. And I'm thinking, okay, that's those That's the 159 00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:25.079 Great Commandment, right, So what the heck is he going 160 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:27.000 to say? And he said in our relationship with this planet? 161 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:29.879 And I thought, what, how could you include that? And 162 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:31.319 he said, well, think about it. He goes, you think 163 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:34.720 it's by accident that we breathe in oxygen and breathe 164 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:37.959 out carbon dioxide and the trees breathe in carbon dioxide 165 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:40.160 and breathe out oxygen. He said, you think you think 166 00:07:40.199 --> 00:07:42.800 that's an accident. He goes, God created us to have 167 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:45.480 a relationship with this planet. Things grow from the ground 168 00:07:45.480 --> 00:07:48.000 that we plant, that we eat. He started just going 169 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:49.920 on and on and on and on, and I started 170 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:54.000 thinking to myself, Ah, that is correct. 171 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:56.279 And then I thought to myself, as. 172 00:07:56.120 --> 00:08:00.279 Well, that's probably why there's some sort of a thing 173 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:04.879 inside where And I'm not a nature person, but even 174 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:08.839 I cried at a sunrise, right, so there's something inside 175 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:11.639 that connects us, I think, to the planet and to God, 176 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:12.800 the creator of the planet. 177 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:13.920 Yeah, I think you're right. 178 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:18.480 I do have a very strong sense that men were 179 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:24.399 Humanity was not made to live in concrete grids, in 180 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:27.199 houses where you push the button and the door comes 181 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:31.519 up and you just drive into the garage and close 182 00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:33.720 it and go in and pull the blinds and right, 183 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:36.399 I have a very strong sense that that is not 184 00:08:36.519 --> 00:08:40.320 a natural state for humanity. And I think that over time, 185 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:45.080 then our offices, our computers, our screens, are the way 186 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:47.320 we build our homes and our little communities and all 187 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:51.279 these things are not natural, and I think that they 188 00:08:51.399 --> 00:08:54.519 ultimately build up a lot of stress. I think that nature, 189 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:56.679 for me anyways, releases. 190 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:57.200 A lot of stress. 191 00:08:57.639 --> 00:09:02.240 So a hike, a climb, sitting in the trees, you know, 192 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:05.440 hunting in the woods, whatever, those those things are very 193 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:09.639 very cathartic, and I feel like I recenter, uh when 194 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:10.360 when I'm out there here. 195 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:11.279 So it's a big learning for me. 196 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:17.440 Well side note, I'm boring and started a sentence right. 197 00:09:19.159 --> 00:09:22.000 Side note, Sitting in the woods for five hours sometimes 198 00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:24.799 and doing absolutely nothing as a high extrovert sounds like 199 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:25.399 the worst thing ever. 200 00:09:25.559 --> 00:09:26.840 Yeah, but we went over. 201 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:27.600 To start time. 202 00:09:27.720 --> 00:09:31.639 Yes, well this isn't a super complex chunk, that's true, 203 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:36.200 And so we're finishing up the life of Samson. If 204 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:39.080 you remember yesterday, if you were with us on the podcast, 205 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:43.120 Delilah finally gets word out of Samson is to where 206 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:47.200 his strength lies. He still hasn't cut his hair, and 207 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:50.519 so she cuts his hair. Philistines come in, they arrest him. 208 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:53.720 He stands up, not knowing that the spirit of God 209 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:55.960 had left him. They wind up gouging out his eyes 210 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.240 and putting him in prison. But then the Bible says, 211 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:00.799 before long his hair began to grow back, which is 212 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:03.000 kind of a hint as what was coming the dom 213 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:03.840 dun dundom. 214 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:07.399 That's that's where we ended, Dun dun dun. There you go. 215 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:10.879 So then it continues. It says the Philistine rulers held 216 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:15.120 a great festival, offering sacrifices and praising their God Daygon. 217 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.120 They said, our God has given us victory over our 218 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:21.960 enemy Samson. When the people saw him, they praised their God, saying, 219 00:10:21.960 --> 00:10:24.639 our God has delivered our enemy to us. The one 220 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:27.240 who killed so many of us is now in our power. 221 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:30.879 Half drunk by Now, the people demanded ring out Samson 222 00:10:30.919 --> 00:10:33.480 so he can amuse us. And so he was brought 223 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:35.519 from the prison to amuse them, and they had him 224 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:38.960 stand between the pillars supporting the roof. Samson said to 225 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:40.679 the young servant who was leading him by the hand, 226 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:43.200 place my hands against the pillars that hold up the temple. 227 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:45.919 I want to rest against them. Now the people were 228 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:49.799 completely filled. Now the temple was completely filled with people. 229 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:52.399 All the Philistine rulers were there, and there were about 230 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:54.799 three thousand men and women on the roof who were 231 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:59.360 watching as Samson amuse them. Then Samson prayed to the Lord, Sovereign. 232 00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:02.399 Lord remembers me again, Oh God, please strengthen me just 233 00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:05.399 one more time with one blow, let me pay back 234 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:08.159 the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes. Then 235 00:11:08.200 --> 00:11:11.200 Samson put his hands on the center pillars that held 236 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:14.159 up the temple, pushing against them with both hands. He prayed, 237 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:16.919 let me die with the Philistines, and the temple crashed 238 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:18.840 down on the Philistine rulers and all the people and 239 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:21.159 so he killed more people when he died than he 240 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.440 had during his entire lifetime. Later, his brothers and other 241 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:26.519 relatives went down to get his body and they took 242 00:11:26.600 --> 00:11:29.799 him back home and buried him between Zora and Eshtahl, 243 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:33.480 where his father Manoah was buried. Samson had judged Israel 244 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:34.879 for twenty years. 245 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:42.240 Right there you go, Yeah, there it is. And you 246 00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:44.240 love that when I say that, Well, there you go. 247 00:11:44.279 --> 00:11:44.799 There you go. 248 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:50.080 So I think that the redemption factor is what I 249 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:54.600 love about this. Samson has finally, you know, gotten to 250 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:57.759 the place to where he is willing to sacrifice himself. 251 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:02.200 So in the first three chap of you know, Sampson's life, 252 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:05.799 you know, in Judges, it's not the first three chapters 253 00:12:05.799 --> 00:12:08.080 of Judges, but it's the last three chapters we read, 254 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:12.639 you know, we we basically demonstrated that Samson only cares 255 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:15.759 about himself, puts himself as the center, only thinks of 256 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:19.600 himself or about himself, all those different things. But now 257 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:22.639 that he's trapped and he has his eyes gouged out 258 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:27.080 and he's you know, in the Temple of Dagon, he 259 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:29.919 he says, okay, God, if you give me strength one 260 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:34.240 last time, and really, here's what he's essentially saying. He's saying, 261 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:38.480 I will sacrifice myself for the mission that. 262 00:12:38.440 --> 00:12:40.440 You created me for. That's what he's saying. 263 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:44.960 Yeah, yeah, because because he knows the mission is war. 264 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:47.519 He knows the mission as a war against the Philistines. 265 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:50.720 And so he says, Okay, I'm gonna take these Philistines out, 266 00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:53.480 and and if you'll just grant me this, And he 267 00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:56.600 knows he doesn't deserve it, he knows that he hasn't 268 00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:59.360 earned it, and and so what does he do. He 269 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:03.519 just depends on God in his mercy. And God is 270 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:07.320 in the position to where God could have definitely said nope, 271 00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:12.440 in fact, you deserve to be tortured, and which obviously 272 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:14.519 that's what they were doing. They weren't giving him a 273 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:20.320 swift and quick death, right, they're putting him on display, which. 274 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:21.320 Means he's a circus clown. 275 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:24.000 Now he's a circus clown, which means which means you 276 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:26.759 better believe that their intention was probably to make him 277 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:27.919 suffer more before he died. 278 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:29.960 And so God could. 279 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:33.679 Have very well said, you know, what you've earned, Samson, 280 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:36.840 is not what you're asking. But Samson says, you know, 281 00:13:36.919 --> 00:13:39.759 please God, and so what does he do. He sacrifices himself, 282 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:42.720 and it's just a beautiful picture of redemption, even in 283 00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:45.559 the Old Testament, where you know God is being merciful 284 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:48.919 when he doesn't have to be merciful. And Samson then 285 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:50.240 finally learns his lesson. 286 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:55.200 Yeah, so incredible, you know with Samson. So three thousand 287 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:58.360 Philistines died that day, yes, and then he killed the 288 00:13:58.399 --> 00:13:59.360 thousand with the job. 289 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:00.960 By the way, that's pretty big temple. 290 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:03.200 Yeah. Yeah, and. 291 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:07.080 He killed a thousand with a job on a donkey, 292 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:12.600 and then he killed some more. Right, But like you said, 293 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:15.200 he was built for war. As a matter of fact, 294 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:20.399 God had told his parents, Samson is going to deliver 295 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:23.200 the people. I mean, he's going to fighting into Philistines. 296 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:28.399 He's gonna be great. But what did he get forty 297 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:29.480 five hundred Philistines? 298 00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:33.600 Right? 299 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:36.879 I feel like you ever you ever watched like an 300 00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:39.039 NBA player or an NFL player. 301 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:41.679 Coulation back then was I know what you're I think. 302 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:44.720 I think Gideon in one battle wipes out one hundred 303 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:47.639 and one hundred and thirty five thousand guys and thirty 304 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:51.399 five thousand. So here's a man built for war. Gideon 305 00:14:51.559 --> 00:14:54.960 is a coward. Yeah, here's a man built for war 306 00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:59.960 and instead he's chasing skirts. He's he's indulging himself. 307 00:15:00.120 --> 00:15:02.279 So he's wasted his gift in his lifetime, wasted. 308 00:15:02.600 --> 00:15:07.080 He should have been Hercules, right, right, he should have 309 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:14.279 been the undefeatable, right he's he's the the undisputed undefeated champion. 310 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:18.120 That's what it should have been, he said, and he wasn't. 311 00:15:17.879 --> 00:15:22.440 He kind of mailed it in. He didn't face it. 312 00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:25.320 He literally has three events where he fights the bad 313 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:30.080 guys in twenty years. And so what he was built 314 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:33.720 for and what he did, and you know, you've seen 315 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:36.799 it before, I've seen I mean, I hate to say 316 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:38.879 that there's a basketball player that played and that was 317 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:42.440 drafted by Detroit a number of years ago that I 318 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:44.080 think is one of the most talented guys that ever 319 00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:47.000 made it in the NBA. And I mean he's a 320 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:51.480 Hall of Famer now, but you just felt like if 321 00:15:51.480 --> 00:15:55.399 he had had a killer instinct like Jordan did, maybe 322 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:58.480 or whatever, he could have been so much greater. He 323 00:15:58.600 --> 00:16:01.240 get his points, he didn't really elevate the rest of 324 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:03.240 the team too much. He went on played in a 325 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:06.480 couple other teams. He had a couple of injuries, and 326 00:16:06.519 --> 00:16:08.639 I just feel like when you watched that, when you 327 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:11.200 watched his career, I felt like you looked at it 328 00:16:11.240 --> 00:16:14.399 and went, oh, he had so much more in him, right, 329 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:20.240 Or the guys that Olympic athletes or whatever, and you 330 00:16:20.279 --> 00:16:24.279 look at you know, it's drugs that wind up messing 331 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:26.360 them up or they get into some other thing. You 332 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:30.799 think there was so much potential for greatness. They just 333 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:33.120 didn't live up to the potential. Of all the people 334 00:16:33.159 --> 00:16:34.960 in the Bible who didn't live up to their potential. 335 00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:37.360 I mean literally, the story we talked about before him 336 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:40.720 was Gideon, who's a coward and he has victory over 337 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:43.240 one hundred and thirty five thousand guys, and in his 338 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:47.360 entire twenty years of leading, he has three big battles 339 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:50.480 and kills less than five thousand people. But he was 340 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.279 built for war, and so there's just kind of this 341 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:55.440 sadness about that. So on the one side, redemption, certainly 342 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:57.840 he does more at his end than he did in 343 00:16:57.879 --> 00:17:00.120 the whole rest of his life. 344 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:00.960 Also, for sure. 345 00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:01.960 There's less than six thousand. 346 00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:06.079 Yeah, yeah, you have this sense of this lost opportunity. 347 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:08.359 How much more could he have done for his people? 348 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:11.359 Because that's his job was to deliver the people, right, 349 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:13.759 His job was to bring peace to the people. How 350 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:15.640 much more could he done for the people if it 351 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:19.200 hadn't been about him, Because let's be honest, the thousands 352 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:21.640 that he killed before this were about him. It was 353 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:24.960 never about his people, right, right. That's just sad when 354 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:27.079 leaders decided to live for themselves. 355 00:17:26.680 --> 00:17:27.559 Instead of for their people. 356 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:28.039 Yeah. 357 00:17:28.119 --> 00:17:30.640 Yeah, it's just a missed opportunity for sure. 358 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:34.880 And there's a part of me that tries to picture, 359 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:39.720 you know, like him standing between these two pillars. So 360 00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:42.759 this temple that must have held three thousand people at least, 361 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:48.559 that those must have been two really close pillars in 362 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:50.640 order for him to use just the length of his 363 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:54.720 arms to push for them to you know, breaky number one, 364 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:56.200 they had to have been right next to each other. 365 00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:58.960 And then they had been very tall. They must have 366 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:02.039 been like the center pillar right in the very center 367 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:06.079 of this really tall roof, I would imagine, right, because 368 00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:08.039 they would have had to have been load bearing, right. 369 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:13.440 And then obviously he must have known doesn't say that 370 00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:16.400 he know was guessing, So he must have either seen 371 00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:20.480 the Temple of Dagone or you know, or known about 372 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:22.960 it but anyway, I try to picture it in my mind, 373 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:26.680 and I try to picture you know, Samson knowing where 374 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:29.039 he is, and maybe perhaps when he was put there, 375 00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:30.839 he started thinking like, okay, this is it. 376 00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:32.240 I've got a chance. 377 00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:34.680 There's a temple in. 378 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:40.000 Luxe or Egypt, and maybe you've seen it like on 379 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:44.200 shows or something, and there's these giant pillars that used 380 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:46.599 to have a huge roof on it. There's like this hall, 381 00:18:46.680 --> 00:18:50.960 it's the hypostyle at Hypostyle Hall or something. But these 382 00:18:51.079 --> 00:18:53.160 giant pillars there, I'm telling you, they're like this big 383 00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:56.599 a round. They're all carved with hieroglyphics, and I can 384 00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:00.799 almost reach between the pillars. Right, So you had was 385 00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:04.279 this these clusters of pillars and it's just really kind 386 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:08.559 of mystical. There would have been torches hanging and kind 387 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:11.960 of walking around, but you know, so you'd have aisles, 388 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:14.559 but then the pillars. There'd be rows of pillars and 389 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:17.440 I could almost, not quite but almost reach them. And 390 00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:19.720 when I was in there, I was thinking, this is 391 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:20.400 what Sampson. 392 00:19:20.519 --> 00:19:20.720 Right. 393 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:22.720 So there was a big probably an arch or some 394 00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:27.319 kind of a big open space between the clusters of pillars. 395 00:19:27.640 --> 00:19:29.920 But if you had been able to get by either 396 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:32.519 set of these clusters of pillars. If you get between 397 00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:34.240 two of them, knock them down, it probably would have 398 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:37.200 called caused a cascading thing. So when I was in there, 399 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:39.400 I thought, oh, I bet that's very similar to you know, 400 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:41.359 just a little bit closer, and a big. 401 00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:43.720