Hormones or Heart

And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. (Judges 13:24 KJV)

That’s the middle of the story, really. The earlier verses tell of how an angel appeared to his parents and told them about this child that would be dedicated to God. Too soon he allowed his hormones to override his promise. That was Pastor’s sermon last night – Samson did not deliver his people, though he judged them twenty years.

Samson allowed his hormones to override his heart – and his parents’ advice. God had told the tribes to clear out the people in the promised land. They didn’t. God told them not to marry into these tribes or follow false gods these people worship. They did. Samson did only one of those – marry the woman he wanted.

And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. (Judges 14:2-3 KJV)

That still happens today. And all the generations between then and now, including mine. I accepted the proposal of a young man who was not interested in my soul, and I thought he would change. I thank God that engagement was broken. Months later I prayed that God would send me --- well, I won’t go into specifics, but that was Saturday night and I met the young man who would become my Beloved Husband the very next day. My first attraction had not been a candidate for a soul mate. We would have been unequally yoked, especially spiritually.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14 KJV)

Samson found that with every woman he chose – wife, harlot and Delilah. Each betrayed him. They were totally unequally yoked. So, why is that repeated over and over thousands of years later? Because we do not love the Lord our God with all our heart when it comes to responding to hormones.

We don’t listen to our parents, much less bend our knees to God’s will. If we pray, it’s for what we want, not “Thy will be done,” waiting for the right time, the right place, the soul mate that will complement as well as complete our lives (no, it’s not misspelled, look it up. That’s for the one individual I pray will be reading this, heeding this, returning to parents' advice for God’s good time.)

In this instance, please listen to a Titus 2 aged woman, experienced-taught and ready to share the knowledge that God’s plan would not disrespect parents. Remember that one commandment that offers promise? Remember the results of Samson's disobedience.