PHILISTINE FIGHTERS

PHILISTINE FIGHTERS

Pastor Carolyn Sissom 

Sunday Evening Service

July 27, 2014, the Year of Our Lord

 

As Israel is at war with Gaza, we continue to “war” along side Israel using the Word of God as our weapon of warfare.

 

This evening, I have chosen two victorious Philistine Fighters in Judges, Shamgar and Samson whom the Lord chose to deliver Israel.

 

Shamgar – Judges 3:31: “After him (Ehud) was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.

 

Shamgar was a Philistine fighter.  Very little is known about him.  His name means “surprised stranger, cup-bearer, most careful keeping, fleer, sword; the desolate dragged away.”

 

He slew 600 men with an ox goad and delivered Israel.  The ox goad is also used metaphorically as the Word of God.

 

Ec. 12:11: “The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one Shepherd.”

 

The One Shepherd is Jesus Christ and the masters of assemblies are those who gather unto Jesus.

 

The words of the wise must be the right implement in the hand of the right man to destroy the enemy.

 

The Philistines were one of the seven nations oppressing Israel delivered by Jepthah.  However, the main thrust of Jephthah’s campaign was to the Ammonites (modern day Jordan).  Rev. Marvin Barham delivered a prophetic present truth revelation of Jepthah at “The Call of the Warrior” conference.  You may hear this on streaming sermons at www.eastgateministries.com

 

The next Philistine Fighter is Samson.

 

The saga of the Philistines continues as they are Israel’s constant enemy.

 

They established themselves in Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath.

 

Israel apathetically accepted this situation.  Even in view of the Lord’s command to Israel through Moses to possess this land.

 

  Samson was raised up by supernatural visitation to wage a one-man war against them (no help from his brethren at all).  They even tried to sacrifice Samson through appeasement to save their own selves – Judges 15:12.

 

We began the study of Samson on June 8th as one the heroes of faith in Hebrews 33.  At that time, we covered chapters 13 and 14.

 

The following is a brief overview of chapters 13 and 14 with the conclusion in chapters 15 and 16.

 

The Israelites “again” did evil in the sight of the Lord…The Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines 40 years.

 

In the first teaching, we followed Samson’s miraculous birth, calling, choosing, commissioning and anointing as he was endued with power from on high.  He was consecrated as a Nazarite as “a prince, to hold aloof—abstains from food, drink and impurity”.

 

Nazarite – “an un-pruned vine; to set apart for sacred purposes; devoted crown.”  It is a Kingdom principle. The word Nazarite is found twelve times in the Holy Scripture.  John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were the true Nazarites. 

Samson was favored with a spiritual upbringing and knew the things of God.

 

Samson’s weaknesses were his lusts and uncontrollable passions.  He rebelled against the law of God by an arranged marriage with a Philistine.

 

The deception of the spirit of the harlot was a continual stumbling block throughout Samson’s life.  When he rebelled against the word of God (Ex. 15-16), the spirit of the “harlot” entered him.  Less you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods.”

 

In chapter 13, the Philistine oppression; and Samson’s birth is foretold with the first visitation of the Angel; the Angel’s second visit; the sacrifice of Manoah and the birth and development of Samson.

 

Judges 13: 24-25: “The woman bares a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.  The Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times at the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.”

 

Chapter 14 is the story of Samson’s first love; his renting of the lion; honey from the lion’s corpse, Samson’s feast and riddle; then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he went down to Ashkelon of killing 30 Philistines.

 

Chapter 15 – Samson returned to Zorah in anger, and his wife was given to his best man.  Samson did not realize this until he visited his “wife” during wheat harvest with a kid (the prescribed offering for a husband visiting his wife in this kind of marriage arrangement where a bride remained with her parents.)

 

Her father humiliated Samson by offering her younger sister.  In revenge, Samson caught 300 foxes and took firebrands and tied every 2 foxes tail to tail with a firebrand.  He lit the torches and let the 150 pairs go into the corn, vineyards and olive yards of the enemy.  Then the Philistines retaliated by burning Samson’s “wife” and her father with fire.

 

Samson fought back by smiting many of the Philistines “Hip and Thigh” (heavy slaughter”).  He went down to the top of the rock of Etam (ravening numbers of voracious birds and beasts).  Samson went to live in demon-possessed realms.

 

Etam was a strong hold for ravenous birds and beasts.  This is a demonic stronghold. As I was preparing this message, it came to me that the demons of Etam are the stronghold in the tunnels of Gaza today.  The word of God says, “Samson went down to Etam and dwelled in the top of the rock of Etam”.  On the map, Etam is east of Gaza and probably in 21st century West Bank.

 

The Philistines (at least 1000) camped in Judah, spreading themselves in Lehi.  The men of Judah were at peace with and submissive to the enemy.  3000 men of Judah went to the top of the rock, Etam to bind Samson for fear of their own lives.  They bond him with two new cords and delivered him to the Philistines.

 

  The Philistines shouted in apparent victory but the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon Samson, “and the ropes of his arms became as flax that had caught fire and his bonds melted off his hands.”  He found a new jawbone of an ass and took it and slew 1000 Philistines.

 

15:16: ‘Samson said, “With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.  It came to pass, when he made and end of speaking that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi. (“The lifting of the jawbone").    This reveals the principle of exalting the Word of God. 

 

Samson was “sore athirst” and called on the (Lord) Jehovah.  In mercy, God (Elohim) opened a hollow place that was in the jaw.  God either supernaturally let water come out of the jawbone or He supernaturally opened the rock in Lehi (“jaw”).

 

Samson drank and his spirit came again. He was revived.  So he called the name of that place Enhakkore (“fount of the crying aloud, well of him that did call, the crier’s fountain, fount of the invocation, the fountain of emphatic prayer”).

 

Water from the fountain of emphatic prayer will bring revival.

 

Samson judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.  His area of influence was confined to the small tract of the country where the Philistines impinged on Judah and Dan.

 

Chapter 16 relates his exploit at Gaza with the harlot; the story of Samson and Delilah; Samson’s humiliation and his final battle with the Philistines and subsequent death.

 

There are three dimensions of our growth in God. (Mt. 13:23).  We see a three-fold deception working in the life of Samson and the sovereignty of God in all three dimensions.

 

  1. 30-fold – the woman of Timnath--- (Outer Court)
  2. 60-fold – the harlot at Gaza--- (Holy Place)
  3. 100-fold- Delilah--- (Holy of Holies)

 

Note in all three instances it was a woman (the spirit of the harlot) who brought him down and the Lord who delivered him. 

 

He could rent a lion, but not his lusts.  He could break his bonds, but not the strong-hold of the harlot. (Ex. 34: 15-16).

 

Samson went to Gaza and went in unto a harlot.  The Gazites heard of it.  “They laid in wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quite all the night saying, in the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.”  He arose at midnight, unhinged both doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts.  He carried them, latch and all, about 38 miles uphill to Hebron!”

 

“Afterward, he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.” She was then approached by the lords of the Philistines who offered her 1100 pieces of silver to entice Samson and learn the secret of his great strength.  Samson lied to Delilah three times.

 

16: 7-10: Samson said to her, if they bind me with seven green willows that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man…he broke the withes as thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire.  So his strength was not known.

 

16: 11-12 – New ropes that were never used. --- He broke them off like a thread.

 

16: 13-14 – Weave the seven locks of my hair with the web.  This was getting dangerously close to the truth, showing the breakdown of his resistance.  But he awoke and went away with the pin and the web.

 

Finally Delilah wore him down.  She pressed and urged him daily and vexed his soul unto death (grieved him to make him want to die).  He told her all his heart and about the Nazarite vow.  Then the harlot called for a man (barber).  “She caused him to shave off the seven locks (the principle of the seven spirits of God).  She began to afflict him, and his strength went from him”.

 

The love of the spirit of the harlot was a stronghold in his soul.  We are not to give power over our soul to anyone or anything except Jesus.  Anyone or thing that has power over our soul gives Satan access to have power over us.  We are to love with Agape love which is the perfect love of the Spirit---no pain zone. 

 

Pay day had come in his pride and carnality.  Samson declared, “I will go out as I have time after time, and shake myself free.”  For the Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him.”

 

Samson began to reap that which he had sown.  It is possible to lose the anointing without being aware of it.  This is when we see ministers operating in “hype” instead of power and Presence.

 

The loss of the anointing brings spiritual blindness, bondage and servitude; but that lost power may be restored by restoring the secret of the power.  For us that secret is found in the Presence of the Lord. 

 

The Philistines took him, put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza.  They bound him with fetters of brass.  He did grind-grain in the prison house.

 

This occupation was humiliating for a judge and prince of Israel.  As a Nazarite, he was anointed to be a prince.  As Judge of Israel, he was a Prime Minister.  Grinding the grain was the work of women and slaves.  The prison house can be a life, home or local church that Jehovah has forsaken.

 

The hair (vow) of his head began to grow again (restoration) after he was shaven.

 

As Samson was grinding out the grain (Word of God)----surely repenting---surely remembering the many times his parents had told him of the visitations of the Angel--- his supernatural birth---the many times the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit endowed him with power--- his hair began to grow again.

 

  The five lords of the Philistines called a feast unto Dagon to celebrate the victory over Samson and Jehovah.

 

Dagon was either a fish-god (half man and half fish or a corn and vegetation god). 

 

They named Samson the “Destroyer” (ravager) of their country.

 

He was called forth “to make sport” – a public clown.

 

They set him between the pillars.  The pillars would be supporting the officials and dignitaries.  There is a sleeping giant in the land that is beginning to pray.

He knows how to touch the fountain of emphatic prayer.

 

 He is about to pull down the kingdom of darkness with all its lords.  There is one more anointing to be bestowed.

 

Let me die with the Philistines” was the cry that brought the house down.  He slew more at his end than all during his life (over 1100).

 

Faith was victorious over fear.

 

Then his brethren (countrymen) and all the house of his father came down.  They took him, brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying place of Manoah his father.

 

Zorah and Eshtaol is the place where Samson first experienced the moving of the Holy Spirit in his life and the blessedness of the Lord.

 

13:24-25: ‘The Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.”

 

STRONGHOLDS OF GAZA from the study of Samson:

 

  1. Etam – Demonic possessed realms --- tunnels of Gaza.
  2. Harlot spirit in Gaza.
  3. Five lords of Gaza –five demonic strongholds.
  4. Treachery of the men of Judah who were afraid for their lives.

 

Carolyn Sissom, Pastor

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

www.eastgateministries.com


Scripture from K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of Principles of Present Truth by: Kelly Varner---comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those who I enter into their labors.

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