The Hair Will Grow Again

Sept. 1

Read: Judges 16:18-22

The Hair Will Grow Again

” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him.” (v.20)

There is no real strength or lasting power outside of the Lord. Without the Spirit we are “power-less”. This is why ministry that is carried out in our own strength is WEAK. This is why a life carried out with our own human power feels EMPTY. This is why we are so easily crushed or defeated. When we abandoned the instruction of the Lord, and walk away from what he has told us to do - the end is always destruction, torment, and enslavement… we become prisoners in one way or another.

We see this with Samson: “She (Delilah) made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.” (v.19) His strength left him. The Lord’s commandment was that his hair must not be cut - and when that commandment was broken then his strength was gone. It is interesting the indirect way that this came about. Samson didn’t intentionally break this rule himself… or did he? He told Delilah… and she arranged the “haircut”. Either way, the consequence is evident. We see the real reason why his strength had left him in that following verse: “The Lord had left him.” (v.20) The words of Jesus should echo in our ears when we read that! Jesus declares, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me… for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4,5) What is shocking is that Samson “did not know” that the Lord had left him!

Would you know if the presence of the Lord was removed? Do you interact with the Lord enough that you would even notice if he was gone? How long would it take for you to figure it out? Hours? Days? Months? Years? Sometimes we don’t realize how weak we are. We think that we are strong - like Samson when he says, ““I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” Samson thought he would remain strong apart from the instruction of the Lord… apart from his hair that God had told him never to cut! It can be a harsh lesson to learn how weak we truly are apart from God!

Samson’s fall is GRUESOME. “And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.” (v.21) He is utterly broken. Embarrassed. Defeated. But there is an odd verse at the end of this section: “But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.” (v.22) His “hair” began to grow back. The opportunity to once again be obedient to the Lord and not cut his hair returned. There was HOPE! There was a chance to start over! Even for Samson at his lowest of lows… the hair began to grow back! No matter how much we have failed… how weak we have become… how broken we are… in Christ there is ALWAYS hope! Hair grows back… so to speak!

Have you been living in your own strength? Are you interacting with the Lord enough such that you would recognize if he left? There is no lasting life or power apart from the Lord. Nothing of any real consequence will be accomplished apart from Christ. We need to stop leaning on our own understanding and functioning in our own strength… we need to start leaning into the Lord. This is where strength is found.We need to stop taking matters into our own hands. (My Friend Brian Onken has taught me so much about this idea!) Have you been broken-down and imprisoned? Fear not, the “hair will begin to grow again”. Even at our lowest points there is HOPE. The brightest days are always preceded by the darkest nights. This was true for Samson. This was true for Christ. It is true for you. Love you guys. - JDP