POISON IN THE FORBIDDEN HONEY
“Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.” (Proverbs 20:17 NKJV)
While Samson was going down to Timnah with his parents to get a wife from the Philistines, a young lion came roaring against him at the vineyards of Timnah. At that moment, the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon Samson and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands. Afterwards, when Samson was returning to Timnah to get his wife on his second trip, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. That was the beginning of the great fall of Samson! But, how did tasting honey from the carcass of the lion slain by Samson with the aid of the Spirit of God become Samson’s launching pad to destruction? Let us take a closer and careful look into the Scripture so as to learn from the subtle disobedience of Samson. Though it was not a sin for Samson to eat honey, however, the honey he took from the carcass of the lion he killed on his way Timnah was a forbidden honey. How was it a forbidden honey? Samson was born a Nazirite to God! The angel who came to announce the conception of Samson said to his parents: “Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’” (Judg. 13:7 NKJV).
It is undisputable that sin do give some pleasures and rewards. There are obviously some pleasures, benefits or rewards in prostitution, pre-marital or extra-marital sex; if not, nobody will engage in it. There are some rewards or gains in defrauding and swindling gullible people, and in stealing or embezzling public funds. Sometimes, unrighteousness could yield so much fruit that you could even share with others like Samson shared the forbidden honey with his parents. However, from both the Scripture and history, it is incontestable and undeniable that whatever pleasure, happiness, benefit, reward, profit or gain derived from sin or unrighteousness is temporary.
Although the forbidden honey or the fruit of disobedience to God’s word may seem good, enticing and enjoyable, yet it carries a deadly poison. Sadly, many people in the world today are eating, swallowing and consuming the forbidden honey or fruit without realizing there is death in it. It is absolutely impossible to separate death from sin; for sin naturally produces death.
Liberation thought: I receive grace for obedience
Further reading: Judges 14
Prayer:
Thank you.