1. The main Bible character in this chapter is a man by the name of Sampson. His name means "like the sun."

2. He was a Nazarite and judged Israel for some 20 years.

 He betrayed his Nazarite vows when he went down to Timnah.

 The word "Timnah" comes from a root word that means "to
 withhold, keep back, or hinder."
  It was certainly a step in the wrong direction for Sampson.

3. Sampson had woman problems.
 He could never seem to find the right one.

4. There were two main women in his life.
  One of them was a harlot of Gaza and then came Delilah.

5. They were both tools of the devil to seek to divert Sampson from doing the will of God for His life.

 A good woman is a blessing, but an evil woman is a curse.

 Don’t let anyone get you sidetracked from doing the will of God.

6. Satan will send someone your way to do just that if you aren’t cautious.

7. Sampson left his occupation to go down with the Phillistines.

  It was there a lion roared at him.
  The lion was a type of Satan (1 Pet.5:8).

Though the lion roared at Sampson, when the power of the Spirit came upon him, he was able to take the lion and tear it in pieces.

8. It was right after that great experience of the demonstration of God’s power, that he saw a woman, and she pleased him very much. As a result of being attracted to her, he prepared a feast and found himself with thirty Phillistines as his company.

He had stooped to align himself with the enemies of God and of Israel.

9. What happens when we align ourselves with this world system and those who work evil within it?
As least two things happen.
First, God is grieved — it grieves the Holy Ghost. Since the Holy Spirit is a person, He can be grieved, vexed and quenched.

Secondly, spiritual power leaves. –-–  When you sin against God, it doesn’t mean you lose your salvation, but it does mean you can lose the power you once had with God.

10. Sampson is a prime illustration of that fact.
 Judges 15:16 tells us that he slayed a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass.  But see him later, after his disobedience and sin, with his eyeballs gouged out, tied to the pillars of the temple.  People may sin, but sin has its payday.

11. Let me take a minute to remind you that sin will make you a loser.
Sampson:
         lost his hair, his strength,
         lost light (for his eyes were gouged out),
         lost liberty (for they had bound him with fetters of brass),
         lost usefulness (found himself grinding corn instead of fighting battles for God).

12. Someone has said this pictures the blinding, binding, grinding results of sin.

Sampson here gives a riddle in this chapter that involves something being sweeter than honey. A riddle has for a primary purpose, to puzzle the hearer.

13. I’m going to lift out the words Sampson asked, when he said, "What is sweeter than honey?" (Judges 14:18).

There are some things that are sweeter than honey.

We all here today probably have your favorite honey which you would call ‘the sweetest honey’   but there’s a "heavenly honey" that’ll far surpass the sweetness of earthly honey.

14. The honey I’m talking about flows from the very throne of our God in heaven.    Thank God for "heavenly honey."

There are two things I want to stress about honey.

First, it has a fragrance.
 Sourwood has a sweet fragrance to it.
         Two of the titles of Jesus in the Bible are:
                                            The Rose of Sharon,
                                            and also The Lily of the Valleys
                                                                                   Song of Sol.2:1
Both of those titles cause us to think of a sweet smell.

Secondly, it has flavor.
 The Bible says of Jesus, "O taste and see that the Lord is good....." (Ps. 34:8).
15. The Lord adds flavor to your life Just like good honey to the human taste buds.

16. By the way, where did Sampson find this honey he was speaking about?
  It came out of the carcass of a lion.

If you remember he slew a lion and bees built in the carcass that was left.

 It was from there he ate honey.
 It was after the lion (the devil) was defeated there was an
 abundance of honey to eat.

17. It was after the Son of God died, that you and I were able to eat of honey.
 It’s connected with the sacrifice of Christ.

There’s "honey in the Rock"----   that Rock is Jesus Christ.

He’s defeated the "roaring lion" (the devil) and has gained victory for you and for me.

 Thank God, there’s a Canaan land in this life,
 where the milk and honey flows from the glory world.

18. Let me just say something about "honey" itself before I get into the message. Most all of us enjoy eating earthly honey made by the little insect we call the "bee."

Do you know how they make honey?
 My Grandad kept bees for several years and by watching him,  know just a little bit about it.

* Here is how they make the honey. Flowers often have special glands, called nectaries, that produce nectar.
* Worker honey bees suck up nectar from the flowers with their long tongues and store it in their honey stomachs.
* In the stomach, a process called inversion breaks down the sugar in the nectar into two simple sugars, fructose and glucose.
* When the worker bee returns to the hive, it regurgitates (spits up) the nectar back through its mouth.
* It either gives the nectar to other bees or puts it in an empty cell in the hive.
* As the water in the nectar evaporates, the nectar changes into honey.
* Workers then put wax caps on the honey-filled cells to seal the honey in the comb.

IN ALL REALITY THE HONEY IS BEE REGURGITATION, BUT IT’S STILL GOOD ISN’T IT?

19. The bees get their honey from various sources.
 Some of it comes from alfalfa, clover, aster, sunflower, citrus, goldenrod, wild flowers, buckwheat, yellow-poplar, basswood,
 sourwood, and other sources.

20. Our heavenly honey comes from one source and it is divine.

God is the source of all the sweetness that we get to enjoy in this present life.  There's honey for the journey for me and for you.

21. I’m going to try to answer the question now–though the right kind of honey is very sweet, what is better than honey?
 What is more satisfying and gratifying than honey to the taste?

1. God is in a class all by himself.
 The Bible says in Micah 7:18, "Who is a God like unto thee, that
 pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the
 remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever,
 because he delighteth in mercy."

2. That’s so unlike people.
 We develop long standing grudges and won’t forgive,
 but not so with God.
   He delights in showing mercy and love.

We can make no improvements upon the person of God.
 He’s already all that He should be.

Don’t you wish that you could say that about yourself?

I’m more satisfied with Jesus that I am the sweetest of the honeys that we can partake of in this life.

Note two things about his person that is unchanging.
A. His Character Remains The Same.

1. If you would consider what God is, you would be thrilled.

2. He’s just, holy, righteous and He is love.

 * Our God is without sin,
 * higher than sin,
 * and completely above and beyond sin.

3. He’ll always be just, holy, righteous, full of love, desiring to show mercy.

4. People are often the opposite.
  You can see someone who seems to have good character
  one year, and the next, they may live an entirely different
  kind of lifestyle.

5. Aren’t you glad that you can always count on God being the right kind of Divine person?
  He won’t disappoint you at all if you taste of Him.
 

B. His Compassion Remains The Same.

1. He always feels for man and knows what we’re going through by His own personal experiences in this life.

 Remember in the incarnation, God took on a human form.

The Bible says, "He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb.4:15).

2.  He knows how to feel with us.
  God will never excuse your sin,
  but He does know what you’re going through.

3. Psalms 86:15 says, "But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth."

We can all say a good hearty "Amen" to that fact.

4. If you’re compassionate toward someone, you are "tender-hearted" toward them.
   You feel with them and for them.

5. Psalms 145:8 states, "The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy."

Jeremiah 12:15 declares, "And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land."

6. One of the verses in the song Great Is Thy Faithfulness says, "Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not, great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me."

1. Jesus told his disciples on one occasion- "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."
 He’s ever present with His children.  The reality of the matter is we’re never alone, even when it appears that we are alone.

If you're saved:
         * You’ve never walked through one valley alone.
         * You’ve never fought one temptation alone.
         * You’ve never faced a sleepless night alone.
         * You’ve never faced the demands of parenting alone.
         * You’ve never endured ungodly opposition alone.

The Lord has always been there for you.

2. Why is His presence so sweet?
  There’s so much I could say,
  but I’m going to magnify two things about His presence.

A. It’s An Abiding Presence

1. In my understanding of the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came and went upon people.
  He could come to enable a person to do a special task that
  would glorify and honor God.

2. Today, He permanently indwells every single believer in Christ.

Jesus promised those disciples in Matt. 28, "Lo, I am with you alway."
In Matt.2:4 the same Greek N.T. word is translated as "all."

  I believe the Lord is telling those disciples I will be with you all of the time.
How often do we recognize His presence?

3.   Jesus is with us, closer than the heart that beats beneath our rib cage, to walk with us and talk with us, and tell us that we are his own.

4. I don’t believe in a "have it today–lose it tomorrow" salvation.

5. If you’re truly saved the devil and hell can never get you.

 You’re "safe" in the Lord Jesus Christ.

B. It’s An Assuring Presence.

1. In Joshua 14 the land of Canaan was being divided among the Israelites. Only Caleb and Joshua encouraged the children of Israel to go up and possess the land of Canaan as an inheritance.

2. He had his eye on a mountain and said to Joshua, "I want that mountain" (Joshua 14:12).

 There was one big problem– a literally "big" problem—the Anakims were there.
 They were giants. Caleb knew that God was with him so he made the statement, "

Joshua 14:12 says, "Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said"

3. You’ll always be a winner if you depend upon the ever-present God who dwells in your heart. You can do whatever He calls you to do—no matter now large the task may appear.

1. Here’s what the Psalmist said about it: "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalms 119:103 ).    WHY?

A. They Reveal The Savior

1. The Bible is a book about Jesus.
 He is Jesus the Christ.
 He is Christ Jesus.
 He is the Lord Jesus Christ.
 He is Christ.
 He is Lord Jesus.
 He is the Head of the Church.
 He is our Peace.
 He is our Reconciler.
 He is the Chief-Corner-Stone.
 He is the Lord.
 He is the Son of God.
 He is Jesus.
 He is a Sweet-Smelling-Savor.
 He is Savior of the body.
 He is the Lover of the Church.
 He is Sanctifier of the Church.
 He is Lord of the Church.
 He is the Son of David.
 He is the Word.
 Christ is Creator.
 He is the Light.
 He is the Only Begotten of the Father.
 He is the Prophet.
 He is the Lamb of God.
 He is Messiah.
 He is The Gift of God.
 He is the Savior of the World.
 He is the Bread of God.
 He is the Light of the World.
 He is the I Am.
 He is the Door.
 He is the Good Shepherd.
 Christ is the Resurrection and the Life.
 Jesus is Master and Lord.
 He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
 He is the True Vine.
 He is the Overcomer.
 He is our Keeper.
 He is the Overcomer.
 Christ is King
 He is man but yet God.
 He is the Risen Lord.
 Best of all I am His and He is mine..
 They Reveal the Redeemer

B. They Renew our Faith.

1.  Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Romans 15:4 declares, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

2. You can wobble, wiggle and wane in the matter of your faith, but when God sends a word by your way, just for you, you find yourself rising up with wings as the mighty eagle, running and not being weary, walking and not fainting.

3. If your faith gets weak, just get into the Bible.
When we hear the Word of God, our faith shakes itself of the things that have weigh us down!

 God’s Person Is Sweeter Than Honey
 God’s Presence Is Sweeter Than Honey
 God’s Precepts Are Sweeter Than Honey

Ephesians 3:20 reminds us, " Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."

A. It’s abundant.

1. In Jn. 10:10 Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

Jesus seems to give an "exceeding abundance."

 I think of the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes.  Jesus had a lunch which consisted of five loaves and two fishes.
 With it he fed over 5,000 people, there were fragments left which filled up twelve baskets. God simply doesn’t do things in little
 ways.   He’s a God of abundance and plenty.

B. It’s available.

1. Who’s the abundance of provisions available to?   Those who seek to provide and have their part in supporting God’s work.

Philippians 4:19 states: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Who was that written to?    It was to people who had helped support Paul and the work of God.
To see what I’m talking about, turn to Philippians 4:14-16.

14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

2. How sweet it is to see God provide our needs.

  He will come through in the darkest night, when it seems the hound dogs of hell are barking at your heels, He’ll show up.

God’s Person Is Sweeter Than Honey
God’s Presence Is Sweeter Than Honey
God’s Precepts Are Sweeter Than Honey
God’s Provision Is Sweeter Than Honey

1. I’m sure that you won’t be surprised to hear me say, "Not all are."   There are those that are sour and bitter.

 They look like they were given castor oil all their lives for liquid, and a diet of roofing nails for breakfast, supper, and dinner.

2. What should make God’s dear, redeemed people sweet?
 The love of God in the heart.

A. There must be a source– divine nectar in your soul through the spirit.

 Love of God "shed abroad" in hearts by Holy Spirit.
 Put in every nook and cranny.

B. There must be seeking-  You never enjoy the sweetness of honey until you get in the place to seek it.
                Renouncing sin and ungodliness.

God’s Person Is Sweeter Than Honey
God’s Presence Is Sweeter Than Honey
God’s Precepts Are Sweeter Than Honey
God’s Provision Is Sweeter Than Honey
God’s People Can Be Sweeter Than Honey.

When do you get honey?
  When there is a honey flow.

3. Honey is on its way when there’s a lot of activity around the hive, inside and out.

 Bees fly in loaded down and even about miss the front of the hive at times.

How sweet are the things of God.

Are we going to fly around in the sweetness of God’s business or just be satisfied with the hive we have and protect the little bit of honey we have?  What are we going to do for Jesus?
What are you doing for Him right now?
Have you met Him?
Do you know Him?
If not?..... Let me introduce you to HIM right now!