Judg 16:20, And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" 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 departed from him. 
	This morning, we have one of those so awful and challenging readings of the Word of God. It is something that just hangs before us with such a chilling and dreadfully gloomy warning against falling into this course of defiance against God in our lives. May it never be that any of us would one day wake up and find ourselves so enmeshed in our personal desires and cravings and lusting after the ways and the fortunes and the tawdry trinkets of this age to the point that we did not know that the Lord had departed from us!
	The theological and spiritual reality is that because of the Omnipresence of God, we will never be without God surrounding us and within us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But there is that relational condition between God and ourselves that can be hindered. It may woefully be so deliberately abused on our part, that we have that sense that God has left us to our own devices. This is a most awful way to be, as so indicated in this account of Samson and Delilah. …But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.
	It is possible for us to so set our hearts on anything other than what the Lord wants, that we refuse to honor the guidance and the wisdom and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. This could be to that point that we have set up balustrades so calloused and so insensitive that we no longer hear those warnings and directions of the Lord by His Spirit. 
We defiantly turn our backs on Him and we bitterly refuse to honor and obey Him. This will set us on the most miserable course of life. We will be one who knows the truth, yet wanders aimlessly and doggedly in the wilderness of our self loathing and frustration and horrid anger and unforgiveness and senselessness. We put ourselves into the wilderness of disobedience unto the point of the annihilation of our spiritual awareness. Thus we will reside only in misery and anguish.
	We are reminded of how that first generation of Israelites brought this upon themselves, to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until all except Joshua and Caleb were dead. This was after they refused to enter into the Promised Land and rather chose to stumble about unto their final destruction in that region of testing and devastation. This is what they brought upon themselves in their stubbornness and fear and complete lack of trust in the Lord God Almighty, This was so evident when they cowered in abject fear and trembling and refused to enter into the Promised Land. This was despite the pleadings and urgings of Joshua and Caleb as detailed in Num 14:6-9.
    	Num 14:6-9, And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us — a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." 
    	This first generation rebelled against the Lord and they refused to enter when the Lord directed because they were afraid of the giants in the land. They were not willing to go forth under the direction of the Lord. They rather chose to try to do it on their own. This is recounted in verses 41-45 of this 14th Chapter of Numbers. 
	Num 14:41-45, But Moses said, "Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the Lord, when it will not succeed? "Do not go up, lest you be struck down before your enemies, for the Lord is not among you. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following the Lord. And the Lord will not be with you." But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country; neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses left the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah. 
	Notice how the people did not recognize that the Lord’s presence was their victory. Despite Moses’ definitive plea against their choosing to try to go without the Lord, they refused and they thought they could make their own victory apart from Jehovah and His leading. They wanted to show God that they were able to take care of themselves. As a result, they were abjectly routed and struck down by those Canaanites and Amalekites. 
They did not know that the manner of their victory was only because of the Lord. Without Him, they were merely a wandering people of escaped slaves who were easy prey for the forces that would seek to destroy and humiliate them. 
	This was evident even with that second generation which had chosen to enter the Promised Land under the direction and their trust in Yahweh. They had witnessed the great victory of the Lord at the crumbling of the walls of Jericho. They knew the awesome power of Jehovah going forth to bring terror and confusion upon their foes. However, even this seemingly faithful generation had to enter the battle with hearts that treasured God and not the things of this age. 
That was exceedingly evidenced when the people lost the battle against the city of Ai, in what should have been an overwhelming victory. There had been disobedience within the tribe of Judah, in coveting those things that were under the ban from the Lord. Because of that faithlessness and disobedience the whole nation suffered and was prevented from going forth. This was because they had tried to march forward, not realizing that the Lord was not with them. This is recounted in the Lord’s response detailed in Josh 7:11+12.
Josh 7:11+12, "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst. 
    	The nation had to cleanse itself from the disobedience to the Lord. This was indicative of the difference from the first generation to the second one. The children were willing to seek out and remove that which was prohibited. They did not want to go forward without the knowledge that the Lord was with them and going before them. 
Their parents, on the other hand, had chosen the opposite approach and attempted to make it without God’s presence. They actually turned their hearts away from Him all throughout their wandering years. This was especially evident as the time of their opportunity to enter into the Promised Land. When given that great occasion to receive their inheritance in the Lord, they spurned Him and decided to go their own way, which lead to their demise.
	This then leads us to another of those awful and challenging accounts put into the Word of God for our instruction. As with Samson, King Saul, the first king of the nation of Israel also had that dreadful and despondent loss of relationship with the Lord. It troubled him throughout his days. It became the course of his anger and hatred and unyielding purpose of scornful resolve to kill David, God’s chosen replacement. This defiled attitude and animosity became the legacy of the scornful and desperate condition of his heart for the remainder of his life. 
This tragic situation is recounted in 1 Sam 16:13+14, as Saul lost that knowledge of the presence of the Lord and would henceforth suffer bitterly. While David received that conscious knowledge of the presence of the Lord, Saul would be terrorized without it from that day forward.
	1 Sam 16:13+14, Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him. 
    	The result of this change in the heart and the spirit of Saul is detailed so succinctly in 1 Sam 18:12. Where once there was a mighty king of the Nation of the Lord, now was a man who was characterized by fear and trembling. This miserable state of being led to jealousy and loathing and hatred and eventual efforts to murder David who had become the anointed and blessed one who would sit on the throne, a man whose heart was after the Lord.
	1 Sam 18:12, Now Saul was afraid of David, for the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 
    	This was all eventually brought to the forefront in 1 Sam 28:15-17, when Saul had so lost his path in this world that he consulted with a medium. This was Saul’s pathetic and pitiful effort of making those decisions that rightfully should have been the Lord’s to determine. Saul received the final verdict of the Lord upon himself as was detailed to him by the Prophet Samuel. All is summed up in the recognition that the Lord had departed from Saul.
	1 Sam 28:15-17, Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" And Saul answered, "I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and answers me no more, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do." And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has departed from you and has become your adversary? "And the Lord has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David. 
    	Please turn now to 2 Chron 15:1-4, where we have the account of a later King, Asa, who was in need of counsel with regard to the proper manner of honoring the Lord God Almighty. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and sought the Lord to be the deliverance of the nation of Judah. 
	2 Chron 15:1-4, Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. And for many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. 
      	The key of this passage is the fact that even though the people had practiced the wickedness of the nations surrounding them, when they were faced with the direst of circumstances, they turned their hearts to seek after the Lord and they did so. Then the Lord, Who had removed His physically manifested presence for a time, let them find Him. He restored that relationship with His people because they sought for that restoration and chose to set aside those things that were so offensive and disobediently vile in His sight.
	That opens up to us the course of our hearts unto the Lord. This is declared so wondrously and vibrantly for us, again this week, by the Psalmist in Ps 51:1-15. We all have those seasons when we turn our eyes away from the Lord. Most graciously, God maintains His heart of love and forgiveness as we turn from our wicked and selfish ways and seek Him with every fiber of our being. He restores His relationship, which He has opened unto us in Christ, and receives our contriteness of heart and spirit with all His blessings of joy and peace and lovingkindness. This results in our praise and worship unto Him as we seek to bring blessing and honor before Our Precious and Awesome Savior and Lord.
	Ps 51:1-15, Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part Thou wilt make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which Thou hast broken rejoice. Hide Thy face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence, And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, And sinners will be converted to Thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Thy righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Thy praise.   
	This principle of the Lord opening His Heart to those who will seek to have that relationship of fellowship restored is recounted also by the Prophet Isaiah in Isa 59:1+2. There is always that hope in the forgiveness of the Lord. This will be if we are truly willing to turn away from our deeds of sin and iniquity and call out to God and obey Him as He directs our thoughts and our actions.
	Isa 59:1+2, Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short That it cannot save; Neither is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear. 
    	This is also recounted by the Prophet Jeremiah, in Jer 9:23+24. Through the prophet, God makes known that He takes delight in those who turn to Him and who seek His presence to be the course of their walk on this earth. He can do no less because He is the One Who has created us to be in fellowship together with Him. It is all His great love at work in the lives of those who will seek Him with all their hearts. 
	Jer 9:23+24, Thus says the Lord, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things, "declares the Lord. 
    	Finally, for this morning, the Apostle Paul, in 2 Cor 3:2-11, sums up this entire consideration of the desire of man to either know the presence of the Lord, or to seek after the destruction that will fall upon the heads of those who have no clue that they have lost the presence of the Lord in their lives. 
Just to be very clear on a most important aspect of this consideration, we are not talking about eternal salvation. Please be assured of this, less there be any thoughts along those paths. We are dealing with the living, day to day relationship with the Lord that is the heritage of those who are saved and so desire to know His abiding presence. 
While the decision for Christ is an eternal one, there is that earthly sojourn in which we face two choices. We can either seek after our entrance into the Promised Land of God’s inheritance with all the fullness of the knowledge of Christ. Or, like that first generation of Israelites, we can fear and quake and decide that we would rather stumble along under the meager efforts and waning energy of our so limited physical and mental abilities. This will absolutely be without the blessing of the knowledge of the Lord going before us. We try to take that stand that we do not need to obey God in order to find our own way in this life. We do so at the complete forfeiture of the joy and the peace and the knowledge of the Omnipotence and the Omniscience and the Omnipresence of Christ. 
 Our only adequacy in this life is as we honor and obey and seek after The Lord to be our everything. We were never designed to be without the knowledge of God going before us. In Him, we have all righteousness, peace, and joy on this earth, today. We were never intended to be separated from that wonderful and sustaining living relationship with God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! The knowledge of His Abiding presence is our very life as each day unfolds unto His glory in His work in us. 
2 Cor 3:2-11, You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts. And such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how shall the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. So be it!
	And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" 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 departed from him. Amen.

This morning’s benediction is 1 Cor 2:9. but just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And  which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him." Amen.