Originally posted: 10/18/2019

But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi so that water came out of it. When he drank, his strength returned and he revived… (15:19).

There’s no doubt his father-in-law had wronged Samson. But, as we learned yesterday, this marriage arrangement was from the LORD Himself.

Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she looks good to me.” ⁴ However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel, (Judges 14:3-4).

And now, the LORD uses this occasion to give Samson a great victory over the oppressors of His people. The ropes intended to bind melted away and Samson brought down a thousand men with nothing more than the jawbone of a donkey.

And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands. ¹⁵ He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, so he reached out and took it and killed a thousand men with it, (15:14-15).

But after his great victory and exaltation… doubt, discouragement and depression set in.

Did Samson trust God to endow him with strength and ability to defeat a thousand men and then doubt the LORD would provide for his thirst? It seems he did.

Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the Lord and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” ¹⁹ But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi so that water came out of it. When he drank, his strength returned and he revived… (15:18-19).

Rather than rebuke Samson (for what seems to be a rather impertinent attitude towards Almighty God, ”…now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”), the LORD provides for Samson’s thirst out of the hollow place in an explicit demonstration; as if to personify Himself, Who from out of nothing meets every need. It is Him Who Revives From Out of the Hollow Place.

Consider Him Who Revives From Out of the Hollow Place

• It is in his thirst that the LORD God provides water From Out of the Hollow Place
  • But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi so that water came out of it… (15:19).

• It is in his weakness that the LORD God endows him with strength From Out of the Hollow Place
  • When he drank, his strength returned and he revived… (15:19).

• It is in his doubt, discouragement and depression that the LORD God revives him for service From Out of the Hollow Place
  • …and he revived… ²⁰ So he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines, (15:19-20).

How do we respond to Him Who Revives From Out of The Hollow Place?

From Out of the Hollow Place, the LORD revived Samson. And He will do the same for us.

We begin by admitting, within ourselves we are empty and hollow.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me… (Romans 7:18).

We can never fill, strengthen or revive ourselves. Whether we dwell on our own strengths and abilities or our weaknesses and inefficiencies, we are on shaky ground, a tactic of the enemy in his attempt to gain the upper hand.

We are to be ever aware of the enemy’s schemes: eyes on self will either lead to pride and self-sufficiency or doubt, discouragement and depression. Both places are precariously unstable. We must be aware of the schemes of the devil and be on the alert at all times.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 6:11-12).

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, (1 Peter 5:8).

• It is when we realize our thirst… From Out of the Hollow Place He satisfies and grants us eternal life by His Holy Spirit.
  • Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life,” (John 4: 13-14).
  • Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified, (John 7:37-39).

• It is when we recognize we have nothing to offer, no way to assist Him… From Out of the Hollow Place, He becomes our strength.
  • And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong, (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
  • for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure, (Philippians 2:13).

• It is when admit we are unfit for His service… From Out of the Hollow Place, He revives us and equips us to do His will, that we might please Him and bring Him glory.
  • For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; ²⁷ but God has chosen the foolish things of the world …the weak things of the world… ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen… ²⁹ so that no man may boast before God, (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
  • Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, ²¹ equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen, (Hebrews 13:20-21).

May we grow to live in total dependence and faith in Him Who Revives From Out of the Hollow Place; that our lives may be empty vessels ready to receive all He has for us. For that indeed, is a pleasant and beautiful place to live!

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
² I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good besides You,” (Psalm 16:1-2).

The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
⁶ The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me, (Psalm 16:5-6).

Let’s Grow Together!