Continuing in the Book of Judges with my YouVersion “Essential 100 Challenge” readings.
Day 29 – Judges 13-16 – Samson
Like Gideon and his fleece, some of Samson’s story (the part about Delilah cutting his hair) is very familiar, but the whole story is in four parts (one chapter each) so I’ll comment that way too.
Ch 13 – Samson’s miraculous birth
After 40 years of oppression and not hearing much from God, here’s another angelic visitation, this time to a barren woman with an amazing message. Don’t drink anything fermented or touch anything unclean because you will have a child who will be a Nazirite (totally dedicated to God) and whose hair will never be cut. And he will deliver Israel from the Philistines.
Her husband prayed to God for help in understanding these things so God sent the angel in another pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus. According to v18 “His name was beyond understanding.” And like Gideon, he prepared a young goat, which the angel made into a burnt offering, and while “the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame.” (v20) Pretty impressive stuff!
So the woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him. (v24-25)
Ch 14 – Samson’s un-marriage
Samson was an unlikely hero, a man of great strength and great passions. He was short on wisdom and self-control, but he was God’s chosen vessel for this time and this task. A Philistine girl cought his eye, so he makes his father go to the enemies of Israel to arrange a marriage. Even this was God’s doing ~ an opportunity to begin stirring up trouble with the Philistines. (v3)
During these preparations we have the side story of Samson killing a lion with his bare hands, bees storing honey in the carcass, Samson’s riddle that caused the Philistine groomsmen to threaten the bride into weaseling the answer out of Samson, his payoff and great anger at being bested. Vs 19 says, “the Lord’s spirit empowered him. He went down to Ashkelon and murdered thirty men, took their clothes and gave them to the men who had solved the riddle. He was furious as he went back home and his bride was then given to his best man.”
Ch 15 – Samson’s 2nd attack on the Philistines
Later, Samson goes back to claim his wife and discovers that she was given to another man. In revenge for this personal affront, Samson captures 300 foxes, ties flaming torches to their tails and sets them loose in the Philistine grain fields, burning up the standing grain, their vineyards and olive groves ~ pretty much descimating their fall harvest. The Philistines retaliated against his wife’s family, giving Samson an excuse to attack them. They in turn invaded Judah and demanded that Samson be turned over to them.
So 3000 men of Judah find Samson, tie him up with ropes and turn him over to the Philistines. Again, “the Lord’s spirit empoweredt him, the ropes around his arms were like flax dissolving in fire, and they melted away from his hands. He grabbed the jawbone of a donkey and with it struck down a thousand men.” (v14-15) With this victory, Samson begins 20 years of leading Israel. But the Philistines were not done yet ~ and neither was God.
Ch 16 – Samson’s downfall & ultimate victory
Samson, ever the passionate fool, goes back to the Philistines, and after spending the night with a prostitute, falls “in love” with a woman named Delilah. The Philistine rulers bribe her into discovering the secret of Samson’s great strength, and after several tries, she finally wears Samson down so that he tells her about his Nazirite vows and commitment to never cut his hair. During this time, Samson shows forth amazing gullibility and lack of perception ~ yes, even stupidity, but again this is all in God’s ultimate plan and control.
Delilah cut his hair while he sleeps and sends for the Philistine rulers who capture him, gouge out his eyes and chain him to a grinding stone in their prision. But eventually, his hair began to grow back…
His final victory comes during a great sacrifice to the Philistine god, Dagon. The rulers celebrate by bringing out Samson, their trophy of Dagon’s victory over Israel, and over Israel’s God. And this is exactly where God wanted them, the perfect opportunity to exalt Himself over His enemies and to show forth His power over all false gods. This is the well-known part, but it must be seen as what it really is ~ God’s victory over a sinful people, not simply Samson’s last stand or final show of strength.
The rulers proclaimed, “Our god has handed Samson, our enemy, over to us,” (v23) and the people praised Dagon. Samson, on the other hand, confessed God, calling Him Master and Lord, and prayed for God’s strength one last time. (v28) In his final act of bringing down the temple, he killed “many more people in his death than he had killed during his life.” (v30) But it was in God’s strength that he did it. He was God’s instrument of judgement against this godless people.
God showed Himself strong in Samson all his life, as long as he honored his vows. In spite of his out-of-control passions and his foolish and destructive behavior, God’s hand was on him and God used him and the unique gift of strength for His glory. I think that we are more like Samson that we like to admit, but no matter how foolishly we act, we must remember that our God is mighty, gracious and faithful and is always worthy of our love and service.