SAMSON: AN ENIGMA

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Understanding important truths from the Bible…. 

SAMSON:  AN ENIGMA                    

Judges 13:24 

²⁴ So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.

Hebrews 11:32

³² And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 

There is in the Bible no man more interesting than Samson.  He, with Lot, would never be accounted a subject of the true grace of God if we were not told in Scripture that he was a hero of faith.  He is, if the truth be stated, an embarrassment to us. 

But Samson, poor strange Samson, is a saint.  In the midst of his disobedience and failure of purpose there was true faith.  So the question comes, why is Samson there?  And again why is so much attention given to him? 

Samson never appears as even a good man.  He fails his vow repeatedly.  He is a discouragement to his parents.  His office is filled poorly at best.  He is disobedient to God and even in his final prayer he displays that brutish self-interest that marked his life.  Is there anything good that can be said about him?  Yes!  God loved him.  He is put before us as one of God’s most brilliant illustrations of God’s elective grace. 

I find seven examples of Samson breaking his Nazarite vow.  Every time he was involved in death he became unclean.  But he not only pays no attention to this, he takes honey from a dead carcass and eats it, then making a joke of it. 

All who think works can contribute to righteousness meet a moral dilemma in Samson.  He has no good works.  He has the righteousness which comes by faith (Hebrews 11:33) “those who through faith conquered,” and the love of God which knows no cause, has no end, and is mysterious in its working. 

There seems to be nothing about Samson that is an example for our faith.  But it is certain that his failure and disobedience excuses no one.  Samson is the illustration by which we can understand Paul’s admonition in I Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 

The most pitiful and soul-searching statement in all the account of Samson is found in Judges 16:20  Ad she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.  This danger lies with each of us.  One can become disobedient to the point of the loss of all Spiritual strength and  “wist not that the Spirit has departed.”  

Application:

1. Faith is the victory that makes us effective servants.
2. Final judgment is reserved b the Lord for Himself.