S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Samson's life is one of contradiction. First, he was to be "a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth" (Judges 13:5), yet he continually broke his vow. The Spirit of God came upon him many times, giv...

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July 01 2013 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College & Dallas Seminary graduate, Pentair

Samson’s life was a life of contrasts:

1 A Life of Remarkable Promise Judges 13:5 -- He was separated as a Nazarite (Judg. 13:5), yet tampered with evil associations (Judg. 14:1-3). He was controlled by sensuality. True, we are sexual beings, but Samson went overboard!

Judges 13:5 “For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall come over his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines."

Judges 14:1-3 Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife." His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me." Here is Samson violating God’s law on this occasion.

2 A Life of Resplendent Purposes Judges 13:25; 14:6; 15:14 --He was occasionally Spirit-possessed (Judg. 13:25; 15:14), yet yielded to carnal appetites (Judg. 16:1-4).-- The complex story of Samson teaches us the evils of mixed or foreign marriages (Judg. 14:3), the laxity of sexual relations and of playing with temptation. C. W. Emmet says that Samson “teaches us that bodily endowments, no less than spiritual, are a gift from God, however different may be our modern conception of the way in which they are bestowed, and that their retention depends on obedience to His laws.” HL 

Which leads me to:

3 A Life of Relinquished Purposes Judges 16:4 See vv. 3-4:
3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.	
4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:	

And Judg 16:19:
“And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.”

II. (He was occasionally Spirit-possessed (Judg. 13:25; 15:14), yet yielded to carnal appetites (Judg. 16:1-4).) Samson had an appetite for women. Your appetite may be for money or popularity. Whatever it is, don’t needlessly expose yourself to Satan’s lures! But when temptation does come, don’t think that you are helpless against it either. Just as Samson was able to tear apart a lion with his bare hands because the Spirit of the Lord had given him that power, you have God-given power to resist that roaring lion, the devil, so that he will flee from you says the Apostle James (James 4:7). Daniel Habben

Judges 13:25 and the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Judges 15:14 As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands.

Judges 16:1-4 ”One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, "At dawn we'll kill him." But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night.” The Message Bible has, “Samson was in bed with the woman until midnight.” Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.” 

He had a kind of Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde being. Striking, isn't it?

September 12 2021 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Ezekiel Kimosop Supporter

What should we learn from the life of Samson?

Samson was captured by the Philistines after he fell to Delilah's trickery (Judges 16). He revealed the secret behind his unique strength - his uncut hair. Samson died in the hands of the Philistines after enduring humiliation and pain. The Philistines gouged out his eyes and used him for sport (Judges 16:25-29).
Meanwhile, Samson's hair sprouted and grew and with that God's strength returned to him (Judges 16:22). Samson finally summoned his strength through a dying wish which God granted him. Judges 16:30 says "Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life." (NKJV).

We can draw the following moral lessons from Samson's life:

1. Unbridled or uncontrolled anger is dangerous! Samson was driven by youthful rage. Elsewhere in Scripture, the Bible admonishes believers, saying "Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:26-27, NKJV). We need to contain our anger even under great provocation. 

2) We should refrain from vengefulness. Samson acted in revenge because his betrothed wife was given to someone else. He caused more harm in the end. Romans 12:19 says "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord." (NKJV). 

3) We should never misuse the gifts that God has bestowed upon us for selfish and ungodly purposes. Samson was highly gifted but the manner in which he exercised his gifts is not worth emulating. He crossed the red line. 

4) Never marry from among unbelievers. God forbade his people from intermarrying with heathen Canaanites. Samson defied the wisdom of his godly parents and disobeyed God. Believers should not marry from among unbelievers. Scripture underscores our separation from the sinful world, saying "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God..." (2 Corinthians 6:14-16, NKJV). 

5) God will always accomplish His divine purposes even under the most unusual circumstances. No situation is beyond Him. He preserved the people of Israel during the reign of Samson and ultimately used him to destroy the Philistines. With God all things are possible. 

Few people would perhaps deny that God used Samson to ultimately fulfill His purposes in destroying Israel's enemies. This is alluded to in Judges 14:4. It is finally revealed and affirmed in Samson's death under the statement of Judges 16:30. We may not find a compelling reason to celebrate Samson's life in the context of his deplorable acts described in the passages of context of Judges 13-16. He simply failed God's moral test in a number of ways and for this, Scripture conveys a moral lesson to God's people never to emulate his actions.

On the flip side, Samson's case serves as a depiction of our moral fallibility, our sinfulness which only Christ's shed blood could cleanse. We should however be sympathetic to Samson's cause in the concluding passage of Judges 16. God used Samson's death to destroy the Philistines. This is perhaps a compelling reason to celebrate him in the end. Having walked the path of ruin, Samson became a tool at God's disposal by which the Philistine forty-year siege over Israel was finally broken (ref. Judges 13:1).

This truth should perhaps never escape the reader's mind.

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