The
Samson Factor
Samson was a distinguished hero
of Israel, recognized for his great physical strength as well as his
moral weakness. He was the last of the judges listed in the Book of
Judges, and the prophet Samuel was the last judge of Israel. Samson
led Israel as a military leader for about 20 years. He was from the
tribe of Dan. Dan means "judge."
After Joshua had died, the
Israelites became lawless and faithless. This was clearly summarized
in Judges 17:6 and 21:25 that in those days there was no king in
Israel, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes. God's
commandments were simply ignored.
But Samson's parents showed some
faith in the LORD. As the Philistines were oppressing the Israelites
(Judges 13:1), the LORD declared to Manoah and his wife that they
would bear a son who would be raised as a Nazirite (Judges 13:5).
The name of Samson meant "sunlight."
Born in a very turbulent period of Israel's history, he was
to be a light to his people. He was supposed to be a shining example
to the people of Israel in terms of faithfulness and commitment to
God. However, Samson fell short of his calling.
Samson was a mighty man. With
his bare hands, he killed a young lion that attacked him (Judges
14:5-6). He also gathered 300 foxes (Judges 15:4). After tying them
together, he sent them through the grain fields with torches in
their tails, destroying the crops of the Philistines. On another
occasion, the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he
broke the ropes of those who had bound him, and killed a thousand
Philistine soldiers with the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:14-15).
Before his death, he brought down the temple at Gaza. The temple
crashed down upon the Philistine leaders and all the people. Upon
his death, he killed more enemies than he ever did in his entire
lifetime (Judges 16:30).
Though Samson was mighty, he was
also very weak. He was a very foolish man. His life was marred by
his weakness for pagan women. He fell in love with one of the
daughters of the Philistines. He insisted on marrying her, in spite
of his parents' objection (Judges 14:1-4). This was clearly against
God's laws, which forbade intermarriage of the Israelites among the
women of Canaan. On another occasion, he was almost captured by the
Philistines while visiting a prostitute in the city of Gaza. He took
vengeance upon his own hands, killing those who had cheated him or
took advantage of him (Judges 14-16). He had not obeyed the word of
the LORD, "Vengeance is Mine" (Deut. 32:35).
Vengeance is Mine, and
recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.
Samson eventually became
involved with Delilah, a woman from the Valley of Sorek (Judges
16:4). This became his downfall. The Philistines bribed her to find
out the secret to his super strength. She pestered him until he gave
in and revealed that his uncut hair was the answer for his
supernatural power. While Samson slept, Delilah called a man to
shave off his hair. Samson became weak because the LORD had departed
from him, and not because his hair had been cut (Judges 16:20).
She then turned him over to his enemies.
Samson was then blinded, and
forced to grind grain. Eventually he came to his senses, and
realized that God had given him great strength to serve the LORD and
His people. After a prayer to God, he killed several thousands of
his enemies by pulling down the pillars of the temple of Dagon
(Judges 16:28-31). This one great act of faith cost Samson his life,
but it won for him a place among the heroes of faith (Hebrews
11:32). Out of weakness, he was made strong by the power of God
(Hebrews 11:34).
Samson was a person with great
potential who fell short because of his sin and disobedience. Mighty
in physical strength, he was weak in resisting temptation. His life
is a clear warning against the dangers of self-indulgence and lack
of discipline.
Below are some other important
lessons we can learn from the story of Samson:
So the LORD of hosts will
come down
To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.
Like birds flying about,
So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem.
Defending, He will also deliver it;
Passing over, He will preserve it. (Isaiah 31:4-5)
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Their battle belongs to the LORD. They do
not have to fight, but only stand still and see the salvation of
the LORD! Throughout history, this remains a constant featuring
factor. The LORD of hosts called Himself the Mighty One of
Israel.
Therefore the Lord says,
The LORD of hosts,
the Mighty One of Israel,
"Ah, I will rid Myself
of My adversaries,
And take vengeance on My enemies.
I will turn My hand against you,
And thoroughly purge away your dross,
And take away all your alloy.
I will restore your judges as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the
faithful city." (Isaiah 1:24-26)
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Do not terrorize them
because they do not have a king. Their King of glory is coming.
The return of the King is soon and very soon. He will destroy
all their enemies. God is not against the people but against the
spirit of the Antichrist! What characterizes the Antichrist? In
a very simple term, he is anti-Messiah as the very meaning of
Christ is the Messiah or the Anointed One. The Antichrist
is against the Coming of the Messiah to rule and reign on earth!
He wanted to be on the throne himself!
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
"Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us."
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The LORD shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
"Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion."
"I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
'You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' "
Now therefore, be wise, O
kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. (Psalm 2)
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Since Samson was the last
judge listed in the Book of Judges before the kings of Israel
began their reigns, he was like a forerunner to the kings. We
too must prepare the way for the King of glory as He is coming
back again for His beloved, Israel.
Go through,
Go through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
Lift up a banner for the peoples!
Indeed the LORD has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
"Say to the daughter of Zion,
'Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.'"
And they shall call them The
Holy People,
The Redeemed of the LORD;
And you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken. (Isaiah 62:10-12)
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When Samson had his final
showdown at Gaza, thousands of the enemies of Israel were wiped
out. Samson might be weak when he was blinded. He might lose his
strength temporarily for a season. But when the LORD came upon
him again, he regained supernatural strength, and became even
mightier. Therefore, do not intimidate Israel when she is weak.
Rest assured when the LORD fights for her, she becomes very
strong! If God is for her, who can be against her?
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Note that Gaza was once a
city of the Philistines but it was specially allotted to the
tribe of Judah by Joshua (Joshua 15:47). Rest assured that Gaza
belongs to the Lion of Judah! It will be His before or upon His
return.
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In the New Testament, the
evangelist Philip was directed by God to preach the gospel along
the road from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts 8:26). On this road, the
Ethiopian eunuch professed faith in Jesus and was baptized. I
believe as stated in Matthew 24:14 that this gospel of the
kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all
the nations, and then the end will come. Multitudes of Jews and other people groups would eventually come to receive
Jesus as their Messiah, Saviour and LORD! He is the King of
glory!
Note: I wrote this article in 2005 after watching a very
long forgotten movie "Samson and Delilah" (1949). It was
produced and directed by
Cecil B. DeMille.
Source:
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Written On:
23 September 2005