Heroes of Faith Part 14 - Samson

Image source: briancallart.com

Of all the twelve judges to have graced Israel, we had one woman by the name of Deborah but we also had one mighty man of God. And his name was Samson the Nazirite, making him yet another judge who had made it to the Hall of Faith. For him was God’s calling; that he would deliver Israel from the Philistines.

What makes Samson a controversial addition to the Hebrews hallmarks was the counterbalance of his heroics with his epic vulnerabilities. He is a man of superhuman strength who could tear a lion apart but who could also be turned in putty by the guile of a woman. He would go on to make many mistakes in his role as the judge of Israel but even so, he finished well, returning to the Lord in a spectacular ending. He might have been made blind and humbled but it was only by being so that he had come to realise that the true source of his physical might had come from God.

This counterbalance that we speak of can also be viewed tragically for Samson had tremendous potential and yet threw it all away in misfortunate moments of madness when self-indulgence and a sinful lifestyle took over. Still God placed him squarely among the heroes of faith to be honoured alongside Abraham, David, Noah, Moses and so on because in the ending that mattered the most, he went back to God and in return, his prayer was answered in the most magnificent way.

Image source: bible-library.com

Samson began life in the most miraculous manner – his birth would have been unremarkable if not for the fact that his mother was barren. But then an angel had appeared and told her that a son would be born to her; one who would be a Nazirite his entire life, meaning that he would live his vow of abstinence from wine and grapes, to never cut his hair or beard and to not come in contact with corpses. 

In his adulthood, Samson turned. Despite his tremendous potential, his lust had begun to consume his life, beginning with his marriage to a Philistine woman. This decision had great repercussions for the woman had come from peoples who were age-old enemies of the Israelites and so led to a confrontation in which Samson wiped out the Philistines. He had such frightening strength that at one stage he merely picked up the mandible of a donkey to kill 1,000 of his enemies.

While that marriage ended up ruinously for him, he could have returned to godly ways but instead, he sought the company of a prostitute that was to prove his undoing. Having being constantly defeated and humiliated by him, the Philistines had long wanted to know the source of his prowess and they found the perfect lure in Delilah who would seduce Samson in order to have him leak his secrets.

Image source: slwmoviemusing.blogspot.com

In one single moment of complete vulnerability at the cunning hands of a woman, Samson revealed it was his locks of hair to which she had cut. Summarily he was caught and had his eyes gouged out. The Philistines took pleasure in making him a humbled slave to be mocked in public where he spent his time in captivity grinding grain after which he was placed on a humiliating display at a feast day dedicated to the Philistine pagan god Dagon.

As he lay stood in the crowded temple, he found himself manacled to opposite pillars and understand the chance he had to do something. And so he prayed fervently to God to offer up one last burst of strength that would culminate in his last hurrah. God answered his prayer and with that, Samson summoned the strength bestowed upon him to tear down the pillars. Along with them came down the entire temple, crashing onto the Philistines and killing all of the 3,000 who were there.

And in this final curtain act, it was clear that Samson’s long hair had never been the reason for his almighty strength for it had always been the Spirit of the Lord that had come upon him from birth. In answering his prayer, the strength that Samson could draw on was entirely God’s. No hair could do this.

Achievements

As a Nazirite, Samson was dedicated to serving and honouring God with his life and to be an exemplar for others. With strength endowed by God, he fought and triumphed over Israel’s enemies for 20 years and was finally honoured by his position amongst the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.

Personal Strengths

His enormous physical strength allowed Israel to be victorious over their enemies throughout his life. It was ultimate the strength that God gave him that enabled him to be a martyr as he gave his life to kill 3,000 Philistines.

Personal Weaknesses

Despite his God-given strengths, Samson was selfish enough to be a bad example of a leader, cavorting in a sinful life, ignoring the damage he did on himself and his country.

Lessons in Life

Samson learned that one either serves God or he doesn’t. Through his self-indulgences and dispensation of the Mosaic laws, he realised that his personal judgement and desires were found lacking and disastrous. In the end, it was God whom he should have stuck with from the very beginning in order to lead a righteous life.

Hometown

Zorah, about 15 miles west of Jerusalem

Family Tree

Manoah (father) 

Occupation

Judge over Israel

Biblical References

Judges 13-16; Hebrews 11:32

Key Verses

Judges 13:5 > “You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

Judges 15:14-15 > “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. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.”

Judges 16:19 > “After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.”

Judges 16:30 > “Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’ Then he pushed with all his might and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.”

Next Up 

Heroes of Faith Part 15 - Jephthah; January 30 2015