Samson's life is a lesson on how not to live the Christian life. Though empowered by the Holy Spirit, Samson lived for the flesh. In fact, he became so immune to the Spirit that when the Spirit left him entirely, he didn't even notice it. And he reaped the fruit of his sins in the punishment inflicted on him by the Philistines. It was only when Samson's physical sight was destroyed that his spiritual eyes are finally opened, and finally Samson comes to a saving faith (as we know from Hebrews 11) and in his sacrificial death he did far more damage to the Philistines than he ever did during the time he wasted on raucous living. The deaths of so many high ranking people would have through the Philistines into immense confusion. God uses Samson, despite all his bad choices, to fulfill His purpose, and begin to rescue His people.
We are disobedient to our own peril, not to the peril of God's plan. God's purposes will prevail, with or without us. When we choose to be obedient, we are receive the blessings of that obedience.
Further into our passage we find a not-too-distant heir of Moses living as a priest for hire, using idols as his tools. How quickly Israel has fallen away from God and into false religion. They did what was right in their own eyes, instead of what was right in God's eyes. Sounds exactly like our society today.
The law was given to reveal our sinfulness as well as God's righteousness. Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law and died as a substitute for our sin, imputing His righteousness to us. Trusting in gods of our own making, like Micah did, only leads to death. As we see in our John passage, Jesus is the only way to life.
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Judges 19-21; John 6:1-21
3 comments:
The story of Samson boggles my mind. Each time that Samson tells Delilah what will take away his strength, she tries it. Did he really think she wouldn't when he told her the truth? Perhaps it was that he was so far removed from the spirit that he didn't feel it leave (like you mentioned) or that he wasn't thinking about the consequences of his loss of power would mean.
More than likely he saw right through it but thought he could easily handle her.
"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me," John 5:39
Knowing the scriptures is not enough. Just like we heard in Sunday school this morning, we can have all the knowledge, but it's faith in God that counts. A stronger faith leads to a stronger trust in God.
Maybe Samson was too distant from God and relied on his own strength and not God's. Therefore thinking that he would be able to handle himself even if his hair was shaved off.
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