Redemption of Samson

Are we at times like Samson? Does God use us to accomplish things that at first may appear questionable? I believe we all know the basic account of Samson and if not then you need to read it. The complete story of Samson can be found in Judges Chapters 13 thru 16.

Even though I know the story of Samson, I reread it a couple times to refresh my memory and to see if there was anything that I might have over looked. I’m still amazed how we can see and learn new things from the scriptures even though we thought we knew everything there is to know about what we are reading. There are lessons all throughout the scriptures that we sometimes over look and or neglect.

Let us brake down the story of Samson and see what we can learn from him and the life he led for good and bad.

In the beginning portion of Chapter 14 I always thought what was wrong with that boy Samson. Why did he have to go and find someone from the Philistines to be his wife? I agreed with his parents in verse 3, but in verse 4 the choosing of Timnath was by God, so that Samson would be stirred up against the Philistines. Sometimes there may be things that come up in our lives that may appear to others as wrong, but it has a purpose that God wants accomplished. We need to be aware that though in the eyes of others it may seem a mistake, but to God it has a greater purpose. We need to try and see it as God does and what good can be accomplished later on from it.

Like Samson in Chapter 15, God may have us do things that is according to his will, but will cause those that are enemies of His people to take notice and try and rise up against you. As God had seen Samson through this difficult time and rewarded him with water to revive his spirit, so too will the Lord see us through that which He has planned for us and that we to shall receive the Holy Spirit that will revive our own. It will be as Jesus mentioned in John 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

The final lesson for us that we can learn from Samson’s life is here in Chapter 16. After 20 years of judging Israel Samson begins to slack in his relationship with the Lord. He begins to go and spend time with those that are not of God’s people. This association with the ungodly causes Samson to begin to go astray and to go down the slippery slope. No matter how much time passes with us, we need to stay vigilant and not fall asleep spiritually. As Samson was asked 4 times for the secret of his strength and on the fourth time Delilah asked him he gives in and tells her, to his ruin. How many times will it take us to give in and to do something wrong that will bring us to our own demise? That is why Jesus warns us to stay awake and be watchful (Mathew 24:43; 26:41). How long and how many times will you continue to fellowship with ungodly people and be deceived by them before you learn that we are to fellowship with the Godly and not the ungodly. For what does darkness have to do with the light?

At the end of Samson’s life, though he had made mistakes, he did realize his wrong doing and prayed to the Lord for help. The Lord had not turned His back on Samson, even though Samson turned his back on the Lord. Samson had put himself into this situation because of his own choices and was deserving of what he had received by the hands of the Philistines, but yet the Lord answered his prayer. I will give some credit to Samson for turning back to God knowing what had happened to him and that Samson took responsibility for his actions unlike so many in the world that go around blaming everyone and everything else for their problems. Samson knew in his heart at the end that there is but only one that he could turn to and that was God Almighty.

Let us not have to get to that point in our lives where we have made such a disastrous wrong that brings such harm to us before we see the error of our ways and turn to God in prayer. Remember that as long as we have breath and the willingness to repent and return back to the Lord, He is there to hear our prayer and to answer it. As it is written He desires that none should parish (Mathew 18:13-14). These accounts in the scriptures such as Samson are here to remind us and to teach us lessons so that we do not have to go through them ourselves.

Let us learn from Samson so that in our life we don’t have to go through unwanted pain, but to stay alert and watchful for the devil seeks for those that he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). It will be the strength from the Lord that will see us through the days ahead then our own mere fleshly strength and it is His spirit that will refresh and nourish our own.