Purposed
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
(Judges 21:25 ESV)
Soccer is one of my passions. I have loved the “beautiful game” for as long as I can remember. When viewed by the unfamiliar eye, the game of soccer may seem to lack order and purpose and presents as simply twenty-two players running around aimlessly, sometimes falling, knocking a ball while occasionally launching it towards the goal with hopes of hitting the back of the net. In the background, unruly fans jump and sing in unison, praising their favourite players while taunting the opponent. Admittedly, this conjures up images of complete and utter chaos.
However, to the trained eye, good soccer is an orchestra of moving parts, each with a specific purpose, bound together by systems of play and formations that harness individual creativity creating a pattern of movements that work together to achieve a common GOAL. Now doesn't that sound poetic? Note that I said good soccer! Beautiful things happen when players understand their purpose and subscribe to a game plan, and set goals that are greater than themselves and their personal ambitions. On the other hand, when those same players decide to act on their own by abandoning their intended purpose by seeking individual glory, things fall apart fast.
Such was the case for one of the Bible’s most celebrated heroes, Samson, and also the for the ancient Israelites. We are introduced to the Old Testament hero with superhuman strength in the 13th chapter of the Book of Judges. To better understand Samson, we must first understand the context in which his story unfolds.
“Judges” represents the name of the 7th book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament and a period of time in ancient Israel after the death of Joshua in the 13th/14th centuries BC continuing until the crowning of King Saul as Israel’s first King in 1051 BC. (1 Samuel 10:23)
Having been freed from the bondage of Egypt and led into the wilderness by Moses, Joshua leads the people over the Jordan River to the Promised Land. After the death of Joshua and his generation, the people forget God and begin to worship idols.
And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. (Judges 2:10 ESV)
The Judges were tribal leaders appointed by God during a time of moral decline in Israel to rescue his people from their adversaries and lead them back to him.
Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. (Judges 2:16 ESV)
Enter Samson, the last Judge presented in the book of Judges. In the 13th chapter of Judges, we are told that Samson was born for a very specific purpose, to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. (Judges 13:5) Furthermore, Samson’s parents were instructed by God that he shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb.
“For behold you shall conceive a give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” (Judges 13:5 NASB)
It is important to note a few things about the vow to become a Nazirite. (Numbers 6)
He shall abstain from wine and strong drink;” (Numbers 6:3)
No razor shall pass over his head. (Numbers 6:5)
He shall not go near to a dead person. (Numbers 6:6)
The vow of the Nazirites was voluntary and for a limited time. However, uniquely, Samson was designated to be a Nazirite by God from the womb and meant to last until his death. God had a specific purpose for Sampson, and He expected Samson to fulfill His purpose in a certain way. However, Samson quickly deviates from his intended purpose, seeks personal glory, and breaks his Nazirite vows. Things quickly fall apart, setting off a deadly cycle of offense and retaliation.
I.Samson Marries a Philistine Woman (Judges 14)
The Israelites prohibited marriages to unbelieving foreigners. Nonetheless, He sees her and begs his parents to get her.
“Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” (Judges 14:3)
II. Samson eats out of the carcass of a lion.
En route to Timnah, the city where he spotted the Philistine woman, Samson is attacked by a lion, is overcome by the Spirit of the Lord, and proceeds to tear it to pieces. (Judges 14:5) A few days later, as Samson is in route to take his Philistine bride, he sees a swarm of bees in the carcass of the lion and scrapes it into his hand, eating it as he goes, violating his vow as a Nazirite to avoid contact with deceased people and animals.
III.Samson’s Wedding Feast
Judges 14:10 finds Samson and his family at the wedding feast. *The Hebrew term for a feast, “mishteh,” is a word denoting the inclusion of alcohol, yet another violation of his Nazirite vow.
In a game of words, Samson presents his Philistine guests with a wager in the form of a riddle:
“Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” (Judges 14:14)
*Referring to his encounter with the lion.
Losing the wager, the Spirit of the Lord again comes upon Samson, resulting in the death of 30 Philistine men.
IV.Samson defeats the Philistines with the Jawbone of a Donkey Read (Judges 15)
In retaliation, the Philistines burn Samson’s wife and her father-in-law with fire. The Spirit of the Lord once again comes upon Samson, and he strikes down 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.
V.Samson and the Prostitute
In chapter 16, we find Sampon in Gaza, where he spots a prostitute and spends the night with her, another blatant violation of his Nazirite vow.
VI.Samson and Delilah
In one of the most recognizable chapters of Samson’s life, he again falls in love with a Philistine woman, Delilah. Mad with love, Samson, out of arrogance, flirts with his life playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse. After a series of scenes in which Delilah inquires about the source of Samson’s strength, Samson tricks her with a lie that Delilah shares with the Philistine lords, only to realize that Samson has fooled them. (Judges 16 1-14) This continues until Samson finally gives in, revealing the source of his great strength to Delilah, his hair. (Judges 16:19) As a result, the Lord departs from Samson, leaving him bound, blinded, and in a literal grind.
Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison. (Judges 16:21)
Samson is restored
In the final chapter of Samson’s life, we find him chained to two pillars, a centerpiece at a Philistine celebration for Dagon, their god. There, Samson, out of a great measure of faith, calls out to the Lord that the Lord may avenge him. The Lord, answering his final request, grants him the strength to topple the two pillars he was chained to, killing Samson, the Philistine lords, and all the people gathered with them.
Samson’s final display of superhuman strength killed more Philistines than all his other displays throughout his life.
Conclusion
The story of Samson is often told as a simple story of God-ordained superhuman strength used to defeat God’s enemies. However, as you have seen, it is much more than that. The story of Samson gives us valuable insight into the state of Israel during those times. Israel, like Samson, had a specific purpose, and we, as Christians, also have a specific purpose in God’s divine plan. For Samson, it was to begin to deliver them from the hands of the Philistines. For Israel, their purpose was to bless the entire world, as seen in God’s promise to the patriarch, Abraham, in Genesis 12:2.
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:2 ESV)
And for us, Christians are called to be a “light to the world.” (Matthew 5:14)
Like Samson, Israel was in a covenant relationship with the Lord., a covenant that they would often break by seeking after those things that were right in their own eyes. Their disobedience resulted in moral decline, bringing forth God’s rebuke, ultimately leading to their repentance. We see a similar cycle in Samson’s life, and I dare to say that many of us Christians can identify this same pattern during periods of our own lives. Nonetheless, it does not have to be that way. We can break this pattern. Fortunately for Samson, Israel, and us Christians, God though just, is also forgiving and faithful. Despite our flaws and imperfections, he still uses us to fulfill his divine plan.
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for making each and every one of us for a specific purpose. Lord, strengthen us and give us the wisdom and courage to seek after the things that are right in your eyes and not in ours. Lord, we thank you for being faithful even when we are not and correcting us so that we remain in your perfect plan. To you, Lord, be the glory and the praise.
Amen,
Brad
