From Judges 16-18
The Judges weren’t perfect, but God was able to use them anyhow. The text may not explicitly mention it, but all the people God uses to minister to Israel have had their own problems to deal with. But that didn’t stop the LORD using them in his plans. It shouldn’t stop us from thinking the LORD can use us too.
This post is part of my bible in a year series.
Passage and Comments
Samson grows up and the Spirit of the LORD begins to stir within him (Jdg 13.25). I suggest the Spirit begins to pester him about the Philistines, the situation of God’s people and their relation towards God. On the other hand Samson has some personal issues. He has a problematic sex drive and wants to take a Philistine of a wife. Rejecting his parents advice he marries a Philistine. Marriage with people who share completely different beliefs is never a good idea, but the LORD uses it to initiate Samson’s war against the Philistines. His wife ends up committing adultery with his best man (Jdg 14.1-20).
She resides with her father (who would have given her away). A little later Samson wants to visit his wife, perhaps trying to woo her back but her father refuses. Samson retaliates by burning down the Philistine crops. The Philistines burn Samson’s wife and her father to death. Samson and the Philistines go to war and Samson kills one thousand men with a donkey jawbone! Samson judged (protected) Israel from the Philistines for twenty years (Jdg 15.1-20).
Samson’s sex drive gets him into trouble again and he starts consorting with Philistine prostitutes. The second one is Deliah. The LORD is still with him giving him his great strength and fighting ability so other Philistines get her to try and find out where his great strength comes from and how he could lose it. She tries several times. Each time the Philistines attack Samson afterwards but because the LORD is still with him they get beat up. Samson has not yet revealed it (Jdg 16.1-12).
13 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might be bound.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 14 So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web. And she made them tight with the pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin, the loom, and the web. (Jdg 16.13-14)
The repetition is painful. How could Samson be so gullible and not work out what the Philistine woman was up to? She tries several times, this is the last.
15 And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies.” 16 And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death. 17 And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.” (Jdg 16:15–17)
Samson was slowly but surely beaten into submission (Jdg 16.16). He should have known what she and the Philistines were up to. He preferred sex to serving God faithfully. But at this point, his heart was still with the LORD.
18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. 19 She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him. (Jdg 16:18–20)
When he divulged the secret of his strength it was then that he sinned against the LORD by giving her all his heart. Sin crept in unawares and overpowered him. Don’t underestimate sins ability to deceive and hinder your relationship with the LORD. Keep on guard.
21 And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison. 22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. (Jdg 16:21–22)
Story of Israel
Samson suffered the penalty for what he had done. But the LORD still had things to do through him. Samson will return to the LORD and win a significant victory over the Philistines, saving Israel yet again from their punishment (Jdg 16.23-31). Samson had issues, but who doesn’t? These are the tools the LORD uses in his saving purposes.
Unfortunately the remaining story of Judges is not rosy. It gets worse and something will happen that gets everyone’s attention. More on this tomorrow.
The Judges weren’t perfect, but God was able to use them anyhow. The text may not explicitly mention it, but all the people God uses to minister to Israel have had their own problems to deal with. But that didn’t stop the LORD using them in his plans. It shouldn’t stop us from thinking the LORD can use us too.
Story of Jesus
Jesus is different. Yes, like us he was tempted, he got tired, and suffered. But unlike us, He knew no sin. So there is some comfort in knowing the LORD can use us (like Samson) while we are learning and growing. There is comfort as well in knowing that our LORD Jesus is strong enough not to succumb to the worlds temptations. His boldness in going to the cross is proof of this. Either way we win because the LORD is in control.
Following Jesus’ death and resurrection the author of Hebrews encouraged his audience by reminding them of the example of Samson. Check it out, be encouraged as well.
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. … 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. (Heb 11:32–34,39–40)
