Samson was one of those heroes that had a life we can relate to. He was empowered by God to do great things for God, but he allowed his flesh to be in control. He was born a Nazarite. The character of a Nazarite was one who was separated unto the Lord as stated in Numbers 6:2. Samson was a Nazarite for life as designated by God in Judges 13:5. He was to drink no alcohol, refrain from cutting his hair, and was not allowed to be near anything unclean, such as a corpse.
Judges 13:5 “For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
Samson was a man’s man. He was a man of super strength. He was a rough, tough, kind of man. He was created for greatness, yet he begins to ignore his Nazarite vow. At the beginning of chapter 14, Samson sees a Philistine woman and wants to take her as his wife. An Israelite, and especially a Nazarite, was not to marry someone that worshiped idols, and the Philistines were worshipers of Dagon. In verse 2, he saw her and wanted her, his lust drove his decision.
Judges 14:2 “And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.”
In Judges 14:9, he eats honeycomb out of the carcass of a lion that he killed. This lion had been dead for some time and his vow prohibited him from being near it.
Judges 14:9 “And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.”
In Judges 14:10, his father makes a feast for him for his wedding. It was customary to have wine, and for it to last 7 days. We don’t know if he drank, but he was there where alcohol was present, and it was a celebration for him. Most commentaries believe the evidence shows he participated.
Judges 14:10 “So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.”
During the time of the feast, he gambles with the 30 companions that were with him. He tells them a riddle and promises 30 garments if they can solve it, or if they can’t, they are to give him 30 garments. This gamble placed his wife in danger as noted in verse 15. He was gambling and taking credit for all the strength he had when he should have been humbled that God would use him.
Judges 14:15 “And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?”
Samson’s wife is given to another man by her father, and later he is enticed by a harlot Delilah and marries her. The consequence of his sin is about to catch up with him and it cost him greatly. Constantly he is asked and begged by her to reveal the source of his strength. After asking, and Samson tricking her and the Philistines over and over, he finally reveals to her the source of his strength. She cuts his hair, and they capture him and put out his eyes. He becomes a laughingstock in front of the Philistines.
After a great deal of trial and error, Delilah procures the source of his strength, his hair, and cuts it. Then, the Philistines put out the eyes of the now weakened Samson and take him captive.
Judges 16:20-21 “And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.”
Samson was a superhero by God’s design, but he did not use the abilities God gave him for God’s glory. His sin caught up with him and he paid the price. However, he must have repented because God restores his strength and he is mentioned in Hebrews 11, which is the chapter of the heroes of faith.
Hebrews 11:32-34 “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
Throughout Samson’s life, he was a disgrace to God. He wasted his life in pleasure and sinful living, but in his death, he became a superhero. He finally feels the gravity of what he has done, and he prays for God to regain his strength. He is at a great celebration of the Philistine’s worshiping Dagon. Judges 16:28 -30 tells us of this event and how he killed more Philistines in his death than in his life.
Judges 16:28-30 “And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So, the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”
I can only imagine how God could have used him for His glory if he had been a committed follower from his youth until death.
