Samson and Delilah

Samson proved to be a man prone to sexual temptation. The Bible mentions the Philistene woman he sought to marry, a Philistene prostitute, and in today's reading, a Philistene temptress named Delilah. He was so blinded by lust that he fell into an obvious trap. How could he have been so obtuse as to fall for the same device that had been used to obtain the answer to the riddle? I think the most poignant statement of the entire account comes from verse 16:20..."When he woke up he thought, I will do as before and shake myself free'. But he didn't realize the Lord had left him'." He had again devalued the covenant relationship he had with the Lord and the consequence was that God withdrew His protection, blessing, and His very presence. Yet Samson was too self-absorbed to notice.

Was there anything magical about Samson's hair? Was that where his strength came from? Not at all. It was to be considered an outward symbol of an inward commitment. Much like a wedding band or a Nun's habit or a cross worn on a necklace. None of those things constitute a relationship but all point to one. The problem with Samson, was that his relationship really didn't go any deeper than the external evidence. There was no real reverence for the Lord and no appreciation for his Nazirite vow. His relationship with God was so shallow that I think he really did think his strength came from his hair. He didn't realize the Lord was his strength. This is really no different than a person today believing themselves right with God because of external observances of faith... going to church, putting money in the offering plate, serving at church, being a good person, etc. Many people will trust such flimsy externals and will one day find themselves face to face with a God who says "I never knew you". (read Matthew 7:21-23.) Like Samson, we often don't even realize that the Lord is not with us because we are so busy doing all the right things on the outside, we ignore the need for a real relationship on the inside.

During his time in chains, and without eyes to tempt him into his regular pattern of sin, Samson nursed his hatred of the Philistenes. He asked God for permission to die in the temple, taking with him 3000 Philistenes. This is not considered suicide but rather a sacrifice of his life for a greater cause. Remember that God's objective all along had been to punish the Philistenes for their oppression of Israel. Had Samson been a willing servant of God's, this could have been achieved without such destruction to himself. The end result was the same, but since God had to work through Samson's self-centered choices, Samson's life was marked by suffering instead of blessing. God's purposes are going to be accomplished with or without our cooperation, but we will be blessed all the more if we work with rather than against Him.

Tomorrow's reading : Judges 19-21:25