Sun 16 Feb

Whatever we may think, Samson is most certainly an interesting character. Is he a hero? Is he a rogue? Would you employ him as your pastor? Would you allow him to date your daughter? What criteria would you use to consider him as a judge? Is Samson simply a product of his times?

What we know of Samson spans Judges 13-16. He is one of the longest judges next to Gideon. Samson the judge raises some perplexing questions for us. Why does God use an angel to announce his birth? Why does God allow Samson to marry a Philistine woman, a sworn enemy of God’s people? How can Samson be filled with the Spirit when he is obviously walking in disobedience to God’s commands? Does it mean that in living a life consecrated to God that we have to live life as a Nazarite? These are some of the perplexing questions that Samson’s life raises for us.

Yet, even though Samson walked in disobedience, he had a problem with anger, he could be seen as a womaniser, and he was a slow learner when it came to learning from the mistakes of the past, God used Samson to accomplish His good and perfect purposes. For in his death he achieved far more than he had in life in dealing with God’s enemies. In much the same way Jesus achieved far more in His death and resurrection when dealing with God’s enemies.