For the last two posts, part 1 and part 2, we’ve been discussing Samson and how He was prepared to “begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines” (Judges 13: 5)

The action started in Judges 14: 2 when Samson says “A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me.”

But wait a minute! The law clearly states that the Israelites were not to marry foreigners:

Deuteronomy 7: ³ You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters

Just hold on, we’re about to read a truth that only the New Testament reveals.

Galatians 5: 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

Just so you know there are more than a few episodes in Scripture that we can see this happen.

It is no wonder Samson’s parents were so upset.

What Samson wanted to do and ended up doing was strictly forbidden by Mosaic Law. Imagine, if Samson wasn’t “filled with the Spirit” or “led by the Spirit” he probably would’ve kept in line with his parents. But it was God’s plan to use Samson to “work against the Philistines” and God is sovereign.

You can say all you want about Samson’s character and activities, but the fact that he made it into the “hall of faith” says a lot:

Hebrews 11: 32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.

If the Scripture writers didn’t condemn or put Samson in a negative light, why should we?

And now for Samson’s final act

What God was able to do through Samson’s death, after losing his strength and being enslaved, is nothing short of miraculous. Take a look at the end of his life:

Judges 16: ²⁸ Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.” ²⁹ Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands, ³⁰ he prayed, “Let me die with the Philistines.” And the temple crashed down on the Philistine rulers and all the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime.

And now, a reminder from the Apostle Paul…

Galatians 5: 1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Need I say more?

There is much more to be learned in Galatians 4 and 5.

Will you allow His Spirit lead you?

“Dear Lord, Please help me to learn all that you have to teach me. Lead me in such a way that I will desire more of you and recognize that I am on your path. This excites me Lord, but I don’t know what to expect. Please help me with my fears and thank you for all you are doing for me and leading me into truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

photo by Josh Marshall

If you recall from my last post, “Is The Spirit Guiding Your Life? part 1“, we started comparing Samson with John the Baptist. I know, an unlikely pair, right? Let’s continue…

We already mentioned the first fact:

1. Both mothers were advanced in age and were unable to conceive.

Here are two other similarities between the two men…

      2. An angel appeared to both sets of parents.

Judges 13: 3 The angel of the LORD appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son.

Luke 1: 11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.

What is a Nazirite? (Numbers 6: 1-21)

      3. The Lord set apart Samson and John as Nazirites from birth:

Judges 13: 4 So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. 5 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”

Luke 1: 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.

Both Samson and John the Baptist are set apart as Nazirites

At this point, Manoah and his wife have got to be pretty excited knowing that their baby is to be set apart and used by God in a mighty way. I mean, what if you (as a couple) couldn’t conceive and an angel appeared to you with this news?

After given a few instructions (for being a Nazirite), they asked for more:

Judges 13: 12 So Manoah asked him, “When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy’s life and work?”
13 The angel of the LORD replied, “Be sure your wife follows the instructions I gave her. 14 She must not eat grapes or raisins, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat any forbidden food.”

Of course, they want to raise Samson right and ask “Do you have any instructions that come with this special delivery?”.

It’s reasonable, right?

They want to know what rules they should enforce. But nope, just raise the boy as a Nazirite, “I’ll do all the rest”, is basically what God is saying here.

So Samson was born and sure enough, the Spirit begins to work in him:

Judges 13: 24 When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the LORD blessed him as he grew up. 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he lived in Mahaneh-dan, which is located between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson’s parents are shocked!

Judges 14: 1 One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye. 2 When he returned home, he told his father and mother, “A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me.”
3 His father and mother objected. “Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?” they asked. “Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?”

But Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She looks good to me.”

Can you imagine?! After the Lord sets apart your son that he starts lusting after some Philistine woman! What went wrong? Keep reading…

Judges 14: 4 His father and mother didn’t realize the LORD was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time.

God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55: 9)

Nothing went wrong. God tells us what happened and why. Yet I hear many teachers using Samson as an example of what not to do. He was fulfilling His divine purpose, albeit unknowingly. This was prophesied in Judges 13: 5 and in 14:5 we know that God was at work in this.

To say that the direction Samson took (seeking foreign women) was a failure (or sinful) would be like saying God really screwed up. As if the Spirit didn’t guide him correctly or maybe God should have given rules.

But it’s not a failure because his whole life accomplishes what God intended to do. Following the Spirit of God won’t always makes sense to us and many times it’s counter intuitive.

There’s more to this story and the Bible has more to say about this issue, so stay tuned.

photo by Josh Marshall

This week I thought I’d highlight one of the more interesting characters of the Bible and tie his story to a New Testament truth. The whole message is quite lengthy so I decided to split it into 3 or more parts. Being led by the Spirit is something we each need to be learning to do daily, but it’s a difficult task while living in the flesh.

I remember learning about Samson in Sunday School. All I remember learning is that he had supernatural strength because of his long hair and he had a girlfriend named Delilah. Delilah gave him a hair cut and then he no longer had his strength. At least that’s what I remember.

I have learned that nothing replaces personal reading and study. When someone explains the Bible to you, without you reading it, it is from their perspective and their thoughts alone. When the “seeker” reads, with the expectation of hearing from God it leads to personal revelation, which is life changing. This is where the action happens. This is a far superior method of digesting God’s Word as opposed to devotionals and Christian books and magazines which are from the author’s perspective. For the individual to understand that God is the “only Teacher”, is invaluable.

1 John 2: 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

Matthew 23: 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.

What does this say about teachers of the Word?

They have their place, to help us learn, but it is always the Holy Spirit that teaches through them and so the glory always goes to God. The problem with pastors, authors, and Sunday school teachers, including myself, is that they can be off base. The listener can accept this “false teaching” as truth, which is problematic. This is why we need to continue reading the Word and taking new ideas back to God in prayer. He will help you discern what to do with the new teaching.

Take this word of advice from the Bereans:

Acts 17: 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

And now, back to our main topic, Samson and being guided by the Spirit

When I read the account of Samson today I realize that there is so much more to be learned about his life than what I was taught as a youngster.

The story of Samson’s birth is very similar to that of John the Baptist:

Samson’s parents could not conceive:

Judges 13: 2 In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children.
and neither could John’s:

Luke 1: 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

Next time we’ll continue comparing the early days of Samson and John the Baptist. It’s amazing how similar their lives started out.

photo by Josh Marshall