Samson

“You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” — Judges 13:5

Samson, whose name means “like the sun,” was a Jewish leader from the book of Judges. He was born in the 11th century BCE to Manoah of the tribe of Dan, in Israel. His wife had been barren, but God’s grace came upon them when an angel appeared and told them they would have a son. This son was to be consecrated to God as a Nazirite from birth. A Nazirite was a person set apart and consecrated to God, forbidden to cut their hair, drink any alcoholic beverages or eat anything from the grapevine, and touch a dead body. God intended to use him to save the people of Israel from their enemies’ oppression, and this child was Samson.

Samson was born in fulfillment of God’s promise and grew up under God’s care. He possessed superhuman strength from God, which he used to attack and subdue the Philistines on various occasions. Samson served as a judge for Israel for twenty years.

God’s mission for Samson was only to begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines. The work of truly subduing the Philistines would be completed by Samuel (1 Samuel 7:13), Saul (1 Samuel 14:47), and David (2 Samuel 8:1). Even when the people were numb to the oppression of their enemies and their leader indulged his own fleshly desires, God still remembered His people, cared for them with His unconditional love, and gave them strength for deliverance. However, their weakness meant that God’s deliverance was not fully realized in their generation.

Despite the great power God gave him, Samson was arrogant and stubborn. He was unwilling to accept the warnings and counsel of others, especially regarding his marriage. He disregarded Israelite law and his parents’ advice and married a Philistine woman based on his own preferences. The Philistines used Samson’s lover to uncover the secret of his divine strength, gouged out his eyes, and imprisoned him, where he was tormented. Later, Samson repented of his sin, and God gave him his strength once again. Samson embraced the pillars of the temple and leaned forward, causing the pillars and the building to collapse. He killed about three thousand Philistines in his death, more than he had killed in his life, and sacrificed himself.

Despite his flaws, Samson is mentioned in the “hall of faith” in the book of Hebrews (Hebrews 11:32). His life demonstrates that he was a man of flesh and blood. Samson’s story teaches us the importance of relying on God’s strength, not our own; obeying God’s will, not our own stubbornness; and seeking the wisdom of the Lord, not relying on our own understanding.