Samson was the strongest man who ever lived, but he was a man who also had some serious weaknesses. While his physical strength was one thing, his moral strength was something else. God taught Samson that great lesson about sin taking him further than he wanted to go, keeping him longer than he wanted to stay and costing him much more than he wanted to pay.
The Bible never describes the appearance or size of Samson's muscles, but only tells of his strength and character. It is very possible that his physical appearance was not much different than any average man. You see, Samson’s strength was from the Lord and for a purpose. It was not due to his body building program or exercise regimen; but was part of a symbolic covenant between him and God that would mean as long as Samson kept his covenant with God and did not break it, he would posses the strength that no other man would have; but his strength was to be used to fulfill his calling and purpose for God giving it to him! The other part of that symbolic covenant was Samson's famous long hair, in which out of an act of the flesh was cut off which weakened Samson from his enemies and allowed him to be captured and beaten and blinded and imprisoned.
The Israelites had been in bondage to the Philistines for forty years because of their sin, according to Judges 13 and God was about to deliver them using Samson to defeat them. While in verse 5 God’s Word tells us that Samson would begin their deliverance, we know that David and others would continue it. The same God who used Jacob’s schemes and David’s wrongdoings as well as many other men and women in the Bible, who failed in their walk with God at times…to bring about His plans, would use Samson’s failures to bring about His own purposes, as well.
Now Samson had no problem facing a great army, but put a pretty woman in front of him and he was as weak as a man could be. His weakness was that of lust and passion. Samson's lust and passion said to his weak moral flesh, "I must have what I want regardless of what God says or what God wants and I must have it now!"
If Samson had seen an entire Philistine army of 10,000 men he would have had no problem. But he saw one woman in Judges 16:1 and fell into sin right away. He did not even give thought; he just gave in to his flesh. The strongest and bravest Philistine soldiers could not defeat him, but one attractive Philistine woman could and did! The life of Samson teaches us that lust and passion can control and ruin our lives. It can captivate, control and eventually destroy us and even those that we love. The scripture teaches us to run away from sexual immorality… instead of running away, Samson ran right into it!
One can only imagine the outcome of his story had he not gotten sidetracked so many times with sin. Yet, despite his failures and shortcomings, God still chose to use him.
Samson made wrong choices every time he met a woman; especially with the wrong type of women. He always managed to choose Philistine women who were not believers nor did their moral character reflect that of Gods. Samson knew better…they were what they were! He even caused problems for his own family and people, the Jews, God’s people. Even though God rose up Samson to deliver the Jews out of the hand of the Philistines; the Jews wanted to deliver Samson into their hands because Samson was stirring up trouble for them.
Samson was a giant in physical strength, which no man could defeat in combat, but he was a weakling in the hands of Delilah. The one who was able to defeat the strongest of men was himself defeated by a weak but clever woman. Samson loved Delilah but she did not love him. At one point she said to Samson, "How can you say, “I love you”, when your heart is not with me?” When all the time it was Delilah… that did not love Samson. She got what she wanted out of her relationship with Samson and Samson received the rewards and the consequences of yielding to his flesh as well!
Samson never took credit for his victories and he cried out to God in his times of need. For he knew that he was only God’s servant and when he was enticed by sin at the cost of his relationship to God and his broken covenant, believe me, he learned a valuable lesson in the end.
God had a plan for Samson’s life though he was often side-tracked, in the end Samson was the victor as God brought about His great plan with the Philistines and an answer to what became Samson’s last prayer; to allow him to die with the Philistines. In his last effort to obey God, the scripture says in Judges 17:30, that he killed more Philistines in his death than while he was alive. It was when Samson was his weakest, that he found God to be His strongest.
2 Corinthians 12:9 says this about strength "…My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest on me". We must become weak, meaning we must give up our wills in order for God to do His will in us and through us.
Don't let Samson's mistakes go to waste....learn from them, that is why God allowed them to become part of the Holy scriptures... to teach us that we may learn! You can find the strength that you will need to make it through that thing....but you must obey what God has called you to do in it. If you have wondered off track and want to come back....He is there, waiting to be your strength. The Philistines were mocking God because they had captured Samson and was getting ready to sacrifice to Dagon their false god for delivering Samson into their hands...little did they know there was a larger picture going on. God only allowed what happened because of Samson's sin and thus the reason why Samson was even captured and imprisoned.
In the end, God proved that He was the only God and through Samson's repented heart and prayer destroyed the entire temple full of idols and their worshipers. Dear Friend God can do that today for you as well. He can defeat, destroy and make quite the enemy that is pursuing you. Run to Him.....he is waiting!
I love you and am praying for you!
Bren
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