Faith like Samson??

Perhaps you are familiar with the story of Samson. Maybe when you hear the name Samson you think of long hair or his love affair with Delilah. If the story of Samson is familiar or not it is found in the Book of Judges starting in chapter thirteen. 

Act 1 The Birth of Samson (Judges 13:2-5)

This is the beginning of the story of Samson. Before he is even born his is given a job description. Samson is to deliver the Israelites from the hands of the Philistines. By the way the name Samson in Hebrew means “light”. Samson is to be a light that leads the Israelite people to victory over the Philistines. The Philistines are a formidable opponent due to their large navy, horse drawn chariots and enhanced armaments. Because of these advantages the Philistines have been able to invade some of the territories claimed by the Israelites as they settle into the Promised Land. Keep in mind that the story of Samson occurs before Israel has a King. Without a King there is no organized centralized leadership, government or army. Joshua has lead the Israelites into the Promised Land and now the 12 tribes are settling into their allotted territories. During this time there is a lot of tribal warfare and this is where Samson comes into the story. He falls between the time of Joshua and Israel’s first King.

 We also learn that Samson is a Nazarite. A Nazarite is not allowed to cut their hair nor drink wine. What was a Nazarite vow? Well scholars are not totally sure yet it seems like to be a way that an individual could to dedicate themselves to God in a very physical way for a certain period of time. The book of Numbers chapter 6 gives more details into what consisted of a Nazarite vow. First of all you were not have anything to do with anything made from a grape. You were not allowed to drink wine, eat a grape, drink or touch vinegar made from grapes so forth. So no touching, drinking, using anything that has anything to do with grapes. Secondly, you are not allowed to touch anything unclean. That includes unclean food, contact with dead bodies or dead animals. In fact in Numbers 6 we read that even if your own mother or father were to die your would not be able to attend to the body. That is how serious this vow is. Third, you are not to cut the hair on your head. The Hebrew word for head means the whole head not just the top. Lastly, if you break the vow you have to shave your head and start over.

Let’s assume that you decide to take on a Nazarite vow for the period of one year. Then on day 364, while on an elevator, someone holding a cup of grape juice trips and slashes some grape juice onto your hand. Your vow would be broken. You would need to go to the temple to offer a sacrifice, have your head shaved and start over. The difference between Samson and Numbers 6 is that Samson is a Nazarite from birth. Samson does not really have a say in the matter.

Act 2 Honey in the Lion (Judges 14:1-8)

These are the first actions that we read about of Samson. He goes to a Philistine town seeking a possible wife. On the way he walks through a vineyard. Why would Samson walk thought a vineyard? He is not to touch anything that has anything to do with grapes yet he walks through a vineyard! Our author is telling us that there is some tension in the air. A lion appears in the vineyard and Samson kills the lion with his own hands. Sometime later Samson is with his parents. Samson sees the lion that he killed sometime back only a bee hive have formed inside the animal’s carcass. Samson, the one who is not supposed to touch anything dead, reaches into the carcass and gets out some honey.

Now honey is actually considered clean yet it is inside the unclean dead carcass of a dead animal. Samson is pushing up against the limits of his dedication to God. Not only that but Samson, reveals nothing to his parents about where the honey came from, invites his parents to enjoy some honey as well. Keep in mind that Samson’s mom has taken a Nazarite vow as well. What kind of light is Samson? How much good is he really doing here? Why is he covering up his actions?

Act 3 The Wedding

Samson goes to the wedding and gives the crowd a riddle saying “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.” He says if you can solve that riddle I will give you (the Philistines) 30 garments to wear. If you can’t solve the riddle you have to give me 30 garments. The Philistines put pressure on Samson’s wife and she ends up telling them the answer to the riddle. When the Philistines solve it the riddle Samson becomes enraged. He goes down to a Philistine city and kills 30 people. He takes the clothing of those he killed and gives them to the ones who solved his riddle.

Act 4 Things just got serious. (Judges 15:1-6)

Samson is motivated by revenge. He wants revenge for his wife being given away. Samson goes out and rounds up 300 foxes. He groups the foxes into groups of two by tying their tails together. He then ties a lit torch to the tail of the foxes and releases them into the crop fields of the Philistines. Samson will have his revenge by harming the economy of the Philistines. In response the Philistines burn Samson’s wife and her father killing them. Samson responds with another attack on the Philistines killing many. Samson’s life is starting to spinning out of control. What started off with a little bit of honey out of a lion’s carcass . . .I don’t need to tell my parents. . .  I can push up against the vow a little bit . . . suddenly this fiery personality is causing all kinds of destruction.

Act 5 Samson runs away. (Judges 15:7-20)

Because of what Samson has done he takes off and retreats to a cave. The Philistines are seeking revenge and threaten some men of Judah. The men of Judah seek out Samson, tie him up and deliver him to the Philistines. As Samson is being handed over he breaks the ropes. He quickly finds the jawbone of a donkey and using it as a weapon kills 1,000 Philistines. Is the jawbone of a donkey clean or unclean? It is unclean and again Samson pushes up against his vow of dedication to God.

Act 6 What happens in Gaza stays in Gaza. (Judges 16)

Samson goes to Gaza and spends the night with a prostitute. I am certain they were probably up all night reading poetry.

Act 7 Delilah arrives. (Judges 16:4-21)

Samson falls in love again with Delilah. The Philistines go to Delilah promising lots of wealth to help them discover the secret to Samson’s strength. It is interesting to note that Samson’s name in Hebrew means light and Delilah’s name, while not Hebrew, sounds a lot light the Hebrew word for night. So there is this struggle between light and dark going on. Delilah puts pressure on Samson 3 times to reveal the secret of his strength. Samson lies to Delilah 3 times and 3 time escapes from the traps set by the Philistines.

Eventually Samson confesses to Delilah that his strength comes from his long hair. It is interesting that Samson thinks there is a connection between his hair and his power. Because the Nazirite vow is not about power and just because you have long hair does not mean that you’re strong. Samson’s long hair is a symbol of his connection with God. It is really the last remaining symbol of the connection. Everything else he has violated except cutting his hair. It is the last physical marker of this connection with God and he gives up to Delilah.

Once Samson’s hair is cut he is captured by the Philistines. The Philistines tie Samson up and gouge out his eyes. Samson is now blind, his head is shaved and is captured by his enemies. The narrator of this story adds an interesting little bit that Samson’s hair began to grow back (Judges 16:21). What happens if you violate the vow in Num. 6? You shave your head and start over. Any Israelite reading this knows what is happening. He has violated the vow and has shaved his head. Samson is starting over.

Later in chapter 16 the Philistines bring Samson out to mock him as part of a celebration that is going on for their gods. Samson’s hair has returned and probably his beard. While resting up against some pillars he utters a prayer and pushes the pillars down. Samson kills himself and all those in the building.

Act 8 The Rest of the Story (Judges 18)

What are we supposed to do with Samson’s life? Is he a good or bad figure? Does he succeed in freeing the Israelites from the hands of the Philistines or does he fail? Judges chapters 13-18 are all about the Danites. In fact in Judges 13 we learn that Samson is from the tribe of Dan. The time of the Judges is a period of uncertainty. The Israelite people have entered into the Promised Land and the 12 Tribes have started to settle into certain areas. We discover in Judges 13-18 that the tribe of Dan has not settled down into their allotted area of the Promised Land. The tribe seems to be unable to secure the cities they have been given. They can’t defeat the Philistines.

In Judges 18:27-31 our author/narrator wants us to know what happened after Samson. What we know is that the Danites leave their tribal territory and go about 50 miles away to a city called Laish. The city of Laish is a peaceful city yet the tribe of Dan attack and burn the city to the ground. Then they set up an idol and worship it until in 734 BC when they are destroyed.

So how successful was Samson? The Bible has a very different perspective on what we might call failure and sin. In our world when we talk about sin we have a very individualistic view of it. Our culture tends to think “What I do is between myself and God or myself and my own conscience.” With some degree of respect we say however you want to live your life is fine. You make your own private choices and thus sin is a private matter. The Bible does not share that view.

The Bible takes a generational view of sins and failures and the consequences of those sins and failures. So when Samson dips his hand into the lions carcass there were consequence for those actions. Like ripples of water in a pond the personal choice of Samson did not just affect him it also affected his parents. When Samson went and slept with a prostitute in Gaza that was not just a personal private choice. What happens in Gaza does not stay in Gaza. In other words there are consequences for our choices that go far beyond our private lives.

The choices that are made today affect the next generation and the one after that. That is very sobering thought. Samson is not the incarnation of evil yet there are consequences for our choices that can extend far beyond our life span. There are some Native American Indian tribes that are known for asking the question how might this effect the next 7 generations, when making an important choice? That is profound and deep wisdom. That is the like the Biblical perceptive on sin. It extends out. What you choose to do today in your life has consequences for the next generation and the one after that.

We tend to live in an immediate culture. Everything has to happen right now to quickly address whatever the current needs/issues might be. With a myopic focus on the immediate we tend to mostly consider choices that deal with ourselves. We tend to do that in church. We don’t like this or that. Our tastes are not being satisfied so we disengage, we change churches, we allow resentment to build. When was the last time you considered the thought that maybe your life is not about you? Maybe it is about the next generation and the generation after that. Have you ever considered that your “private” choices effect other people? Does it really matter if I just dip my hand into the carcass and get some honey? Who really care? Nobody needs to know and besides this is my private choice. The story of Samson is a sobering reminder that even if nobody is watching there are consequences that you can’t even see or imagine.

Another question that arises from this story is what does it mean to be a person of faith? In our society we tend to think about faith in terms of belief. If you asked someone if they are a person of faith and they said yes you might follow that up with questions about that person believes. Faith in the Bible is more like faithfulness or actions over time. In Hebrews 11:32-34 we get this list of people of faith and the actions that they have done. How is it that Samson is included in this list in a list of heroes of faith? For various reasons we think that being a person of faith is about doing right? Yet, every single person on the list in Hebrews 11 has their own faults and failures. Moses murdered a man. David committed adultery with a married women and then had her husband killed. What is a person of faith? Apparently being a person of faith has little to do with doing it right and perfectly. In fact it is the opposite. It is in the acknowledgement of sin that you encounter God. We all come to God in our failures, mistakes, sin and problems. That is the path to God. Whoever said that they were so good, had their act together so perfectly that God just said – you’re in. Seems closer to the truth that the more a person acknowledges sin, mistakes and failures then the more you will find transformation occurring in your life. That is why Samson makes it on the list. Because he is like you and me. We fail in our dedication to God yet thanks be to God that God does not fail in his dedication to us.