The story of Samson as recorded in the book of Judges is the story of a man who was granted Herculean strength by God to combat his enemies and perform heroic feats unachievable by ordinary human. He wrestled a lion, slew an entire army with just a donkey’s jawbone, and destroyed a whole temple of a pagan god, Dagon. His disobedience to God and lust for women led to him being blinded, taken captive and eventually death.
There is a lot we can learn from Samson, from his life and his death. He judged twenty years, and it is recorded that he publicly prayed two times; one time was to live (Judges 15:18) and the second time it was to die (Judges 16:30). When he could see, He did not see God but when he was blind, he did. In death he did more to the glory of God than in his life (Judges 16:30).
Samson, I like to call – THE STRONGEST FOOL. Brother Zack Cherian once eloquently put it that Samson was able to kill a lion on the outside but could not control the lion of lust within. But before we pass judgment on Samson, let us take stock of our own lives and recognize that many times, our own lives are driven by the lust of our eyes.
Let us divert our focus from the beautiful things of the world (which is an enemy of God) and focus our attention on Jesus, looking unto Him, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Let our prayer be that we work diligently, seeking to see God and are filled by the Power of His Holy Spirit, bringing glory to God – in life and in death, not just in one, as was Samson.
Judges 16:30 (KJV)
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
