As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat.
When you think of what God meant Samson to be, his life appears particularly tragic. Israel desperately needed a strong, confident leader, for the Philistines were moving in as masters, and many Israelites were willing to let them. God intended Samson for great things. Of all the judges, only Samson was announced by an angel before he was born (13:3) He was assigned to that special class of people known as Nazirites (described in Numbers 6), whose lives were specially devoted to God. Nazirites never drank wine, went near a dead body, or cut their hair. Unfortunately, Samson never lived up to his promise.
The first sign of trouble for Samson is seen at the beginning of chapter 14. Timnah was only four miles across the valley from Samson's hometown. Apparently, the Philistines and Israelites moved freely back and forth, and not all Israelites opposed the Philistines (15:11). Samson, making the short stroll, was attracted to a young Philistine woman. His lack of concern for differences of religion and his lack of submission to his parents were ominous signs pointing toward Samson's future troubles.
Despite all of Samson's weaknesses, though, God used him. He is mentioned later on in Hebrews 11:32 as a hero of faith along with Gideon, Barak, and Jephthah, all from Judges. Barely conscious of what it meant to live for God, and given to fits of lust and temper, Samson still had great physical strength, which came supernaturally from God. With it, he pushed back the Philistines- more by accident than by intention- and kept Israel intact.
Life Question: Samson's parents must have struggled mightily with their son's decision to marry a young girl from outside of their faith. How would you react if thrown into this same type of situation today?
I've often thought about what I would do or say if one of my kids decided to marry someday a person who is not a believer...or God forbid, witness one of my own kids leave the Christian faith. This would be tough. I can say with absolute certainty that I would never ostracize my children from my life, but how do you find peace in your life when a loved one has chosen not to follow in Christ's footsteps? I guess as a parent all you can do is to share your faith with your kids during their impressionable years, and pray that God will always remain in their lives and steer them towards a healthy relationship with his Son. That's my solemn prayer for Marie, Josh, and Sarah.
1 comment:
I think it is important to note that Samson moved away from God's primary will for his life in several areas of faith which resulted in God's secondary will: "The Hard Way". I am grateful that when our loved ones move out of God's will He has his ways of bringing them back. Our children belong to the Lord first but they are also responsible for choices. My prayer for eveyone's children is they will walk as close as possible to the Lord and keep on the straight path; knowing God will heal bumps and bruises along the way.
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