Day 83: The Way Of The Warrior

Samson’s life had spiraled into a crash landing.  He had chased sexual stimulation over the Lord’s call on his life.  His job? He [Samson] shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” (Jdg. 13:5).  He did not have to complete the entire task, he merely had to begin the process, with the Lord’s help.

Instead, he partnered sensual living with his life’s call, and they didn’t match.  They counteracted one another, and something had to disintegrate – it was Samson’s life.  God’s call took second place to promiscuity.  Samson tried to make them work together into some cohesive plan for good – but a moral nosedive resulted.  Shame and loss and despair were the result.  This was not the Lord’s plan. It was the result of a man who wanted both worlds, and like coupling gasoline with fire –kaboom!

Delilah betrayed Samson.  He fell asleep on her lap, she cut his hair. His strength came from his Nazarite vow (Jdg. 13:5 &7).  This was a vow to separate and abstain from things that would degrade him, like sexual promiscuity, or touching dead bodies, etc.  Nazarite vows were complete consecration to the Lord.  A Nazarite was equipped for holy service.  This is also true for us: For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; (1 Thess. 4:3).  Or: Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thess. 5:22).  Samson and you, and I, should be having a passion for purity from any temptation.

And the Philistines seized him [Samson] and gouged out his eyes…  (Jdg. 16:21).  This was not God’s will for Samson’s life.  One can thwart God’s will for your life, since He gives you a measure of executive authority over it.  He did not want Samson to experience this moral decay, or the horrible pain of losing his sight, and the humiliation of being a public spectacle.  Sometimes the Lord lets you choose your way.  You and I are lousy at making wise, redemptive choices without His guidance.

Someone needed to disciple Samson, and he needed to have at least one disciple.  He was a loner, and that is dangerous in a believer’s walk.  He overlooked a simple rule of thumb – make disciples.  One must be accountable. He also failed to flee from sexual impurity (1 Cor 6:18), a major stumbling block in his adult life.  Samson did not think Biblically.

An earlier Biblical hero, Joseph, did think theologically.  Joseph was an astute and talented man, who had Hollywood, good looks.  Joseph was the manager of business dealings for a political leader in Egypt – Potiphar.  Potiphar’s wife was a cougar, and she stalked Joseph, trying to trap him in a sexual encounter.  Here’s Joseph’s situation: The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master (Gen. 39:2).  This sounds great!  Joseph reaped rewards for diligent work, and: Joseph was handsome in form and appearance (39:6).  He’s got a great career, and he’s good looking.

Here’s the fly in the ointment:  And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me” (Gen. 39:7).  Shiny object! If Samson had been her target — easy sleazy.  Joseph though, responded wisely, arguing for Potiphar’s well-being. Then he argued God’s view: has he [Potiphar] kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9).

Joseph did not let his passions gain control over him.  The seduction did not work because Joseph respected Potiphar, and he wanted to honor the Lord.  His view was, sin would be against God – it would hurt the Lord.  Samson did not have this same view.  He was willingly promiscuous, uncaring for the Lord or others.

Maybe you think that God is impervious to unethical behavior.  Wrong.  Samson acted like the Lord could handle it.  Joseph did not think that way, and he was right. Our modern view is supposed to match Joseph’s:… do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. (Eph. 4:30).

Back to Samson.  After the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes, he was put to work like an animal (Jdg. 16:21).  He was used like a beast at a mill.  The work of God is not tedious boredom, and His work has freedom to be creative.  God deemed it so, in the management of the Creative order: The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. (Gen. 2:15).  Management and creativity, with authority.

The doctrine of man in the image of God (Gen. 1:26, 27) means mankind transcends nature and is capable of acting on it – the core principle of creativity.  Samson no longer was able to be producing, rather he experienced tedium and repetition, absent fashioning.  This is a result of Samson’s own choosing – the loss of God’s gift to be creative.

The Philistines celebrated, bringing Samson in to laugh and scorn him.  Is the Lord outraged over their behavior of him?  Read this and be very afraid — for the Philistines: Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.” (Jdg. 16:23).  No one was there to tell them this was a very bad idea. Insulting Jehovah, the Holy Creator of the Universe is not a great idea.  Dagon, what-ever demonic power he is, will be flattened.  You can imagine Dagon, saying ‘no, no, no’ to the Philistines.

Later, in the book of 1 Samuel 4 & 5, the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and put it in their temple to Dagon.  Read 1 Sam 5:1-6, the humorous account of what happened to the idol of Dagon, then to the Philistines. God gave them hemorrhoids! The Lord’s creative in dealing with those who disdain Him.  Serve Him, don’t dismiss Him!

Back to Samson.  Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained. (Jdg. 16:27).  Mocking, and sadism was their entertainment.

Then Samson called to the LORD… (16:28).  Samson goes back to something he has not done for some time – prayer.  The basis for any relationship is communication.  Samson talked with a lot of women before he talked with the Lord.  He’d ignored the personhood of God treating him like a cosmic genie.  Say the right things and the Lord must perform for you.  If your theology includes this sort of understanding, think about it.  You don’t respond to demands by others on you!  If your children order you to do what they think you should do – do you?  Hardly!  Well, either does the Lord.

Our relationship with Him is based upon reverence and respect – not demands because you say some glorified spiritualized words.  He is not your puppet.  He is your God who is willing and able to help, based upon relationship.  For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? (Deut. 4:7).

He is able and willing to help.  Talk to Him about it.

By Nathan Werner