SAMSON An Arrogant Judge
IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT ARROGANCE STIFLES MISSION because it puts the focus on the leader rather than on that person’s call from God. Samson’s life was a perfect example of this.
Although he was blessed with godly parents, a strong body, and the advantages of being brought up as a Nazirite devoted to the Lord, Samson was a slave to his own passions—a man with no self-control. God gave him everything he needed to complete his mission of rescuing the Israelites from their enemies. But Samson relied upon himself rather than the Spirit of the Lord, and this eventually led to his undoing.
Given the ways in which Samson manipulated others, interacted with women, and killed violently, some might wonder if he had an impairment that affected his judgment. While that might have played a role in his behavior, it was Delilah’s simple act of cutting off Samson’s hair—the source of his strength—that brought this giant of a man to his knees. In his last days, Samson was a broken man—blinded, enslaved, and tortured.
Brokenness deepens our faith and leads to dependence upon the Savior
Like Samson, our suffering can, at times, be self-inflicted due to our arrogance, pride, or egotistical desires. Suffering is often the tool that God uses to carve self-sufficiency and self-dependence out of our lives. Brokenness deepens our faith and leads to dependence upon the Savior. The apostle Paul knew that nothing was quite like suffering for eradicating his selfish desires and transforming him into the image of Christ. In Philippians he declared: “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” (3:10-11).
In spite of Samson’s many failures, he is remembered as a judge of Israel and a champion of the faith (Heb 11:32-34). His suffering eventually brought him to the point where he cried out to God for the strength to bring about one final, definitive act of judgment on Israel’s enemies. God did not abandon Samson, nor will he abandon us in our suffering. God always forgives a repentant heart.