Ep. 154 - Lessons From the Life of Samson

In today's episode, the guys discuss Samson, who was a famous warrior and judge in the Bible. He was known for his strength which came from his uncut hair. There are so many “heroes” shown in the Bible, but they all have faults, sin, and issues. These people in the Bible demonstrate to us the Lord’s patience and how genuine the scriptures are. There are a couple ways to look at the story of Samson. The first is through the view of morality, or what you should or should not do according to Samson’s example. We also need to realize that Samson’s story also points us to the gospel through the parallels in his story to Jesus. First, Samson is considered a judge of Israel, but he points us to the great judge, Jesus. Samson’s mother was barren for a period of time and Jesus was born to a virgin mother. An angel announces both Samson’s and Jesus’ birth, but the angel told Samson’s parents that he would begin to save the Israelites, while the angel told Jesus’ parents that He will save the Israelites. Samson filled the world with dead bodies, but Jesus filled the world with His body. Jesus did not come to defeat His enemies, but to save us all. Samson points the way to Christ.  Judges 13:5 states, “You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.” Samson had the purpose of being set apart for God, but that’s not what happened in his life. Samson was repetitive in that he was used by the Lord but continued to go back to sin again and again despite the fact that he knew better. It is easy to sin, but hard to live for righteousness. We have never been tempted to be righteous when things don’t go our way—we are always tempted by sin because we live in a fallen world. We need to ask God to use us for His will and His purposes instead of our own. We don’t see the bigger picture, so we need to trust that God will answer our prayers with what we need. Any trials we have in our lives are just stepping points to get us to where we need to be.  Next, the guys talk about the theme of sight in Samson’s story. Judges 17:6 states, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” Everyone used their sight to determine what was right or wrong. Judges 14:1-3 states, “Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. Then he came up and told his father and mother, ‘I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.’ But his father and mother said to him, ‘Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?’ But Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.’” Samson used his own judgment and ignored his parents in saying that this woman was right in his eyes. This theme of sight illustrates how the people would rely on their own understanding, but not the Lord’s. Matthew 18:9 states, “And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.” Samson’s eyes are gouged out and after his eyes are taken, his spiritual eyes are restored. This brought him to redemption and reconciliation with his Father. God will sometimes bring us to the end of ourselves to save us.  Lastly, the guys talk about how Samson’s story shows us the importance of listening to counsel. Samson’s parents encouraged him to marry someone who wasn’t a pagan—someone who was a Jew and lived for the Lord. This verse is never to be used against inter-marriage in terms of race. This verse was used to show they were under a covenant at this time to keep a pure family heritage in following the Lord. God places godly family members and friends in our lives to help us see God's truth and listen to their counsel. Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at [email protected]. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro