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Samson's Profile
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It is sad to be remembered for what one might
have been. Samson had tremendous potential. Not many people have started life
with the credentials like his. Born as a result of God's plan in the lives of
Manoah and his wife, Samson was to do a great work for God - to "begin the
deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines." To help him accomplish
God's plan, he was given enormous physical strength.
Because Samson wasted his strength on practical jokes and getting out of
scrapes, and because he eventually gave it up altogether to satisfy the woman he
loved, we tend to see him as a failure. We remember him as the judge in Israel
who spent his last days grinding grain in an enemy prison, and we say, "What
wasted potential!"
Yes, Samson wasted his life. He could have strengthened his nation. He could
have returned his people to the worship of God. He could have wiped out the
Philistines. But even though he did none of those things, Samson still
accomplished the purpose announced by the angel who visited his parents before
his birth. In his final act, Samson began to rescue Israel from the Philistines.
Interestingly, the New Testament does not mention Samson's failures or his
heroic feats of strength. In Hebrews, he is simply listed with others "who
through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was
promised," and in other ways were given superhuman aid. In the end, Samson
recognized his dependence of God. When he died, God turned his failures and
defeats into victory. Samson's story teaches us that it is never too late to
start over. However badly we may have failed in the past, today is not too late
for us to put our complete trust in God.
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Strengths and Accomplishments:
* Dedicated to God from birth as a Nazirite
* Known for his feats of strength
* Listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11
* Began to free Israel from Philistine oppression
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Weaknesses and Mistakes:
* Violated his vow and God's laws on many
occasions
* Was controlled by sensuality
* Confided in the wrong people
* Used his gifts and abilities unwisely
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Lessons from His Life:
* Great strength in one area of life does not
make up for great weaknesses in other areas
* God's presence does not overwhelm a person's will
* God can use a person of faith in spite of his or her mistakes
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Vital Statistics:
* Where: Zorah, Timnah, Ashkelon, Gaza, Valley of
Sorek
* Occupation: Judge
* Relative: Father; Manoah
* Contemporaries: Delilah, Samuel (who might have been born while Samson was a
judge)
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Key Verse
"You will conceive and give birth to a son. No
razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite set apart to
God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of
the Philistines" (Judges 13:5).
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