Sep 9, 2017
This eleventh episode on the book of Judges takes us to chapter 16 and the less-than-stellar ending to the life of Samson. As has been the case in his life all along, Samson would go out in style. His would not be a simple, quiet passing. He lived life on the edge and his death would be no different. What we have here is a picture of a man who had been hand-picked and equipped by God to serve as His deliverer. But Samson would take the attributes and abilities given to him by God and waste them on serving himself. Yes, he would accomplish some incredible feats for God, but they almost all appear to be occasions where he was attempting to meet his own desires, not Gods. As we saw in yesterday’s episode, God tended to use Samson in spite of him, not because of him. And one of the saddest indictments on this somewhat questionable man of God was his inability to remain set apart to God. By God’s command, his parents had dedicated Samson to be a Nazirite. And that unique designation and lifestyle was not an easy one. There were some serious prohibitions and expectations that came taking with the Nazirite vow. But Samson never seemed to take seriously his calling by God to be set apart for His Service. And his roller-coaster lifestyle would end in victory, but also in defeat.