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frightened men from Judah tie been tied up with bowstrings, new
Samson up and give him to their ropes or had the braids of his head
oppressor. But again the Spirit of the woven into the fabric on the loom,
Lord comes upon him. Samson breaks free.
He bursts the ropes and kills This repetitive cycle continues until
1,000 men with a donkey’s jawbone Judges 16:15, when Delilah says to him,
– Samson’s proud boast, ‘With a ‘How can you say, “I love you,” when
donkey’s jawbone I have made donkeys you won’t confide in me? This is the
of them’, making an ass of him, rather third time you have made a fool of me
than him giving glory to God. and haven’t told me the secret of your
Despite this great victory, the man great strength.’
set apart by God from birth later Unlike Jesus, whose answers to his
visits a prostitute and, although such interrogators were inspired, Samson
behaviour should probably bar him appears to be sadly lacking in the
from spiritual leadership, he ends up art of the creative comeback. If only
leading Israel for 20 years. he’d used his brains rather than his of those who love him, who have been
It’s said that ‘every country has the brawn, he might have responded, called according to his purpose’ .
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3
government it deserves’ , with Judges ‘And if you loved me, why would you Samson’s prayer is answered and
13:1 indicating that, because the keep trying to find out the secret of – having pushed against the central
pillars of the temple – he brings
my great strength and then set the
Israelites had done ‘evil in the eyes of
When I am strong, the Lord, so the Lord delivered them Philistines upon me?’ it down on the rulers and people,
Unfortunately, Delilah’s constant
killing ‘many more when he died than
into the hands of the Philistines.’
while he lived.’
questioning eventually ends up
Perhaps they also deserved brash,
His death – like that of Jesus –
headstrong Samson as a judge, though nagging Samson to death (both
I am weak… deliverance later comes from this literally and metaphorically), ‘so he brings life because he rescues God’s
unlikely ‘saviour’.
people from their enemy. In the case of
told her everything’.
Samson, it’s the Philistines. In the case
And so, when Samson finally falls
Secret of his strength? asleep, she calls for someone to shave of Jesus, it is Satan, sin and death.
Before this, again using strongman off his locks. His strength disappears So, no matter how many times
tactics, Samson escapes from the and, when the Philistines attack, he Samson sinned, failed or fell, God had
clutches of the prostitute and foolishly tries to shake himself free mercy on his foolhardy servant. The
the people lying in wait for him, because he doesn’t realise that the same is true of us.
then falls in love with the equally Lord has left him. American author Cathleen Falsani
unsuitable Delilah. With Samson seized and is quoted as saying, ‘Justice is getting
Of course, when the Philistine his eyes gouged out, the now what you deserve. Mercy is not getting
rulers hear about this, they each offer weakened strongman is bound with what you deserve. And grace is getting
her eleven hundred shekels of silver bronze shackles and, like Joseph, what you absolutely don’t deserve.’
(probably worth more than the thirty put in prison. Having, like Samson, received the
pieces of silver Judas received from Having already been blinded by undeserved gift of God’s grace and
the chief priests), to trick Samson into lust, anger, pride and poor judgment, mercy – unlike the unmerciful servant
telling her the secret of his strength. the Philistines now make him in Matthew 18:23-35 – let’s extend that
Though Samson is hardly an physically sightless. same mercy to others.
intellectual eschatologist, the Finally, however, his hair grows, his
apparently lawless judge does however strength returns and he’s forced to 1 Judges 13-16
thwart the Philistines by exhibiting a entertain the high-spirited Philistines 2 An echo of 1 Samuel 2:26: ‘And the boy Samuel
Houdini-like ability as an escapologist. in Dagon’s temple. continued to grow in stature and in favour with
Every time Delilah says, ‘The Then, like the criminal on the cross the Lord and with people’ and John the Baptist:
Philistines are upon you!’, whether he’s in Luke 23:40-43, Samson cries out ‘And the child grew and became strong in spirit;
and he lived in the desert until he appeared
for God to remember him, though publicly to Israel’ (Luke 1:80).
his motive – revenge – appears far 3 A quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson, Joseph
less admirable. Having finished his de Maistre and Alexis De Tocqueville.
performance and prayed his last 4 Romans 8:28
prayer, Samson – if you’ll pardon
the pun – brings the house down on About the Author
his audience. Gary Clayton is married to Julie and the
father of Christopher (17) and Emma (14).
A lesson learned He is Copywriter and Editor at Mission
So what should we make of this Aviation Fellowship (MAF). To learn how
difficult Bible passage? The answer, MAF’s pilots and personnel share God’s
I think, is one of undeserved mercy. love in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region,
‘In all things God works for the good visit their website: www.maf-uk-org.

Find us online at www.plain-truth.org.uk Winter 2021-2022 The Plain Truth 15