Samson was a Nazirite, dedicated to God from birth, whose mission was to deliver the Israelites from the Philistine oppression (Judges 13:1-25). God gifted him with extraordinary strength, which he used to defeat his enemies. However, he was an impulsive decision-maker and was weak when it came to Philistine women. Despite his incredible feats, like conquering a lion and killing a thousand Philistines with a jawbone, Samson’s lust for Philistine women led him astray. He fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah (Judges 16:4-21), who conspired with the Philistine rulers to discover the secret of his strength. After deceitful attempts, Samson revealed that his strength came from his uncut hair, which was against God’s command. While he slept, Delilah betrayed him, cutting his hair and robbing him of his power. Subsequently, Samson was captured by the Philistines, his eyes gouged out, and he was forced into captivity and mockery (Judges 16:21-22).
Sometimes, if not most of the time, we are like Samson. God graces us with good health and enough strength to conquer every day, but instead of keeping our reliance upon Him, we forget from whom we get the strength and rely on ourselves. As a consequence, we fall not only into the traps of the enemy but also into sin, leading to despair and suffering. Only then do we remember God. On the other hand, this truth must not be taken wrong. Despair and suffering indeed are two God uses to wean us to Him and mold us into the image of Christ, but we must avoid inflicting them upon ourselves willingly, to the point of mocking our testimony as Christians.
God is not glorified nor joyed in our foolish and careless walk as believers. The prophet Isaiah lamented over this way of living as he said in Isaiah 31:1,
“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
And rely on horses,
Who trust in chariots because they are many,
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
Nor seek the Lord,”
and prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 17:5,
‘ Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.”’
Thus, let us not be like Samson who relied on himself. Instead, let us also be like him in that even though He disobeyed God, he still went back to Him in humility and trusted Him again, for He is gracious and merciful. Let us follow what King Solomon said, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).” By God’s grace, let us strive to “… walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10).”
“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered (Proverbs 28:26).”
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7).”
