A Strong Man?
When we hear the name, Samson, we usually think of one of the strongest men to ever live. It is true that he was so strong that the Philistines could never defeat him, until they learned the secret of his great strength.(Judges 15:14) However, he was not really a very strong man at all. Let me explain.
First of all, he was not a body builder. He did not spend a lot of time working out and developing his physical prowess. He was strong because his parents were faithful to raise him according to the Nazarite vow, as the Lord directed them before his birth. God honored their obedience, and He made Samson strong, so he could deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Philistines. Samson had a supernatural strength that came from God's blessing. When the blessing was taken away, he was just like any other man.
Also, Samson was a weak person spiritually. Yes, it seems very odd that a man who was drawn to pagan women and who would not follow the Lord's commands was used by God to be a judge in Israel. I chalk that up to the strange time in which he lived. None of the people of Israel were faithful to God. They were all breaking God's laws. Samson was a very "average" guy for his time. God decided to choose someone to deliver his people, so He chose Samson. His spiritual weakness eventually caused his downfall.
That is why I say that Samson was not really a very strong person, either physically or spiritually. He is a definite example of how God can use anyone in His service. Also, his life shows us the power of the Holy Spirit to transform a person in supernatural ways. When we have the Spirit, we can do things that would be impossible for us without Him. The truth is that none of us are strong, either. It is only by the strength of the Lord that we are able to do anything at all. We can only be strong in His strength, so we must decide to put our trust in Him for everything.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 16-19.
First of all, he was not a body builder. He did not spend a lot of time working out and developing his physical prowess. He was strong because his parents were faithful to raise him according to the Nazarite vow, as the Lord directed them before his birth. God honored their obedience, and He made Samson strong, so he could deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Philistines. Samson had a supernatural strength that came from God's blessing. When the blessing was taken away, he was just like any other man.
Also, Samson was a weak person spiritually. Yes, it seems very odd that a man who was drawn to pagan women and who would not follow the Lord's commands was used by God to be a judge in Israel. I chalk that up to the strange time in which he lived. None of the people of Israel were faithful to God. They were all breaking God's laws. Samson was a very "average" guy for his time. God decided to choose someone to deliver his people, so He chose Samson. His spiritual weakness eventually caused his downfall.
That is why I say that Samson was not really a very strong person, either physically or spiritually. He is a definite example of how God can use anyone in His service. Also, his life shows us the power of the Holy Spirit to transform a person in supernatural ways. When we have the Spirit, we can do things that would be impossible for us without Him. The truth is that none of us are strong, either. It is only by the strength of the Lord that we are able to do anything at all. We can only be strong in His strength, so we must decide to put our trust in Him for everything.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 16-19.