By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Sermon Text: Judges 16:23-27
Sermon Theme
Samson is listed as one of the great heroes of faith in chapter 11 of Hebrews. Yet Samson strikes us as an ambiguous figure. The Spirit of the Lord is upon him. He is set apart at birth and is born to faithful parents. However Samson struggles with attractions to inappropriate women. He plays the role of a trickster and appears to act out brutal vengeance at times. He seems foolish on some occasions. He falls into a deadly trap set by his enemies. Nonetheless he is listed as a model of faith. Samson is one of the supreme examples in Scripture of strength being seen in weakness. The pattern of Samson’s life is one we all face.
Sermon Outline
- The Spirit and the Word. Samson was called to be one of the judges of Israel. His birth is announced by an angel to a woman who has no prospect of bearing a child. This is similar to the mothers of Isaac and Samuel and, of course, Mary, the mother of Jesus. Samson is to be raised as a Nazirite (Numbers 6). This means that he is to be set apart, consecrated to God for a special service. One of the signs of the Nazirites is that they are not to cut their hair (Numbers 6:5). Samson’s mission is confirmed by the word of the Lord given through an angel: “It is he who shall begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines” (Judges 13:5). Israel had once again disobeyed God and he had given them into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 12:1).The Holy Spirit comes upon Samson. He is blessed by God (Judges 13:24-25). Samson is a model of the life of a Christian. We have all been called by God, consecrated to Jesus Christ, given his Word and Spirit and sent into the world of the Philistines.
- The Song of the World. Samson has taken his vows to the Lord. He is living as a Nazirite. He has not cut his hair. He is a judge in Israel. At this time Israel is living under the oppression of the Philistines who worship the false god, Dagon. One day however, Samson goes to Timnah, an area dominated by the Philistines. There he sees a Philistine woman and he decides he wants to marry her. He insists his parents make the proper arrangements over their protest. The wedding ends in disaster with both the girl and her father burned to death. Samson continues to pursue inappropriate women. The final example, of course, is Delilah who may have been a Philistine temple priestess or even an Israelite woman in the service of the Philistines. The striking fact is that, in spite of these weaknesses, Samson is winning great victories for Israel. He repeatedly is filled with the Holy Spirit (“the spirit of the Lord”) (Judges 13:25, 14:6, 19, 15:14, 19). Samson then is a study in contrasts. He is a powerful servant of the Lord and, at the same time, he is constantly being lured by the Siren song of the world. He is attracted to foreign and faithless women. He acts out of revenge (Judges 15:7). He is filled with “hot anger” (Judges 14:19). Many of us, like Samson, live contradictory lives of faith.
- The Strength of Weakness. Samson, enters into a fatal relationship with Delilah. She repeatedly tries to trap him. He realizes this but he doesn’t leave her. It’s almost as if he is addicted to her. Finally she wears him down and he tells her the secret of his uncut hair. As a result the Lord leaves him and he is taken prisoner by the Philistines. They enslave him and blind him (Judges 16:18-21). Any of us as Christians can fall into the same trap as Samson. We become enticed by the relationships and pleasures the world offers. Nonetheless we find we are able to resist not once but several times. We then ignore the danger. We don’t take God’s “way out” (I Corinthians 10:13). Eventually the idolatrous world overcomes us. We disobey God and he leaves us to ourselves. But God does not abandon us permanently (Isaiah 54:7-8, Lamentations 3:31). Samson’s hair begins to grow back. The Philistines send for him to provide them with entertainment. Samson at this point has seemingly lost everything, his leadership, his strength, his vision, his freedom and his respect. He is offered as a spectacle to their god. Samson appears weak and helpless but God’s power is made perfect in weakness (II Corinthians 12:9). God hears Samson’s cry and his power is restored. He achieves his greatest victory in death. This points forward to Jesus’ victory on the cross. It also assures us that even in our most despairing moments of failure and weakness God still empowers us and raises us up. We are never defeated even when we feel defeated. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:57).
Questions for Us
- What is the difference for Samson of being in the world of the Philistines and becoming part of that world? What lessons can we learn from Samson’s example?
- Why do you think God continues to send his Spirit on Samson even when he is acting contrary to God’s will?
- What can we learn both from Samson’s humiliation and his eventual triumph? How does this help us understand Christ’s death and resurrection?
