Samson: Hero or Villain?

A favorite Bible character for many people is Samson. The Old Testament figure is preserved for us in the book of Judges, and his life was truly noteworthy. He never had a single haircut (well, he had one near the end of his life, and it was very costly), he killed a lion with his bare hands, and he was known for his incredible strength. He was so powerful that some have suggested the Bible exaggerates his feats (a position I do not hold). 

 

By all accounts Samson was a bad man. Here are some of the highlights of his life:

He proposed a riddle to thirty people, and the wager involved a change of clothes—thirty for him if they could not solve it, and one for each of them if they could. When they solved his riddle, he killed thirty Philistines, disrobed them, and presented their clothes as his payment. On another occasion he caught 300 foxes, tied them together by their tails, and set them on fire; this sent 150 sets of burning foxes running through the Philistine fields, devastating their crops. After visiting a Philistine prostitute, he ripped the city gate off its hinges on his way home, and carried it forty miles away. His last act on earth was a murder/suicide, something that if occurred today would be called a terror attack. 

 

Bad guy, right? If that is all we ever read about Samson we might conclude that he was a failure, a villain that would go down with people like Nabal, King Saul, or even Queen Jezebel. But the New Testament has something nice to say about the intriguing judge; of all places, he appears in Hebrews 11, the “Hall of Faith” of the Bible. After naming great people of faith, the writer adds this conclusion:

 

“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens (v.32-34).”

 

I’m sorry, did I just see Samson’s name on that list, in the same breath as David and Gideon? The author of Hebrews recognized something in Samson, particularly what we see in the last line, he “became valiant in battle,” and “turned to flight the armies” of the Philistines. Bestselling author Stephen Miller wrote, “Some historians say Samson’s legacy assured Israel’s survival. Before he came along, the kingless Jews were in the process of becoming assimilated into the culture of their stronger neighbor…Samson forever changed the relationship by driving a wedge of distrust and anger between the two nations. In time, the Jews would emerge as winners in the war for the Promised Land.” 

 

I love Samson because, even though he had his many faults, he is proof that we are not defined by our worst moments. He messed up many times, but when push came to shove, he demonstrated faith in God. Many of our Bible heroes are just like that: a collection of successes and defeats. Please don’t misunderstand me: I am not saying that it doesn’t matter how we live or what we do. We should do our best, but the reality is we will make mistakes. The most important thing, then, is if we have faith in Jesus. Let your faith be what defines your life, not your feats or failures. 

 

 

 

The Flight of the Bumblebee

During World War II on Air Force bases around the nation the United States put up posters that bore the following inscription: “By all known laws which can be proved on paper and in the wind tunnel—the bumblebee cannot fly. The size of his wings in relation to his body, according to aeronautical and mathematical science simply means that he cannot fly. It is an impossibility. But of course, the bumblebee doesn’t know about these rule, so he goes ahead and flies anyway.”

I’m not sure about the truth of that information. In fact, snopes.com has fact checked that tidbit as being false. The validity of the words on the poster is not what I am concerned with though; I just love the thought of the impossible being achieved. As Christians we know that what is impossible with man is possible with God. 

In Matthew 9 there are five people that come to Jesus needing something impossible. Like fat bumblebees with tiny wings, they flew to Jesus and found exactly what they needed. In this chapter there is a woman who has been sick for twelve years, two blind men, a mute man, and a young girl who had passed away. In each of those situations Jesus did something impossible: He opened the eyes of the blind, opened the mouth of the mute, healed the woman, and even raised the dead. 

The woman who had been sick for twelve years had suffered greatly. Luke, who was a physician by trade, tells us there was no human cure for her bleeding issue. Mark tells us she had spent all of her money in vain seeking a cure. Obviously medicine was quite primitive back then, but we know some of the remedies prescribed in the Talmud. There were eleven prescriptions, but they are superstitions more than medicine. One of the remedies was to carry a corn kernel that was fished out of the dung of a white female donkey; another was to carry around the ashes of an ostrich egg, using a linen bag in the summer and cotton bag in the winter. This is the kind of treatment this poor woman spent the last of her savings on. 

Her condition was impossible, especially considering her medical options. “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God (Mark 10:27).” I’m not suggesting that God gives us everything we ask for or want. He is not a genie and you are not Aladdin. But He has the ability to do all things, and our prayer life should show we believe that to be true. He is the God who makes impossible things possible.  

Christ's Authority

Only Jesus can heal someone without even being present to do it. Matthew and Luke both record an instance in which Jesus declared someone would be healed, and later the person was found to be well. In Luke 7:1-10, Jesus is approached by some people on behalf of their leader, a Centurion in the Roman army. They are asking for Jesus to come heal one the servants of this soldier, and Jesus agrees to go.

On the way to where the Centurion was they were greeted by more of his servants, this time asking Jesus not to come heal the man, but to simply issue the command to do so. According to the Centurion, he was not worthy to have Jesus enter his house, and he believed the miracle could occur even without Jesus being present. Jesus is moved by the great display of faith: He was on the way to heal the man, but the Centurion was willing to risk everything. If Jesus never came to the house, the servant might not get better, but in faith the Centurion trusted that Jesus would come through. And He did.

This Centurion was used to sending people on missions; as the name suggests, he had a hundred men under his command. His job depended on him being able to give the word and trust that the order would be fully carried out; he could not waste time following his men to make sure they were doing things right. His authority demanded that his words be carried out. This Centurion recognized that kind of authority in Jesus (albeit on a different level). All Jesus had to do was speak the word and the command for healing would be carried out, and that is exactly what happened.

That is the authority of Christ. When He spoke in a boat, the wind and seas obeyed Him. When He spoke at Creation, all the elements rushed to obey. When He gave the word, the Centurion’s servant was instantly better. That same power is still present today. When we call out to Him for forgiveness or salvation, He answers the call without delay.

If there is something in your life that seems too big for you, have the faith of the Roman Centurion. Take it to the Lord in prayer, because nothing is impossible with God.

“When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, ‘I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’”

Luke 7:9

Gideon: God's Warrior

When we think about Gideon we may remember him as a warrior who led a small band of soldiers to defeat the Midianites. We also may think about him putting out a fleece, seeking a sign from God that he really was God’s chosen leader for a special mission. We think highly of Gideon because of what he did, and what God did through him, even reading a quick reference to him in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith. Gideon became a might warrior for God, but he did not start out that way.

The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon in Judges 6:12, telling him “The LORD is with you, you mighty warrior.” When we read those words we may get the impression that he was a hotshot young general with a bright military future, the heir apparent to Israel’s next leader. But the text gives us a small clue that Gideon wasn’t exactly Joshua 2.0. The preceding verses say Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide from the Midianties. The winepress was used to smash grapes, not thresh wheat. Gideon used a strategic location—a cave—because he was so scared of the Midianties. He hardly looks like a mighty warrior.

While we often use the phrase “put out a fleece” to refer to trying to discern God’s will, Gideon’s use of the fleece was more an act of fear. God already told him he would be used to defeat Midian “as if they were one man,” so the fleece was not necessary, especially when he put the fleece out the second night. Gideon did not need to discern God’s will, he just needed to obey it. Again, this doesn’t look like a warrior. And yet, that is exactly what God called him.

It is incredible that God called Gideon something that he wasn’t. Not yet. God knew that Gideon would become a warrior, but at the time he was scared, secretly threshing wheat in cave, and stalling when God called Him. I believe God looks at us and calls us what we can be, not what we are right now. What does God call you?

You may be a new believer, but God sees that you will one day be a mature Christian. You may not be serving in your local church, but God sees you teaching a class, driving a bus, or keeping the nursery. You may not feel like God can use you, but He knows exactly what He can do through you. He took a scared Gideon and turned him into a warrior; what can He do through you? Trust Him, and He might just amaze you.  

Two Women of Faith

In the Gospels there are two stories of women who found healing, one for herself, and one for her daughter.

The first woman had a blood disorder that left her ceremonially unclean and an outcast from society. Her health also drove her to bankruptcy as she turned from one doctor to the next in a hopeless search of a cure. But that was all before Jesus passed by.

This unmanned woman fought through the crowd and was able to touch just one of the tassels on his outer garment. In that instant healing power flowed from Jesus to this woman as she immediately became well. And in Luke 8:48 we see what Jesus credited for this healing: “Your faith has made you well.”

The second woman was a Syrophoenician, a Gentile. In the presence of Jewish men, who would view her as the equivalent of a stray dog, she asked Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus initially ignored the woman, testing her faith. But as she persisted Jesus healed her daughter, declaring, “Oh woman! Great is your faith! (Matthew 15:28)”

In both situations Jesus commented on the faith of these women, and that faith is what led to their healings. These women were similar in that they had nothing they could boast of aside from their faith. The first woman had spent at least twelve years away from the synagogue and probably knew little of the Scriptures or Jesus. The second woman never presented Jesus with a list of her or her daughter’s accomplishments.

They just had faith.

And faith is all that is required of us. You don’t need a PhD to come to Jesus; you don’t need to be an MVP or CEO. You just need faith. It matters none how much or little you know of the Bible or the church; just put your faith in Jesus. The longer you serve Him the more you will learn, but the first thing you need is faith.

We can learn a major lesson from these unnamed women. No matter who you are or what you have done, if you put your faith in Jesus then you too can be made well.  

Bribery

Although it is hopefully something we do not practice, we are probably all familiar with how bribery works. It has been well reported how some people will try to slip some money to someone else in an attempt to gain preferential treatment. And while bribery may work sometimes, it is not something we should be doing.

Just imagine trying to bribe your teacher to get a better grade. “My friend Mr. Washington thinks I deserve an A.” No self-respecting teacher would change your grade (at least not for a dollar!); instead, the teacher wants you to work harder, study, and earn the A yourself.

Some of us may have been guilty of bribing our parents. You may have never offered them money, but perhaps you did extra chores without being asked. Instead of being motivated by love or appreciation for all your parents did for you, you were thinking, “They will remember this next time I ask for something.” That is a selfish motivation; it is deception disguised as love.

What is even worse than that is when we try to bribe God. I like to ask people why God should let them into heaven, and I usually hear a list of things they do, haven’t done, stopped doing, or do better than other people.

“I go to church every week.”

“I’ve never killed anybody.”

“I quit cussing.”

“I’m not as bad as she is.”

In essence they are bribing God. They are saying, “When I stand before God in judgment, He will remember that I…” But that isn’t how God works.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

If you are making a list of all the things you do, haven’t done, stopped doing, or do better than other people, then you are boasting in your own good works, which are not sufficient to save you. The only way to be saved is by God’s grace (which He extended 2,000 years ago) and your total faith in Jesus, and Jesus alone.

If you already have been saved, then remember that we still can’t bribe God for a better life. Health, promotions, obedient children, and retirement accounts aren’t the result of our good works. Our good works should be out of love and appreciation for what God has already done, not for what we hope He will do. 

Don't Worry

How much good has ever been accomplished by worry?

Think about it: did worrying about the economy get you a raise? Did worrying about that odd noise under the hood of your car make it go away? Did worrying about final exam help you get a passing grade?

Of course not. Worry has never helped us; in fact, it only hurts us.

Worry adds stress, which leads to ulcers, panic attacks, nervous breakdowns, and loss of sleep. But the worst part about worry is that it conveys to God that we don’t trust Him.

The God who takes care of the birds and flowers will also take care of us, but when we choose to worry and fret we are acting as if God is not capable of sorting out our problems.

Luke 12:25 poses this rhetorical question for believers: “And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

Whether it is a person in a hospital bed who fears the end is in sight, or if it is a young child who fears death, we cannot lengthen our lives by worrying about it. Instead of wasting time worrying, why not make the most of what time we have, namely the present?

And when you feel tempted to worry, remember that God has taken that responsibility away from us. Just trust Him to do what is right. But above all, don’t worry.