Judges Part 3: Samsonنموونە

Themes in Samson’s Life

If you look back on your life, odds are you will see some themes and patterns that repeat. The key to being a growing and maturing person is to be mindful of and repeat the good themes and patterns and turn away from the bad ones. This is the process of self-improvement, or what the Bible calls spiritual “sanctification.”

What is true of your life is also true of Samson’s life. In Judges 13-16, there is a series of themes and patterns of which he is unaware and from which he does not learn. As a result, his life ends in tragedy.

Eyes. There is a theme in the Bible encouraging God’s people to do what is right in His eyes. In previous times, Christians spoke of this with the Latin phrase coram deo, which means to live in the presence of our all-seeing God.

In Samson’s life, his failure to devote his eyes to the Lord led to many of his painful problems. This theme of lust of the eyes is common in his life, and something that most everyone to this day also struggles with.

Went Down. It is common to hear, when things are going poorly, phrases like “things went downhill fast,” or there was a “downward spiral.” The book of Judges does something similar to tell the life story of Samson. The scenes of his life are introduced by saying he “went down.”

Samson repeatedly “went down” – physically, spiritually, and morally. He is a man who crosses all boundaries and has no regard for what is right. He repeatedly is with people and in places, as a believer, he should not be, especially one who is supposed to be leading others as a judge. His example is negative, and in this way, Samson looks a lot like everyone else in his day.

Women. Samson appears to be a man obsessed with women, longing for a satisfying relationship, but so sexually unhinged, emotionally unhappy, and spiritually unhealthy that he never has a loving romantic relationship.

Leadership. The last line of the Samson story in Judges 16:31 says, “He had judged Israel twenty years.”

Despite being a judge for 20 years, Samson does not demonstrate many, if any, true leadership qualities.

• He never gathers people and is a complete loner most of the time.
• He never builds teams or shares power; he’s literally a one-man wrecking crew.
• He never plans strategically; all of his decisions are impetuous and driven by anger or lust without considering the consequences.
• He lacks followers, as most people, including his own people who handed him over to the Philistines, were scared of him.
• He never seeks wise counsel; his life is void of sagely advice or seeking to learn from anyone.
• He is never under any authority; he tells his parents what to do, breaks the law, and ignores God.

Samson was a lot like the people in his day, so they got the leader who reflected their values. In our day, things are largely the same. As we look at our political leaders, even those who claim to believe in God, we often see people who are a lot more like Samson than like Jesus.

As we continue to study Samson’s life and legacy, invite the Holy Spirit to help you learn from both his life and your own.