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Samson’s life reveals how God can use human imperfections to fulfill His purpose.

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Samson’s life reveals how God can use human imperfections to fulfill His purpose.

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Lesson no. 1: We are called to live a holy life

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Lesson no. 1: We are called to live a holy life

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Samson’s name means “like the sun.” He was miraculously conceived after an Angel of the LORD appeared to his barren mother. The Messenger gave an instruction to Samson’s mother about how they should raise the child.
- (Judges 13:4-5).

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Samson is mentioned, by name, at least thirty-eight times in the King James Old Testament. His life is also referenced once in the New Testament (Hebrews 11). His name comes from the Hebrew Shimshon and means "like the sun".

The story of Samson and his unique life begins with the Philistines harassing those who lived in the southern part of ancient Israel. The Philistines were a warlike people, some of which were tall and strong (e.g. Goliath), who dwelled on land that belonged to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 13:2 - 3, 15:47). They were allowed to dominate part of God's people as punishment for their sins (Judges 13:1).

The Eternal ultimately allows the Philistines to bully and harass his people for several years. He then decides to begin to free them from their adversary by sending them a champion named Samson (Judges 13:1, 5).

God sends the Angel of the Lord to a Danite woman to announce she will be healed of her barrenness. She and her husband Manoah are instructed to raise Samson as a Nazarite (Judges 13:3 - 14). This dedicated state of serving God is meant to last his entire life (verse 7). The Lord, as the child grows up, not only blesses him but also begins to stir within him, through the Holy Spirit, the desire to fulfill his will (verses 24 - 25).

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As Christians, we have a higher calling than the pursuit of happiness. It is the pursuit of holiness.

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As Christians, we have a higher calling than the pursuit of happiness. It is the pursuit of holiness.

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1. Samson greatly desired to marry a Philistine woman of Timnath (Judges 14:1 - 4). A young lion attacks him as he travels to the city to take her for a wife. In his first notable act of strength he, with his bare hands, quickly tears up and kills the hungry lion (Judges 14:6).

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Lesson no. 2: God can use bad situations to fulfill His purpose

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Lesson no. 2: God can use bad situations to fulfill His purpose

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Though Samson is known to be one of the strongest men recorded in the Bible, he is not short of weaknesses. His greatest weakness is women, and because of this, Samson is always caught in bad situations.
-Judges 14:4

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2. During his wedding celebration Samson offers his guests a valuable prize if they answer a riddle (Judges 14:10 - 14). Stumped, the guests resort to having his new wife ply the answer from him (verses 15 - 17). Samson, enraged after discovering he had been tricked into divulging the riddle's answer, kills thirty Philistines in order to provide the promised prize (verses 18 - 19).

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God’s purpose for our lives is way greater than our biggest mistakes.

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God’s purpose for our lives is way greater than our biggest mistakes.

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Lesson no. 3: You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice

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Lesson no. 3: You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice

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Here is something that we must all realize. God has given us free moral agency. This means that we have the freedom to do whatever we like, whether we obey Him or not. However, we will never be able to choose the outcome of our choices.

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3. Three thousand men of Judah decide to turn Samson over to the Philistines in order to avoid retribution upon their tribe for his deeds. He seizes on the opportunity, however, to get close to Israel's enemy. Once he is turned over to them, he finds the jawbone of a newly dead ass and uses it to slay 1,000 men (Judges 15:9 - 15).

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Every action you make will either bring you farther or closer to God.

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Every action you make will either bring you farther or closer to God.

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Lesson no. 4: Choose a mate within your faith

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Lesson no. 4: Choose a mate within your faith

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We have seen in the life of Samson the tragic consequences of his decisions. He decided to choose a mate from the land of Timnah, a woman from daughters of Philistines (Judges 14:2). The parents of Samson saw the foolishness of his choice and told him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all of my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines” (verse 3)

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4. The people of Gaza discover that Samson is in the city utilizing the services of a prostitute (Judges 16:1). They quickly decide to secretly surround him and wait until morning in order to take his life (verse 2). He decides, however, to leave the city at midnight with a spectacular show of strength. While exiting Gaza he tears loose the city's gate, along with its posts and bar, and deposits them at the top of a hill outside the city (verse 3)

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Choosing a mate is so life-changing that it should not be based on your will, but God’s will.

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Choosing a mate is so life-changing that it should not be based on your will, but God’s will.

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Lesson no. 5: Use our strength for God’s work

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Lesson no. 5: Use our strength for God’s work

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There is no doubt, people would automatically think of Samson when asked, “Who is the strongest man in the Bible?” Obviously, this is partly true. He has the superhuman strength that can tear lions in half, single-handedly kill a thousand people with the use of an ass’ jawbone, carry two gateposts on his shoulders, and bring down a massive pagan temple.

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5. Desperate to stop Samson, five Philistine leaders decide to employ the services of a harlot named Delilah to discover how to render him powerless (Judges 16:4 - 5). His lust and weakness for women, coupled with her persistence, pays off. She learns from him that the source of his power is his dedicated service to God symbolized by his unshaved head (verse 17).

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6. Delilah, as Samson sleeps, has his hair shaved off and, with his Nazarite vow now broken, he loses his superhuman strength. The brutal Philistines take him prisoner, gouge out his eyes, bind him and force him to grind in prison (verses 18 - 21).