Daily Thought

In his life Samson won some great and notable victories over the Philistines, but he was eventually captured and humiliated by his enemies. Delilah had coaxed from him the secret of his great strength, and by cutting his hair had robbed him of his physical might. The Philistines had not only imprisoned him but had, in an act of intense cruelty, put out his eyes and blinded him. They had made him do the work of a slave girl, that of grinding in the mill, and then had him brought to the house of their god, Dagon, where they could mock and despise their captured enemy.

Samson’s downfall had been his self-confidence. He had largely gone his own way regardless of his parents’ advice and by ignoring the laws of God. He had become dependent upon his physical strength and failed to trust in the Lord. Maybe with sadness, these thoughts went through his mind as he heard the mocking laughter of his Philistine captors.

At the centre of his jeering enemies, in a temple made for idol worship, Samson lifted up his voice for one final prayer. God heard that prayer and answered it in a wonderful way. The answer was to give Samson strength for one last great act and, though he died, so did many of the Philistines; his death was both a triumph and a tragedy.

It was a triumph because at least in part, his honour was restored. Many of those mocking enemies of God were killed as Samson pushed aside the retaining pillars and the temple collapsed. In death, he killed many more Philistines than he had in a lifetime of battling with them. As a result, the Philistines were a broken force, and it would take many years for such veteran soldiers to be replaced. Thus, Samson’s actions in death prevented the Philistines from making effective incursions towards Israel for many years.

It was a tragedy because he need never have come to the point of imprisonment and weakness. His life, which had such potential, was undermined by personal weakness and failure to trust the Lord. Yet Samson is still remembered as a great leader in Israel, and, despite his failure, his faith is highlighted in the New Testament ‘hall of fame’, Heb. 11. 32. God’s grace focuses upon our faith and not our failures.