SAMSON AND THE ZERO EFFECT.
It is sad to be remembered for what one might have been. Samson had tremendous potential. Not many people have started life with credentials like his. Born as a result of God’s plan in the lives of Manoah and his wife, Samson was to do a great work for God- “To begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines’’. To help him accomplish God’s plan, he was given enormous physical strength.
Though Samson had great physical strength, the effect was canceled out by great moral weakness. Samson threw the weight of his life behind things that had no relevance to his life’s calling and purpose.
Because Samson wasted his strength on practical jokes and getting out of scrapes, and because he eventually gave it up altogether to satisfy the woman he loved, we tend to see him as a failure. We remember him as the judge of Israel who spent his last days grinding grains in the enemy’s prison, and we say ‘’what a wasted potential’. Yes, Samson wasted his life. He could have strengthened his nation. He could have turned his people back to the true worship of God. He could have wiped out the Philistines. But even though he did none of those things, Samson still accomplish the purpose announced by the angel who visited his parent before his birth. In his final act, Samson began to rescue Israel from the Philistines.
Interestingly, the New Testament does not mention Samson’s failure or his heroic facts of strength. In Hebrews, he is simply listed with others ‘’who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises and others were given superhuman aid.”
In the end, Samson recognized his dependency on God. When he died, God turned his failure and defeat into victory. Samson’s story teaches us that it is never too late to start over. However badly we might have failed in the past, today is not too late for us to put our complete trust in God for a new beginning.
Strength and Accomplishments:
- Dedicated to God from birth as a Nazarite
- Known for his feats of strength
- Listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrew 11
Weakness and Mistakes:
- Violated his vow and God’s laws on many occasions.
- Was controlled by sensuality
- Confided in the wrong people
- Used his gifts and abilities unwisely
Lessons from His Life
- Great strength in one area of life does not make up for great weakness in other areas
- God’s presence does not overwhelm a person’s will
- God can use a person of faith in spite of his or her mistakes.
Key Verse: ‘’For, lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son; for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the Philistines (Judges 13:5).
His story is told in Judges 13:16. He is mentioned in Hebrew 11:32