Our Strength Only Takes Us So Far (Judges 13-16)

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Have you ever tried to operate apart from God’s strength?

Such is the story of Samson. In case you need a quick recap of his life, Samson was a judge of Israel and blessed with extraordinary strength by God from birth. He lived at a point in Israel’s history when Judges 13:1 tells us, “The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines forty years.”

Despite his divine calling, Samson struggles with moral weaknesses, particularly his attraction to Philistine women. His relationship with Delilah leads to his downfall when she discovers his strength lies in his uncut hair and betrays him to the Philistines. They capture him, blind him, and imprison him, intending to display him as a spectacle during a festival. In a final act of faith and strength, Samson prays to God for one last burst of power and pushes apart the pillars of the temple where he is being held, collapsing the structure and killing himself along with many Philistines.

Brian Aucker notes, “The life of Samson embodies the sinfulness of a people who need salvation.”^[1] Just as the people did what was right in their own eyes, Samson did what he thought would make him happy. “Like Israel,” Aucker writes, “Samson is confident in his own strength, assuming that past blessing and God’s presence will continue unabated.^[2]

Samson’s story tells us something about the nature of God. Despite Israel’s repeated failures, God continues to raise up deliverers. As Daniel Block writes, “The conception and birth of Samson declare emphatically God’s refusal to let this nation die! Israel may be doing all in its power to destroy itself from within, but God must preserve this nation. The honor of his name and the cosmic mission of his grace are at stake.”^[3] Block goes on to make this powerful observation:

Samson’s story is filled with irony. No other deliverer in the Book of Judges matches his potential. Called prenatally by Yahweh, stirred as a youth by the Spirit of Yahweh, empowered with extraordinary gifts by Yahweh, and granted exceptional opportunities for heroism by Yahweh, the narrator devotes more attention to Samson than to any other deliverer. Despite all these advantages and this special attention, Samson accomplishes less on behalf of his people than any of his predecessors. Perhaps herein lies his significance. The distinctive feature of chaps. 14–16 is the narrator’s preoccupation with the man’s personal exploits. Though Samson is impressive as an individual, he turns out to be anything but a military hero. He never leads Israel out in battle; he never engages the Philistines in martial combat; he never experiences a military victory. All his accomplishments are personal; all his victories, private.^[4]

The same can be true of us. We each possess certain gifts and abilities that we can either leverage for our gain or the good of others and God’s glory. When we operate in our strength, we’re able to impress a lot of people and make a name for ourselves. But when we lean into our dependence on God, others are less impressed with our abilities and more in awe of God’s goodness working through us.

A Meditation to PRAY

Praise | I praise you for your power and the mysterious ways you work through my life. Just as you gave Samson unmatched strength, I marvel at the gifts and calling you have given me.

Release | I acknowledge my weaknesses. I release my grip on pride and self-reliance, asking for the humility to recognize my need for your guidance and strength in every aspect of my life.

 Ask | Give me the wisdom to discern the true source of my strength and to use the gifts you have given me in your service. Help me to learn from Samson’s story the importance of faithfulness and the dangers of allowing personal desires to overshadow your leading. Teach me to trust your plan, even when it leads me through trials and challenges.

 Yield | I yield to you, asking you to mold my character and direct my steps. Help me to seek your strength in my weakness and to remember that true power lies in obeying your will. Help me live a life that you can use.

A Challenge to Act Like Christ  

As Brian Aucker writes, “More than anywhere else in Judges, the stories of Samson demonstrate: (1) the presence of God with his people, (2) the sinfulness of people who need salvation, (3) the Spirit of God who empowers his servants, and (4) the self-sacrificing act of God who provides salvation.”^[5] He goes on to say, “In Judges, God’s presence is most evident when his people are most helpless. This pattern finds its completion in the coming of Jesus Christ, whose light shines upon his people at their moment of deepest darkness.”^[6]

The story of Samson is rich with parallels to the life and mission of Jesus Christ. Samson’s birth announcement by an angel mirrors the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary about the birth of Jesus, emphasizing the divine significance of both figures’ arrivals. Samson’s Nazirite vow, symbolized by his abstention from alcohol and uncut hair, reflects a life consecrated to God, akin to Jesus’ unwavering commitment to fulfilling God’s will.

Samson’s extraordinary strength, bestowed upon him by God to deliver Israel from the Philistines, mirrors Jesus’ role as the ultimate deliverer, liberating humanity from sin and spiritual bondage. Samson’s sacrificial death, where he lays down his life to defeat Israel’s enemies, finds resonance in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, offering redemption and atonement for humanity’s sins. Furthermore, both figures achieve victory over their adversaries, albeit through different means—Samson through physical prowess and Jesus through spiritual triumph manifested in His resurrection. In short, Jesus was the perfect Samson.

This leaves us with a choice. When life is hard, we can choose the way of Samson and lean on our own strength, or we can increase our dependence on God as Christ did. We can impress others with our accomplishments or stop trying to make a name for ourselves and elevate Jesus’ name instead.

^[1]Bryan Chapell, eds. Gospel Transformation Study Bible Notes. Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), paragraph 1267.

^[2]Bryan Chapell, eds. Gospel Transformation Study Bible Notes. Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), paragraph 1268.

^[3]Daniel I. Block, Judges, Ruth, ed. E. Ray Clendenen and Kenneth A. Mathews, vol. 6 of The New American Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 420.

^[4]Daniel I. Block, Judges, Ruth, ed. E. Ray Clendenen and Kenneth A. Mathews, vol. 6 of The New American Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 420.

^[5]Bryan Chapell, eds. Gospel Transformation Study Bible Notes. Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), paragraph 1263.

^[6]Bryan Chapell, eds. Gospel Transformation Study Bible Notes. Accordance electronic ed. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), paragraph 1265.