The secret of Samons’s strength
Beloved, the story of Samson is one from which we may draw great encouragement, but not for the reasons that are commonly held. We say hindsight is 20/20 and we apply this thinking in our assessment of Samson’s story. We covet the ‘blessing’ of his great strength, which represents the anointing, and favour of God. We marvel in awe and wonder at his great victories over the enemies of God and His people. And finally, we lament over his eventual downfall and upbraid one another over the pitfalls of sinful living. In the back of our minds, we think of ourselves as being smarter than Samson, because we’re not going to fall for Delilah’s (the Devil’s) tricks.
Beloved, there’s a greater story here than the one we’ve grown accustomed to. Samson’s great strength came from covenant relationship with God. Not from his piety, his good works, his Holy living, but from the covenant that God made with his parents before he was conceived (Judges 3:3-5). He was a Nazarite from birth, not by virtue of any thing he did.
(anybody shouting yet?)
(it’s ok to shout…)
Beloved, Samson presents a problem to the religious folk. His life was one of self-will and rebellion, yet the anointing and favour of God was evident in everything he did. Why? Because of covenant.
Now somebody out there is saying "Yeah Brother Wayne, but look where his raggedy lifestyle got him." " God won’t dwell in an unclean Temple". And you’ll show me Judges 16:20 and say " See… the Lord departed from him. " Beloved, the Lord departed from Samson because…his hair had been cut, not because of sin in his life. His hair was cut, the terms of the covenant were violated, thus God’s hands were tied because of the covenant. Whose strength did we think it was anyway?
The covenant God made in Samson foreshadowed the New Covenant in that Samson was born into it (Judges 13:5) and we must be ‘born again’ (John 3:3), but it also typified the Old Covenant (the Law) in that it was weak through the flesh (Rom. 8:3). Look at Judges 16:22…’But the hair on his head began to grow again…’ RSV. Notice in the verses immediately before or after, that several events take place within the text of a single verse. But, in verse 22 only one event is recorded. Beloved, I’m telling you that as soon as Samson’s hair came back, God was in full effect, ready to move on Samson’s behalf… because the terms of the covenant had been re-established!
Beloved, I’ll close with this…
Psst… we’re under a better covenant, … with better promises. (Heb. 8:6)
Beloved, God has done something for us in this New Covenant that he could not do for us with the Old Covenant. He made Jesus, who knew no sin, to become sin for us so that we might become right with God in him and through him (2Cor. 5:21). The beauty of our new agreement with God is that once we are in agreement with him (born again), it’s permanent, it’s everlasting, it’s eternal.
When I was little, my dad used to say to me ‘Wayne! Boy you’ll tear up an Iron Mule!!’ This referred to my ability to tear up or destroy almost anything I touched. Beloved, You can’t tear this up. No matter what you do (or don’t do), once you’ve been born again… You’re in for life. Praise God!!!
Beloved, rest in this… that you have a sure and steadfast anchor (Heb. 6:19), and that the Covenant you have with God is unbreakable (immutable) (Heb. 6:18).
Shalom,
Bro. Wayne O. Bigham
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