1) Samson's pattern of faith
Recently I heard a talk that questioned the faith of Samson, as they wondered why he was mentioned in the Book of Hebrews.
And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: (Hebrews 11:32)
If we were to ask what was in the writer to Hebrew's mind as to Samson's faith, we are given some reasons:
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: (Hebrews 11:33-36)
Likely Samson's faith was exhibited in 'out of weakness'; being 'made strong'.
Some may question Samson's life, as that of a strong man failing to make correct choices. The pattern of his choice of women, seems at the very least problematic, at least in conventional morality. However, let us reconsider at the first instance - this Philistine wife was of Yahweh Elohim himself -
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. (Judges 14:4)
The giving of the riddle and the betrayal by Samson's Philistine wife seems to have been anticipated, which then led to the deaths of leading Philistines. This led to the reduction of Philistine power. Mossad might not even be as cunning.
In the era of the Judges, we are told all people did what was 'right in their own eyes' (Judges 17:6). We are also told,
When the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. (Judges 2:18)
Therefore when it says that Samson judged Israel 20 years, it doesn't mean that he heard law cases, as in fact all were doing as they saw fit and Yahweh Elohim was their judge.
In the matter of the dead concubine of Chapter 20, her husband a Levite sends out the body himself in 12 portions to the tribal chiefs- where day-to-day power sat, and they all turn up before Yahweh Elohim at Mizpeh where the ark rested. There the matter is discussed and the High Priest consulted. As there considerable lawlessness, the tribe of Benjamin refuses to hand over the despicable men of Gibeah. The result is a war in which Benjamin is almost destroyed. Even this does not propel the people to seek a judge-king, as the high priest Phineas was asking direction of of Yahweh Elohim who was their judge-king. The Bible remarkably documents a very rare situation – there are other instances- the Jämtland people of Sweden had no king or formal justice system yet could organise a parliamentary assembly and muster an army to successfully fight. The issue of the Levite's concubine establishes how the very diffuse family-clan-tribe based power-justice system worked in those days.
Samson's role therefore as a judge Shaphat was as an avenger, or punisher, or pleader, or defender against an external national foe. Samson's relationship to Philistine women and his faith must be seen in this context.
Though we might, without self-awareness, feel that we may do better than Samson in the matter of Delilah, we must also see the matter in the light of previous encounters. When visiting the Harlot of Gaza, to escape the Philistines who are laying in wait, Samson takes away the gate of Gaza. To do this he very well knew that the harlot had called in the Philistines to lay in wait.. Samson went in there knowing he would have this issue. The record doesn’t say how many he killed at midnight when he took the doors bar and all - but they were lying there at the gate waiting for him and he must have bulldozed with the doors.
Even if Samson was all brawn and no brain, which he wasn't, he surely must have noticed Delilah was testing his strength. Let's assume he knew, as he knew they were waiting at the gates of the city in Gaza - then how must it play out? Perhaps he thought there was to be a miracle there?
There is some evidence that Samson knew he was dealing with the Lords of the Philistines. Did Samson not know where the seven new green withs came from? How could he not smell and sense the men hiding? They may well have just bathed and been clean and cool, and held their breath and been exceptionally quiet, but how could he not know? When Delilah says the “Philistines be upon thee?” why didn't he think they were real, when his job as deliver and judge in Israel was to confront these Lords? There is evidence that Samson truly thought he would not be damaged.. the record implies he knows the Philistine men are there and he attempts to leave as in the past..
He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself.” And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. (Judges 16:20)
When Samson is taken prisoner the Philistines do not kill him, but rather use him. They might have killed him. It was of God that their hearts were set on this course. They removed his eyes only. He was bound.
Samson's life is not a mere lesson in morality. Samson was of miraculous birth to a barren woman – he is shown as a Nazarite – he is betrayed by one he loved. He is then in a dark prison of blindness that might as well be death, exactly the condition Isaiah speaks of that is quoted by Yeshua,
There was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he (Yeshua) had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. ..And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Luke 4:17-21)
Samson then arises in renewed power, judges and destroys all the leaders of the adversarial pagan heathens in his death and by his death. This is the pattern of salvation in Christ. It cannot be mistaken.
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. (John 11:51-52)
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Cor 5:15)
More so, when Samson makes the choice of giving his life for the benefit of his nation, he can only have a hope beyond his death in his own resurrection.
But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: (2 Cor 1:9)
There - at that time - Samson, killed at once the entire top echelons of the power structure of the Philistines. It is likely modern Israel learns this lesson from Samson. In giving up his present life in his returned strength, he saved his people.
Samson as a 'judge' is a deliverer - one of those whom Nehemiah mentions as saviours,
Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours (yâsha), who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. (Nehemiah 9:27)
It is short sighted to see the example of Samson as a moral cautionary tale in base terms. It is a moral tale, but on the grandest scale of miracle and self sacrifice. Y'shua gives us a long parable on the beggar Lazarus, the Rich Man and Abraham to establish one point only that “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead (Luke 16:31). In the same way Samson's whole life can be seen as the punchline to a lived parable that by a saviour's death there will be national redemption. The Bible is the only book that can show such a pattern of redemption – in Samson's life and so many other lives.
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Cor 10:11)
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