Samson: Part 2

6-28-09

Judges 13-16

 ● What we have adopted, at times, appears to be somewhat of a “revisionist Christianity”. Samson is a guy who was arrogant, self-absorbed, temperamental and undisciplined, but who, under the persuasion of the Spirit of God displayed some extraordinary accomplishments. 

We’re offended, and frankly, a bit embarrassed by such stories, so we “spin” them in order to present them in a more favorable light. But, at some point, our faith must be ready to confront such episodes.

            We hold that God has somehow preserved for us the story over the centuries, but honestly it parts like this that don’t   seem so “inspired”. But, simply put, it’s what we’ve come to expect. Are we really surprised by anything anymore?

 ● But for me, it’s the “human stuff” that makes the “super-human stuff” believable; the spectacular feats are simply a diversion for the all-too-common human dilemma.

 ● Honestly, this story is not far from the biographies of many influential people in our culture who have mastered the art of “duplicity” (contradictory double-ness); people who have been publicly celebrated for their giftedness and achievements, but whose lives were marked by quiet compromise and deceit.

 ● There is no Judge with more promise than Samson. Of all the Judges, Samson seems to have the most glaring potential; he is the “whole package”--- young, strong, gifted, groomed for leadership, predestined for greatness.

            He is to pursue “transcendence”--- it’s the desire within all of us.

 ● What God was attempting to do with Samson was symbolic of what he desired to do in all of Israel, in all of his people: to establish our unique, God-designed identity as a means of capturing the attention and the hearts of a lovesick humanity and establish his authority, his kingdom as the rule of the day.

God never meant for Samson’s strength to be in his physicality but in his distinctiveness.

When he lost his distinctiveness, he became just another “side-show” act. It’s the “steroid-era” wing at the Baseball Hall of Fame: posting some impressive numbers, but somehow all those accomplishments were tainted.

 Samson is presented to us as a man whose incredible potential and capacity is rivaled only by the absence of substance in his life.

            He’s “meringue”… there’s nothing there! Samson was killing lions with his bare hands and “goin’ all Ninja” on the enemy with a donkey’s jawbone in public; privately, he’s a man who can’t seem to conquer his addictions and self-destructive behaviors. He looked just like them on the inside! The Philistine around him was the Philistine within him.

You will notice that there are only (2) recorded prayers of Samson, both cries for help, but never cries for transformation. “Meet my needs, God. Help me get vengeance”, but never, “God, would you come and transform me”.

 The one thing you’ll notice that is strangely absent in this story as compared to the other Judges: there’s no cry for help; no groaning, only indifference.

In their apathy and indifference, they could no longer discern their need for rescue. This is a story of “pre-emptive” grace, if you will.

Selective holiness will eventually destroy you.

You’ll notice as you read that at no time did the Philistines have power over Samson except their ability to exploit the deficiencies of his heart.

 ● We can ask God to help us avoid certain behaviors and circumstances; we can put in place rigid forms of personal discipline and restrictions, but if we don’t go to the heart to deal with the root of our impulses and appetites, we will eventually be over-powered. We simply cannot “out-perform” our passions. Samson attached his heart to what could not bear its weight; could not live up to its promises; to what would always “fall short of the glory”.

● It may seem too “rigid”; it may seem like an “over-reaction” (over-kill, if you will), but the truth of the principle is validated both historically and in our own lives.

            There must be a zero-tolerance policy toward sin; you must deal ruthlessly with the issue. Eventually, they not only tolerated the gods of the Canaanites, they actually participated with them in worship.

 ● The Philistines’ methodology for ruling and managing those they attempted to subdue was interesting. Historically, we are told that they had great military strength as they had developed an ability to smelt iron and create more impressive weaponry.

But, their approach was different: it was more of a “seduction” than a military conquest. If you wanted a plow or your axe sharpened, you had to deal with a Philistine. And, they had no objections to you intermarrying with their sons and daughters. You could make any profession of belief you wanted as long as you acted like everyone else. It was when you attempted to distinguish yourself that you could expect opposition.

 The staying power of seduction is in its appeal to legitimate, God-designed desires and the invitation to fulfill such desires in ways that are unhealthy and “de-humanizing”.

 Judges 14:4 has a parenthetical statement; an insertion to comment about the context. How do we account for God’s involvement in such apparently forbidden and sinful activity?

I am convinced that there is a “footnote”, an “asterisk” if you will, attached to all of our lives. God’s way of remarking: “Even though you do really stupid things sometimes and make really disastrous choices; and even though at times you dismiss my authority and abuse my grace, I’m still at work in your life”.

 What we discover is that God’s grace is even more subversive (radical/revolutionary) than your disobedience!

            God’s love is more stubborn than your rebellion!

 Samson would discover that God’s plans could happen with or without him.

Even the noble and seemingly virtuous outward displays are no guarantee of the character of the one performing them. God can use it, but it won’t be to your advantage (blessed life).

            I guess what I’m saying is that I’m not interested in just being “used” by God. Apparently, God has anything and anyone at his disposal to accomplish his purposes, thus his appeal to the “sovereignty of God” in his dying prayer. Rather, I’d like to become the kind of person from whom the desires and intents of God naturally proceed.

 ● Grace offers us a safe environment in which we might be able to plunge beneath the surface; to face the painful truth about ourselves. And, it’s not about improving your stock or elevating your lovability quotient; it’s about allowing that knowledge to lead to a more-healthy, less self-destructive way of living.

Grace is like the foam pad at the end of the pole vault run--- it allows you to pursue your ideals in the context of failure. But, if you never get over the bar, you’ve missed the whole point of the pad!

 We know all about consequences and condemnation--- all about  keeping the rules and staying within the lines, but what we don’t know is “grace”.

            Nothing prepares us for such a response; our hearts can’t fathom being love without condition, but we know that nothing less will satisfy us.

The woman at the well, she knew guilt and broken-heartedness; she knew unfulfilled desire and self-loathing, but until Jesus, what she didn’t know was the unpredictable nature of grace.

 We must stand before grace with a sense of awe and wonder; speechless with no words to describe what we are seeing.

Over time, our faith often becomes predictable and manageable and, in the process, shrinks and becomes less impressive. Maybe we should be distracted by grace!

I don’t want to live a life where others simply “learn from my mistakes”.

Judges 16:30 “He killed many more when he died than when he lived”.

What an epitaph, huh? His greatest impact was in one final, desperate feat of strength rather than in a lifetime of transformation and influence.

 Samson’s is a story of incredible dysfunctionality with grace as the only redeeming quality.

            One of the things I love about grace is its apparent lack of discretion. Grace seems so “offensive” sometimes, doesn’t it? We want to be able to point to some redeeming quality in these biblical characters that prompted God to choose them. But, in the end, we’re left with grace. Why does that disappoint us?

 ● Possibly the most hopeful passage in the revealed life of Samson is Judges 16:22… “But before long, his hair began to grow back”.

What Samson discovered, unfortunately, was not the cure for male-pattern baldness, but grace!

This is the flower pushing through the asphalt; the remarkable, the unexplainable.

 ● It’s a reminder that the process of restoration requires the development of new habits, new patterns of thought. Grace is not just to ensure forgiveness, but to actually interrupt unhealthy and destructive life-patterns in order to realize a better future.

Even in Genesis, the story devotes only (2) chapters to the beauty of original creation; the rest is about the painful pursuit of re-creation.

 Judges is not just about the cycle of sin and compromise, but about the relentless love of God which pursues humanity in order to break the cycle.