The Shortcomings Of The Biblical Hercules; Samson!
Samson was the strongest man who ever lived, however he was a man who had some weaknesses. In this post we will take a look at both his strength and his weakness. Physical
Strength differs from moral strength. God wants us to be strong to the point that we will stay away from what is evil and hold on to what is good.
Samson is the scriptural Hercules, a man of super-human quality who in any case couldn't escape catastrophe. Samson's story is found in the Book of Judges chapter 13-16. He is the last of the significant judges who led the Israelites, yet he is not really a perfect good example or hero. Samson breaks vows, weds outside of the general population of Israel twice,and acts on his own accord rather than as a leader.
Samson's Birth
From a land that is known as Dan, which was beside the nation of the Philistines,there was a man named Manoah and his wife, who is barren. One day, an angel of God appears to Manoah's wife promising that she will bear a child committed to God from birth. She additionally discovers that her child will spare the Israelites from the Philistines.
"For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."
Judges 13:5
At that time when a child was offered to God, or when a man offered himself to work for God, it was a taboo to drink wine, and as a sign, his hair was left to become long while the pledge to God was upon him. Such a man was known as a Nazarite, a word which signifies "one who has a vow"; and samson was to be a Nazarite, and under a pledge, as long as he lived.
Samson's fate, and his association with the Philistines, is expressly laid out by God even before he is conceived.
Samson's Life
Samson's story skips from his birth to his adulthood, Samson as a young fellow went down to Timnath, in the place where there is the Philistines, saw a young Philistine lady whom he loved and wished to have as his wife. His parents were not satisfied with his decision to wed from their enemies and adviced he married an isrealite, the bible justifies his decision, clarifying that by marrying a Philistine lady Samson would have the chances to infiltrate and battle the Philistines, who were the present oppressors of the Israelites.
It is on his visit to Timnath to his bride to be, that Samson first finds his super-human strength he was attacked by a lion but Samson grabbed the lion, and tore it to pieces with so much ease.
"Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. 6 The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done"
Judges 14:5-6
In his wedding party, he utilizes this quality to execute 30 Philistine men in an attack of anger, from losing his riddle bet to some philistine men, betrayed by his newly wedded wife.
Judges 14:19
"Then the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he returned to his father's home."
This first demonstration against the philistines
The most celebrated of the majority of Samson's assaults against the Philistines comes in chapter 15. The Philistines strike a town in Judah keeping in mind the end goal to draw and catch Samson. To spare themselves, the Judeans went up to Samson to convey him to the philipines. It does not end well for the Philistines:
"As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands.
15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men."
Judges 15:14-15
Once more, Samson drives no army yet acts altogether without anyone else,but his super-human strength.
Despite his order from God to battle the Philistines, Samson seeks a more intimate association with them. He fell in love with another Philistine woman– the famous Delilah, who has been entrusted by her people to locate the mystery of Samson's strength
Three times she asks to know the mystery of his strength, and three times he misleads her. At long last, after Delilah becomes annoyed, he admits:
"So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man."
Judges 16:17
Beyond any doubt enough, Delilah exploits this new information,laying Samson to rest and shaving off his hair. He instantly is weakened, and God's spirit abandons him. Delilah hands Samson over to the Philistines, who gouge out his eyes, and power him to grind at a mill in jail.
**Samson's Death **
Samson's demise winds up being his most noteworthy triumph against the Philistines. The Philistines convey Samson down to Gaza and tie him to two columns in their sanctuary as a show for the entertainment of the Philistine admirers. Here Samson begs God, requesting for his strength to come back to him once again
“Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!”
Judges 16:28
God reacts by sending Samson a last burst of strength, and Samson pushes against the columns and cuts the whole sanctuary down, murdering those in the sanctuary with him. The content finishes up: "Those he murdered at his passing were more than those he had executed amid his life
"Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived."
Judges 16:30
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The story of samson teaches us to always heed the word of God and learn to distinguish between friends and enemies.
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