Links for today’s readings:
Read: Judges 15 Listen: (3:13) Read: Hebrews 2 Listen: (2:47)
Links for this weekend’s readings:
Read: Judges 16 Listen: (5:59) Read: Hebrews 3 Listen: (2:25)
Read: Judges 17 Listen: (1:50) Read: Hebrews 4 Listen: (2:43)
Scripture Focus: Judges 15.9-15
9 The Philistines went up and camped in Judah, spreading out near Lehi. 10 The people of Judah asked, “Why have you come to fight us?” “We have come to take Samson prisoner,” they answered, “to do to him as he did to us.” 11 Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?” He answered, “I merely did to them what they did to me.” 12 They said to him, “We’ve come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said, “Swear to me that you won’t kill me yourselves.” 13 “Agreed,” they answered. “We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock. 14 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.
Reflection: Selfish Supermen
By John Tillman
Is Samson a hero? Sort of.
A commentary I read chides Judah for turning Samson over to the Philistines. I understand their opinion, however, what had Samson done to help anyone but himself? Why shouldn’t they turn him over?
God used Samson against the Philistines, but Samson’s “heroism” only helped himself. Imagine a selfish Superman who only acted to benefit Clark Kent and never lifted a finger to stop crime, prevent catastrophes, or fight giant monsters that attacked the city. That’s Samson.
Samson was a vigilante and a vandal, not a leader. He broke his own bonds, but set no one else free. He avenged his own losses, but never his people’s losses. He defeated armies, but never raised or led one. He won fights, but never delivered Israel a victory. He settled his personal greivances, but his own tribe, Dan, was homeless and he never helped them settle in their territory.
Some flawed heroes are so flawed they are barely heroes at all. That’s where Samson lands for me. The good that he does is almost accidental and can only be explained by God’s providence. Seeing Samson as a “flawed hero that God used” is better than ignoring the flaws or denying that God used him. However, recognizing “flawed heroes” too often means justifying horrid things modern leaders do by saying, “God can use anyone.”
It is not a hard thing or a noble thing to be “used by God.” God uses entirely wicked people, like the Philistines, Assyrians, and Babylonians. God uses frogs, snakes, locusts, gnats, and germs. Do we praise snakes because “God used them?” Then why praise and defend wicked leaders today because we claim “God is using them?” Perhaps God is using them to test you.
There are less flawed heroes we can celebrate with fewer complications. Leaders who had motivational power and moral wisdom accomplished far more than Samson. Deborah is the only example of this kind of leader in Judges. She raises up the people instead of herself and she has no moral failure or embarrassing scandal.
Flawed heroes in the Bible, like Samson, do not excuse flawed leaders today. Instead, we are to mourn Samson’s flaws and wickedness and look forward to a better leader to come.
However, Jesus is the only unflawed hero. It is he we look forward to and no other hero must have our worship or allegiance.
Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; let those who love your salvation say forever, “Great is the Lord!” — Psalm 70.4
– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle
Read more: Called to More
Samson was called to be a Nazarite for life. God used Samson despite constant violations of his vows.
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