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Christianity Today, September, 2007 |

Whatever Happened to Samson?

This novel with a fierce intelligence should resurrect him.

John Wilson | posted 9/18/2007 08:44AM

Okay, okay, my informal poll of CT editors and designers doesn't have the scientific rigor of a study from Barna Research. Still, the results are suggestive. "When did you last hear a sermon about Samson?" ...

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CDWomack

Posted: September 22, 2007 5:03 PM


Heh! - as a pastor myself, we used to laugh at the prospects of being in a tight for a sermon, and as a recourse one could always preach a three-point sermon on Sampson: SIN BLINDS; SIN BINDS; AND SIN GRINDS. Trite and cliched, to be sure, but TRUE nevertheless.

David Maine

Posted: September 22, 2007 10:28 AM

To John Wilson: I wrote these books. Thanks for your interest and kind words. I want to say, if anyone wants to contact me to discuss the book(s), that would be great. I live overseas so e-mail is the easiest way. I'm especially thinking that if there's a church discussion group or book club that wants to read one of the books and then contact me with questions that I'll answer for their discussion, I'm happy to do that. I have done this several times before and I enjoy hearing what people have to say (good and bad both); I hope that hearing directly from an author might make a book more interesting. I can be reached at dmloveletters@yahoo.com ...Please write "CT article" or something similar in the subject line, so I know who you are and don't delete your message. Again, thanks to John for bringing my books to the attention of people who might be interested in them. (Thanks also for deleting the previous incoherent and inaccurate post about my adopted home, Pakistan.)

Anonymous

Posted: September 19, 2007 11:48 PM


what a nonsence country pakistan,still living in old testament era with the mosaic laws mixing with sharia and their hadis-fadis, so called honor killing justifying with the biblical story samson. are they isrealite now coming from the old time or merely the dead follwing people as mentioned in the book of revelation.

James

Posted: September 19, 2007 2:40 PM

I admit I've never heard a sermon on Samson but I have heard someone teach on Samson in an even better way: Christian Hip-Hop. If you search iTunes for an artist called Stephen the Levite, the album To Die Is Gain, the song "The Darkness" describes the story of Samson from the perspective of how the pleasures of sin can lead to a terrible downfall no matter how strong you think you are. It's the best sermon you'll probably ever hear on Samson.

Fred Schott

Posted: September 19, 2007 6:56 AM


Rob Bell preached a wonderful Sermon at Mars Hill several months ago on Sampson and the futility of escalating violence. I came away feeling that Sampson was a tragic figure, not a Bible Hero of the flannel graphs and now DVD's and that we should be using this story to teach our kids in Sunday School a different message than what is usually taught.

C Beasley

Posted: September 19, 2007 4:41 AM

Good article! I love the story of Samson. He failed so often but God was faithlful and didn't forget him. It's precisely becuase Samson was a failure that he should be preached about. There is a lot we can learn from the Bible's failures (Samson, Israel in the wilderness, Cain, Judas ...) Samson can also be seen as a picture of Israel - set apart for God's work before his birth, endowed with supernatural strength, constantly neglectful of his calling and even going after prostitutes. Samson suffered, loosing God's anointing, being blinded and made a mockery - a total failure. Yet he is listed in Hebrews as a hero of faith. Why? He forgot God, but God did not forget him and gave him one final chance. In his last moments he fulfilled his calling to begin the deliverance of Israel. Likewise Israel will complete its calling by returning to faith in Meshia Yeshua (Jesus) and being God's light to the nations.

Wendell Franklin Wentz

Posted: September 18, 2007 9:46 PM


When was the last time I heard someone preach on Samson? It was 50 years ago.

Brian Robinson

Posted: September 18, 2007 8:26 PM

Samson was God's campion. Flawed yes but we are all flawed and God uses us anyway. The whole point of the story was Israel failed to recognize their champion. 'Don't you know Samson that the Philistines are our overlord.' No, sorry, God is. Their failure to recognize who he was is the failure repeated at the coming of the Strong Man, Jesus Christ. Further, Delilah could have been an Isrealite who betrayed their strong man. And when the Isrealites bound him it hearkens to the day when they bound Christ and handed him over to the Gentiles to be killed. At his death he brought down the Kingdom of Satan and at his resurrection established the Kingdom of God

Anonymous

Posted: September 18, 2007 7:52 PM


Samson has been spoken of in a sermon I heard once. In addition to that Bishop Eddie L. Long wrote a book on Samson and his venture with Delilah. This book contrary to it being a sermon or a taught piece focuses on the man and the woman relationship. Emphasizes on his downfall and relates many of todays daily problems with that weakness of Samsons.

bob shelton

Posted: September 18, 2007 4:30 PM

wow, everybody goes crazy over a story like this..just one of many in bible..dn't let your kids read the bible..they can sit with folks who want to out-holy God..This story is all about God's pleasure in who he anoints and how he responds to faith..not your up-to-minute 'walk'..remember we have no righteousness of our own either..only in Christ..and, about anointing and faith, the same applies to us..see hebrews and 1 john..in fact, try reading the N.T. and renew the reality that this is ancient text..ours an ancient faith and throw all our modern post-ths and post-that attitudes in the dung-heap along with all our other cultural and 'spiritual' toys and self-help fluff books..if you don't like cmplete realism, then leave bible out..but don't patronize it or the Lord God there revealed..Jesus came to die and without resurrection religion is useless, even evil...accept the history, accept the typology too.. in his grip....b

Temptation we all face

Posted: September 18, 2007 3:51 PM

Let's be honest we all face the temptations of the flesh like Samson. Samson gave in: He believed he was free to womanize because of the gifts God had given him for the service of his people. How often do we face our own incredible freedom which God gave us through the giving of gifts to us. Instead of using our gifts to serve we use them in service of our own desires. We pray that we are able to withstand temptation as the Lord has taught us to pray to the Father: Our Father who art in heaven...lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil. We pray also that from the gifts/strengths God has given us sweetness will come. Sweet victory over the Philistines only came out of Samson when he died, just like the honey came from the lion Samson killed. We pray that we are able to die to the Old-Self/Old-Man and that out of that death which Paul wrote of we will be better able to use the strengths sweetly given to us by God. No longer let us face the torture of dealing with the flesh.

Anonymous

Posted: September 18, 2007 2:59 PM

I hear sermons on Samson several times a year. Samson is often looked upon as a hero and he certainly did many heroic acts. He did not do what God chose him to do. God chose him "before birth" to be the one to rescue the Israelites from the Philistines. He lived a very selfish and willfully disobedient life. He was disobedient to his parents and to God at every turn. His selfishness and his pride were his downfall. He went out in a very selfish blaze of glory. He asked God for the strength so he could avenge the loss of his own eyes. He was thinking of no one but himself. It's right in the Bible and it is better than any novel because it is from God. God has great plans for us but our selfishness gets in the way. What kind of impact would Samson have had if he had been obedient to his parents and to the Lord? Samson is an example of what pride and willfull disobedience will bring to God's children. Blindness and bondage, even remaining in blindness and bondage to the death.

Eddie Francisco

Posted: September 18, 2007 2:11 PM

I used Samson as the focus of a devotional just a few years ago when speaking to a group of pastors in the Philippines. I had just been studying his life in my personal devotional times. And called on to give a talk, I focused on God's second chances that he gives us. I talked about our feeling sometimes like we have failed God. But remember: Samson is included in Hebrews' "Hall of Faith." So his life and service to God count for something. And at the end, when he repented and asked God to use him one more time, God honored that prayer.

Dave Rolph

Posted: September 18, 2007 1:45 PM

I have heard many good sermons on Samson. (I have preached on Samson myself several times, but I'm not qualified to say if they were good or not.) I would certainly have a hard time with someone using Samson as a type of Christ. But every time I see a talented, powerful minister fall I think of Samson. All that potential, thrown away because of the flesh. It is a tragedy that has been repeated all too many times, and a lesson we ignore at our own peril. Our culture tends to set up our Samsons for an ultimate bad hair day by glorifying talented men, and failing to hold them accountable.

James

Posted: September 18, 2007 1:26 PM

Raymond Takashi Swenson

Posted: September 18, 2007 1:25 PM

The story of Samson is a tragedy, just like the stories of Saul and David are tragedies, just like the story of Israel as it divided into two warring kingdoms, and was subject to conquest by Assyria and Babylon, is a tragedy. Samson, Saul, David, Israel and Judah all had tremendous potential that was squandered through pride and unrighteous behavior. We can learn from bad examples. There was terrible behavior by the sons of Jacob (Israel), yet in the end they were saved from death because their crimes against their brother Joseph, and their own father, were used by God to perform a miracle that ensured the safe growth of the children of Israel until they were ready to occupy Palestine. The bad behavior of some leaders of the Jews in the days of Jesus of Nazareth was essential to His atoning death and His liberating resurrection. The persecution of Puritans led to establishing strong Christian belief in what became America. Tragedies are only temporary for God.

bret@bretnet.com

Posted: September 18, 2007 1:17 PM

I preached Samson a couple months ago as part of a series on the Judges. I presented them as "gunslinger" characters who brought frontier style justice to an untamed land. I had a little fun with it and used some scenes from old westerns as illustrations. My final sermon on Samson (his death) included the scene in "The Shootist" where the doctor (Jimmy Stewart) explains to John Wayne's character what his death from cancer will be like and encourages him to choose something different..something more in keeping with his life. In view of Samson's life and self-destructive behavior I asked the congregation three questions, 1. How Deep Is Our Commitment to God, 2. How Much Deeper Does the Grace of God Run, 3. How Far Will God Have to Go to Use You? I closed with the idea that God used Samson right up to the very end, but--I would dare say--not the way God wanted to use Samson. In our faithfulness--or lack-thereof--we often choose how he uses us and how far he has to go to glorify himself

Gary Irving

Posted: September 18, 2007 12:32 PM

I remember growing up having bible stories read to me..and then later reading them on my own.I recall my frustration with Samson...he was like a super hero..so much potential...but he seemed so blind to Delilah.Then to be captured and enslaved...yet finally bringing meaning to his life through his death in a strange way.I didn't understand why it was such a struggle. Little did I know know that my own life experience...and the experience of many other men I have come to know....is sadly similar to the story of this Samson.I find that as soon as I judge someone...I become vulnerable to the very same issues I see in them.No wonder God allows some of us to be"blinded".Now I get it.....hopefully my hair is starting to grow back.

Bud Smith

Posted: September 18, 2007 11:56 AM

Perhaps if pastors returned to the expository preaching of Biblical books including the Old Testament, we'd hear a few more sermons on the broad sweep of God's Word. As long as "all Scripture is profitable," we just might find these obscure Biblical passages and lesser known Biblical persons far more important and far more applicable to people's lives today than four part studies on "Building Self Esteem" or "Improving Sexual Intimacy in Marriage."

K.W. Leslie

Posted: September 18, 2007 11:27 AM

Samson isn't preached on because he's a lousy role model. The Sunday School stories remove almost all his sins and misbehavior and focus on Delilah, his blinding, and his vengeance at Dagon's temple. When I teach on him, I use him as an example of someone who was a terrible Jew, but whom God used in spite of his bad behavior. Not to encourage similar behavior; I mainly want to point out how God can use anyone.

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