Judges is a book of strange events, the strangeness of which is intended to illustrate the chaos of the time due to Israel’s waywardness. If Israel was to have a leader who reflected her own state of existence, Samson could not have been a better fit. Here is a man made strong by God, in spite of himself, to defeat the foes of Israel. And defeat them he did, even though it was for all the wrong reasons. For Samson, it was all about personal revenge and yet, through Samson’s flights of unbridled passion, God appears to have been at work to deliver his people from the Philistines. It goes to show that God will use people for his purposes in spite of their lack of character, and even their bad motives. This is no licence for bad character, on the contrary, we should take this as a solemn caution. The fact that God will use a person for his purposes is no indication of their spiritual condition. It is tempting to see ministry success as a divine seal of approval upon a person. And we might even see our own successes in this way. Samson was one of God’s people and God used him, but that doesn’t mean that his life was all that God wanted it to be. Samson’s mighty feats were not a sign of his righteousness. They were a sign of God’s grace and faithfulness. Yet again, in Samson’s case, God was saving an undeserving people through an unworthy vessel. Why? Because he is gracious and faithful.
Reflect on the fact that God loves and favours you.
Read Judges 15
