@ LibertyGal

I was recently reading Judges and I saw the story in a whole new way. I saw it as an example of ungodly male role models. I am going to start with the familiar story of Samson and his obvious mistakes and ungodly actions, but then trace them back to his father and how lesser sins may have led to Samson’s very unwise actions.

Samson - Ungodly Son

Samson was a judge of Israel. He was supposed to lead the people of Israel in faithfully following God, but failed miserably at being faithful himself. Obviously his biggest problem was his obsession with ungodly women.

Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. (Deuteronomy 7:3)

Samson ignored this command given to the Israelites right before they entered the land of Canaan before it became Israel. Samson saw a nice looking Philistine woman and asked for her to be his wife.

So he came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she looks good to me.” (Judges 14:2-3) {emphasis mine}

Samson picked his wife based solely on looks. He said, “she looks good to me.” He didn’t seek a godly wife. He didn’t even seek an Israelite wife. He just chased after what looked good to him. Just as is repeated in Judges, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” Samson “did what was right in his own eyes.” When we seek what looks good to us instead of what God tells us is good for us, we always make a huge mistake.

Choosing a Philistine woman as wife was sinful, but like always, God used it for good and for His purpose.

On the way to making arrangements for this ungodly woman to become his wife, Samson was attacked by a lion and killed it. Later, when going to see his wife, he saw the carcass and bees had made honey in the lion’s carcass. Samson helped himself to the honey in the lion’s carcass. To me, that sounds gross. By this time the lion’s carcass should’ve been putrid, but this was much more awful for Samson. Samson was a Nazarite to God from conception and by the command of God, Himself.

Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb;” (Judges 13:4-5a)

Based on Numbers 6, a Nazarite vow required 3 things: no alcohol or things made from grapes, no haircuts, and no touching dead/unclean things. A lion carcass was definitely one of those dead/unclean things and to eat from it would be even worse. Samson was set apart with a Nazarite vow, but he didn’t care. He didn’t take it seriously. He wasn’t faithful to God.

After a riddle that went bad and caused hardship with his wife, Samson’s father-in-law gave his wife to another leading to Samson killing many Philistines. This destruction of Philistines was God’s will, but Samson did it out of spite, not to honor God. After being turned over to the Philistines for killing 30 Philistines, Samson then killed a bunch more Philistines. What did Samson choose as a weapon? He chose a donkey’s jaw bone. Both with the killing and with handling the bone of a dead animal, he broke his Nazarite vow again.

Then, since Samson had lost his wife, he went in to a prostitute.

Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. (Judges 16:1)

God had been very clear about adultery and harlotry and it was clearly forbidden, but Samson didn’t even obey God’s 10 commandments.

‘You shall not commit adultery. (Deuteronomy 5:18)

After spending time sinning with this Philistine harlot, he was attacked by the Philistines, but his God given physical strength allowed him to not pay the consequences of his actions, so he didn’t learn.

Once again, his lust led him astray.

After this it came about that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and see where his great strength lies and how we may overpower him that we may bind him to afflict him. Then we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength is and how you may be bound to afflict you.” (Judges 16:4-6) {emphasis mine}

Once again he became infatuated with a woman with whom he was forbidden to have relations. His infatuation blinded him. His ability to get away with evil actions made him not careful. His God given strength made him trust in himself.

I’ve always thought what follows was a sign that Samson was the dumbest person in the Bible, but maybe it is just what happens when someone gets away with doing wrong repeatedly with no consequences.

Multiple times Delilah says, “Please tell me where your great strength is and how you may be bound to afflict you.” Samson lies multiple times about how his strength can be conquered. Each time Delilah does what Samson tells her and the Philistines show up to try to overcome him. Each time Samson conquers his attackers and foolishly returns back to this evil woman who repeatedly betrays him.

Finally Delilah extracts his secret:

Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have deceived me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is.” It came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death. So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, “A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man.” (Judges 16:15-17)

Why did he share the secret of his strength? He did it because “his soul was annoyed to death.” Why would he stay with this woman who repeatedly betrayed him and who annoyed him to death? I think it was pure lust. There was nothing uplifting in this relationship. There was nothing honoring to God. Samson was led by lust and it cost him his life.

When Samson finally shared his secret, she shaved his head, brought in Philistines to capture him, and they put out both his eyes and threw him in prison. Samson was finally punished for his repeated sins, but God used this one last time for His plan and when the Philistines tried to parade Samson before a large crowd in their temple to Dagon, Samson prayed to God, leaned on the pillars in the middle of the temple, and pushed them down killing himself and around 3,000 Philistines.

Yes, Samson destroyed many of the oppressors of Israel as Israel’s judge, but he was an ungodly judge and an awful example to the people. Samson’s story is sad and has an even sadder ending. Everyone who lives an ungodly life will end badly.

Manoah - Failed Spiritual Leadership

I never noticed before, but I’d argue that Samson’s father was not a good spiritual leader either, but had less obvious faults.

There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. … Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome.” (Judges 13:2-3,6a)

When Manoah’s wife came to him to tell him she’d been told they would have a son, he was good and prayed: “O Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born.” (Judges 13:8b)

When God answered his prayer, he came to his wife. Why? Could it be that his wife was the spiritual leader in his household?

God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her. So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came the other day has appeared to me.” Then Manoah arose and followed his wife, (Judges 13:9-11a) {emphasis mine}

Do you notice what is said? “Then Manoah arose and followed his wife.” Yes, it is possible that this was just her showing him where she had seen the angel of God, but lets read on.

Manoah said, “Now when your words come to pass, what shall be the boy’s mode of life and his vocation?” So the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Let the woman pay attention to all that I said. She should not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; let her observe all that I commanded.” (Judges 13:12-14)

Manoah did seek direction from the Lord and the Lord gave Manoah directions on how he should lead his wife regarding their son. Manoah did try to do right when faced with the Angel of the Lord.

Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you.” The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.” For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord. Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?” But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord, and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. (Judges 13:15-20)

The question is, did Manoah lead when he was no longer face to face with the pre-incarnate Christ?

So Manoah said to his wife, “We will surely die, for we have seen God.” (Judges 13:22)

No, he did not. Manoah was afraid and didn’t seem to know what to do.

But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear things like this at this time.” (Judges 13:23)

Manoah’s wife taught Manoah a right view of God and His direction. His wife led them in what they should do.

Although Manoah wasn’t a bad man and he didn’t act out in blatant error, he didn’t lead spiritually. He wasn’t the one leading following God. He wasn’t the one demonstrating faith in God. He wasn’t the one speaking God’s word as an assurance.

Lack of Leadership Leads to Unfaithful Son

Did Manoah’s lack of leadership contribute to Samson’s lack of respect for God and God’s law? Was it Manoah’s lack of leadership on what was right and good that contributed to Samson ignoring the nazarite vow and other commands from God? Was Samson taught God’s law as a child? Did Manoah insist that his family obey and live out God’s commands? I’m thinking he didn’t.

Let’s return to Samson’s first time being misled by a woman.

Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. So he came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” (Judges 14:1-3)

At this time, marriages were setup as contracts by the parents. People didn’t just marry as they wished, so Samson commanded his father to “get her for me as a wife.”

There are two problems here. The first is Samson ordering his father to do something. This was totally contrary to God’s design and command, but you have to think that Samson was used to getting his way and that his father regularly let him get away with things like this. Most kids, today and in the past, would not talk to their parents this way.

Second, Manoah knew that this was wrong, but instead of speaking God’s word and refusing, he asked submissively, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” When Samson insisted on marrying this forbidden woman, his father gave in to his son.

Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah … (Judges 14:5a)

How often do we, as parents, give our kids something that isn’t good for them because they really want it and we want to please them now? How often do we get busy and miss teaching our kids our knowledge, especially our knowledge of God and His word? Men, how often do you not step up and lead spiritually because it is easier to let your wife do it?

Most of us are like Manoah. We aren’t that bad. We try to honor God. We try to do what we should, but we don’t necessarily put a lot of effort into our walk with God. When we don’t fulfill the roles and responsibilities ordained by God, it isn’t only us that suffers. It frequently is our children that pay the price for our failures.

I beg all of you, but especially men, to study the Bible and step up in the role and responsibility given to you by God. Lead your family and your children in faithfully following Jesus. Even when you are tired, lead your family in prayer and Bible reading. Even when it makes your kids mad at you, stand up for the truth and enforce what is best for them. Make the time to be there for your family and to do what is for their best. It not only helps your family, but also helps you grow closer to God. We are never happier than when we are following God’s plan.

Trust Jesus.\ \ your sister in Christ,

Christy

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated