E29 Judges 13-16 – Samson’s Anticlimactic Story

The account of Samson begins with such promise. The Angel of the Lord [the Lord Himself] appears to his barren parents and promises them to give them a child whom he will use to deliver Israel (Judges 13:5). A childless family who has an appearance and promise from God to have a child is usually a starting point for a story of one of the heroes of the faith- think Abraham with Isaac, Hannah with Samuel. The story of Samson began in such a way, with so much promise of greatness and destiny.

You read the story of Samson and it begins with great expectations. The Lord appears personally to his parents, accepts their sacrifice in an amazing way (Judges 13:19-20) and gives instructions on how the child is to grow up. They fittingly give their promised son a great name, Samson, which means "Sun" or "Brightness." They expected their Samson to shine like the sun, or be as bright as the sacrifice which God accepted. The Lord blessed him and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him (Judges 13:24).

The story begins with such promise, you are looking forward to a great life, but instead we read about a man who did not live up to his potential. Some narratives in the Bible are there for you and I to aspire to, some are there for us to avoid. Samson's anticlimactic story is a warning to us; don't waste your potential, don't trash your destiny, don't wreck your purpose.

Unique gifts come with specific expectations from the Lord. Samson wandered from his commitments and at the end he was not even aware that the Lord had left him (Judges 16:20). Is that one of the most tragic statements in Scripture?