| Performed
Acts of Righteousness (Heb. 11:33) We
also see Samson’s faithful dependence on God at the end of chapter 15. After
defeating a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey, Samson became very
thirsty. Samson realized that God was the sustainer of his life and asked God
to quench his thirst, confidently knowing that God could. At first, Samson’s
prayer seems disrespectful and out of anger toward God. Samson, however, also
acknowledged that he should glorify God because it was by his power that he
killed 1,000 men. Furthermore, Samson did not want God’s glorious victory to
be diminished by the surrendering of one of God’s servants to his enemies.
Viewed in that light, his prayer was the furthest thing from being
disrespectful. Because of his sincere prayer, God sentwater to revive Samson.
As James writes, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish
much” (Jas. 5:16). Certainly, it was “by faith” that Samson
“performed” this act of righteousness.Became Mighty in War, Put
Foreign Armies to Flight (Heb. 11:34)As a judge, one of Samson’s
responsibilities was to dliver God’s people from oppressors (Judg. 2:18).
Samson was faithful to God by carrying out God’s purpose for him. The
Scriptures tell us that Samson sought “an occasion against the
Philistines” (14:4). Samson found two separate occasions to afflict the
Philistines in chapter 15. The first was “a great slaughter” (v.
8). The second was the occasion where Samson killed a thousand men with a
jawbone of a donkey (v. 5). Samson certainly became “mighty in war”
and “put foreign armies to flight” for the sake of God and his
people.God has given us a purpose as well. Paul said that we were
“created for good works, which God prepared before-hand, that we should
walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Like Samson, we must be faithful to God by
carrying out his purpose for us. We must constantly seek occasions to do good
works for God and men. Only then may we be “mighty in war” in God’s
army.Mockings …Chains and Imprisonment… Afflicted, Ill-treated (Heb.
11:36, 37)As a result of Delilah’s trickery, Samson lost his strength and the
Philistines put him in chains. According to Hebrews 11:36-37, the Philistines
afflicted him by gouging out his eyes and taking him to a pagan ceremony
where they mocked him in front of 3,000 spectators. Samson realized that his
sin had caused all these worldly people to mock both him and God. Faithfully,
Samson did not give up on God and prayed for deliverance. God granted him
strength again. Samson used this God-given strength to carry out God’s will
and deliver God’s people from their enemies. While this cost Samson his life,
it allowed him to kill “more than those whom he killed in his life”
(Judg. 16:30). Samson died faithfully.There might be some public sin in our
lives at times that may cause the God whom we claim to serve and the brethren
with whom we have fellowship to be mocked and tortured. In this situation we
must repent and faithfully pray to God to give us strength. In repenting, we
must turn away from sin and try to correct our lives in the area in which we
were wrong. We must use the newly found strength to over come God’s enemies
with abstinence from sin. In doing so, we will live faithfully.ConclusionWe
live in a world in which we look at most things from a pessimistic point of
view. I have always tended to do this with the life of Samson. It is remarkable
to consider that de-spite all the evil things he did in his life, he was able
to tum back to God and God then considered him faithful. It gives us courage
to know that we can turn from our many failures and faithfully do the things
God has planned for us to do. |
