Judges
12
– 16
Verse 13:1 is the end of a long string of Judges:
Once again,
though, the Israelites did evil according to the Eternal God, and He gave the
Philistines power over them for 40 years.
This is the “lead in” to the story of
Samson. Interesting how Samson is the one chosen to lead Israel from the
Philistines with all his flaws. First and foremost we can see what part of the
body leads his decisions. Since his first wife was in direct conflict with his
families instructions. Also, he sleeps with a prostitute and gives up his power
to a pretty face.
The longer the Israelites are in Canaan the
more corrupt they become, Samson is just one example. Even still it’s
interesting how God uses these powers to save the people. In the end, Samson
dies in a building collapse that he causes in his final act of strength.
So once again God uses the most unlikely
people to save his people. Again they are eventually punished for their issues,
but end up being the “heroes” of the day. In this case Samson dies but in the
process saves his people.
Like the stories of many in the Bible we
assume God uses the strong of faith or the prominent, when in reality he uses
an ambitious swindler (Jacob), a prideful bragger (Joseph), a murderer (Moses),
a ladies man (Samson), an adulterer (David) and a “bastard” kid (Jesus, am I
going to burn for this??) to save the people and eventually the world. So look
for the unlikely to be used in moving God’s kingdom forward.
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