It was a special time and he was a
special child. His parents did not take their responsibility lightly when they
welcomed their son into the world. As the boy grew, his parents trained and
educated him in strict disciplines.
His body grew strong. He was careful about what he ate. He never drank wine. He developed mental sharpness; his quick wit and complex thought processes were evidence of that.
When he was older, he married a woman from another country.
He wasn’t always completely honest about his behavior. At times he spoke using words that made people wonder what on earth he was thinking.
He had quite a reputation in and out of town. When people talked about him, they probably never failed to mention his unwieldy long hair.
His strength and power led him into great wealth and successful leadership positions. It also continued to be a force his enemies had to reckon with. Sometimes he used very unconventional means to deal with those enemies, some of them harsh and hurtful.
He sometimes reacted in anger to negative situations. Such anger led to a scandal that was the demise of his marriage. After that, he enjoyed the intimate company of women that he never intended to marry.
There were crowds of people who wanted to be like him. There were also throngs of people who wanted to destroy him.
Those are just some highlights of his life.
No, it’s not a story of any current political figure. It’s a 3,000-year-old story from the Old Testament book of Judges. It’s Samson. He was a leader and judge in Israel for 20 years, around 1080 BC.
How did it turn out for Samson? What is the rest of the story? Is it relative to us today?
I’m not sure we should make direct comparisons between Biblical leaders of ancient Israel and leaders of America today. I do, however, think that the same God that was sovereign during those ancient times is still sovereign today. Trying to identify the Samsons and Delilahs in my life and in the news today makes me the center of the story. But, the Bible is not about me. I need to read the Bible and look for where God is in the story. What did God do with those people? That is what’s relative today. Now, what can God do with these people that have been elected to office in America in 2016?
Samson was a flawed man. The list of indiscretions was long. Samson didn’t always walk in step with the plan that God had for his life from the very beginning. At times, it seemed Samson was doing the complete opposite of what God wanted him to do. What does God do with that?
Samson was eventually captured, tortured and imprisoned by the Philistines, people who were enemies of God. They were enemies because they worshiped a man-made god and treated cruelly the people God had specifically chosen to carry out His plan of salvation for the entire world.
In the end, Samson, in his shackles, called out to God. God heard Samson’s plea and used Samson to destroy the Philistine leaders, all 3,000 of them all at once. In the fray, Samson also lost his life. The real story is that God showed up and defeated the enemies. It’s worth noting that He did it in a way that no one expected.
How can God use the leaders today? I’m not sure, but it will probably be in a way that I won’t see coming. I am confident, however, that God will show up. Based on stories I’ve read in the Bible, He seems to show up when it appears that there is no hope left. When He shows up, His enemies will be defeated.
That is our hope. That hope is our responsibility.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Colossians 1:27
Originally posted November 20, 2016 at www.walterborolive.com
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