Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes” (Judges 16:28).
If we’ve learned anything about Samson, it’s he always thought he could get himself out of trouble. There’s some debate over how we understand his strength, but I think the text suggests he was naturally strong, but was given exceptional strength when the: ‘Spirit of the Lord’ came upon him. But perhaps that’s part of his problem, he depended too much on his natural gifts and played fast and loose with the Lord’s blessing, always depending on the visible part of the Nazirite vow, his hair, as proof God was with him!
Hollywood excels in films where there’s some form of redemption. A flawed character may commit a sacrificial act, towards the end of a film that makes us want to forgive anything of a dubious nature they’ve done. So, when we come to this point in Samson’s story, many commentators are looking for some form of redemption. But can we actually find it?
Verses 23-24 point to the folly of the ungodly. Back in verse 20 we read that the: ‘He (Samson) did not know that the Lord had left him.’ But the Philistines make a tremendous mistake because they believe: ‘Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand’ (v24). Their second mistake is they didn’t realize Samson was an instrument of the Lord, who was using him to punish the Philistines for their oppression of his people. So, in their mind’s, it’s obviously a time for celebration and, while they’re thinking about it, wouldn’t it be a good idea to have Samson, who they see as blinded and harmless, come out and entertain them (v25)!
But the way this temple was constructed gave Samson an opportunity. Excavations in the Near East have showed that the supports of these temples would have been huge wooden pillars which were on a stone base, but were held in place by the weight of the roof. Samson, on his trips to Gaza, may have noticed this. Under the guise of wanting some rest, he asks the young man leading him to place his hands on these pillars (v25-28). No doubt, Samson had had plenty of time to think about his Nazirite vow. So what happens next suggests that he’s realized his long hair is not the source of his strength, but the outward sign of God’s blessing and this is what now shapes the prayer he now prays.
But what he prays needs to be carefully analyzed. Is this a prayer of faith, that seeks to do the Lord’s will, and glorify him? Or is it possible, that this prayer has elements which relate to Samson’s condition and a thirst for revenge?
Samson had prayed to the Lord before (15:18). But as that was after the: ‘Spirit of the Lord’ had come upon him, you get the impression they’re prayed in the spirit of ‘I’ve done your work, so you now owe me.’ But this prayer is before he does anything. So, this is a much more positive spiritual attitude than we’ve seen from him before. So let’s look at the content of his prayer.
Samson uses two names for the Lord here. But the first, and most important use is ‘Yahweh,’ as he addresses him as: ‘LORD God’ (v28). This suggests that for the first time Samson is actually acknowledging that the Lord has been working through him and it’s the Lord who has authority over him, whereas up to this point, Samson has seemed to do his own thing!
But, as soon as he’s done that, it’s payback time! Samson seeks revenge for being blinded. So, the question is, have we gone from an acknowledgment that he has been used and guided by God in the past, whether he realized it or not, to good old fashioned revenge on the level of any Hollywood action movie with the tag line ‘This time it’s personal!’ Yet, at the same time, his action takes on a sacrificial act with his words: ‘let me die with the Philistines’ (v30) as he wins a huge victory for Israel by practically taken out the Philistine high command in one go!
The story comes to an end with his family coming and taking the his body for burial with no resistance, which is not surprising after the defeat the Philistines have just suffered. We are reminded that: ‘He judged Israel for 20 years’ (v31). But, and it’s a big but, Samson leaves us with many questions when it comes to trying to evaluate him.
On one hand we have someone who’s birth was foretold, who was dedicated to the Lord and gifted in a most unique way. He carries out the Lord’s purposes and his life ends in an almost a sacrificial act. Yet, most of the time he’s a loner, and the maverick Judge of Israel! He begins the deliverance of Israel, but it’s the Lord who will finish it! Some commentators have labelled Samson a ‘type’ Of Christ’. I would say that he’s more of an impression of the work of Christ, as there are interesting parallels.
Dale Ralph Davis tells the story of how a delegation went to President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War calling for the sacking of General Ulysses Grant, who, reportedly, had been drunk at the battle of Shiloh. Apparently, Lincoln sat in silence for a long time. Eventually, he said: “I can’t spare this man; he fights.”[1] Perhaps that’s the best way to sum Samson up. Put him with Israel’s (and therefore God’s) enemies and there’s bound to be fireworks. We may not always understand how God’s sovereignty works, but we can take immense comfort from the fact it does!
[1] Dale Ralph Davis, Judges, Such a Great Salvation (Fearn, Christian Focus, 2000) 193.