Joel M Bradshaw

23Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.” 24And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.”^b 25And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars. 26And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.” 27Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.

28Then 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.” 29And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other.30And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. 31Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.–Judges 16

Chapter 16 spells out the first secret. Everyone wanted to know the secret to Samson’s great strength. The Philistines even enlisted the services of the famous Delilah to procure this information. Once everything was found out, Samson was subdued and killed. His final words uncover the second secret. So here are Samson’s two secrets.

1. STRENGTH. I hold to an unpopular biblical opinion here. I don’t think Samson was a big guy. Imagine him laying his head on Delilah’s lap and she asking him his strength secret. All he would have to do was hold up one of his 60-inch biceps. It would be obvious. No, I actually think the story makes more sense if he was an average looking man who obviously God empowered to do superhuman feats of strength. But the text doesn’t say. If he did look like a ripped giant, it would make Delilah’s character sound really stupid. I actually think Samson’s strength was indeed a secret.
2. SELFISHNESS. This was not a secret. So the title to this blog is misleading. Sorry. Samson had a great moment at the end. He could have prayed something humble like this, “God, I know I haven’t been the best judge. I’ve lived my life to please myself and have largely been a great failure as to my mission. Please give me one last bit of strength and may I use it to finally deliver Israel from her oppressors.” That would have been humble and expressing trust in God. But alas, Samson prayed for revenge because they blinded him.

The secret to Samson’s strength wasn’t in his hair. I know that’s what Samson said and I know that God chose that moment to leave Samson, but that doesn’t make it right. We also don’t believe Nebuchadnezzar when we said that the fourth figure in the fire looked like a son of the gods (Daniel 3:25). This was not trustworthy theology. God doesn’t operate according to magical manipulation. It makes more sense that God in his grace chose to play that ‘hair’ game with Samson and his captors in order to provide the final deliverance through Samson (despite Samson!).

Yes, we know Samson is in Hebrews 11. This again reminds us that God is able to use whatever faith is present. But Samson died as he lived–selfish. Ironically more faithful in his death than in his life. How do you respond to the Samson story?–JMB