Day 138 of 365
A COMING REDEEMER
Samson and Jesus brought Spirit-empowered redemption to God's people in remarkably similar ways. Just consider the contours of Samson's life. Even before his miraculous birth, an angel appeared to Samson's parents, preparing them for his ministry (Jdg 13:2 - 3; Lk 1:26 - 27, 34) and explaining that their child would act as a savior of his people (Jdg 13:5; Mt 1:21). Samson was consecrated to live a life of marked devotion to God by following the Nazirite vow, underscoring the importance of fulfilling the Law (Jdg 13:7; Mt 5:17). Samson's mission in life was uniquely empowered by the Spirit (Jdg 14:6,19; Mt 3:16). During this mission, Samson served as the sole agent of God's work to redeem his people. While Deborah had Barak, and Gideon had his soldiers, Samson bore God-given responsibilities alone. In the course of Samson's work, God ordained that he be handed over to the Gentile occupiers by his fellow Israelites (Jdg 15:9 - 13; Mt 27:1 - 2), ultimately experiencing painful betrayal at the hands of one whom he loved (Jdg 16:15, 18 - 21; Mt 26:47 - 50) and mockery from his oppressors (Jdg 16:23 - 27; Mt 26:67 - 68; 27:27 - 31). At the end of all this, the epitaph of Samson was that he achieved more in his death than he did in his life (Jdg 16:30; Jn 12:31 - 32; Heb 2:14; 1Jn 3:8). These shocking parallels between Samson and Jesus are no accident!
In spite of the similarity in their life narratives, Jesus and Samson stand in stark contrast. Samson caved to the morals of his society while Jesus confronted the norms of his culture. One slept with a prostitute (Jdg 16:1), while the other brings life-change to prostitutes and sinners (Lk 7:36 - 39; Jn 8:11). They evidence vastly different levels of commitment to the plan of God. Samson risked his mission in the arms of a prostitute, but Jesus remained committed even when faced with a cross. When Jesus could have asserted his own will or sought his own comfort, he chose the Father's will instead (Lk 22:42). Samson pursued a physical deliverance of God's people through the slaughter of their enemies on the battlefield. Jesus secured the spiritual deliverance of God's people through his own slaughter on the cross.
Jesus, Samson is an inspiring Biblical hero, but he is nothing compared to you. No one can compare to you. Help me to keep my heart focused on you and your will every minute of every day. Amen.
Judges 13:1-7 NASB
1 Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the L ord , so that the L ord gave them into the hands of the Philistines forty years.
2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children. 3 Then the angel of the L ord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. 4 Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines." 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and now you shall not drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'"
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