The Christian Context for Samson

Reformation is needed in almost every day. If Paul, within years of founding the Corinthian congregation, needs to see them reformed, we can't be surprised that churches need reforming regularly in the history of the church.

Sometimes that reform is more in the nature of a revitalization, but I think people have, especially in America, been too content to be satisfied with entertainment and with shallowness, and we need a seriousness about God, about Christ, and about His Word, and I think to be drawn again to a passionate interest in the Word is going to take a major reformation of the church today. My hope is that this series will serve the church by causing people to reflect on what the church ought to be according to the Word of God. Today on Renewing Your Mind… Now, you read the life of Samson and Judges, and you think, well, maybe Samson wasn't worthy of the Lord, but the Lord sees things differently, and Samson, for all his faults, was a sinner saved by grace. Samson's story is full of sin, despair, and tragedy, but when we turn to the New Testament book of Hebrews, lo and behold, Samson's name is right there in what's referred to as the Hall of Faith.

What should we make of that? Today on Renewing Your Mind… look at our teaching fellow, Dr. Robert Godfrey, helps us view Samson's story in light of the New Covenant. We're turning now to the New Testament and what the New Testament teaches us about the life of Samson and the meaning of the life of Samson. I think Hebrews helps us to stand back and look at the life as a whole and its real spiritual significance because Hebrews uses Samson along with others to try to encourage Christians, and we want to see what that encouragement is.

We know that the Apostle Paul in Romans 15 said that all of Scripture was written so that we might be encouraged and that we might endure, and in a real sense Hebrews is a book about being encouraged to endure. That's probably the occasion for the writing of the letter to the Hebrews, the occasion being that there were some Jewish Christians who seemed to be abandoning Christianity to go back to Judaism. And in the context of the first century, that's maybe not so surprising because the numbers of Christians were tiny compared to the number of Jews, so you had left a big significant influential religion in the Roman world to be part of a little insignificant religion.

And Judaism had special privileges in Roman law to practice their religion, whereas Christianity in the first century was illegal in the Roman world, which meant sometimes Christians were persecuted, but all the time they had to worry about how the government was going to relate to them. And then some of the Jews apparently, according to the Hebrews, began to think, well, you know, Judaism is really a lot more impressive than Christianity. We have a temple, one of the glories of the ancient world, and our temple is sheeted with gold on the top, and when the sun shines on it, it's magnificent, and all who approach it are awestruck with the size and glory of our temple. And when you see the high priest appear in public in his robes, it's so impressive, and Jews began to say, have we lost something?

Have we lost something important? We've certainly lost a religion of visible glory for a religion that talks about things unseen. And so the whole book of Hebrews is in a sense a book about the right use of the eyes, and so it shouldn't surprise us that eventually the book of Hebrews comes to Samson as one of those who need to be an example to us of the right and the wrong uses of the eyes. And so Hebrews is almost a long sermon calling on the people of God to persevere in the faith, not to drift away, to keep looking to Christ, who, as we'll read in Hebrews 12, is the author and finisher of our faith.

And so the book of Hebrews keeps coming back to Christ. He's better. He's the better temple. He's the better priest. He's the better sacrifice.

He's the better covenant. So by becoming a Christian, you haven't lost anything, but you've gained is what Hebrews is saying. Therefore, we have to keep looking to Jesus and looking to the promises of Jesus. Now, what's one of the characteristics of promises?

Well, they're heard usually and not seen. And that's one of the characteristics of faith. It looks to promises that are not yet visibly fulfilled, but in which we have to hope, have to trust. And what Hebrews is saying in many, many ways is the Christian life is a matter of trust. We have a family in our congregation in Escondido whose father was part of the Dutch resistance during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. And on the last day of the German occupation of that part of the Netherlands, he sat his family down to dinner, and they read from Hebrews chapter 4 a call to perseverance in faith and a declaration, there yet remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

And that father went out and died on the last day of the German occupation. But what resonated in the ears of his family was that promise, there yet remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. There is a life beyond this life for the people of God. It's a life we can't see. It's a life that's only promised. And so we have to hold on to those promises. We have to trust in those promises, and we have to look beyond what we can see. And that's such a theme for the book of Hebrews, looking beyond, trusting the promises, seeing the promises, looking to the unseen. You know, that's repeated several times in Hebrews 11. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. And when we turn our churches into things that are too much full of things seen, we can run into trouble because we have to be looking to the Word, to the promise of what's not seen. Or if we look down at verses 13 and 14 as this is developed, we read, These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on earth.

For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland, seeking a better home is what is implied there. And so we have to be looking beyond what we see here. And then down in verse 27, By faith Moses left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. So there's the visible Pharaoh who claims to be God and seems to have all power and gives Moses an order.

And Moses said, no, however powerful you are, however visible you are, however splendid you are, I'm serving a God who's unseen that I believe is more powerful and more splendid. So, you know, this is how Hebrews is developing. And then in Hebrews 11 verse 25, again speaking about Moses, we read that he chose rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. And we can certainly pause there and think about Samson. Samson did not always avoid the fleeting pleasures of sin, and his life is representative that the people of God have to be on guard about that. The fleeting pleasures of sin can be seductive and deceptive, and we have to learn that.

Samson learned it very slowly, learned it finally only at the end of his life. And so Hebrews is creating a whole spiritual picture here for us that is so critical. And in particular then, it says that we need to learn as Christians that strength comes out of weakness.

Strength comes out of weakness. Hebrews 11 verse 34, where there's this whole, better start reading up a little further than that. Let's start at Hebrews 11, 32. And what more shall I say, for time would fail me to tell of, here we are in the book of Judges, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword.

And what does all that mean? Who were made strong out of weakness, made strong out of weakness. That's a theme that Paul develops, particularly in 2 Corinthians.

Paul, who's been challenged that he doesn't amount to much, and Paul sort of admits he doesn't amount to much. He's not cool like the super apostles. He is not tall and good-looking like the super apostles.

He doesn't perform miracles at the drop of a hat like the super apostles. And he says to the Corinthians, don't be deceived that their apparent strength is real strength, because God acts out of weakness to accomplish strong things. And Paul eloquently summarizes that in 2 Corinthians 12, 9, and 10. My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities, for when I am weak, then I am strong.

And I think that word of Paul illustrated in the life of Samson that he's really at his strongest when he's at his weakest and most humiliated is a really important lesson for us in America today. Because American Christianity has had a long run of strength in our culture. But about two weeks ago, I was in a bookstore.

My wife always says when we travel, we go from bookstore to cemetery, cemetery to bookstore. And I found a book there just published entitled, The End of White Christian America. And it's not as analytical as I'd hoped it would be, but it's full of statistics in an interesting way showing how America is changing and the role of Christian values in America is changing dramatically. And I thought, how do we react to that? How do we feel about that? Well, some American Christians, and of course there ought to be an end to white America, America ought to be a multiracial country where everyone is equal.

But how do we feel as Christians that it may be the end of a Christian America? You know, I think there are two basic reactions to that. One reaction that we see too often is an angry reaction. I'm mad that we're losing our prerogatives. I'm mad that we're losing our influence.

I'm mad that these people have changed my country. Now there's some legitimacy to anger in politics, but fundamentally Christians aren't called to be angry. And I think we as Christians need to say at this moment, all right, if we're going to be weaker, then let's pray to the Lord that that will actually be an occasion for us to be stronger. And let's act in love. Let's show the love of Christ so that we'll win people to us. Let's not depend on having law enforce what we think is right.

It would be nice if that happened. But let's show how important Christian values are in living life so that in a world where the family is under attack, let's show families that are full of love and stability and blessedness. In a world where education seems to be running off the rails, let's raise children to be well-educated and disciplined and thoughtful. And if we can do those sorts of things, I think we're really going to shine in this world. I think someone once said we should be lights of the world.

I think I even know who said that. And what does it mean to be a light in the world? It doesn't mean to be talking all the time in a way that's unconvincing when compared to your life, but it means to be living for Jesus and letting His love flow through us.

And if that means we're weak, then we're just like the Apostle Paul, and he accomplished a lot of good for the Savior. So, I think we have to try to retool. It's not easy to retool, especially when you're as old as I am.

It's not easy to retool. But I think we have to retool to say, okay, if we're not in charge anymore, let's bear witness because there are going to be a lot of people who come to the conclusion the agenda that America is following is not working. It's really an agenda of death, not of life.

It's really an agenda of bondage, not of freedom. So, let's us be the people who raise an agenda of love and life and liberty, and it's going to draw people to the Lord. Maybe not everybody, probably not everybody, but I think we can make a difference that way, and I think that's what the New Testament is reminding us about, that we need to, despite our weakness, to be consecrated to the Lord, to serve the Lord, to give our lives over to the Lord. And that's why at the end of this list in Hebrews 11, 38, a list that includes Samson, we are told, the world was not worthy of them. Now, you read the life of Samson and Judges, and you think, well, maybe Samson wasn't worthy of the Lord, but the Lord sees things differently, and Samson, for all his faults, was a sinner saved by grace. And the world is not worthy of any sinner saved by grace because the Lord is taking us out of this world and away from this world.

At the same time, He's sending us into this world to serve Him. So, there's a remarkable character here, and again, as we read that list, think of how many of these things apply to Samson as well as to others. Who through faith conquered kingdoms? Well, Samson sort of did that, didn't he? He certainly conquered the Philistines for a time and forced justice. That was his concern in that final prayer, obtained promises. The Lord had promised for him to be a judge, and he was a judge. Stopped the mouths of lions.

Well, he stopped the mouth of at least one lion, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. That was certainly Samson, wasn't it? They were stoned. They were sawn in two.

They were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats and destitute, afflicted, mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And all of these, though commended through faith, did not receive what was promised. What was promised that they didn't receive?

Jesus. They didn't live to see Jesus. And, of course, the point of Hebrews is how much more blessed we are than Samson or even Samuel or even David, because while David could see Jesus from afar, David was a prophet. David wrote in ways that talked about the Savior.

The truth is David could not see Jesus as clearly as we see Jesus. And what a privilege that is for us. What an inspiration that ought to be for us. And so we ought to see that privilege.

We ought to seize that privilege and rejoice in it and live in it to know that we can look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the one who has come to be the perfect judge and the final priest and the great prophet and the – what's left – the obedient king. He's the one, and we're privileged to have seen Him and to know about Him. Now you say, well, we haven't seen Him. Was that a slip of the tongue?

We may have to edit the tape. No, it's not a slip of the tongue. Paul says you've seen Jesus when you've heard His Word preached, when you've heard the promises declared. Jesus isn't a far and distant Savior. He's a Savior who's been displayed before us in the preaching of the gospel so that we know Him, so that we rely on Him, so that we're called to Him. And so, you know, when we look at Samson, we have all these privileges, we have all of this wonder for us, and perhaps when we look at Samson, we can apply to him what is said of Abel in Hebrews 11.4, and through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. And that's a wonderful thing to be said really about all of the Old Testament faithful, that though they're dead, their lives still speak to us. And what they speak to us is, listen to the law of God, pursue holiness, pursue consecration to the Lord. Do that in Christ's strength, not in your strength.

Do it faithfully according to His Word, and do it knowing that you forever need His mercy and His grace and His forgiveness. We live in a world that is so confused about these things, even though they're so simple in the Scripture, we're so clear in the Reformation. We are justified and made right with God by the work of Christ alone, which we receive as an act of grace alone through faith alone.

We contribute nothing to being justified and made right with God. But at the same time, we are called to be a sanctified people and to be growing in grace, to be growing in holiness by the strength of the Holy Spirit, to be more and more conformed to the image of the Son. And too often, Christianity seems to split into two parts. It's the justification people who become indifferent to holiness and the sanctification people who miss the gospel. And that's not the character of the religion the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches a religion of justification and sanctification. The Bible, as Psalm 99 said, teaches a religion of a God who is forgiving and merciful but avenges wrongdoing. We can never be indifferent to sin. We can never become comfortable with sin. Jesus died for sin.

That's how serious it is. And Jesus lives to help us live for Him, having given us new life by His grace. So, Samson, I hope we'll stay with you and we'll encourage you and occasionally challenge you and direct you, but above all, remind you that we're called to live by faith and not by sight, that we're called to live by promise, that we're called to live in Christ, and in Christ we'll find all we need to live. Praise God. Praise God indeed.

We're encouraged by this New Testament view of Samson. He failed. He sinned.

He made a mess of things. But we see in the book of Hebrews that God's grace was sufficient for him. Thanks for joining us for Renewing Your Mind on this Tuesday. I'm Lee Webb, and we have been pleased to feature a message from Dr. Robert Godfrey's series on the life of Samson.

We learned how to see Samson as an example of faith. It is a beautiful picture of the gospel, and we'd be happy to send you this full series, 10 lessons on two DVDs, when you give a donation of any amount to Ligetiir Ministries. You can call us to make your request at 800-435-4343. You can also give your gift online at renewingyourmind.org. This will be your last opportunity to request this resource for a donation of any amount, so I hope you'll contact us soon.

Again, the series is titled The Life of Samson. Our number is 800-435-4343, and our web address is renewingyourmind.org. Let me take a moment here to thank you for listening to Renewing Your Mind and supporting Ligetiir Ministries. Our goal is to help growing Christians learn more about the Bible in order to communicate that truth to others. We see ourselves as a discipleship ministry, and if this program has been a help to you, we are grateful. We want as many people as possible to know the life-changing truths that we find in Scripture. Well, there are many religions out there opposed to Christianity, but they all have a common theme. I hope you'll join us tomorrow as our guest teacher, Dr. Peter Jones, helps us understand paganism. That's Wednesday, here on Renewing Your Mind. We'll be right back.