If there is anyone out there in the vast regions of earth who has made a mess of his life, who feels he has done everything wrong, rebelled against the Lord, made a fool of himself—this brief message is for him.
There is a man who is distinguished for such and yet made it to the top, to the roster of the super-heroes in sacred history—Hebrews 11. It’s Samson.
Born to be a leader of Israel, given the best of pre-natal heredity and childhood education, he could have been a towering figure of what a man of God can be, but he ended up using his prodigious strength grinding corn for the enemies of Israel like a despised beast of burden.
(a) Manoah and his unnamed wife were given divine instruction on how to give their future child the best prenatal care. His mother was obviously a very intelligent woman whose cool judgment corrected her husband’s unbelieving assumption (Judges 13:2-14). And the child was to be a Nazarite from the womb.
(b) Samson started off wanting to indulge his selfish sexual preference in marrying a pagan girl who “pleases me well”(14:3). His infatuation with this flirtatious girl was a long ways away from genuine love; yet Samson could have learned about true love. Israel’s history (the “Bible” of that day!) told of the pure and happy love of the patriarchs Isaac and Rebekeh, and also the committed love of Jacob for Rachel, and the example of Samson’s own parents’ fidelity. Samson had plenty of good examples which he callously rejected. Those who marry selfishly while disregarding the Lord’s guidance can see a glimpse of themselves here.
(c) Samson’s career as a divinely appointed leader of Israel is a story of self-centered foolishness. The thoughtful people of Israel must have been repeatedly embarrassed; how could his godly parents endure it all?
(d) To cap the story of buffoonery, Samson betrays his divine secret to his paramour (the classic story of a national trustee betraying his nation for an illicit love), who promptly betrays him. You know what happened; the Philistines blinded this man of God, and in exuberation tied him to a plow and set him to grinding corn like a beast.
(e) This at least gave Samson time to think, to ponder, and do what he should have done at first—abhor himself.
(f) Utterly unworthy to have a prayer answered, he finally decides to die with his national enemies. His hair having grown again unnoticed by his captors, he prays for strength to bring down the Temple of Dagon on the huge crowd gathered to gloat over him. The Bible succinctly says that in so doing he fulfilled at last his mission to deliver Israel from slavery; but oh, at what a cost! But he made it into the book of Hebrews ( 11:32).
(g) The point? The dear Lord hears the prayer of a broken-hearted sinner. You.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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