Character Studies - ElectronicGospel

and both began to return once he was blinded (Judges 16:23-31)II. Some ApplicationsA. Child of Prayer1. children are such a terrific blessing that people who have not yet reproduced will pray andwork vigorously to make it happen, and yet when the children come, often the prayer and spiritual interestwanes and what was a blessing is now just work2. for whatever reason, Samson is an undisciplined young man, even more so perhaps than Eli’ssons, Hophi and Phinehas, whom the Lord slain because they made worship contemptible in Israel3. to a Christian, children are the answers to our prayers, but the spiritual interest in them shouldonly grow as they approach maturity, in the hope that they will be the next generation of faithful men andwomen (Proverbs 22:6)B. Right In His Own Eyes1. the famous epilogue on the book of Judges states that “In those days there was no king inIsrael; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (21:25; cf. 17:6).2. it would be hard to argue that Samson was anything but a perfect example of this spiritualmalady for most of his lifea. for most of his life, Samson’s choice as judge by God owes only to the fact that he wantedto be a slayer of Philistines, not that we a spiritual leader on par with Moses, Joshua or Samuel yet tocomeb. his inclusion in the Hebrews 11 hall of faith is brief and only the subduing of kingdoms canbe ascribed to him (see verses 32-33)3. it is almost as if spiritual insight did not come to Samson until he was physically blinded andall the petty distractions and temptations of mortal life were muteda. Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 explain that “There is a way that seems right to a man, But itsend is the way of death.”b. Jeremiah responded by saying, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is notin man who walks to direct his own steps” (10:23).4. Samson’s haircut was not his original problem–it was his eyesight (Matthew 6:22-23)a. Samson was shortsighted (Second Peter 1:5-11)b. this process is the key to overcoming spiritual shortsightedness in which you really just dowhat is right in your eyes and maybe feign repentance laterC. Careless With His Gifts1. for all his natural and courageous gifts, Samson proves to be very careless with his talents andopportunities, rarely making the best of them and only snatching victory from the jaws of defeat whencompelled by pride2. each of us has at least one talent–one gift or ability or something–that we can either use to ouraggrandizement, to the edification of others, or not use at all (Matthew 25:14-30)3. in the first century church, members not only had talents, they had supernatural abilities, whichthey were also tempted to be careless with, using them for personal advancement and pride rather thanedifying the ekklesia (First Corinthians 14:12, 20)4. use your talents to minister edification to others and you will be rewarded more highly than ifyou reward yourself with pride and praise (First Peter 4:10-11)D. Passion1. like many great characters, Samson’s passion is what made him great, but it is also what kepthim from being greater (a modern example, in my opinion, is Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano)2. Samson’s thirst for pride and revenge made him a conqueror of the Philistines and is probablythe quality that God discovered when he chose him from his mother’s womb, but pride and revenge kepthim from being a greater example of faitha. for a while the same was true of a couple of apostles (Luke 9:51-56)b. your spirit is not to be Samson’s vengeful one, but Christ’s merciful one, “who, when Hewas reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself toHim who judges righteously” (First Peter 2:23).3. vengeance belongs to God and there is no justification for imagining it, craving it, plotting it,176! Jeff S. Smith