Judges 13:1 – 15:20
This week we will take a critical look at the life of Samson, the judge who began his career with the greatest potential and divine privilege, yet fails so miserably, ultimately receiving the gold medal as Israel’s worst judge. In his Old Testament Theology, Bruce Waltke writes that Samson, the Philistine slayer, is also an antihero.He does what is right in his eyes, disdaining his parents,his vows, and God; he cooperates and copulates with the uncircumcised; he is a spiteful manslayer and aself-satisfying whoremonger… This prankish, narcissisticwomanizer ironically has no children; he squanders his giftsand does not actualize his potential to completely deliver Israel.We can’t help but wonder why the narrator devotes 96 verses to this narcissistic abuser who lives solely to satisfy his lustful cravings and violently destroys anyone who gets in his way. And why did he place his narrative at the climax of the book? There is much more to Samson’s story than meets the eye. If you allow the narrator to draw you into the story, you just may find yourself alongside Samson buried in the rubble of some idol’s temple, reaching your hand out to the real hero of the book of Judges.