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Today we meet Samson, perhaps the most well-known of all judges in this book. Samson is famous for two things; first, for his incredible physical strength, and secondly, he is known for his incredible weakness.

You can learn a lot from watching the strengths and successes of others, but you can also learn from watching their failures. The one who is wise will take hold of the strengths and avoid the failures.

The story of Samson is intriguing, however, because it reveals an aspect of God’s heart that’s important to understand; how God can use failure for His purpose and glory.

We know God uses strength of faith and strength of character for His glory. The examples are numerous; Noah was a man of righteousness, Enoch walked with God, Abraham was a man of faith, Joseph was a man of character and integrity, God spoke to Moses as a man speaks to his friend, if we had time, we could mention Joshua, Caleb, Ruth and Boaz, David, Hezekiah, Josiah, Daniel, and many others.

There are also examples of God using people who are failures for His glory. Noah got drunk and humiliated himself, Abraham told a half lie, his son Isaac told a full lie, and his son Jacob was a liar. Moses killed an Egyptian. David’s sin with Bathsheba is infamous, Peter denied Jesus 3 times. The disciples abandoned Jesus. In the book of Acts, Saul persecuted the church due to his misplaced zeal, and John Mark quit on their first missionary journey. And that’s just for starters.

Moses was 120 years old when he died, and his life can be divided into 40-year segments. DL Moody once said, “Moses spent the first 40 years of his life thinking he was somebody. He spent the second 40 years learning he was a nobody. He spent the third 40 years discovering what God can do with a failure and a nobody who trusts in God.”

God can use failure in your life. He can use it to get your attention, to cause you to reevaluate your priorities, to open your eyes to your weakness, to bring humility and to transform character.

I remember reading the story of a promising junior executive at IBM who involved the company in a risky venture that resulted in a $10 million loss. When the CEO called the nervous junior executive into his office, the young man said humbly, “I suppose you want my resignation.” The CEO replied, “You can’t be serious. We’ve just spent $10 million on your education!”

The story of Samson is a story of God using both victories and failures for His glory.

In chapter 10, we read that Israel had once again turned their heart away from God and God had given them over to their enemies, the Philistines and Midianites. The Midianites oppressed Israel on the eastern side of the Jordan, the Philistines from the south.

In chapter 13 God begins to bring help for Israel from the oppression of the Philistines. Samson will be the beginning of that help, but they will not truly be free from the Philistine oppression until David, the king, comes onto the scene.

We recently read stories of how God used those who were born and raised with every disadvantage, but Samson is born with every advantage.

His mother was barren, but the angel of the Lord appeared to her and told her she would have a son who would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines and that he would be a Nazir, a Nazirite from birth, so she should keep the Nazirite vow while she carried him in the womb.

When he was born, the Lord blessed him and gave him extraordinary strength and courage. Why then did he fail? The lessons of Samson's failure are for us to take to heart.

I. Honor His Name as Wonderful

 Verse 17 – Samson’s father said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name so we may honor you when your words come to pass?”

 The angel responded, “Why do ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”

 Manoah’s heart is right, he wants to honor his name. But the name is too wonderful, it is high, for there is no other name given amongst men by which we must be saved.

Pastor Rich Jones
Pastor Matthew Dodd
Rich Jones Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel Worship Center
Calvary Chapel Hillsboro
Calvary Chapel Oregon
Calvary Chapel Beaverton
Calvary Chapel Portland

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