Samson had a riddle for his groomsmen, and I have one for you. Okay, it’s more of a question…
What did it mean to be a Nazarite from birth?
You see, that is the most important part of this entire passage. If Samson weren’t a Nazarite then the whole storyline changes.
A Nazarite was a man who took a special vow to the Lord and dedicated himself in a deeper more personal way. Most people did this for a short time, because it was impractical to do it for your whole life. I mean, anyone who did this “from birth” would stick out like a sore thumb.
As a Nazarite you weren’t allowed to 1. come into contact with anything dead..not people, not animals, nothing. 2. you couldn’t come into contact with anything related to the grape. No wine, no grapes, no raisins, nothing. 3. You couldn’t cut your hair. Ever.
For an example of a lifetime Nazarite, look at John the Baptist. He wandered in the desert, eating locusts and honey, looking a little unkempt. But he was filled with the Spirit’s power in a very unusual way. Jesus said that “of men born of women there isn’t any greater than John the Baptist”. Matthew 11:11.
Samson was to be a Nazarite from the day he was born. Even his mother wasn’t allowed to eat grapes or raisins. (here’s a “rabbit trail” question: if life doesn’t begin until birth, and Samson is dedicated to be a Nararite..not his mother…then why is she not allowed to eat raisins or grapes? Does God consider that the vow begins before Samson is even born? What does that imply?)
In any case, this whole account is simply telling us that Samson violated every part of his vow. I know that we learned from the time we were young that Samson was a man of power and God used him to defeat the Philistines. I remember hearing the story of Samson and the foxes from the time I was a little boy. Back then I wished I had the power of Samson.
But today, I don’t want to be like him. Israelite law forbid marrying people outside of the faith, and although Samson was going to be strong physically, he was spiritually weak. Samson couldn’t deny himself. So he pressures his father into arranging his marriage to a Philistine. Now, you may say “aha! you are wrong, Pastor Rick!” God did this so that Samson would be at odds with the Philistines! It says so right here in 14:4. But think about this: God told the people not to marry outside of the faith. Would he then tell Samson to violate his law? Probably not. Samson was attracted to someone he couldn’t be with. Instead of being strong, he caved to his desires and pursued the woman.
I confess that I don’t know how God intended to use Samson, but I’m pretty sure that this wasn’t the way. To further prove the point, whoever records this mentions a few other facts that would help the reader understand that Samson was drifting. He scoops honey out of a dead lion, and kills Philistines with a jawbone. Remember why those things are important? A Nazarite cannot come into contact with anything dead? Was this God’s plan to use Samson’s strength? No.
This brings up an important point. God has a plan and purpose for our lives, and if we live within His perfect will we will see those things happen. But God also allows us freedom of choice. Our decisions affect the way in which God interacts with people. We can’t affect the outcome, because God is greater than we are, to the point that He can eventually cause anything to happen that He wants.
Samson, although He was a Judge, and a very powerful man, appears to have been a self centered leader. God could have intended to use Samson to completely defeat the Philistines, but because of his character flaws he fell far short.
PS: just a quick note to myself… I see as I read this time thru that Samson’s family had status. When he went to marry the Philistine girl they gathered a large group of “friends” suitable for an “elite young man”. 14:10. It seems to me that a person who has friends because of their wealth or popularity really has fewer friends than the average person. It must be a fairly shallow, lonely way to live. I wonder if there is any connection between self-centeredness and lonliness? Can self-centered people have deep relationships? Just how damaging to his life was Samson’s self-centeredness? How damaging to the community?
Faithfully,
PR