Give Me A Minute – Samson Was A Wimp

Many of us are familiar with the story of Samson. You know, the boyfriend of Delilah. I first heard the story in Sunday school when I was a kid. Samson was described as this big, ripped, muscle-bound dude who was uber-strong. (Remind you of anyone?) I recently listened to a lecture on the Old Testament book of Judges, and the lecturer, Dr. Miles Van Pelt, got me thinking about what Samson looked like. My guess is he was probably a weird-looking, wimpy guy.

Samson was a Nazarite. That meant he voluntarily vowed to dedicate his life to God, didn’t drink alcohol, touch dead stuff, or cut his hair. And like John the Baptist, Samson ate honey. So picture this guy, with waist-length dreads, an unshaven beard, licking honey off his fingers, wrecking stuff, and stomping on people. Yes, he did some amazing feats of strength, like destroying a thousand Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone and then causing their temple to collapse, killing three thousand more. Impressive.

But he couldn’t have been a big, muscle-bound guy (like me). If he was, Delilah wouldn’t keep asking him to “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” The Philistines needed to know so they could get rid of him. Nah, he was a wimp, but he was pretty strong. OK, very strong. 

He told Delilah that his strength came from his hair. Cut his hair, and he’s a real wimp. It looks to us like his hair is the source of Samson’s power. It isn’t. After his hair is cut off and the Phillies tie him up between the pillars in the temple, he slouches against them and prays that God would give him the strength to defeat his enemies. Down comes the temple. God is the true, ultimate source of his strength. The long, uncut hair was only a sign that he was obeying his Nazirite vows. God was the power.

I’m a wimp, but I know where my power comes from. Where do you get your power?