In Chapter 15 we see again people acting foolishly and God's faithfulness.
Samson, we see at the beginning of this chapter uses the strength God gave him not to free his people but to get vengeance. I can easily point my finger at Samson and say what a waste of power, however, is this waste of power any worse than how sometimes we waste the gifts of life God has given us? Yet God is patient with us and though we throw away our gifts and life toward foolish aims. Samson isn't worse than any of us it is just easier to see the waste because of the great potential. We will never have the strength of Samson, but we are just as responsible for what we do have.
The act of disobedience in this chapter comes when Samson takes the fresh jawbone of a dead donkey and kills the Philistines. Part of the vow of a Nazarite was never to touch anything dead and not even to go near them. Samson didn't need this weapon. He could have done the work with his bare hands or with something else he found. Since it was a fresh kill, it couldn't be said that Samson thought it was just a stick. There was no excuse and with the poem, he said afterward, I have to wonder if he picked up the jawbone on purpose, but that is just speculation. What matters is that Samson again broke his Nazarite vow.
The great act of God's grace comes in two ways, strength and provision. God gave Samson the strength which was promised him and allowed him to kill the Philistine oppressors even though he was using an unholy object. The second is that God gave him the provision of water after the battle. This shows me that just because God is gracious and does a miracle doesn't mean the person is doing right. What Samson and we need to realize is that just because God has given us grace doesn't mean he is pleased with everything we are doing. God even allowed Samson to judge Israel for twenty years, but I have to believe this was God's mercy to Samson and the children of Israel.
In spite of this long period of God's grace, we learn in the next chapter that Samson hadn't changed his ways things were finally going to catch up to him as he goes too far. For the moment, we need to realize the truth that God is longsuffering and patient with those whom should know better. It is also a reminder that just because someone (or you) seems to be blessed by God it doesn't mean that God is pleased with everything they do.
Photo by Seth Doyle on Unsplash
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