Questions...with Answers

Question from a friend of WordTruth Ministries:

>>> Your message Samson - Called, Equipped, and Uncommitted is an interesting study, but don't forget to balance your judging of Samson with the Sovereignty of God..............Samson did nothing other than follow the plan laid out for him (it states early in the narrative that Samson's taking of a Philistine wife was in the plan of God to exact vengeance). Look at the other Judges listed among the heroes of FAITH? Samson has good company. Your lesson on living a life of commitment can be taught without the use of Samon (or anyone else for that matter) as an example! It is easy to sit back and judge another person's life, but what is not easy, is to be put in his geographic, genetic, and circumstantial shoes and do any better. Just teach the lesson on commitment, and avoid judging people and using them as examples before 'the day' as Paul says, will make manifest the secrets of everyone's heart where sins are far deeper than those abvious ones of the flesh, such as Samson's unbalanced sex drive. Who knows, fleshly as he may appear to have been, Samon may be greatly exalted in eternity, indeed according ot Hebrews 11, he is already and not merely for the last act of his life, but I believe for his entire life.

WordTruth.Com Response:

Thank you for your feedback. I agree it is difficult sometimes to interpret events and people in their proper historical context. I hope you would agree that the assessment of Samson's life is a secondary issue rather than an essential -- we can discuss, debate, maybe agree to disagree, but do so without parting fellowship?

Here are some things to think about: First, the fact that God is sovereign over all things -- does this mean God causes all things to happen? Of course, the answer is no. God is not the Author of evil. He does not cause people to choose sin. This would make God responsible for sin! Perish the thought... In regard to your statement that Samson taking a Philistine wife was God's plan:

And Samson said to his father, 'Get her for me, for she pleases me well.' But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD -- that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. (Judges 14:3-4, NKJV)

As you have stated it in your comments, you make God responsible for this sin in the life of Samson. This can never be. Such verses need to be studied very carefully. God is indeed sovereign over all things. Yet He often uses the even the bad choices we make to bring about something good in our lives (Rom. 8:28-29). That does not mean that God causes the evil or endorses the evil in any way.

This is the case in regard to Samson. His father indicated that a wife was to be taken from his own people, not from the Philistines, according to God's command (Exo. 34:15-16; Deut. 7:2-4). God cannot be assigned responsibility for this as it was clearly a sin. Samson chose to sin against God in this way, in fact he even sinned against his earthly father -- dishonoring his authority (Exo. 20:12) by commanding his father to get this woman for him.

Next, are we to "judge another person's life" in any way? Certainly no one knows the heart -- the inner motives/intents -- of a person but God (Jer. 17:9-10). And we certainly cannot stand in judgment of a person's eternal salvation -- that is the clear province of the LORD Himself.
Having said that, understand that the Bible makes it clear we are to make certain judgments. We are commanded to be diligent students of God's word (2 Tim. 2:15). How could we possibly understand Judges 13-16 without assessing the conduct of Samson being in accord with God's command or not? We are also commanded:

To make judgments of our own conduct (Luke 12:57; Romans 12:3).
To make judgments of the conduct of others (Proverbs 31:9; Matthew 7:5; 1 Cor. 5:12, 6:2-5, 10:15, 11:13, 14:29).
To make right judgments (John 7:24).
To avoid unrighteous or hypocritical judgments (Matthew 7:1-5; Romans 2:1-3).

Samson made many mistakes as he followed the flesh rather than trusting in the Sovereign LORD. Yet he turned back to God in the end, always the right choice. In fact, as you pointed out, he was inducted into the "Faith Hall of Fame" in Hebrews 11. No doubt he was praised for other acts of faith in his life besides the last one ... one day, we can ask him ourselves ;-)

May God bless you with His wisdom and the courage to follow Jesus!
Rev. Randy Lariscy :-)
Director - WordTruth Ministries