This chapter continues following Samson, who continues to have escalating conflicts with the Philistines (Israel’s current oppressors).
“Then 3,000 men of Judah… said to him, ‘We have come down to bind you, that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines.’ So they bound him with two new ropes… When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men. And Samson said, ‘With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey have I struck down a thousand men.’ ” (v11-16 abr)
Have you ever seen a martial arts movie where one person defeats dozens of consecutive opponents in wave after wave (basically any Bruce Lee movie)? This must have looked similar – one man, fighting off 1,000 men, with nothing but a bone club and the strength of God’s Spirit – incredible.
Now, I’m not a violent person, nor do I believe violence is the best solution to most problems, though sometimes it was a tool required by God. Not only was violence God’s solution to many problems in the OT, it will be used again in the final days of this earth: Jesus Christ will lead one final battle to destroy all evil once and for all.
In the mean time, any type of violence against people (physical, verbal, emotional, psychological, etc) has been replaced with Jesus’ example of love. We are are love our Lord God with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind, and love our neighbors as God loves us. Believe it or not, the same Spirit that gave Samson his physical strength, is the Spirit that gives us our strength of character (Fruit of the Spirit). This Spirit, and the Fruit of the Spirit, enables us to love others, such as being generous, kind and compassionate toward others in their time of need.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph 4:38) “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” (1 Pt 3:8)
My challenge for today is this: to be kind and compassionate to each other, including our non-Christ-honoring neighbors. We are all in this global crisis together, so let’s live out the example of Jesus – showing indiscriminate love to all around us. Whether we’re sharing our toilet paper, or cleaning surfaces thoroughly to prevent any spread of contagions, let’s do so out of love for others.
I want to do something slightly different today and close with this blessing from Paul: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor 1:3-4) Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training