by Don Ruhl

Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Judges 16--18

An Army of One

I am not sure what the United States Army means when it advertises itself as an army of one, because there are hundreds of thousands of soldiers, but with Samson, it is true. The Bible never shows him gathering an army together to fight the Philistines, but he always fights solo, able to kill hundreds or even thousands each time! The Bible also shows him with three different women. Therefore, we are tempted to think that all he does is chase women and fight the Philistines. However, we see his largest role in the last verse of his story. After killing a large number of Philistines by pushing down their temple, which also killed him, the biblical record says,

31 And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty years (Jdg. 16:31).

Does Samson do some things that make us question his spirituality? Yes, he does. Yet, he also judges Israel for two decades, and he is righteous when he does so. The Judges were holy men of God, but they were also sinners, like you and me. This is no license for us to sin, but it does show that God can use you with your faults, if you submit to him as Samson does.

Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100