Progression of Presumption Ending in Triumph

The final chapter of Samson's life is lamentable. Samson had relied upon his gifting, ignoring his consecration year after year. Time and again, Samson partook of whatever his flesh desired assuming he was capable of withstanding all attacks of his enemies. 

Samson gave his heart to Delilah so much so that in spite of her obvious allegiance to his enemies, Samson continued to maintain intimate relations with her. So strong was his tie that her nagging and repeated betrayal did not drive him away even though "his soul was vexed to death". In other words, Delilah made Samson utterly miserable yet he could not sever the bond between them. Samson eventually gave up the secret of his strength which led to his humiliation and captivity.

Samson's eyes were gouged out and he was put at hard labor grinding in the prison. With the passing of time Samson's hair grew out and His strength returned. Samson ended his life as he destroyed more of his enemies in a single blow than during his entire life of presumption.

There is much we can learn from Samson's latter ends. THe word tells us that the giftings and callings of the Lord are irrevocable. Samson was gifted with strength and called to be a deliverer of the people. In his presumption Samson abused the grace of God repeatedly to the point that He was blind to the consequences of his actions. This led to soul ties and spiritual blindness so powerful that he betrayed the secret of his strength to a subversive seductress bent on his destruction.

Samson's eyes were put out mirroring his spiritual state. He was placed in a physical prison which mirrored the prison of sin and deception he had been living in. He was put to hard labor which symbolized the wasting of his life laboring for things which did not truly satisfy or fulfill his calling. As his strength returned it was spent on  grinding in prison just as it was wasted on foolish endeavors during his life of freedom.

Once Samson was humbled and broken he was given the opportunity to redeem himself.  Samson was set free from the physical chains just as he was from the spiritual ones through his humility and brokenness. Samson was forced to perform for the Philistines and had to trust in a child to guide him. This mirrored his reliance on God, for he, for the first time recorded in scripture, called out to the Lord for strength in his final feat of strength.

Once humbled, broken and totally reliant on God, Samson came into the fullness of his calling. In one final act in submission to God, Samson exceeded every act he ever did when motivated by his flesh. Samson killed more of His enemies in that one final act in Dagon's temple than in his entire life. He also humiliated and dethroned the god the enemies served with that same act. The Philistines had gathered to celebrate the victory of their god over the deliverer of the one true God and had actually assembled themselves for their own destruction at the hands of the deliverer of the God they thought they had defeated. Samson ultimately did the will of the Lord and brought glory to God as he showed the gods of this world to be false.

May we too live in humility, brokenness and reliance so that we can fulfill HIs calling for us. 

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