In Judges 13 and 14, we get a thorough introduction of Samson, the twelfth judge of Israel.
24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him.
Judges 13:24, ESV
You may have heard of Samson before. In these chapters we see his birth foretold as well as a list of things he should not do as a Nazirite, someone set apart for service to God. After he is born, the text jumps ahead to show an adult Samson doing some crazy things. He picks out a fiance. He tears a lion apart with his bare hands. Later on, he eats honey that he finds in the carcass of that same lion. He presents a riddle about said honey and lion. He loses a bet regarding said riddle and kills thirty men in order to use their belongings to square up on that bet.
Why is Samson’s story, even just what we’ve seen in Judges 14, important? So far we’ve seen him killing guys and breaking lion’s faces. Eating honey. By today’s standards, Samson is a fairly chaotic person. But he is also one of the judges sent by God to rescue Israel from their enemies. God’s plans are being accomplished in part by the actions of this long-haired strongman. We can learn so much from Samson’s story, but for today, the main point is that God can work through anybody.
VC Devotionals 