Readings: Judges 13:1-7, 17-25; 16:4-31; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Matthew 12:29
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Samson the strong man. An odd and strange story. A story of a fool in love? Yes. A story of an oaf who followed the desires of his flesh which led to his downfall? Yes. The story of Christ saving His Church? Yes. All these contradictions exist in one man’s story for Our Lord promises to work good out of everything, even our own sin. (Rom. 8:28) For by His cross He has taken death itself and bent it to His will, by His death defeating death, by His death atoning for your sin, and by His death opening the way to life eternal in your death.
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Samson the strong man. An odd and strange story. A story of a fool in love? Yes. A story of an oaf who followed the desires of his flesh which led to his downfall? Yes. The story of Christ saving His Church? Yes. All these contradictions exist in one man’s story for Our Lord promises to work good out of everything, even our own sin. (Rom. 8:28) For by His cross He has taken death itself and bent it to His will, by His death defeating death, by His death atoning for your sin, and by His death opening the way to life eternal in your death.
All of this in a man who didn’t look that righteous outwardly. Yet we are told that the Spirit of Lord was upon him. (Jdg. 13:25) We shrink from so much of what the Spirit of the Lord led Him to do. (Jdg. 14:1-5, 19; 15:14-15) I mean, good Christian people don't do what he did do they? He was a drinker (how do you think he passed out so much on Delilah’s knees, Jdg. 16:14, 19), a man of blood, a brawler, a whoremonger (Jdg. 16:1), a hothead, and a fool. Just like you if not in deed, well, let’s be honest, certainly in thought. Which one of you hasn’t wished to smite your enemies in wrath? Which one of you hasn’t wished to have whatever you set your eyes on? Hasn’t flown off handle in front of strangers, in front of family, in front of God even if only in the solitude of your mind? Yet He was called of the Lord. The Lord Jesus before taking on flesh appeared to His mom, called him into existence in her barren, dead womb. (Jdg. 13:2-3) Just as faith is called into existence in your dead heart, as the Holy Spirit is poured out on you in Holy Baptism. (Acts 2:38-39; Tit. 3:5) And that faith bestows Christ's righteousness on you (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3-5), even while your sinful nature still seeks to have its way with you each day.
And his mother suspects it is the Angel of the Lord. (Jdg. 13:6) Just as a Mary Magdalene saw our Lord first on the day of His resurrection (Mark 16:9-11; John 20:14-16) and went and told the Twelve Disciples. (John 20:18; Mark 16:10-11) So she tells her husband. They run to see. (Jdg. 13:10-11) But just as on the day of the resurrection when Jesus finally does appear to some men on the road to Emmaus they don’t recognize Him till they set in front of Him. He consecrates the Lord’s Supper and as soon as their eyes of faith are opened to the fact that He is alive as the women said He disappears. (Luke 24:13-31) So the Lord before taking on flesh in front of Manoah and his wife shoots up off to heaven in the smoke as the sacrifice is consumed in the fire. (Jdg. 13:19-20) Just as Jesus Himself would be roasted alive in the fire of His Father’s wrath against sin—the final atoning sacrifice so that your sins no longer keep you from your Father. In that sacrifice the identity of the Angel of the Lord was made known to Manoah, Samson’s soon to be father. (Jdg. 13:21-23) And in his birth was Manoah and all Israel’s salvation.
Yet when we look at the life of Samson we are told the Spirit of the Lord was on him. (Jdg. 13:25) But you and I can’t detect it by his works. Even his ill-favoured marriage to a Philistine woman before his dalliance with Delilah seems off. Sordid. (Jdg. 14:1-3; Deut. 7:1-4) Yet, this was the Lord’s work. For the Lord was raising Samson up to deliver Israel. (Jdg. 14:4)
And his mother suspects it is the Angel of the Lord. (Jdg. 13:6) Just as a Mary Magdalene saw our Lord first on the day of His resurrection (Mark 16:9-11; John 20:14-16) and went and told the Twelve Disciples. (John 20:18; Mark 16:10-11) So she tells her husband. They run to see. (Jdg. 13:10-11) But just as on the day of the resurrection when Jesus finally does appear to some men on the road to Emmaus they don’t recognize Him till they set in front of Him. He consecrates the Lord’s Supper and as soon as their eyes of faith are opened to the fact that He is alive as the women said He disappears. (Luke 24:13-31) So the Lord before taking on flesh in front of Manoah and his wife shoots up off to heaven in the smoke as the sacrifice is consumed in the fire. (Jdg. 13:19-20) Just as Jesus Himself would be roasted alive in the fire of His Father’s wrath against sin—the final atoning sacrifice so that your sins no longer keep you from your Father. In that sacrifice the identity of the Angel of the Lord was made known to Manoah, Samson’s soon to be father. (Jdg. 13:21-23) And in his birth was Manoah and all Israel’s salvation.
Yet when we look at the life of Samson we are told the Spirit of the Lord was on him. (Jdg. 13:25) But you and I can’t detect it by his works. Even his ill-favoured marriage to a Philistine woman before his dalliance with Delilah seems off. Sordid. (Jdg. 14:1-3; Deut. 7:1-4) Yet, this was the Lord’s work. For the Lord was raising Samson up to deliver Israel. (Jdg. 14:4)
And what was this man’s downfall? A woman. Just as Christ our Lord’s downfall was His bride, the Church (Eph. 5:25), pouring His life out unto death for your sake and mine, and that of all mankind. (John 3:16)
You’d think that after the first time he wakes up having told her his supposed secret of supernatural strength and she’s done to him exactly what he said, he’d have clued in. He’d have hightailed it out of there. But he’s a fool for love. Or lust. It’s not really clear. Yet, one thing is certain. Our Lord is a fool for His Bride, the Church. She is not anymore faithful than Delilah. She can be a murdering, backstabbing, unbelieving Philistine. Yet, He dies for Her to clothe Her in a dress of surpassing beauty. (Eph. 5:25-27) A raiment whiter than snow. Washed clean in His blood shed to cover over Her sin. (Eph. 5:26; Rev. 7:14; Isa. 1:18) She is radiant. Clothed in Him. (Eph. 5:27; Gal. 3:27)
We have no indication that Delilah ever loved Samson. That she ever believed in His God. Yet after Samson is undone by her, after all seems lost, there is still hope. For his hair begins to grow. (Jdg. 16:22) His strength will return, just as the dead Son of God, stricken, smitten, and afflicted on account of His beloved, returns to life, having conquered Her enemies and won Her freedom.
You’d think that after the first time he wakes up having told her his supposed secret of supernatural strength and she’s done to him exactly what he said, he’d have clued in. He’d have hightailed it out of there. But he’s a fool for love. Or lust. It’s not really clear. Yet, one thing is certain. Our Lord is a fool for His Bride, the Church. She is not anymore faithful than Delilah. She can be a murdering, backstabbing, unbelieving Philistine. Yet, He dies for Her to clothe Her in a dress of surpassing beauty. (Eph. 5:25-27) A raiment whiter than snow. Washed clean in His blood shed to cover over Her sin. (Eph. 5:26; Rev. 7:14; Isa. 1:18) She is radiant. Clothed in Him. (Eph. 5:27; Gal. 3:27)
We have no indication that Delilah ever loved Samson. That she ever believed in His God. Yet after Samson is undone by her, after all seems lost, there is still hope. For his hair begins to grow. (Jdg. 16:22) His strength will return, just as the dead Son of God, stricken, smitten, and afflicted on account of His beloved, returns to life, having conquered Her enemies and won Her freedom.
And in Samson’s death he sets free Israel—the Church, those believers in Angel of the Lord who is salvation. For in the end Samson repents. He turns to the Lord and away from himself. (Jdg. 16:28) At this point he has no choice. He is utterly a slave of his sin, of its consequences: blinded, imprisoned, doomed to death by his sins. Just like humanity: born into sin (Ps. 51:5), captive of sin (Rom 6:16-20; John 8:34; ), bound to decay by our God Himself in hope that He might free us. (Rom. 8:20-21; Gal. 3:22-25) And He does. By His strong man, His champion, who defeats our enemies, carrying away the very gates of hell, ripping them from their door posts so that they no longer have any strength left, no power to hold His people captive. For He has triumphed over His enemies by the cross. (Col. 2:15)
For Samson’s repentance is Israel’s freedom. His death on behalf of the Lord’s beloved sets her free. It clothes her in garments of salvation. (Isa. 61:10) It fills her mouth with songs of joy. (Ps. 118:15) And just as with our Lord’s death the faithful of the Lord, His family (Luke 8:21), come to collect the body (Jdg. 16:31; John 19:38-42) so that Samson rested with his father, just as the Lord rested in paradise with His Father (Luke 23:43), in the eternal Sabbath rest of God (Heb. 4:1), on that Holy Saturday. For His death destroyed the enemies of His people, the Church, just as Samson’s death destroyed the enemies of Israel, declaring the Lord’s victory over Satan and his demons in the very house of the demons. (Jdg. 16:23a, 27, 30; 1 Pet. 3:18-19; Eph. 4:9; Col. 2:15; 1 Pet. 4:6)
No, Samson was not righteous by His own reason, strength, or outward actions. Looking at him you couldn’t tell the Holy Spirit was at work in him. Just as looking at you, try though you might your sin mars everything you do, making your best efforts like filthy rags. (Isa. 64:6; Phil. 3:8) Your life does not look, from outward appearances, better than many in our world. In fact, it might even look worse. Thanks be to God that our salvation is not based on our righteousness, but on Jesus' righteousness.
For Samson’s repentance is Israel’s freedom. His death on behalf of the Lord’s beloved sets her free. It clothes her in garments of salvation. (Isa. 61:10) It fills her mouth with songs of joy. (Ps. 118:15) And just as with our Lord’s death the faithful of the Lord, His family (Luke 8:21), come to collect the body (Jdg. 16:31; John 19:38-42) so that Samson rested with his father, just as the Lord rested in paradise with His Father (Luke 23:43), in the eternal Sabbath rest of God (Heb. 4:1), on that Holy Saturday. For His death destroyed the enemies of His people, the Church, just as Samson’s death destroyed the enemies of Israel, declaring the Lord’s victory over Satan and his demons in the very house of the demons. (Jdg. 16:23a, 27, 30; 1 Pet. 3:18-19; Eph. 4:9; Col. 2:15; 1 Pet. 4:6)
No, Samson was not righteous by His own reason, strength, or outward actions. Looking at him you couldn’t tell the Holy Spirit was at work in him. Just as looking at you, try though you might your sin mars everything you do, making your best efforts like filthy rags. (Isa. 64:6; Phil. 3:8) Your life does not look, from outward appearances, better than many in our world. In fact, it might even look worse. Thanks be to God that our salvation is not based on our righteousness, but on Jesus' righteousness.
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh. (2 Cor. 10:4) They are not see-able or knowable with eyes of flesh. But they are mighty to tear down strongholds, to defeat mighty demons that hold nations captive, whom the peoples of the world worship. (Jdg. 16:23; Ps. 106:36-38) These weapons—the Word of the Lord, which is the sword of the Lord, His righteousness that clothes you, His salvation (Eph. 6:13-17) spoken into you granting faith that justifies sinners— break eternal chains. They work wonders in this world that no eye has seen, and no ear has heard. (1 Cor. 2:9-11) For His name, in which you were baptized, by which you are saved, is wonderful. (Jdg. 13:18; Isa. 9:6)
In +Jesus’ name, Amen.
—Pastor David Haberstock
Epiphany Lutheran Church
Thunder Bay, ON
In +Jesus’ name, Amen.
—Pastor David Haberstock
Epiphany Lutheran Church
Thunder Bay, ON
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