He fell in love
with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah (Judges 16:4).
Just about everyone
knows the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson was the strongest man on earth, a
superhero of Israel. But for all his physical strength, he lacked moral
strength as well as judgment.
Yes, Samson had a
weakness, and it wasn’t his hair. Samson’s weakness was lust. If Samson were a
21st century case study, we’d surmise that something might have been
missing in the relationship with his mother. We would put the pieces together
and determine his subconscious was searching for that intimacy, lacking in the
mother-son relationship, in the beds of other women. Admittedly, it’s probably
never a good idea to psychoanalyze Ancient Near Eastern people using
contemporary psychological models. I’m just saying.
The Bible reports on
Samson’s failed marriage at an early age, his dalliances with prostitutes, and
his affair with Delilah without any overt judgment. Somehow, though, between
the lines we read of a strong man plagued with weakness. Apparently the
criteria God used for choosing Israel’s judges was different than most pulpit
committees use for picking pastors. Again, I’m just saying.
Here, again, the
Bible shows how well its writers know us, for we are all mixes of strength and
weakness, faithfulness and faithlessness – dare I say it? – saint
and sinner. He remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:14).
TODAY’S MEDITATION
For what weakness does God
want you to ask his help today?
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