This week, my first grade class was studying Samson in Bible (Judges 13-16). It's always an exciting one to teach. It reads almost like an action adventure story. From Samson ripping apart a lion (later finding honey inside it), to his riddle at his wedding (and his tantrum with his guests got the answer from his bride), to those poor foxes he tied together and set on fire to destroy the Philistine's field, to his killing 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey, to his carrying the gate of Gaza, to his tryst with Delilah, to his foolishness in continuing to TRUST Delilah after she proved she would do what she could to remove his strength, to his capture, and last display of strength in destroying the Philistine temple (thus killing himself and them), it was quite a ride!
We read the story directly from scripture. We read some commentary given by our school's Bible curriculum. Today, I planned for us to have a more direct talk about the lessons gleaned from Samson. What I was GOING to say was essentially: Samson judged Israel and largely defeated the Philistines, but he isn't usually know for that. He was known for goofing it up and making wrong choices. I was going to challenge them to do things God's way. I was going to end with this cute little rhyming analogy: Sin Blinds (since the Philistines gouged out his eyes--and in our lives, sin doesn't want us to see the consequences, only the moment of pleasure it might give us), Sin Binds (because the Philistines bound him and imprisoned him, and that's what sin does to us), and Sin Grinds (Because Samson ground grain in the prison--and sin grinds away at our lives). But before I taught it, the Lord laid something completely different on my heart than this little warning.
I read Hebrews 11:32-33 which says, And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, The passage continues from there to talk about the results of those who lived by faith. But notice that Samson is included in this passage. He is in the "Hall of Faith" as it is often called--Old Testament believers who are commended for believing God's promises.
Samson did not live an exemplary life by most people's standards. My first graders were able to pick out the areas of wrongdoing: he married an unbeliever, he touched dead bodies multiple times as a Nazarite who was under a sacred vow not to touch them (the lion carcass and the jawbone were dead!). He threw a tantrum when the wedding guests got his riddle. He tormented those poor foxes! He kept trusting Delilah (yet another ungodly woman he fell for). These are things my first graders picked out. And we can learn lessons of how not to live from this. I believe we are called to holiness, and Samson's choices did not reflect holiness. However, I think there's an even greater lesson here.
One of my first graders said plainly, "Samson got his strength back and killed all those Philistines once and for all because he believed God one last time." Samson believed God. That's all it takes. Not perfect performance (we can't give that). Samson was one of God's people, and as such, he no doubt believed in the Promised Savior (Jesus) for salvation, just as we look back on Him and His finished work for our salvation. Before the cross, Samson's flaws are recorded and portrayed. But in Hebrews--after the cross--Samson is seen as a hero of faith. The Blood of Jesus totally changed his story! And it changes ours! If we have faith--like Samson did--we are in the righteousness of Christ! Our sins are gone forever! We are seen as blameless! Second Corinthians 5:21 says, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. I believe that is the real message Samson can teach us.
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