Reflections on "Not Quite Christ" Judges 16: 18-31

Admittedly, preaching on the judges has been difficult at times, but it has also been a lot of fun for me.  Such great narrative stories.  It has also made me appreciate those who taught me Sunday school because most of the stories I remember from being taught in my childhood.  As I spoke with the young disciples during their time in the service, it became apparent that they did not know the story of Samson.  They were perhaps too young to have been in a setting where it had been taught, but it reminded me of the importance of our kids being in Church School and of parents reading the Bible to their children.  

In fact, one of the reasons I spent time in sermons going over the biblical story is because I assume that most of us who gather for the sermon do not know the stories well.  That seems to be a growing reality among those of us who are in church, but it also is a challenge for all of us to find more ways to be engaged by the biblical text.  We profess to be guided by God's Word, which suggests that we need to know God's Word!

As the sermon indicates, I have also been thinking about how differently we read these stories when we grow up.  Samson, the childhood hero, becomes Samson, the greatly flawed judge.

I think the point about what it means that the line of judges has ended has powerful implications.  The consequences may have been a bit exaggerated to make the point in the sermon, but it was a huge shift in how the Israelites understood themselves and how God was at work.  I think that speaks to us in our context as we contemplate how God is at work.

I was also reminded how hard it is to do justice to the biblical stories in one sermon.  With three chapters in Judges dedicated to the Samson's story, and at least one different event (and perhaps woman) for each chapter, one sermon was not nearly enough.

“Not Quite Christ” November 11, 2012; FPC, Troy, Judges 16; Judges series

Introduction: Almost done, but before finishing Judges, we have to visit the story of arguably the most famous judge – Samson.

How many remember.

Move 1: What do you remember about Samson?

a. think about when you first heard this story as a child.

1. Mighty man – he is on the road and gets attacked by a lion and kills the lion with his bare hands.
2. Powerful man – he can swing the jaw bone of a donkey and slaughter the enemy.
3. Told riddles. You probably did not understand them, but it was pretty cool that he had riddles.
4. Fascination with long hair.
5. Image of Samson, blinded, pulling down the pillars and bringing down the enemy with him.
6. As a boy, I doubt you thought much about the women in the story. Girls had cuddies and were kind of yucky anyway, so maybe I thought about staying away from them, but that would have been expected.
7. Young girl – maybe you thought boys were big and strong and got angry and be bullies, so Samson might fit. But, he still came across as a larger than life hero.
8. Maybe your Sunday School teacher made an allusion to Christ, as in Samson gave his life to save God's people and Christ did that too.
9. Bottom line – Samson was something of a super hero.
10. Not quite Christ, but maybe in the ballpark.

b. Read about Samson as you get a bit older – maybe high school or college.

1. you're at a point in life where you've dated a few different people. You read about Samson's first wife nagging him until he tells you the answer to the riddle or Delilah cajoling Samson until he tells her the secret of his power, and you think, yeah, sometimes being a relationship makes you do some things you might not ordinarily do.
2. You might read the story of Samson's birth and see connections between his birth narrative and others like Samuel, or John the baptist, or Jesus.
3. But you might also notice that Samson seems almost egotistical or dumb, and he like to fight.

Not quite Christ – but he did take down the Philistines, the spirit of the Lord was on him.

Move 2: What do you think of Samson now as we read his story in the context of the series on Judges

a. If we go back to the beginning of the Samson story, we discover that Israel has done what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

1. No surprise.
2. This has been happening throughout judges.
3. In fact, we might be willing to admit that it continues to happen in our lives and our world today.
   b. When I was in seminary, one of my favorite professors taught OT.
   1. One week he told us he was going to be preaching in the Presbyterian church he attended.
   2. I decided to go hear him preach.
   3. His sermon title was “The Biggest Fool.”
   4. He began the sermon by announcing that since it was April Fool's Day, he was going to peach on the biggest fool in the Bible.
   5. I figured he would probably pick on OT figure since that was his area of expertise, but I was a little surprised to discover that he picked Samson.
   6. The hero from my childhood disappeared a bit that day.

b. When we analyze Samson from the perspective that he is as flawed as the other judges, or perhaps even more flawed since I have argued that each judge gets successively worse, he does not seem like much of a hero.

100. He comes across as rather dumb.
     1. Not once, but twice he cannot keep his mouth shut when women in his life pester him to reveal his secrets.
     2. His dealings with his father-in-law and with his enemies lacks cunning and guile.
     3. He seems to be all brawn and no brain.

500. Samson clearly had some anger management issues.
     1. anger fuels his actions.
     2. He wants to get back at others, repay them for what they have done for him.
     3. He is a magnet for violence.
     4. he may defeat the enemy, but you know that there is always one more enemy waiting.
     5. There is no sense that lasting peace can ever be achieved by this violent judge.

500. Driven by ego.
     1. He may be filled by the Spirit of the Lord, but he responds out of his own desires, rather than seeking to be an instrument of God.
     2. even as Samson prepares for his last act of taking down the Philistines and sacrificing himself, he does not make it about saving God's people people, but avenging himself.

Move 3: We also put Samson's story in the context of all the judges.

a. Samson is the end of the line.

1. When Samson dies with the Philistines, it also symbolizes the end of
   2. There will be no more judges after him.

b. End of an understanding of how God worked in the world.

1. The rising up of judges within tribes or regions spoke to how Israelites understood how God was at work.
   2. In fact, part what distinguished the Israelites from the other nations was that Israel did not have kings.

3. Israel did not have one person in whom all the power was vested; nor only one person through whom God would work.
4. The Israelites did not need a king, because God could and would find judges, particular people at particular times to lead God's people.
c. But that is about to end.
1. Judges were going by the wayside, in part because they ended up like Samson, ego driven people who seemed to care more about their interests than serving God.
2. And with them went the understanding that God worked through a variety of people.
3. Soon the king would be seen as God's person.
   d. Leave us the question – how do we understand God at work in our world.
   1. Do we look for that other person, that king so to speak, to connect us to God.
   2. Or do we look around and see people whom God chooses to call into leadership with their particular gifts at particular times.
   3. I often ask you to think about those persons who have impacted your lives of faith. Generally, we think about those people who have nurtured us. But think about those people who have challenged you.
   4. Or remember that time when there was a critical issue in the life of the church and the exact person with the needed skills stepped forward into leadership.
   5. Or when someone felt called to a new initiative and made it happen.
   3. Look around the pews. Maybe it is someone sitting next to you.
   4. Or look in the mirror. Maybe it was you.
   5. The stories of the judges reminds us that God works through particular people at particular times.
   6. Maybe even through you or me?

c. God will not be thwarted.

1. Amazing that God works through someone like Samson.

1. A love-struck guy who falls for a girl and will tell her anything, not just once, but twice, who has anger management issues and lets his ego guide him.
   
   2. that not only can God can work through Jephthah, or Gideon, or Deborah, or Jael, or Othniel, or lots of other flawed people , but God will do so.
   3. And God will not stop until all the world has been redeemed.
   4. notice that even Samson gets one more change. His hair grows back. Regardless of what we think of how he handled his chance, God gave him another opportunity.
   5. Ultimately, Samson serves as a powerful reminder of how God will be at work despite our many flaws.
   Conclusion: Samson – not quite Christ; not even close.
   But the God who sent Christ worked through Samson and desires to work through each of us.