Old Sandals

“Then Samson prayed to the Lord, ‘Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.'”

Samson was a buffoon. The Philistines had him brought out for their amusement. Here was mighty Samson! No longer mighty. He was now a slave.

Though weak and blind, this was his finest moment. He looked up to heaven, and in the midst of this pagan festival he called on the God of Israel, addressing him as “Sovereign Lord”. He pulled down the temple on himself and the Philistines, killing more in his death than he had in his life.

God is merciful to buffoons and sinners who call on him.

“So God caused water to gush out of a hollow in the ground at Lehi, and Samson was revived as he drank. Then he named that place ‘The Spring of the One Who Cried Out’, and it is still in Lehi to this day.”

The Bible is a book of miracles, and this chapter records two of the most unbelievable. How was Samson able to capture 300 foxes, tie their tails together in pairs, fasten burning torches in the knots, and send them running through the wheat fields of the Philistines?

And later, how was he able to quench his thirst with water gushing forth out of dry ground?

It is obvious that Samson could not have done these things on his own. That’s what a miracle is—something beyond human ability. And as far as miracles go, these two are not all that incredulous. The vast universe that surrounds us, life itself, divine revelation—now you’re really talking miracles.

“Why do you ask my name?” the angel of the Lord replied. “It is too wonderful for you to understand.”

There is a world beyond this one that is more real than this one, for it is eternal. It is full of wonder. There are creatures in that world who move at the speed of light. Their countenances are brilliant. The God of that world is the only true God of this one. He will surely bring this world into judgement. His name is Wonderful. His ways are inscrutable. His love endures forever.

“When he died he was buried at Bethlehem.”

One judge after another. What an unsettled time. And all because the people were unfaithful to the Lord. Worshiped other gods. Did not remember all the good things the Lord God had done for them.

“You keep whatever your god Chemosh gives you, and we will keep whatever the Lord our God gives us.”

I bet that Jephthah mispronounced “Chemosh” on purpose, in a mocking way. Call it swagger. Call it macho. Call it holy bravado. Call it “in your face”. There is something about Jephthah’s boldness for the Lord that is truly inspiring.

“Yet you have abandoned me and served other gods. So I will not rescue you anymore.”

This may have been what the Lord said; it was certainly what the Israelites deserved, but it was not really the Lord’s heart. He was (and is today) the Great Rescuer, a Mighty Savior.

“… a woman on the roof dropped a millstone that landed on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.”

Gideon’s own son, Abimelech, was an evil, treacherous man who killed seventy of his half-brothers in order to be the ruler of Shechem. When Shechem finally revolted, the town was leveled and most of it’s people were killed. It looked for a while as if Abimelech would win the day and crush the uprising. He undoubtedly would have had not the Lord guided a millstone dropped from a tower by a woman.

“As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god.”

The Lord used Gideon to destroy the Midianite army, which had oppressed Israel for years. And yet, as soon as he passed from the scene, the people turned again to idols.

“Send all the others home.”

Perhaps the 300 men who cupped their hands to drink water were more watchful and better suited for the battle than those who put their faces down in the water to drink. But I bet not. After all, there was no battle. The Lord caused the Midianites to turn on each other. It was the Lord’s victory all the way.