solomon & samson

When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn't realize the Lord had left him. So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains…

– Judges 16:20-21, NLT

Is there anything so tragic as one unmistakably marked for greatness who throws it all away?

 

Such is the story of Samson, a man “like the sun” – so named because he would fracture the darkness of Philistine dominance and usher in a brighter era. He was, without question, born to lead, hailed by God himself to be the liberator of a nation (Judges 13:5). Yet, the mighty Samson is remembered as a washout, a letdown, a fallen hero. Falling for a pretty face that belied treachery, the man who routed myriads ended his days blinded and bound by chains. How sad. How ironic. And how prophetic.

 

This planet is filled to the brim with modern-day Samsons: Young men and women destined for great things. Theirs is a generation of would-be freedom-fighters, born to break chains. But following in the missteps of their predecessor, they sell themselves out, spending their strength on the very things that will steal it: drugs, booze, dead-end relationships, and cheap thrills. Suckered into bondage, they cheat themselves – and others – of liberty.

 

We must reach them before they are shorn of their priceless gift. It is ours to train, to stand between them and the Delilahs that would sell them into captivity. Who will teach them of the true source of strength if not us? Who will instruct them of the sacredness of their trust if we do not?

 

Solomon tells us in Proverbs that, “The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old” (20:29, NLT). Youthful vitality must be tempered by the wisdom of years. Herein, O Church, lies our calling and the underpinning of our might. Unity within the Body of Christ is not a nicety but a requisite for survival. As Jesus has it, a house divided is doomed to fall (Matthew 12:25). Generations must cross the cultural chasms which divide us so that prudence might harness vigor, that energy might animate insight.

 

Solomon and Samson: Now there is a dynamic duo.