The story of Samson in Judges 13-16 is a familiar one. A biblical superhero falls victim to a temptress and is blinded by his enemies, only to triumph over them in the end.
But I want to focus on an earlier part of the story. Samson had a godly heritage. A divine revelation announced his birth to his parents. They dedicated him to God with a Nazarite vow—a vow of holiness, of dedication, and consecration to God.
A Nazarite vow involved three things. First, the Nazarite must never cut his hair. Second, he must never touch a corpse because he would become defiled. Third, he must drink no intoxicating drink at all, including wine, and this included eating grapes or raisins.
But Samson disregarded his vow.
At the “vineyards of Timnah” (14:5), he was attacked by a young lion and tore it apart with his bare hands (see v. 6). Some time later, he returned. “And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating” (vv. 8-9).
So, what was a Nazarite doing in a vineyard? And why was a Nazarite touching something dead?
Samson didn’t take his vows very seriously because they weren’t important to him. Maybe at one time they were, but eventually, they weren’t.
Now, the principle I find is this. Some Christians ask questions like, “Hey, can I do this or that and still be a Christian? Is it okay if I get involved in this as a Christian?” But “how close to the edge can I get?” is the wrong thing to ask. Some believers sail so close to the lake of fire that their sails get singed. You don’t want to live the way Samson did.
Samson became ceremonially defiled. He was already relationally defiled by his disrespect for his parents. And he became morally defiled because of his lust for several Philistine women.
And in Judges 14:10 it says Samson gave a “feast.” The Hebrew word means a drinking feast. So he threw a party with intoxicating beverages.
Here’s where I’m going with this: I meet people all the time who will say, “Oh, I used to go to your church. In fact, you dedicated me when I was a baby.”
And I always ask, “Did it work?”
“What do you mean?” they ask.
“Are you still dedicated to the Lord? Are you following Him?” You see, whatever past experiences you’ve had, whatever past professions of faith you’ve made, it’s all invalid unless it’s translated into the present experience.
Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” (Matthew 7:22-23).
When we think of Samson, we usually think of his problem with women. But he really had a problem with God. God wasn’t first in his life. The Bible calls that idolatry. Anything or anyone that replaces supreme devotion to God is an idol.
So, I know that God is your God by creation, because He created you. And I hope God is your God by redemption, because He saved you. My question is, is God your God by devotion?
Are you devoted to Him?
