Year 4, Day 277: Judges 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Identity

• Identity: Our true identity comes from the Father.  Only when our identity comes from God can we be obedient in ways that satisfy our person to our core.

It only makes sense that we study identity today.  Yesterday we continued looking at Samson through the lens of Obedience.  The day before that we started to look at Samson through the lens of the Father.  Today we get to connect those thoughts through the lens of identity.  Identity should come from the Father.  Identity should show us how we should be obedient.

So let’s look at Samson.  We know that he is connected to God the Father through the Nazirite vow.  But we also know that Samson is not exactly faithful to God, either.  Samson is obedient to His own passions and desires.  He pursues Philistine women as his heart desires.  He seeks vengeance when he believes it is warranted and under his terms.

Where is Samson’s identity?  Take a look at this passage and we see two great examples of where Samson’s identity really rests.  First look at his experience with Delilah.  Delilah asks him, “Where does your great strength lie?”  What a perfect opportunity to say, “My strength comes from my God and Father!”  That’s the answer that someone whose identity is coming from the Lord would give.  But what does Samson say?  “A razor has never come upon my head.  If a razor touches my head, my strength will leave me.”  Look closely at those words.  Whose strength does Samson say will leave him?  Does he indicate that his strength is from God or from his own hair growing out of his head?  Samson’s identity is not found in God – even though he is a Nazirite and been given an incredible demonstration of God’s power.

Furthermore, look at the passage about Samson’s death.  He’s blind and being used to his own ridicule in entertainment for the Philistines.  What does he seek at the end of his life?  He wants to have vengeance upon the Philistines.  He doesn’t ask God, “What would you have me do?”  He doesn’t come humbly before God and say, “How can I serve you and not my selfish passion?”  No, Samson says, “Let me be avenged for my own eyes.”  Even in this moment Samson’s identity is wrapped up in himself.  He cares more about his eyes than about the will of God.

The Father gave Samson an incredible gift.  Yet, Samson’s identity came from anywhere but the Father.  Samson was obedient to his own identity, not the identity that the Father desired for Samson.  Here we have a tragic character in the Bible.  Samson is not one to be celebrated as we usually treat him.  Samson is to be studied and lifted up so that we can learn to not make the same errors in judgment that he made.  Of course, we are not to feel superior to Samson, for we make our own share of mistakes, too.

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