Have you ever felt like you messed up so badly that the damage caused seemed irreparable? Have you ever felt that because of past mistakes that there was no way God could use you? Maybe you are feeling this right now. If that is you, there is good news! Today we will look at the life of Samson, a man who made mistake after mistake, yet God still used him to carry out His plan. Samson’s story shows us that God extends restoration and forgiveness to anyone who turns to Him and that He can and will use anyone, regardless of their past.
What is your favorite movie that tells a story of restoration?
Bible Study Questions
1. What comes to mind when you think about Samson?
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2. Read Judges 13:1-5 and Numbers 6:1-8, which explains the Nazirite vow that Samson took in more detail. Describe Samson’s calling and the rules he was given?
Judges 13:1-5 Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years. In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”
Judges 13:1-5
Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years.
In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”
3. Skim through Judges 13-16. How do you see Samson breaking his Nazirite vow?
4. Read Judges 16:15-30. How did God show redemption to Samson at the end of his life?
Judges 16:15-30
Then Delilah pouted, “How can you tell me, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t share your secrets with me? You’ve made fun of me three times now, and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong!” She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it.
Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.”
Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come back one more time,” she said, “for he has finally told me his secret.” So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him.
Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!”
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 and forced to grind grain in the prison.
But before long, his hair began to grow back.
The Philistine rulers held a great festival, offering sacrifices and praising their god, Dagon. They said, “Our god has given us victory over our enemy Samson!”
When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, “Our god has delivered our enemy to us! The one who killed so many of us is now in our power!”
Half drunk by now, the people demanded, “Bring out Samson so he can amuse us!” So he was brought from the prison to amuse them, and they had him stand between the pillars supporting the roof.
Samson said to the young servant who was leading him by the hand, “Place my hands against the pillars that hold up the temple. I want to rest against them.” Now the temple was completely filled with people. All the Philistine rulers were there, and there were about 3,000 men and women on the roof who were watching as Samson amused them.
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.” Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands, he prayed, “Let me die with the Philistines.” And the temple crashed down on the Philistine rulers and all the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime.
Application
1. What does Samson’s story show you about the consequences of sin?
2. Are there any ways that you can relate to Samson’s story? If so, how? If not, why not?
3. What do you think God is teaching us by including Samson in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11?
Our call is to learn from Samson’s story. Our call is to turn away from any sin or disobedience we may be living in. James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” Let’s take a few moments to do just that. First, spend some time sharing any areas that you know you have been living disobediently. Then pray for each other. Ask God to give each one of you wisdom and strength to walk away from any sin and live faithfully for Him.
After studying the life of Samson, the question becomes, “Why is Samson listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11?” The truth is, Samson’s story and inclusion in the Hall of Faith is a story of redemption. You see, Samson’s inclusion in the Hall of Faith is a message to all of us: it is never too late to turn to God in faith. Let’s take a few minutes to zoom in to look at what Scripture says about God’s redemption.
Before diving into Scripture, take note of the Oxford Dictionary’s definition for redemption: “the action of being saved from sin, error, or evil."
Read 2 Peter 3:9.
• What does this verse teach about God’s desire for redemption?
• Who is redemption available for, according to this verse?
Read Galatians 4:5-7.
• What was the cost, or price, of the redemption Jesus offers?
• What, according to these verses, is the result of Christ’s redemption?
Samson:
• Let’s look back at Samson’s story one last time. Read Hebrews 11:32.
• Based on what you know about the end of Samson’s story in Judges 16, how is inclusion in the Hall of Faith an act of redemption?
Peter:
• Let’s look at another person who, like Samson, experienced God’s redemption: Peter. Now, Peter had denied Jesus three times right before Jesus died on a cross. He must have felt that he had messed up so badly that there was no way that God could restore him and use him anymore. Read John 21:15-19.
• What did redemption look like for Peter, based on these verses?
• What evidence do we have, based on what we know about Peter, that he continued to live faithfully? (Hint: See Acts 2:37-41.)
After reading these verses about God’s redemption, spend some time discussing the reality of Samson’s redemption with your group. As you discuss, keep in mind two hang-ups some of us can have with redemption. First, we can convince ourselves that God could never use us because we are too broken, and we disqualify ourselves. Second, we judge others as too far gone to be of use, and we disqualify others.
In light of Samson’s redemption, both hang-ups are inappropriate. As you discuss, consider if there is an area of your life where you have disqualified yourself or thought it was too late to turn to God in faith? Or, is there someone you have written off? Please share it with your group. Then, develop at least one action that you will take to dismiss these disqualifications. My friend, as long as there is breath in our lungs, it is never too late to turn to God in faith!
MONTHLY MEMORY VERSE (Available for download on Sagebrush App)
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. Romans 8:5
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