We continue learning from the Judges of Israel, this week, Pastor Jody draws our attention to the life of Samson.

Character Study – Samson

• Samson is the last recorded Judge of Israel
• He led Israel for 20 years
• Samson is known for being a Nazarite and having a supernatural has a supernatural gift of strength given to him by God.
• Samson didn’t use his gifts to serve God but to serve himself and his own desires yet even despite his moral weakness and constant failings, God still used Samson to deliver Israel.

Warnings from Samson’s story:

1/ How easy it is for the gifts God gives us to become a source of pride that leads us to sin instead of a gift stewarded with humility and wisdom.

2/ When we live by sight we are governed by the desires of our flesh – seeking to please ourselves, When we live by faith we are governed by the desire to please God

God’s Great Redemption Plan:

Samson had squandered God’s gift, he’d traded it away for pleasure time and time again instead of protecting it.

He was faithless, he was foolish and he was fallen – yet still God intervenes an acts on his behalf.

Even amid his terrible failure and his shame God ‘remembered’ Samson and answered his prayer

God can use us in spite of our weakness, our failures and our sinfulness.

God sent Jesus as the ultimate Judge and Saviour and through his life, death and resurrection for every person who puts their trust in God rather than in themselves shall be saved, restored and healed.

Samson’s story is a reminder that If we put our hope in ourselves or in other people we become weak and enslaved – our true strength and hope is found in God alone.