Bible in 90 Days - Day 19 (Judges 15:13-1 Samuel 2:29)

Lord, open our hearts and minds

by the power of your Holy Spirit,
that we may hear your Word with joy. Amen.
 

Samson is an enigma to me, but I think that is because I’ve been looking for godliness in humans as the thread to follow. I just don’t see that in Samson. When the blind Samson is brought in to the Philistines, they say, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.” The theme that comes up over and over with Samson is that God uses him to deliver the Philistines into God’s hands. Samson himself is not very godly, but through him God shows himself to be much more powerful than Dagon. Ah yes, this is ultimately a story about God, not Samson.

Maybe that is one of the keys to understanding this last gruesome story – it is a story about people. After Samson’s death, God doesn’t show up until it is time to get rid the evil, and then we find it isn’t just the tribe of Benjamin that takes a beating. The section begins and ends with the phrase, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” God should have been their king. This story is not in chronological order with the rest of the stories. It comes at the end to make a point. The last word in Judges is that the people are lost.

Ruth is and incredible piece of literature and a great testimony to God. In a sense it is also a transition story. It begins with a reference to the time of the judges and ends with the genealogy of David the king, so it is a good bridge between Judges and 1 Samuel. Naomi goes away from God’s land thinking the answer to her problems lies with a “godless” people. She comes back even emptier. In the emptiness God provides. God is always the one who provides, and in the bigger picture he is providing a king for his people. In the even bigger picture he is paving the way for Jesus. Ruth is the final woman in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.

Samuel is the last judge of Israel. That helps us understand where we are in the story, and it may come in handy if you are ever playing a Bible trivia game. Note the recurring theme: God’s great provision comes out of barrenness.