For a full description of the (Y3) reading plan, see the “About” page.
- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Judg. 16
It continues to amaze me how God uses our sinful ways to bring about our deliverance. Samson is just one great example of this, as are the religious leaders of Jesus’ time. Samson was a Nazarite, dedicated to God from birth. And he served God, whether intentionally or not. But he did not love God. The Bible is full of irony, and we get a good dose in this story when Delilah asked Samson, “How can you say, ‘I love you’, when your heart is not with me?’” (Jud. 16:15a). God could have asked him the same question!
This makes me think of the attitude of some Christians that Paul addressed in his letters. Some believe that God’s grace and forgiveness give them a free pass to do whatever they want. How can we say that we have accepted God’s grace if we don’t love Him? And how can we say that we love Him if our hearts are still for ourselves instead of for Him? God was with Samson, yes, but Samson did not appreciate what he had. So when his divided heart pulled him away, he didn’t even know that God had left him.
Judg. 17-18
If ever there was evidence that mankind does not know what is good, the book of Judges is it. The first half of the book shows the downward spiral of Israel’s leadership. The second half is full of stories that show what it looks like when people do what seems right to them instead of following God’s ways. It isn’t pretty. Interestingly enough, all these people seemed to think that they were still God’s people. It’s the same attitude Samson had, thinking he belonged to God because of his Nazarite vow. In reality, though, when we serve God however we see fit, we are really just serving ourselves.