Luke 24:27 – And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:45 – Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.

John 5:39 – Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

I have been going through the life of Samson recently. This may be the final post on his life for the time being! There is a lot more that can be learned from this story, but in this blog I am going to talk about how we can see the Lord Jesus Christ in the life of Samson. Samson foreshadowed Christ. Acts 4:25 – Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? God spoke by David. Many of the Psalms were written by David, but it was God moving him to write them. God spoke through the prophets. God spoke by Samson. God moved Samson. We can see Christ in Samson’s life because Samson was saved. He had faith. We are saved by faith. The Bible says God wants to conform us to the image of his dear Son. This is what our life is about. This is what God wants for us. Less like the Devil, and more like Christ. I will becomes thy will. Instead of sinning, we can do righteousness. Death turned to victory, evil turned to good, a body that carried us sin now a vehicle for righteousness and ministering to others rather than serving self. Please note, we do not become Jesus Christ. We are not Christ. We will never be Christ. We are not, and will never be God. We do not go to the cross and do what he did. We cannot take the sins of the world on ourselves. That is only what Jesus can and could do. But because we serve him, because he lives in us, we follow in his footsteps. Jesus dwells in our hearts by faith. He lives in us and through us. Do people see the Lord Jesus Christ in you? Do they see faith? Or do they see religion and hypocrisy? We get rejected by the world, because he was rejected first. We are witnesses of him, because he was the witness. We live, because he lives. We don’t want to sin, because he did no sin. But we are imperfect, we still have the flesh, we still sin, we still disobey. The Bible says we have this treasure in earthen vessels. We have the flesh, Satan, the world to deal with. But as your relationship and fellowship with God grows and strengthens, you will become Christ like, you will reflect his glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18 – But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We can see many similarities between Samson and Jesus. Samson’s life foreshadowed the Messiah. The whole Bible points us to Christ. Samson was a judge of Israel, Jesus is the judge of Israel and of the whole earth. Samson failed, but Jesus did not. Samson’s life is an imperfect picture of Jesus Christ. Samson’s birth was announced to his mother by the angel of the Lord. Jesus’ birth was announced to Mary by the angel Gabriel. The Lord blessed Samson, and the Father blessed Jesus Christ. Not much is know about Samson’s childhood, and not much is know about Jesus Christ’s childhood. The Bible says the Spirit of the Lord began to move Samson, much like the Holy Spirit moved strongly in Jesus’ life leading him to the temptation into the wilderness and into his ministry. As Samson went to heathen Philistine country to take a wife, so did the Lord Jesus Christ go to the Gentiles to take a wife, the church. As Samson was rejected by Israel, so Jesus was rejected by Israel. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Samson loved a harlot, Jesus loved Israel, who the Bible describes as a harlot, because throughout history and even now they have forsaken him. Jesus died for us while we were yet in our sins. As Samson carried off the gates of Gaza, so the the gates of hell will not prevail against us because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus went to the center of the earth and led captivity captive, he set the prisoners free, he has the keys of death and hell. Samson loved Delilah and she betrayed him, Jesus loved Israel and they betrayed him. The Bible says all forsook him, he went to the cross alone. He did the work alone. Just as Samson worked alone. As the Philistines could not defeat Samson until he chose to reveal the secret of his strength, so Jesus laid down his life on his own accord. John 10:18 – No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. As Samson was between two pillars when he died, so Christ was crucified between two thieves. In Samson’s death he defeated the Philistines, in Jesus’ death he defeated Satan, death, and hell. As Samson’s death was instrumental in delivering Israel from Philistine dominion, so Christ’s death was sacrificial, it was for us.

We have barely touched the surface. It is exciting to see Jesus Christ in the life of Samson. We see the whole Bible is about him. It bears witness of him. The Spirit of Christ moved in Samson. He had great strength when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Otherwise he was just an ordinary man. This is why the Philistines were so confounded by him. Samson’s greatest moment came when he bowed between the pillars with all his might. We can do this, we should do this, we have to do this. He emptied himself of everything he had, he poured his heart and soul out to God. When we are weak, then God is strong. Samson was able to pull the house down. He died to himself. And he lives, because his Saviour, our Saviour lives. Samson became confident in his self righteousness. He thought his keeping of his vows was the reason for his great strength. He had broken them, physically, and particularly in his heart all his life. He lied to his own soul. He deceived himself, just as we can so easily do. Do you trust yourself, believe in yourself, do you trust in your capabilities, understanding and reasoning? Or do you trust in God? God used the tragedy of his capture and suffering at the hands of the Philistines to turn him back to God. This is what this life, our life, in this sin cursed world is. Do not expect an easy ride, God will try the reality of your faith, he will purify us, he will take the world out of us. Satan will come after you, he doesn’t want you to live for Christ, he doesn’t want people to be saved because of you. He will wait for you to stray from God, to stray from the secure boundaries of his word, and he will try to pick you off.

Do not put your eggs in the basket of this world. This world is not what our life is about. We look for the world to come. We are strangers, pilgrims, sojourners. We pitch a tent in this world, we do not build a city here. This world will disappoint you. Do not invest in the world. It will let you down. It will entice you, and then it will pull the rug from under you. It is all vanity. Temporary. It won’t last. Your glory, your hopes, your dreams, the life you build will fall flat. Get in line with God’s will, these are things that will last. Samson wanted to do his will instead of God’s will, look where it got him. You won’t be any different, you are not an exception. Tragedy always seems so far off before it strikes. Samson never saw it coming, till it happened. The people that died in Noah’s flood never saw it coming, until it was too late. It is good to enjoy what God has given you, enjoy the gifts of God, but never forget him, never turn from him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is so easy to forget, to forsake. When we are fat, when we are full, when we are blessed, we are so quick to turf Jesus. We like to have Jesus at our convenience. We only want him when we need him to give us something so we can pursue our lusts and ambitions further. A Jesus amenable to us. A Jesus that submits to us. Isaiah 51:1 – Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. We are just passing through this world, as Samson was. Nothing else is important apart from your salvation. Salvation is the starting point. You cannot move on until that is sorted. This is why Samson’s life wasn’t a waste at all. He was saved. His failures are turned to victory. Evil was turned to good. He obtained a better resurrection. And so will we. We that are saved have died with Christ, we have been buried with Christ, and we are raised with Christ in newness of life. Spiritually we are already seated in heavenly places. But we wait for the consummation of our salvation. Our bodies will be changed. Jesus will receive us to himself. The dark glass which we are looking through will be removed. Our eyes of faith will be joined by eyes that physically see. There will be a new world. New heavens, new earth. Samson will be there. Will you be there? The Bible is all about the Lord Jesus Christ.

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