05.11.2025 | Samson and the Philistines
Judges 13-16
Have you ever been in the kitchen when your mom is icing a cake that smells and looks delicious? You’d give anything just for a bite, and then it happens—she lets you lick the icing off the spatula! As good as licking the icing is, it’s still nothing like getting to enjoy the whole cake. The icing is just a taste of something that will be better later!
In the story of Samson, we can clearly see details that remind us of Jesus’ story—Samson’s birth was announced by an angel, he was betrayed by someone he trusted, he was taken away, mocked, and his death freed people from their captivity. But in the end, Samson wasn’t perfect and therefore his death didn’t give the people complete salvation. Only Jesus can do that!
The freedom the people found in Samson’s death was just a taste of the greater freedom that comes through Jesus! Through Jesus’ death, we can have complete forgiveness and salvation. There is no sweeter name than the name of Jesus!
Samson’s great strength came from God alone. Samson had no power to defeat the Philistines on his own. We cannot please God on our own. Through faith in Jesus, people are saved from sin and receive the Holy Spirit, who helps them live to please God.
