Thoughts on Judges 16 & Acts 27

Today’s reading: Judges 16; Acts 27

Thoughts on Judges 16

I have wondered, for a while now, if Samson’s strength was actually tied to his hair.

On the surface, it seems like it was because when it’s cut he loses his strength, but I don’t think that’s actually the case. Not cutting his hair was part of his being set apart as a Nazarite from birth, but there are other aspects to the Nazarite vow as well, like not drinking alcohol and not touching a dead body. And at least for the touching a dead body portion of the vow, Samson didn’t seem to care about that when he was eating honey out of the corpse of a lion, or when he picked up the jaw bone of a donkey to kill 1000 Philistines. So what makes not cutting his hair so special compared to everything else? Is it just the most important part of the Nazarite vow or something? I don’t think so.

I think the reason Samson lost his strength when his hair was cut was because he believed his strength was tied to his hair not being cut. Now, to be clear, I don’t mean this in a, “believe it hard enough and it becomes reality,” kind of way. Samson was in a unique position and had a unique role. God set him apart before his birth to be Israel’s judge and rescue them from the Philistines, and part of setting him apart was God telling his parents that Samson was to be a Nazarite all his life. And while Samson didn’t seem to care too much about the rest of it, he clearly ascribed a lot of importance to his hair as part of this. So if Samson thought the hair was the thing God cared about, then his giving up that information and leaving himself in a vulnerable position like he did would have been an act of faithlessness. He had trusted God for his strength and deliverance, but in telling Delilah what he believed to be the true secret of his strength, he was putting her ahead of God and I think it was breaking faith with the Lord that lost Samson his strength.

At the end then, while yes, the author does note that his hair was growing back, there is no mention of his strength coming back in equal measure. We are only given one last look at Samson’s strength, but that is only after he prays to God, acknowledging Him as the source of his strength, and asking for God to work through him one last time against the Philistines.

So while the narrative definitely implies a connection, my suspicion is that it was not cutting the hair that lost Samson his faith, or the growing back of the hair that let him work one last feat of strength. I think instead it was the breach of faith that lost Samson his strength, and his turning back to the Lord in faith that restored his strength in the end.

Thoughts on Acts 27

There are certainly times when going God’s way seems like a poor choice, but it is always the best way to go.

When Paul’s ship was docked at Fair Havens he calls for them to pause the journey because, he says, “I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” God had clearly given Paul some inside info on what was going to happen and that it would be best for them to remain at Fair Havens for the time being. However, that was just not a good idea practically. Fair Haven was not suitable to spend the winter in, so it was better to risk it and try to get to a better port for wintering.

I have been in this kind of position a handful of times in the past. Times when God clearly had something in front of me, but to go His way was clearly less practical, efficient, or good when compared to the way I wanted to go.

But what happened when the crew went the practical route rather than listening to the Lord? They lost everything other than their lives, and only kept those by the grace of God. I’m not a sailor, and I have no idea what wintering in a harbor that was not suitable for wintering in might mean. I imagine it could have caused damage to the ship in some way or something. But I am willing to bet that keeping the cargo and having to pay for some repairs to the ship would have been quite a bit cheaper than losing not only the cargo and the ship, but also all their food and supplies, meaning they would have had to buy more before continuing on.

God is omniscient. He knows all things that are possible to know. He is also good, as are His intentions for us if we are following Him. He does not lead us into a lesser life or lesser options, but in His omniscient goodness He leads us and guides us, and it is never not worth listening when He tells us the better way to go. God is always right…