We are moving right along in this study as we take 2 more people listed in Hebrews 11:32. Last time we looked at Gideon and Barak along with Deborah. This time we will look at both Samson and Jephthah. Once again we do not see these two listed in chronological order. Jephthah was actually a Judge in Israel before Samson was but to stay true to our text we will look at Samson first. The stories of both of these men will once again show us faith in God in spite of the trials and sufferings that they both faced.
I have really been enjoying this study because it has shown to us that no two trials are exactly the same. There may at times be similarities in the trial we face but each situation in unique. What this shows me though is that we do not need some secret formula or prayer to get through whatever issues we face but that we only need to trust in God as we face the difficulties of this life, whether it be persecution, normal issues of life or even temptation that may come our way.
As I started this study series some months back I was facing some very difficult internal issues. Now some 7 months later those issues have tried to re-surface. This time around I feel like I have been able to fight off the temptation to be discouraged, depressed or frustrated. I by far have done this perfectly but I know that I’m growing in this area. I believe the help has been in diving into this study along with prayer. God has worked in me and I hope He is doing this for you now or even in the future.
Well that’s enough about me, let’s look now at our first point and our next person in this verse.
1.Samson’s faith in God.
Look with me at Hebrews 11:32a-b And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount Gideon, Barak, Samson.
The writer of Hebrews did not recount each of these people but I thought it would be good to look deeper at each these people to learn their stories of how they had faith in God in the trials and sufferings that they faced. Here we find a familiar name, Samson. His story is pretty well known among most Christians. There is a lot we could talk about concerning all that Samson did. His story starts in Judges 13 when his parents conversate with the Angel of God. Here Samson’s mother, who is unnamed but only referred to as Manoah’s wife, is barren. It is then that the Angel of God appears to her and tells her that she will have a son. Then we see in Judges 13:5, God’s plan for this son to be born, it says there: For behold, you shall be with child and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
Samson was set apart before he was ever born to be a deliverer or judge for Israel. This would be seen several times in Scripture in the life of Samson. It was during this time that Israel had once again turned away from following God which sent them again to be oppressed by the Philistines for 40 years. Samson was promised to be the deliverer for Israel in this time and for sure this is what he did. I want to point out that Samson was not only set apart for some personal agenda but was moved by the Holy Spirit to do what he was set apart to do. Judges 13:24-25 says Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child grew up, and Yahweh blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of Yahweh began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
We have no indication of when this exactly was but we can only see that at some point the Holy Spirit started working in Samson to fulfill the goal of saving Israel from the oppression of the Philistines. God uses Samson first in marrying a Philistine in order to find a way to destroy the Philistines. Here we see the strength that God gives to Samson as he destroys a lion that set out to attack him. This strength would also show up when he challenges thirty Philistines to answer a riddle that he spoke. In this time his own wife deceives him and tells the riddle to those thirty men. When he realizes their deception Judges 14:19 says Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.
Some people may look at this as an extreme act of revenge but we must keep in mind that he is working by the power of the Holy Spirit to save the people of Israel. Next Samson sets fire to the Philistine’s grain and vineyards because of their act of giving his wife to his companion. This again seems like an extreme act of self revenge but God is using Samson for this purpose. In fact Samson says in Judges 15:3 “This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines when I do them harm.”
This led the Philistines to kill both his father-in-law and wife. This led him to what verse 8 says which there was a great slaughter. After this Samson goes away to live in a more desolate place. But the Philistines seek after him there. The people of Judah are scared of the Philistines and decide to take Samson as a prisoner to them. Here they bind him with two new ropes thinking this will keep him from escaping. Once again God has a plan in this as well. Judges 15:14-15 says When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands. 15 And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, so he sent forth his hand and took it and struck down 1,000 men with it.
In this story we come to a time of weakness for Samson. He finds himself in love with a prostitute named Delilah. Here the Philistines get her to find out what his strength is. After many attempts to find this out Delilah finally succeeds. Judges 16:16-17 gives to us the account of his fall which says Now it happened when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death. 17 So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, “A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like every other man.”
The story goes that she does call for someone to shave off his hair which leads to his strength from God leaving him. The Philistines capture him, gouge out his eyes and sets him up as a laughing stock. When the Philistines assembled to sacrifice to their god Dagon they brought Samson in to laugh at him and praise their god for their capture of Samson. Samson tells the boy that is guiding him to set him between the two pillars of the house. About 3000 people were gathered for this event and this is where God uses Samson in the most powerful way. *Judges 16:28-30 says Then Samson called to Yahweh and said, “O Lord Yahweh, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house was established and supported himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he bent with his strength so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he put to death by his death were more than those whom he put to death in his life.
To some people they use Samson’s story to share how he had a death wish and committed suicide but that is not the case. In fact he was just using logic that if he was to save Israel at this moment then he too would be killed in this unbelievable act. His faith shows up in the fact that he did not look at his life as something that had to be held on too but only to trust that this was the plan of God.* He could have saved his life by not doing what he did. He may have been in captivity to the Philistines but he would at least still be alive. Here Samson’s faith was mighty in God because he knew that it was this moment that would free Israel from the oppression of the Philistines. All of what he did spanned 20 years of judging Israel but it was this moment that ended the oppression with such a great slaughter of the mighty men of the Philistines.
This moves us now to look at our second person for this study in our next point.
2.Jephthah’s faith in God.
Look with me at Hebrews 11:32a-b And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah.
Jephthah, a Judge of Israel not as well known as Gideon, Samson and even Barak(Deborah), serves as a person that faced many adversities in his short 6 year span of being a judge of Israel. He was born from a prostitute which led his own people of the tribe of Gilead to drive him away from their land in spite of his mighty works in war. He was told that he would have no part of his father’s inheritance and his own family drove him away to the land of Tob.
Over time the sons of Ammon came up against Israel in war. At this time Israel had no established leader so they sought out Jephthah to be their chief. They knew he was capable of not only leading but helping in defeating the Ammonites. They promised to follow him as leader if he would come to their aid. He accepts this offer and leads his people who once drove him from their land to victory. Here again we will see a man of war filled with the Holy Spirit to defeat their enemies and claim victory. Judges 11:29-33 says Now the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon. 30 Then Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh and said, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, 31 then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be Yahweh’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” 32 So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and Yahweh gave them into his hand. 33 And he struck them with a very great slaughter from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.
This vow became a horrible situation as his daughter is the first to come out of his house upon his return. In keeping with his vow, he sacrifices his own daughter. This seems to be very outside of a reality that this would happen but remember, God did not require this of him but this was a poor judgement in vowing this to God. His faithfulness shows up in doing what he vowed, but this should not be something that we should ever do in order to get God to help us. God was going to work through Jephthah regardless of this vow.
As we move along in his story, we see the Ephraimites come against Jephthah and Gilead because of feeling like they did not include them in the battle with Ammon. In the conversation with Ammon before battle they accused Israel of taking their own land, here we see Ephraim accuse Jephthah and Gilead of not including them in this victory. Both of these claims were false in which Jephthah addressed to each of them. They conquered Ammon and then in Judges 12:6b it says Thus there fell at that time 42,000 of Ephraim.
What we learn through the faith of Jephthah is that in spite of the difficulties that may come from family, enemies or fellow national brethren we must keep our focus on what God has set for us to do. Jephthah knew how God had worked in him to bring him to be the chief of Gilead, then to defeat Ammon and eventually to defeat the Ephraimites that set out to destroy him and his people. His faith was unwavering no matter what situation he faced as should ours.
Disciple's Direction 
🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person