5-2-5 Samson and David

The point of all this is that God intends us to make character studies of those He has carefully recorded in the word. And that doesn't only mean at Bible Schools. Job, Samson, Jacob...these men must live in our lives and meditation, to the end we may find the spirit of the Lord Himself in our daily experience. Samson is one of those whose record is evidently designed for meditation. This is why there are so many open ended questions of interpretation of his actions and character- e.g., as to whether he was justified in seeking a Philistine wife as part of seeking an occasion against the Philistines. There is no lack of evidence that later Bible characters found inspiration in Samson, especially in their weakness. Manasseh (2 Chron. 33:12,13 = Jud. 16:19,28); Jeremiah (commented on in Samson: General Introduction), Nehemiah (16:28 = Neh. 13:22,31), and not least David, another zealot with middle age lust problems (Ps. 118:10-12 = Jud. 16:2). The Spirit came on David as it did on Samson (1 Sam. 16:13); they were both empowered to kill lions, whilst keeping the fact a secret. And in both those acts they were taught that they would deliver God's people from the Philistines (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Indeed, David's confident words that God would deliver him from the Philistines were evidently inspired by Samson, the renowned one-man deliverer from Philistine armies. Both Samson and David wrought " great salvation" for Israel (1 Sam. 19:5 cp. Jud. 15:18). As Samson was characterized by his love of that riddle (the word occurs nine times in 14:12-19, and 15:16 Heb. is also some kind of riddle), so David uses the same word to describe how he chose to put forth a riddle (Ps. 78:2). Psalm 3 is full of reference to Samson's fight at Lehi. It was also written at a time when David was betrayed by his own people:

 

" Many are saying of me, 'God will not deliver him'" - the thoughts of the Israelites as they delivered the bound Samson to the Philistines

 

" But you are a shield around me" - how it must have seemed to a spectator

 

" To the Lord I cry aloud" - as Samson did

 

" I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me" - huge armies against one solitary man is a clear reference to Samson at Lehi

 

" Strike all my enemies the jaw bone" (Ps. 3:7 Heb.)- it could imply 'with the jaw bone'. The Hebrew for 'jaw bone' is the same as in Jud. 15:16.