Juízes 16

Juízes 16

William MacDonald - Because he consorted with the Philistines so often in his life and found their women irresistible, Samson is now found with the Philistines in his death, a corpse among corpses in the rubble of Dagon’s temple. Separation would have earned for him a nobler death. Here we are taught a sober lesson, one we should not take lightly. Loss of separation (sanctification) leads to loss of power and eventual ruin. To yield our members to sin (cf Ro 6:12-13+) is to pursue self-destruction. Samson’s body was removed to the territory of Dan by his relatives and was buried there. (See context in Believer's Bible Commentary) Thus he had judged Israel twenty years - To the surprise of many (and a testimony to the great lovingkindness of God), the writer of Hebrews records the name of Samson among the heroes of the faith (Heb 11:32, cf righteous Lot - 2Pe 2:7-9). This record despite the fact that Samson failed to truly fulfill God's will for his life. Unable to conquer himself, Samson was ruined by his own lusts (cp Jas 1:13-15). He stands as a tragic example of a man of great potential who lacked stability of character and control of his spirit. Still, God in His sovereignty used him (cf Jdg 14:4+). Samson did much to hamper the oppressive actions of the Philistines, and his final victory in the temple of Dagon may have been a factor in the defeat of the Philistines at Mizpah shortly thereafter (1Sa 7:7-14). ESB Study Note - The main body of the book of Judges now ends, with a final editorial comment about Samson’s judging. Samson, the last judge, had been empowered by God’s Spirit, just as the first (Othniel) had been. However, much had happened in the interim. Samson and most of his predecessors certainly were not paragons of virtue. Yet, despite the generally poor examples of the judges themselves, God had worked to deliver Israel and to protect his own name and reputation. But the book’s message is not yet played out. In the following chapters, the nation’s apostasy sinks to even deeper levels, and the stage is set for the coming of a faithful king who will restore moral order. (See context in ESV Study Bible or borrow the ESV study Bible) Alexander