My wife and I were spending the weekend in Branson, Missouri the weekend that the musical Samson opened at the Sight and Sound Theater. We purchased tickets and made plans to attend.
Sight and Sound is a 2,000-seat, state-of-the-art theater featured a 300-foot panoramic stage that wraps around the audience, with sets four stories tall. It is a spectacular place to see a show.
I was a bit apprehensive about the show. How would they treat the story of Samson? They could be true to the biblical narrative and still have a production filled with sex and violence. What would their focus be? In the brochure about the play, I read: “Samson literally will bring down the house. But for all the spectacle, Samson is first a story of hope. It’s for the wayward and weary—or those who know and love them.” I settled into my seat and waited for the production to begin.
The story of Samson is one of those stories that has made me sometimes wonder why it’s even in the Bible. Samson’s strength is incredible and makes such a fascinating kid’s story. He killed a lion with his bare hands. He killed thirty men at one time. He easily broke the ropes used to bind him. He killed 1,000 men with a donkey’s jawbone. He lifted the great city gates of Gaza off their hinges and carried them for miles, and with his last ounce of strength, he knocked down the pillars of Dagon’s temple, killing 3,000 people. But parts of Samson’s story are risqué enough for an adult-only film.
At the very beginning, the narrator pointed out that Samson is mentioned in the book of Hebrews as being a man of faith. He is listed as a man “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” Hebrews 11:33,34 (NKJV)
I hadn’t thought about the fact that Samson is mentioned in the Bible as being a man of faith along with people such as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. When I thought about Samson, I thought about a man who turned to violence to solve his problems and a man who could not control his passions. But God saw Samson as a man of faith. How could that be?
The production did feature Samson’s tremendous strength. During the intermission, I overheard one of the ushers talking with a small boy. The usher said, “Don’t you think that Samson is a superhero?” The boy answered, “Yes he is, but he is real because he is in the Bible.” But throughout the show, the narration kept pointing out God’s grace. The story of Samson is a story of tremendous strength, but it is also a story of tremendous weakness.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Jeff Bender, the director, writer and producer of Samson said, “the production is for the wayward and weary, but the biggest most important message of the show is about grace and God's grace for us." "We are all sinners!" he continued. "None of us are perfect; the only perfect person ever was Jesus. We are all messed up, we all have our problems that we deal with, but God's grace is always there for us no matter what we do, no matter who we are, no matter where we go, it's always there."
When I think about Samson, I think about how strong he was; but at the same time, I think about how weak he was. Although he had superhuman strength, He was a weakling when he battled against sin and temptation! Samson lived in sin all too often. He had little or no self-control. It seems that he fell for evil every time. But God never gave up on him. God never left him.
In an interview, the actor who played Samson said; "If I could say anything to anybody, it's that God's grace is there for you no matter what you've done, no matter what you think you've done, no matter how bad a person you think you are, no matter how many mistakes you've made – God still loves you. God still wants to reach out to you. God still wants you. He still thirsts for you. His grace is readily available for you."
Even in his weakness and failures, God used Samson anyway. His strength came from God. Sometimes we forget that God chose to work through Samson even though he had moral failings. He ruled Israel for 20 years and defeated many of Israel’s enemies.
Even at Samson’s lowest point, God didn’t forsake him. Judges 16:21 (NLT) tells us that, “the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison.” Even in these terrible circumstances, God was with Samson, and Samson remembered God. Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.” Judges 16:28 (NLT)
Gentle Reader, In spite of Samson’s weakness, God was able to use him. That can only be because of God’s grace. We too, in spite of our weaknesses, can be used by God, not because of how good we are, but through His grace. God says to you, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) Samson’s story is a story of grace, and your story can be too.
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