Judges 11-14
Playing Fast and Loose with Our Commitments to the LORD

Samson was one of the great deliverers of the nation of Israel during the time of the Judges. He allowed himself to be used of God in this great work, and the book of Hebrews commends his faith (Hebrews 11:32). That does not, however, mean he was always an icon of faith or virtue. Chapter 14 of Judges shows us a man who was weak in controlling his passions, and as a result often played fast and loose with his Nazirite commitment to the LORD.

If you remember, we talked about the Nazirite vow in Numbers 6. Several things characterized this vow, two of which were abstinence from all grape products and complete separation from things dead. In chapter 14, Samson breaks two of these requirements of the vow, seemingly without reservation. First, he was traveling toward Timnah, a city of the Philistines, and passed by a vineyard. Why is that detail thrown in? Just to give us a geographic location? Or, does it suggest a careless attitude regarding grapes? Then, scripture tells us, "And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion," Judges 14:8-9. So, we find he also defiled himself by coming in contact with a dead animal. Add to this the fact he, as a man dedicated to the LORD, was cavorting with the people oppressing God's people, and we see a man who wasn't really thinking very much about his commitment to the Nazirite vow. I'm sure he could have made some good excuses as to why these actions were not that bad. After all, there was not passage that said he couldn't walk close to a vineyard-that was a judgment call. And, while under most circumstances a dead body would be avoided, there was honey in this one. When viewed in the context of his life and his eventual death, perhaps his choices reveal something to us about his commitment.

Now, one could say, "But didn't God use him? Isn't he still called a man of faith?" There is no doubt that God used him; but simply because God uses someone does not mean He approves of him (Nebuchadnezzar was called the servant of God, Jeremiah 25:9). And, we are not suggesting Samson was completely faithless. But, you have to wonder: Had he been more committed to his dedication to God, held to his vow and stayed away from Philistine women (his undoing), what kind of deliverer might he have been then? Maybe then we could have spoken of him without reservations.

This story brings to our minds something we must consider daily as Christians: just how committed are we to our dedication to the LORD? All of us who are Christians made a vow when we confessed Christ and were baptized for the remission of sins. That vow was to be His, to live for him, to avoid sin and things that defile us. How are we living up to that vow? Are we trying? Or, do we just go about our lives with a modicum of spirituality, doing whatever we want to do and forgetting about serious self-control? This is the time of year when modesty becomes a pressing issue. Will we restrain our desires to have people notice us and dress appropriately? Will we turn away our eyes when exposed to immodest apparel? By going to the beach, the dance or engaging in mixed swimming, are we walking close to the vineyards of the Philistines? Or, drawing honey from a carcass? Let's not play fast and loose with our commitment to God.