Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 16:17, 22, 28

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 16:17, 22, 28
"That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."

Was the hair growing back really the source of Samson being able to receive his strength? It's so easy to overlook the fact that after it started to grow back he called upon the Lord.

Was Samson's Hair Really the Source of His Strength?
"The biblical account of Samson reveals him as a man of extreme confidence and tremendous courage, qualities based on his recognition that his power was from God and that God would sustain him in the mission to which he had been called. But Samson did not realize that there is a rule that governs power in the Lord, which is, “let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God” (D&C 121:45). Samson’s misfortunes began when his confidence in God turned into conceit and pride. Over a period of time he broke the vows of a Nazarite and violated other commandments, including the law of chastity.
Samson’s superhuman strength did not reside in his hair but in his confidence in God and in the Nazarite oath, of which the hair was the outward symbol. Delilah’s treachery and the shaving of Samson’s hair signified the final betrayal of his vows. Thus, he became a miserable, broken man with no power left."
(Old Testament Student Manual, "Judges 13–21; Ruth 1–4: The Reign of the Judges, Part 2")

Day 3821

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 14:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 14:6
"And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done."

I've always been disappointed reading the story of Samson. As I child I thought the story of his long hair giving him strength was so impressive. When I got older and read the story in the bible I saw his flaws, lack of moral integrity and control. The story is so impressive where an angel of the Lord first comes to his mother and then both parents to tell of his birth. He is to be a Nazarite. He could have been such a great spiritual and physical leader for Israel, but to me he failed. Then I couldn't understand how in scriptures it would say "the Spirit of the Lord" came upon him. How? In my quest for understand I found this.

"(23-5) Judges 14:6. If Samson’s Life Was So out of Harmony with God’s Will, How Did He Have the “Spirit of the Lord”?
In the Church today when one speaks of a person having the Spirit of the Lord, he means that he is a spiritual person, that is, he is close to God, has a testimony, demonstrates spiritual power, and so on. And such spiritual power comes only through obedience and righteousness. So, could Samson have had “the Spirit of the Lord come mightily upon him”? That or a similar phrase is used three times in the account of Samson, but in every case it has reference to Samson’s demonstration of great courage and physical strength. Samson’s remarkable strength was a gift of God derived from and sustained by the Nazarite vow he was under. Perhaps when the author of Judges used the phrase “the Spirit of God” he did not use it as one does today, but used it more in the way that one would now use the phrase “spiritual gifts.” One may say of another, “The way he taught the lesson demonstrated that he has a spiritual gift.” Samson’s gift was strength, and each time he used that gift in a remarkable manner, the writer of the scripture gave credit to the Lord, the true source of the gift, by saying “the Spirit of the Lord” came mightily upon him."
(Old Testament Student Manual, "Judges 13-21; Ruth 1-4: The Reign of the Judges, Part 2)

Day 3820

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 16:16

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 16:16

"And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;"

Samson had great physical strength but he was morally and spiritually weak. I pondered on how Satan will press such people day and night, just like Delilah did to Samson. It is with the whole armour of God that we can withstand these temptations. Ultimately the spiritual weakness became Samson physical weakness and lead to his demise.

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

(Ephesian 6:11-13

Day 2386

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 15:20

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 15:20

"And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years."

I've been struggling to understand this story of Samson. To me he is not a great example nor a truly righteous God fearing man. This is what I found in the Bible Dictionary.

"Of the sun. Son of Manoah, and the twelfth of the “judges” of Israel (Judg. 13:24–16:30). He seems to have been a man notorious for his great physical strength but weak in intellectual and moral character".

As I pondered over who he was I realized he was their judge, just like the presidents we have had over our nation. Not all our leaders have been intellectually strong, some have been morally weak, yet they still hold political strength in our nation and world. The Lord blesses those that lead in behalf of the people. This is why we should pray for a our political leaders and not tear them down. Israel needed to be freed of their enemies, even if their leader was not a righteous man. God will strengthen our leaders as we pray for them. God can make what is weak strong when his mantel is over them. Even if the course they take brings trials and lessons upon us, for which we as a people may deserve.

Day 2385

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 14:3, 7

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 14:3, 7

"Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well."

I pondered on Samson's downfall. It started with his choice of what pleased him well, instead of what was right for him to do.

Day 2384

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 20:2

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 20:2
"Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;"

I thought of both going to church on Sunday, and attending the temple each Tuesday morning. Without both I would have no strength in the Lord. I can feel it when I miss attending during in the week. What a difference both have made in my life. I am learning so much which has taken me years to be able to say that.

As I pondered on this more I realized my home is a sanctuary to me too. For at home I study the scriptures, and even more falls into place. I cannot take away any of them for they build upon each other. It's like the strands of Samson's hair, remove it and my strength is gone.

Day 1073

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 16:28

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 16:28
"And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my eyes."

I do believe Samson was conditionally given the gift of great physical strength. I feel really bad that he instead chose to use this gift to his own devices. If he had served the Lord instead of himself the outcome would have been so different. The downfall of Samson was his uncontrollable lust for undesirable women. Women that betrayed him for a price. His story demonstrates the penalty of breaking the law of chastity, and where it leads you.

I know this verse has Samson calling on the Lord to give him strength one last time. I don't think the Lord did it to avenge the loss of Samson's eyes though. In away I feel Samson took his own life, the ultimate defiance of God's will for his life. With his suicide he also took out 3,000 Philistines. I think defeating the Philistines was God's purpose for his life. The problem is Samson did things his way and not the Lord's way. If Samson had worked with the Lord maybe he could have lead a great army against the Philistines, and killed those same 3,000. I am sure the Lord would have given him strength to have been victorious over them. He could have been a marvelous example of the power of the Lord. I wondered if he could have been another Ammon (Alma 17). Samson's story is a great example of predestination, yet still having our agency to choose.


Day 802

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 15:7, 11

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 15:7, 11
"And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.
Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them."

I'm really trying to find some good in Samson. Sadly, I just feel like its a story of what goes horribly wrong when a nation does evil in the sight of God, and he begins the process of cleaning house. Samson had a purpose and probably some good moments, because he was a judge of Israel for twenty years. Though in honesty I would not want him as my judge. The people probably chose him because of his great physical strength. His presence offering them a sense of protection. It's possible they were even drawn to his prideful words and reckless ways. What is probably more likely is I'm missing parts of the story.  All I can sit here and do is relate what I am reading to the scenes that have been going on around me. This just doesn't look good.


Day 801

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 14:4, 19

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 14:4, 19
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house."

The story of Samson is very interesting. As a child I thought of him with his great physical strength as a powerful bible story. Reading his story this time I find it all rather sad. The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and were handed over to the Philistines for forty years. Now it was time for the Lord to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines, and he did so with Samson.  He gave Samson great potential including physical strength if he was obedient to one thing, not cutting his hair.

Throughout this chapter I see how Samson made choices because it pleased him, not because they were right or the spirit told him. The only time the spirit came upon him was to make him physically strong. He appears to be lead by his temptations. I am sure the Lord knew all about what Samson would do in these different situations. That is exactly why he would be a means to punish the Philistines. It made me wonder what a leader Samson could have been if he had put all his strength into serving the Lord, and doing good. Samson never lost his agency to choose. I just think he chose poorly. Yet, I can likely this to leaders that we have in our time. The Lord has them in place for a purpose. Just because someone has been put there as our leader doesn't mean it is necessarily to do good. They may be a means to punish the people that have forgotten the Lord.


Day 800