Archives March 2026

Yesterday (at some point in 2017) my boys President and Chancellor came into my room with earrings. Over the years they have often asked if I am willing to pierce my ears; the answer has always been No. And the reasons have always been the same. However, this time they were able to convince me that earrings would look good on me. And so, after a few moments I did it. And then, to the surprise of my wife, I posted pictures on Facebook.

Before the day ended the post got a few likes, I got a few compliments, and a few emojis indicating that my decision was unexpected. But there were a number of my friends that were completely silent. Perhaps some were wondering what I was thinking and how I could transgress clearly stated commands not to have piercings. Some believers are outspoken in being against a Christian man having a pierced ear. That say that it is a sign of slavery based on passages like Deuteronomy 15:16-17 and Exodus 21:5-6. (These passages are laws concerning what to do when a slave who is free to leave decides to stay with their master; in each passage the ear is pierced with an awl as part of a public decision to stay.) And then there are some who are just against the idea of a man wearing what has commonly been associated with women’s apparel. They say that an earring is effeminate and therefore wrong. They have verses to go with their position as well (e.g., Deuteronomy 22:5). Finally, there are more than a few people who just don’t think it is right. They don’t have any biblical support for their cantankerously expressed convictions. But it “jus’ ain’t right!”

In response I would like to point out a few things. First, Christians are not under the old covenant. We are, by the Spirit, in Christ and thus not under the law (Galatians 3:10; 4:21; 5:18). The commands concerning piercings were part of the old covenant; those commands have been superseded by a better covenant based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). Second, there is no Old Testament prohibition on men wearing earrings. It was actually common for both men and women:

• The Household and Company Wear Earrings (Genesis 35:1-4)
• The Sons Wear Earrings (Exodus 32:1-2)
• Men and Women Bring Earrings (Exodus 35:20-22)
• Ishmaelites Wear Earrings (Judges 8:24-25)

earring – An ornament worn on the earlobe by Israelite men, women, and even “sons and daughters” (Exod. 32:2–3). (Myers, 1987, p. 298)

earring, ērʹring: An ornamental pendant of some kind hanging from the ears has been worn by both sexes in oriental lands from the earliest times. Among the Greeks and Romans, as with western peoples in general, its use was confined to females. The ears in the statue of the Medicean Venus are pierced and probably were originally ornamented with earrings. It is clear, however, that among the Hebrews and related oriental peoples earrings were worn by both sexes. Abraham’s servant “put the earring upon [Rebekah’s] face, and the bracelets upon her hands” (Gen 24:47 AV ), in accordance with custom, evidently, but it is implied that it was customary for men also to wear earrings, in that the relatives and friends of Job “every one [gave him] an earring of gold” (Job 42:11 AV ). (Eager, 1915, p. 887)

There are numerous modern Christians projecting their own cultural biases on the masses and trying to pass it off as part of Christianity. But the old has passed away and a new covenant of grace based on the work of Christ has replaced it. Third, I am not a Jew; I am a Gentile. (Although, based on words from my father I am of Jewish decent, I cannot be regarded as a Jew since my mother is not a Jewess.) As a Gentile I am under no obligation to be circumcised or to go back to the vast array of laws given by Moses. [When the question of what is required to be right with God became a dispute the church in Antioch sent a delegation to Jerusalem to get a verdict. The decision rendered by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem says that I am to stay away from idols, from blood, from things strangled, from sexual immorality, and from things offered to idols (Acts 15:23-29). They never mentioned piercings. It says that if I do that I “will do well.”] Fourth, the day the picture was taken was 1 April 2017. Get it?

While I am free to get an earring… I did not get my ear pierced and do not plan to. My reasons are logical and biblical. First, why pierce my ear if I can get the same effect with magnets. The earring seen in the picture is being held in place by a magnet on the other side of my earlobe. Second, while I have the right to do this I cannot let my rights become an impediment to being a witness. All things are permissible for me. But not all things are profitable. Is it lawful for me to wear an earring? Yes! I have the right to wear an earring. But is it following Jesus to claim that right at the expense of being effective in sharing the gospel (Acts 1:8)? Should wearing the earring be placed above having credibility with those who don’t really understand the issue. Paul says no!

²³ All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. (1 Corinthians 10:23-24, NKJV)

In this letter to the church in Corinth Paul says that believers should not get caught up in their own cares, absorbed in their own agenda, or preoccupied with their own priorities. “Let no one seek his own.” Instead, Paul says that they should “seek” or look for ways to care for others and that they should work for the well-being of others. “[B]ut each one [seek] the other’s well-being.” Before that he says, using himself as an example, it is not a matter of what is lawful. “All things are lawful for me.” Christ’s work has moved us out from under the law. But not everything that is lawful for him will be found to be helpful in loving his brethren and leading others to him. “[N]ot all things are helpful.”

It is parochial and perhaps legalistic to only look at whether or not something is lawful. Such a perspective on relating to Christ and His people puts my focus on what I can get away with and not how to honor Him and help others.

I do not sport tattoos and I do not have piercings. But my decision to refrain from these body modifications is not based on a conviction rooted in some old covenant command. Even though it might be cool with some it would limit my ability to preach Christ among some groups. Wearing the earring does not promote the coming of the kingdom (1 Corinthians 10:23) and would definitely make it difficult if not impossible to share life-changing truth with some people. While I may be able to defend my position I cannot defend the decision to place my rights above the welfare of those who don’t know the Lord and the scruples of weaker brethren that do (Romans 14:1-3).

More important than my rights is a right regard for those Christ has redeemed. More important than my rights is the mission to make Him known and love His people.

In the endeavor to effectively promote the gospel it is of paramount importance that the promoter not prioritize his or her own preferences above the needs of the people being reached. When we can, we must aim to accommodate the audience in order that at last they might accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. This may mean living meager, avoiding meat, or not having an earring. At times it may mean letting go of things we like so that that we are better suited to lead people to Jesus.

¹⁹ For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; ²⁰ and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; ²¹ to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; ²² to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. ²³ Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. (1 Corinthians 9:19–23, NKJV)

It seems that the vast majority of people in the United States are chiefly concerned with their own rights. Sometimes it seems that everyone is ready to claim the promises made to them in the Bill of Rights. And they have no problem expressing their disdain for anyone or anything that would limit their rights. At the time this post is being created our nation is beset by all-about-me thinking. Meanwhile, when have we heard people or leaders talk seriously about their responsibilities and the citizen’s obligation to live sacrificially for the good of the nation? What about the Bill of Responsibilities? We currently live in a nation of unprecedented freedoms. Those freedoms were purchased with the blood of people who were willing to set aside their own interests for the good of all. As the nation reels with the consequences of egocentricity the church falters with the same problem: people are more concerned with their rights in Christ than their responsibilities to Him and others. Jesus followers are increasingly focused on finding their own happiness and fighting for their personal rights. Community has become merely a word added to the name of a local church to make it more socially appealing. True concern for Christ and His community evaporates quickly when we don’t like the preaching style, the praise band, the condescending comments of a legalist in the fellowship, or the push to help with youth or finances. But listen to Paul, friends. Listen seriously to someone who has served effectively! He says, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more” (1 Corinthians 9:19). He knows his rights. But he has imposed limitations on himself in order to help people with what matters most – faith in Jesus. What would my church look like if, instead of focusing on my rights, I took on the mind of Christ and gave my undivided attention to my responsibilities both to the Lord Himself and to His people.

The Bill of Responsibilities

We, the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, confess that we have been redeemed by grace, bought with a price, and called not to live for ourselves but for Him who died for us and rose again. We affirm that Christian freedom from the law is the outworking of being baptized into the One who who born under the Law but lives thus no longer. We affirm that Christian freedom does not find its purpose in self-indulgence. It is given that we might gladly serve God, love His people, seek the good of our neighbor, deny ourselves, and advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. We therefore resolve not to ask merely, What are my rights in Christ? but rather, What am I responsible to do as a disciple of Jesus Christ? The following articles state with supporting Scripture our responsibilities as Jesus followers.

Article I. Responsibility to Love the Lord Our God

We are responsible to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are not our own. We belong to Christ. Therefore we must worship Him, trust Him, obey Him, thank Him, fear Him, and order our lives under His lordship (Matthew 28:18-20). Key Scriptures: Matthew 22:37; Romans 12:1–2; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Colossians 3:17

Article II. Responsibility to Abide in Christ

As we are called upon to bear fruit both in season and out of season, we are responsible to remain or abide in Christ through faith, prayer, obedience, meditation on His word, and moment-by-moment dependence on the Holy Spirit. Fruitfulness is not produced by self-will, but by abiding fellowship with the Savior. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Key Scriptures: John 15:1–8; Psalm 1:1–3; Galatians 5:16, 22–25; Colossians 3:16

Article III. Responsibility to Pursue Holiness

We are responsible to put away sin, crucify the flesh, flee impurity, and pursue holiness without which no one will see the Lord. We must not make peace with what Christ died to destroy. Key Scriptures: Romans 6:11–14; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:14–16

Article IV. Responsibility to Deny Ourselves

We are responsible to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. The Christian life is not a life of self-assertion, but of surrendered obedience. We must not enthrone personal comfort, preference, reputation, or appetite. Key Scriptures: Matthew 16:24–25; Luke 9:23; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:3–8

Article V. Responsibility to Love the Brethren

We are responsible to love the family of God earnestly, practically, and sacrificially. We must bear burdens, forgive one another, encourage one another, serve one another, and refuse the cold individualism that weakens the church. Key Scriptures: John 13:34–35; Romans 12:10; Galatians 6:2; Ephesians 4:1–3, 32; 1 Peter 1:22

Article VI. Responsibility to Seek the Good of Others

We are responsible not merely to seek our own advantage, but the good, strengthening, and welfare of others. Christian maturity is seen in the willingness to restrain oneself for the profit of another. Key Scriptures: Romans 15:1–3; 1 Corinthians 10:23–24; Philippians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Article VII. Responsibility to Guard Our Liberty

We are responsible to use Christian liberty wisely and humbly. We must never turn freedom into an occasion for the flesh, a stumbling block to the weak, or an obstacle to the gospel. Not everything lawful is helpful; not everything permissible is profitable for the mission of promoting Christ and growth in other Jesus followers. Key Scriptures: Galatians 5:13; 1 Corinthians 8:9–13; 1 Corinthians 10:23–24, 31–33; Romans 14:13–21

Article VIII. Responsibility to Live for the Edification of the Church

We are responsible to build up the body of Christ by our words, conduct, gifts, prayers, giving, and service. We must not live as consumers of church life, but as contributors to the strength, purity, and unity of Christ’s people. Key Scriptures: Romans 12:4–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–7; 14:12, 26; Ephesians 4:11–16; Hebrews 10:24–25

Article IX. Responsibility to Speak Truth

We are responsible to speak the truth in love, to reject gossip, slander, deceit, and corrupt speech, and to use our tongues to bless, heal, instruct, and encourage. Key Scriptures: Ephesians 4:15, 25, 29; Colossians 4:6; James 1:26; 3:1–12

Article X. Responsibility to Serve Rather Than Be Served

We are responsible to take the posture of a servant, following the example of Christ, who did not come to be served but to serve. Honor in the kingdom is found not in demanding place, but in taking the towel. Key Scriptures: Mark 10:42–45; John 13:12–17; Romans 12:11; Galatians 5:13

Article XI. Responsibility to Steward Our Household Well

We are responsible to honor marriage, nurture children, respect parents, and manage our households in a way that displays the wisdom and beauty of God. The home is one of the first places where discipleship is tested. Key Scriptures: Deuteronomy 6:6–9; Ephesians 5:22–33; 6:1–4; 1 Timothy 3:4–5; Titus 2:1–8

Article XII. Responsibility to Work Faithfully

We are responsible to labor diligently, with sincerity and thankfulness, as those serving the Lord Christ. Idleness, entitlement, and careless stewardship are not fitting for disciples of Jesus. Key Scriptures: Proverbs 6:6–11; Colossians 3:23–24; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12

Article XIII. Responsibility to Bear Witness to Christ

We are responsible to confess Christ before men, to make disciples, to commend the gospel with courage and gentleness, and to live in a manner worthy of the message we proclaim. Key Scriptures: Matthew 5:13–16; 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; Philippians 1:27; 1 Peter 3:15–16

Article XIV. Responsibility to Endure for Christ

We are responsible to remain faithful in hardship, to endure reproach, to accept sacrifice, and to persevere when obedience is costly. A disciple is not above his Master. Key Scriptures: Matthew 10:24–28; Acts 14:22; Romans 5:3–5; 2 Timothy 2:3–12; James 1:2–4

Article XV. Responsibility to Live Missionally

We are responsible to order our lives in such a way that others may come to know Jesus Christ. We must not cling to rights, preferences, customs, or liberties in a manner that hinders the gospel, weakens our witness, or places needless barriers before those we are trying to reach. Like Paul, we must be willing to become a servant to all, to adapt where obedience permits, and to surrender what we may rightly enjoy for the sake of winning more people to Christ. This is the heart of your post’s appeal to 1 Corinthians 9 and 10: the gospel must take precedence over self-assertion. Key Scriptures: Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 9:19–23; 10:31–33; 2 Corinthians 5:14–21; Colossians 4:2–6

Closing Affirmation

Therefore, we reject a discipleship that is dominated by preference, self-protection, and the constant defense of personal rights. We embrace instead the mind of Christ: humility, holiness, service, sacrifice, love, and gospel purpose. We will ask not merely what we may do, but what best honors Christ, strengthens His church, serves our neighbor, and helps bring others to saving faith in Him.

In His grip by His grace,
Roderick Barnes

⁵⁴ When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
⁵⁷ Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; ⁵⁸ and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:55-60 See also Zechariah 4:6)

God is pleased to accomplish His work in this world through men and women who are yielded to Him. Again and again in Scripture, when the Lord purposes to build, guide, strengthen, confront, comfort, or advance His saving mission. He does so by filling surrendered vessels with His Spirit. Zechariah 4:6 over a list like this one below giving it summary: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. The names below remind us that the progress of God’s kingdom does not rest finally on natural talent, human energy, or earthly strength. The Spirit of God, working through those who are willing to be used by Him, is the means by which His ministry moves.

On this list, Stephen shines as one of the clearest examples of what Spirit-filled surrender looks like. He was full of faith, full of power, and full of the Holy Spirit in life. When the hour of his death came, he remained full of the Holy Spirit still. Even as he was opposed, falsely accused, and finally killed, Stephen stood as a surrendered vessel through whom Christ was put on display. In him we see that to be filled with the Spirit is not merely to be useful in moments of visible ministry, but to belong so wholly to God that one may bear witness to Christ faithfully even unto death. Stephen, therefore, does not merely appear on this list; he epitomizes the very meaning of being surrendered and used by the Spirit of God.

• Bezalel was filled for craftsmanship, tabernacle work, and teaching (Exodus 31:2–5; 35:31-34)
• Seventy elders of Israel were filled and enabled to help bear leadership (Numbers 11:16–17, 25)
• Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom for leadership (Deuteronomy 34:9)
• Othniel was a man upon whom the Spirit for judgment and deliverance for oppressed people (Judges 3:9–10)
• Gideon was also a judge; the Spirit clothed him for leadership in battle (Judges 6:34)
• Jephthah was a judge; the Spirit came upon him for conflict and deliverance (Judges 11:29)
• Samson was empowered by the Spirit to help God’s oppressed people (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14)
• Saul was anointed by the Spirit and for a while served with extraordinary good character and courage (1 Samuel 10:6, 10)
• David was anointed and used by the Spirit to lead God’s people as Israel’s second king (1 Samuel 16:13)
• Micah was full of power by the Spirit to confront sin (Micah 3:8)
• John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb (Luke 1:15)
• Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke blessing (Luke 1:41–45)
• Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied (Luke 1:67–79)
• Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and ministered in the Spirit’s power (Luke 4:1, 14, 18)
• The believers at Pentecost were all filled and spoke as the Spirit gave utterance (Acts 2:4)
• Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit for bold witness (Acts 4:8–12)
• The gathered church was filled and spoke the word boldly (Acts 4:31)
• Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit, did wonders, and remained full of the Spirit at his death (Acts 6:5, 8; 7:55–60)
• Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit and faith, with fruitful ministry (Acts 11:24)
• Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit in powerful confrontation and ministry (Acts 9:17; 13:9–11)

^15:1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. (Acts 15:1-2)

The conference of apostles and elders was convened to consider the question of what was required for Gentile salvation (Acts 15:1-2, 5-6). But was that all it was about? No! The news of how the church was changing has come to the attention of believers with a nasty penchant for nationalism, jealousy for their God, and an evil envy (Acts 13:45) toward those who were entering the kingdom without the rigmarole of trying to keep the law.

The push for Gentile circumcision and adopting the Law was a effort in a larger stratagem aimed at hindering the entrance of so many non-Jewish people (Acts 23:13) and forcing a conformity on outsiders. The conformity would make strict Jews feel more comfortable. Especially as it regards the Pharisees, this effort is a remnant tendency from their life before Christ (Matthew 23:13); they had a habit of hindering people as they were endeavoring to enter the kingdom of heaven.

^23:13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13)

Legalists neither lean on saving grace nor allow others to enjoy the gifts of God’s unmatched goodness.

It is still happening today. That is, today there is still an effort to bottleneck the way to God through additional religious requirements, rigid demands decorated as piety, and seemingly sacred rituals. The way to God, though, is just Jesus. What is the way? Again, just Jesus. He is the Way (John 14:6). He is the ladder leading to the Father, the only avenue to the Almighty, and the exclusive means by which we must be saved. Pharisees both then and now are going to keep trying to mess with the message of reconciliation. They had to be stopped then. They have to be stopped now.

Even when the evidence has been mounting the legalist’s habit of hampering others coming to God with rules persists. In the context of the passage we are considering, this is a settled matter that legalists keep bringing up. That is, even though the issue has already been settled through the prior experience of Peter and other Jews with the commander of an Italian regiment, the tendency to try to bring everyone into legalism will not die. It is for many a hard habit to break. Look with me at what had happened before and after the incident recorded in Acts 15:1-2.

• Acts 10:1 — Cornelius, centurion of the Italian Regiment

• Acts 10:44–48 — Holy Spirit falls on Gentiles

• Acts 11:15–18 — Peter recounts the event

• Acts 15:1–2 — dispute brought to apostles and elders (we are here)

• Acts 15:7–11 — Peter uses the earlier Gentile conversion as evidence

Later Peter (Acts 15:7-11) will refer back to how God chose that Gentiles should hear the gospel through his mouth, and how God gave them the Holy Spirit without first making them Jews. His references clearly points back to Cornelius and his household. What does this mean? It means that the Jews that came from Jerusalem have already seen that God accepts Gentiles that believe in Christ without circumcision. But they cannot let it go. They are on their own mission to stop the spread of a gospel that does not require circumcision. The mission of the church comes after their own mission to make everyone like themselves.

Both then and now there has to be a Spirit-led focus on the mission of the church. This is what led the Christian Jewish leadership in Jerusalem to write a letter that released Gentiles from circumcision. They saw the stifling effect of demanding adherence to the law on non-Jews who were ready to receive Christ. Serious about serving God well in their traditions, they could also see beyond their preferences and prejudices. They put Christ and His mission of reaching the nations before their own desires for uniformity and cultural comfort. Polhill says it well:

[T]he Jewish Christian leadership showed a concern for the world mission of the church that overshadowed their own special interests. They took a step that was absolutely essential if the Gentile mission was to be a success. To have required circumcision and the Torah would have severely limited the appeal to Gentiles, perhaps even killed it. Yet the Jewish Christians only stood to lose by not requiring Jewish proselyte procedure of the Gentile converts. It was bound to create problems with nonbelieving Jews. That it indeed did so is indicated in a later passage in Acts (21:20–22). If the Jerusalem leadership had only been concerned about the effectiveness of their own witness among the Jews, they would never have taken such a step. That it did so is testimony of their concern for the total mission of the church. Their vision stretched beyond their own bailiwick—indeed, to the ends of the earth. (Polhill, 1992, pp. 337-338)

People who are missional in their thinking are capable of getting out of the way and letting go of their wants. In the love of God that has been poured out into their hearts (Romans 5:5) they have the capacity to both see the truth of how the command to love others applies and then execute. In the early church it is seen in Jewish leaders that are willing to let their Gentile brethren be themselves insofar as it did not displease the Lord Jesus. Instead of bending Scripture to suit their goal of manipulating believers, they bent themselves to accept differences and promote a world with more people following Christ.

In His grip by His grace,
Roderick L. Barnes, Sr.

References

Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 337–338). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

²⁵ Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. (Numbers 10:25)

I am reading the book of Numbers. In my reading it appears that Dan and the two tribes assigned to the North in their campsites (Asher and Naphtali), when their numbers are combined, are the second largest. (Judah’s group is the largest.) Is this related to why Dan is the rear guard in Numbers 10:25? That is, does Dan’s camp bring up the rear and protect the nation from threats coming from behind because of its greater strength?

In the order of march: (1) Judah goes first (Numbers 10:14–16), (2) then Reuben (Numbers 10:18–20), (3) then the Levites carrying parts of the tabernacle (Numbers 10:17, 21), (4) then Ephraim (Numbers 10:22–24), and then (5) then Dan last (Numbers 10:25–27). Notice with me that Numbers 10:25 specifically says that the standard of Dan was the rear guard of all the camps. But why Dan? There are a few likely reasons.

Someone had to protect the rear

A moving nation in the wilderness was vulnerable from behind. The rear would include: (1) slower travelers, (2) families, (3) stragglers, and (4) supplies and baggage. So the tribe in the back functioned like a protective shield for the whole assembly (Isaiah 52:12; Isaiah 58:8). This fits the broader biblical concern about attacks on the rear, as in Deuteronomy 25:17–18, where Amalek attacked the weak and straggling at the back.

Dan headed the largest camp division after Judah

In Numbers 2, the camp of Dan included Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. Dan’s camp, totaling 157,600 men (Numbers 2:31), was the second-largest division in Israel. That made it a strong and fitting formation to serve as the rear guard in Numbers 10:25.

The march order mirrors the camp order around the tabernacle

In Numbers 2, the tribes are arranged around the tabernacle by sides:

When they march in Numbers 10, that arrangement becomes a procession. Dan, who camped on the north side, is appointed to move last. Dan is the rear guard so that it can shield the weak. An ordering, considering the relative size of the combined camp on the north, that just makes sense. God’s ordering of Israel was not random. Every tribe had a place and role:

• Judah led
• Levites carried holy things
• Dan guarded the rear

So Dan’s position is not a slight; it is a strategic assignment. The rear guard was crucial for the safety of the whole. Dan is the rear guard in Numbers 10:25 because God assigned Dan’s large northern camp division to protect the vulnerable rear of Israel during its wilderness journey.

Which brings us to the modern day question of why this matters. Do you feel slighted in your current role? Prayerfully consider the possibility that your placement (1) is in alignment with your God-given characteristics and (2) that you are where you are for the good of many.

In His grip by His grace,
Roderick L. Barnes, Sr.

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

My grandparents built a humble home on the east side of San Antonio. Although it was very unremarkable I thought it was a grand place. One day as I was standing on the porch looking at the brick columns I remarked to my grandfather that “Most of the bricks have some sort of rough place and extra concrete on them.” It was then that he told me that the house was made of used or leftover bricks. They were not good enough for the former building. But they had made a great home for us.

As Jesus nears the end of His earthly ministry it becomes painfully obvious that the rulers do not regard Him as someone with whom ministry can be built. There is terrible irony in the fact that Jesus was rejected by His own people. However, He was and is in fact the foundation of living. Apart from Him we can do nothing!

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? (Matthew 21:42)

What are you building your life on? A great job? A good marriage? Promoting the success of children? Civic responsibility or the promotion of your nation? None of these things are bad investments of time. But they cannot be the basis for life. If the answer is not Jesus, the answer is wrong. You are in fact building on sand and the results will be tragic.

²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Stop building on a bad foundation today. Start building on a good foundation — Jesus Christ. It will mean the transfer of trust and hope from something that looks promising to Someone that is proven.

In His grip by His grace,
Roderick L. Barnes, Sr.

The accusative and the dative in Koine Greek do very different jobs, even though in some verses they can feel close in English.

• The accusative usually marks the direct object — the person or thing receiving the action of the verb.
• The dative usually marks the indirect object or the idea of to, for, in, by, with, depending on context.

So, here are the main ideas in two nutshells: (1) Accusative answers: Whom? or What? (2) Dative answers things like: To whom? For whom? By whom? In what? With what?

Accusative = The Direct Object

If the verb acts directly on something, that noun is often in the accusative. For example, consider the following sentence: βλέπω τὸν ἄνθρωπον or “I see the man.”

• • βλέπω = I see
  • τὸν ἄνθρωπον = the man
  • “the man” is what is being seen, so it is accusative

Consider another example: ἔχει τὸ βιβλίον or “He has the book.” The book is the thing directly involved as the object of the action.

Dative = Recipient, Sphere, Means, Association, and More

The dative is broader. It often tells you the person affected indirectly or the means/location/relationship involved.

A. Indirect object

δίδωμι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τὸ βιβλίον
“I give the book to the man.”

• • • τὸ βιβλίον = accusative, direct object
    • τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ = dative, indirect object

That sentence is a great illustration of the difference:

• • • What is given? the book → accusative
    • To whom is it given? the man → dative

B. Means or instrument

γράφει καλάμῳ
“He writes with a reed pen.”

The pen is not the direct object. It is the means by which the action happens, so Greek may use the dative.

C. Sphere or location

μένει τῷ οἴκῳ
“He remains in the house.”

The dative can sometimes indicate the sphere or location in which something happens.

D. Association

πορεύεται τοῖς μαθηταῖς
“He goes with the disciples.”

Again, not direct object, but association.

A very simple comparison

Take this idea:

Jesus teaches the disciples the word.

A Greek-style distinction might look like this:

• the word = what is being taught → accusative
• the disciples = those receiving it → dative

So the accusative is the thing, and the dative is often the recipient or relation.

A useful English shortcut

When reading Greek:

• If you can translate it naturally with “to” or “for”, there is a good chance you are looking at a dative.
• If it is the thing directly acted upon, it is often accusative.

But there is overlap in English translation, so the safest method is to ask:

What role is this noun playing in the sentence?

• Direct target of the action? → accusative
• Recipient, means, location, association, benefit? → dative

Example from a giving verb

ὁ πατὴρ δίδωσι τῷ υἱῷ ἄρτον

“The father gives bread to the son.”

• ὁ πατήρ = subject
• ἄρτον = bread, direct object, accusative
• τῷ υἱῷ = to the son, indirect object, dative

That is probably the cleanest way to remember it.

One caution

In Koine Greek, the dative case absorbed functions that older Greek sometimes kept more distinct. So the dative can cover ideas that in English might be translated with:

• to
• for
• with
• by
• in

That is why the dative can feel slippery. The accusative is usually easier: it is commonly the direct object, though it can also be used with prepositions and for extent/duration.

Memory hook

Think:

• Accusative = aimed at
• Dative = given to / related to

Or even shorter:

• Accusative = target
• Dative = recipient / reference

Tiny side-by-side chart

There are four women mentioned in the life of Samson. Three of the four are nameless. His mother is the first of the nameless in the story. She is, in a very literal way, called upon by God to help make the man (Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 49:1); in the matrix of her womb God fashions a judge for the special task of bringing deliverance to His people (Judges 13:5; 15:18). It was his mother, no doubt, that conveyed to him the special instructions given her by the Angel of the LORD (Judges 13:5, 7). Of great import was the part about no razor coming upon his head. I believe that it is to her that we should attribute Samson’s understanding of where his great strength lay. (My view is also based on the fact that the Angel of the Lord repeatedly appears to her… not her husband.) His mother’s words are quoted when he told his secret to the fourth woman of his story (Judges 16:17).

“…he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” (Judges 16:17, NKJV)

Why are three of the four women in Samson’s story kept nameless? Their purpose does not require their names and the use of a name, when the author does provide one, serves to move the reader from concept to a final concrete example of what ails Samson. They are featured as foils; the second and third woman are the means by which the author reveals Samson’s tragic character flaws. Through his interactions with them we become witness to the worst symptom of Samson Syndrome: unbelievable blindness.

The name of his wife is not necessary for what the writer would show the reader. Where she is involved the main points are these:

1. 1. She is not a woman of God (Judges 14:3).
   2. She pledges allegiance to her people and not her husband (Judges 14:16-17).
   3. She uses his feelings for her to gain information that will be used against him.

The name of the harlot is also not important. Without her name the writer is still able to convey these key facts:

1. 1. She is not a woman of God.
   2. She pledges allegiance to her countrymen and not her Hebrew customer. Who was it that told the Gazites that Samson was in their midst (Judges 16:2)? I submit that it was the harlot. Between the betrayals of his wife and Delilah this would be a consistent thread in the life of the judge.
   3. She uses his compromise against him.

Having shown the reader Samson’s tendency toward compromise and vulnerability through unsanctioned relations (Deuteronomy 7:3-4), the author is finally ready to reveal the judge’s end. It is not surprising that it is at the hands of a woman. By this time in the story we have been prepared for this. Now, having shown us where his great weakness lies, the woman that will destroy him is given a name – Delilah.

The attributes and subversive activities of the prior women (wife and harlot) are shown to be both proleptic and prophetic. With both his wife and the harlot the judge is unmade. By relentless repetition the reader is made to see that Samson cannot see. “Behold, oh reader, his blindness,” says the writer. “No matter how many times it happens, he cannot see it coming.” As we look upon him in the tragic violence of losing his eyes we have this lesson: his loss of eyesight was due to his lack of insight.

The relationship with Delilah is given more space in the narrative than any other relationship that Samson has had. All the previous material was leading up to this. It was leading up to the calamitous loss that would follow him loving a woman who does not love God. It was leading up to the sad end of a powerful man being in a relationship where the woman is never committed to him. It was leading up to the part where his mistress uses his feelings to pry information out of his heart (Judges 16:16). Through the constant pestering that we saw first in his wife Samson is made to give up his great secret (Judges 14:16-17). But couldn’t he see that every time he revealed something to Delilah that she tried it? Did he not notice that she tested each supposed truth to see if he could really be rendered as weak as any other man?

Questions for Community Discussion

1. Are you in relationships that compromise your ability to see clearly?
2. When you evaluate your close relations do they contribute to doing God’s will or get in the way?

Samson, c’mon man, if she has checked each of your lies to see if you can be brought down… didn’t you see that if you told her the truth that you were going to get a haircut? You had to see this coming. Right?

No! He didn’t. The scales of sin have so covered his eyes that he is spiritually blind (Acts 9:18). Samson is blind to the pattern in his life seen first with his wife and then the prostitute. He is blind to the problem of loving a woman that does not love God – his wife (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; 1 Kings 11:3-4). Blind to the problem of being led by his lust – his prostitute. Blind to the plan playing out before him through Delilah – his mistress. It is painful to watch him played. But through his folly we can be made wiser.

¹¹ Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.  1 Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV)

When a man is suffering with Samson Syndrome he is fundamentally incapable of seeing that his sin is killing him. In his own eyes he is too clever to get caught, too favored to fail, and too emotionally compromised to see that his lover is leading him to his end (Proverbs 7:26). He did not see it coming and neither will you. If you are in romantic and/or sexual relationships outside of God’s will your vision is being lost and with each decision to disobey God you are becoming blind.

What can we do if we find ourselves in this situation?

1. Be Accountable – Samson was always alone and refused to receive counsel. The decision to be unaccountable was unmaking him and is unmaking you. Confess your sin and become unconditionally accountable to a few godly men. Confess all of it; half-done confessions and inconsistent meetings with your accountability circle are signs that you are not really accountable. It is an indicator that you are more concerned with avoiding consequences of crimes against God than grieving His Spirit.
2. Be Broken – This means dispensing with the idea that you are indispensable, invincible, and inscrutable. Seeing yourself as desperately needing God’s grace is the opposite of what Samson Syndrome is telling you (Psalm 34:18). Beyond confession their must be contrition and a real willingness to be led by the Lord. Getting mad when people correct or criticize you? This is a sign that you are not broken. You claim a dignity that does not belong to you. Don’t just accept criticism – ask for it. Or, as Dr. Alex Mandes once told me, lean into it.
3. Be in Christ – Finding your significance in romantic relations is not going to work. You were made for Him not for her. Trying to fill your cup with that type of love will leave you empty and thirsty. Ultimately you must find meaning and happiness in Christ first. When you can be satisfied in Him you can at last be satisfied with her. And before she can be yours… she must be his. Do not make the mistake of loving a woman who does not love God. The results are tragic.

On Another Level (Judges 16:1–3, NKJV)

¹ Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. ² When the Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.” ³ And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.

Samson is no longer getting into marriages with Philistine women. But he has not learned his lesson. In fact, things are worse. Now, the judge of Israel is picking up harlots. Why did he do that? It was for the same reason that he married the Timnite; he saw her and desired her (Judges 16:1).

Samson is a long way from home in multiple ways. First, Gaza is roughly 30 miles from his home in Zorah. He is as far in Philistine territory as you can get without getting wet. Second, he is living a debauched lifestyle. Fraternization and the development of family relationships with Philistines has given way to illicit sex with a Philistine harlot. The author wants us to also see how forward Samson has become. He is not just in the territory of the enemy he has the audacity to sleep with their women and then declare his superior martial might by taking the doors of the city.

On this point we do well to stop and think on these last two verses. Otherwise the import and impact of what the writer is saying will be lost. Regarding the situation, character and capabilities of the judge, and outcome, the following four things should be noticed. First, the adversaries were lying all night in wait at the gate of the city (Judges 16:2). Second, Samson goes to the place where they were waiting, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulder (Judges 16:3). Most commentaries find it perplexing that he is not caught. But I think that is the writer’s point. D. I. Block does a great job of pointing out the difficulties in explaining a quiet escape:

These elaborate gate houses were often two or three stories high with guard rooms flanking the tunnel-like opening. If the defensive gates of Gaza were like those of other cities of the time, to get to the gate of the city Samson would have had to get past four or six groups of guards stationed in the guard rooms. Did the men posted here assume Samson would stay with the prostitute all night, or did they simply doze off? Surely Samson would have created considerable noise unlocking the gate, lifting the doors, and pulling the hinge posts out of their sockets. Is one to assume that Yahweh put the night sentries into a sleep so deep they did not wake up even from this racket? (Block, 1999, p. 450)

Most commentaries assume he was trying to make a quiet escape. However, the writer is describing a man that has become acquainted with excess and is brazen enough to travel deep into enemy territory for a night of pleasure. Third, he carries the doors, likely in excess of 800 lbs each, from sea level to an elevation of 2,500 feet 37 miles away. Quietly? It is not likely that the operation was done in stealth. But it was done quickly. Let that sink in. Fourth, he did it without the benefit of daylight – it was midnight. It has been 20 years since the incident at Lehi. In that time the judge, now a man in his mid 40s, has not lost a step. In fact, based on this passage, he is significantly more capable than he was as a younger man. Remember that after his last show of strength he was depleted and near death (Judges 15:18). There is no record of our judge being winded or weary. The passage is silent on his physical state when he arrived at the top of the hill that faces Hebron (Judges 16:3) – 37 miles away. But if you read to the end you cannot help but wonder if his abilities have increased with the lengthening of his hair. Just sayin’.

Questions for Community Discussion

1. Do you think that Samson’s morality has increased, decreased, or remained the same?
2. Has your life trajectory changed for better or worse? Are you on a trajectory that leads to more holiness and more helpfulness to the people of God?

The Defeated Minister of Deliverance (Judges 16:23-24; Jeremiah 10:14; Isaiah 42:17; Romans 1:22-23; 1 Corinthians 1:20)

²³ Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy!” ²⁴ When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, The destroyer of our land, And the one who multiplied our dead.”  

From the perspective of the Philistines the proof of Dagon’s superiority to other deities is obvious and practical. As the Philistines see it, concerning the question of who is a greater god, the case is closed: the champion of Yahweh has been humiliated and delivered into their hands? In their view Dagon is to be credited with blinding, binding, and breaking Samson their enemy (Judges 16:23). They are gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice, because their suffering has ended; their god has put a halt to the activities of an Israelite that was hitting them where it hurt.

Samson has earned the title destroyer of the land; the long-haired Hebrew had burned Philistine grain, olives groves, and vineyards (Judges 15:5). And that is not all. Samson had also earned the moniker one who multiplied the dead because he had single-handedly killed a thousand Philistine men using only the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:14-17). In him the talk of the Torah became a modest mention of how the hand of God could use a single man to put enemies to flight (Leviticus 26:8).

When the people saw Dagon (Judges 16:24), they praised their god. You should read this and imagine that Dagon has been brought into view. The carved image has been carted onto some type of stage and the place erupts in a roar of worship for the false God. It may have been a chanting of the false god’s name or a song. The reason for their breaking forth into praise is given:

for they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, the destroyer of our land, and the one who multiplied our dead.” (Judges 16:24, NKJV)

All of this rejoicing because of the blinding and binding of one man. Why? One man, used by the Spirit of God, was all that it took to bring Israel some real relief and begin (note the begin of Judges 13:5) breaking the hand of oppression. It was a deliverance ministry that the people of God were too dull to discern, too hard-hearted to have, and too acclimated to affliction to accept. Even though Samson was overpowering the oppressors his brethren were bothered and ready to betray him:

…three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? What is this you have done to us?” … (Judges 15:11, NKJV)

Can you hear their acceptance of forced servitude? Can you hear their surrender to subjugation. In the minds of the men of Judah the fight is over and the Philistines are in control. This hairy man is messing up the status quo. They were as blind as their judge. They have eyes but could could not see it happening (Isaiah 6:9; Jeremiah 5:21; Matthew 13:14). See what? a deliverance ministry. Nobody steps up to help Samson. Nobody steps in to encourage him in his calling to bring deliverance (Judges 13:5). Instead they cry out, “Stop it, Samson!” The irony is that, although Israel did not get it, their enemies did.

To be sure, Samson as a deliverance minister was seriously hindered by his sensual appetites. And he was hardly willing to rally his brethren to work against their yoke of oppression. But he was not more deplorable than any other man. He was like every other man in an unwillingness to be solemnly dedicated to God’s will – to a deliverance ministry. For Samson the heavenly mission of making freedom available to the men and women of Israel was not as important as his mission to be sexually satisfied. Just as bad as his failure to focus on delivering God’s people is the people’s don’t-give-a-flip attitude about getting help. Unlike previous cycles into disobedience and chastening, the people had not cried out for help. They didn’t want it. And now Israel’s deliverer is in a dungeon and a false god is being credited with defeating him. It looks bleak. But the grace of God is greater than our fallenness and His deliverance ministry Is. Not. Done.

I Was Blind But Now I See (Judges 16:25-27)

²⁵ So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars. ²⁶ Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” ²⁷ Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed.

The scene is a party. And what secular party does not include copious amounts of alcohol. The phrase when their hearts were merry is used to indicate that the people have become intoxicated (Judges 9:27; Ruth 3:3, 7; Luke 12:19; 15:29, 32); it is in that light that we are to see their summons for Samson. Drunkenness has made the people less wary than usual. With their inhibitions suppressed they are not thinking things through and not likely to notice that the man-made-strong-by-hair has hair again (Judges 16:22). Their mistake of not noticing his mullet is made worse, for them, by his strategic positioning – between the pillars (Judges 16:25). Between the large supports for Dagon’s temple the judge of Israel is made to perform.

Samson never let on to his plan. In fact he played along in order that at last he might play his persecutors. Instead of asking to lean against just any pillars, Samson specifically requested the pillars which support the temple. The lad was likely not inebriated. However, lacking adult insight into the mindset of captors, he missed the red flags:

Red Flag 1: Bad Hair Day – An enemy whose super strength was found to be in his hair was shaved and then his eyes were put out. He should be bald but he has hair again.

Red Flag 2: Prisoner Positioned According to His Petition – The enemy is asking to be positioned so that he has access to the one place that can bring this whole building down on the people mocking him. Nobody has a problem with giving the prisoner what he wants.

The author takes a moment to help the reader understand the import of what has been said: the temple was full of men and women. Most importantly, in the crowd of sauced revelers were the people who had paid handsomely for Samson’s betrayal and by extension his blindness – the lords of the Philistines (Judges 16:5). Besides the people in the temple there were three thousand men and women on the roof enjoying the spectacle of a humiliated Hebrew enemy.

Despite his blindness Samson has gained perspective. “I was blind but now I see,” says Samson. What do you see, Samson? You lack eyesight. “But now I have insight.” His eyes are gouged out but his heart has unprecedented clarity. He sees a singular and costly opportunity to be used by God for deliverance ministry.

Questions for Community Discussion

1. Why might God have been disappointed or upset with his judge Judges 16:23-24; 2 Samuel 12:14)
2. Do you see in this passage any indicator that God is actually orchestrating events?
3. When things are at their worst Samson sees an opportunity. Are you inclined to look for ways to serve God when things are bleak?

The Weak Made Strong (Judges 16:28-30; Hebrews 11:34)

²⁸ Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” ²⁹ And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. ³⁰ Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.

Many are the commentaries that draw attention to the number of times that Samson says I in his prayer. None overlook the opportunity to draw attention to his apparently selfish reasons – vengeance… for my two eyes (Judges 16:28). Finally, and almost invariably, Bible scholars regard Samson’s request to die with the Philistines with derision (Judges 16:30). I do not share the perspective of erudition. Maybe that means you should stop reading now and stay with popular perspectives put forward by the learned.

Well, you kept reading. o, having been warned, let us look at these verses through the lens of the context and in the light of other Scriptures. That is, let us peer at this passage with interpretation help that comes from surrounding material and other biblical writings that mention Samson and this incident.

To impugn Samson’s prayers because of his repeated use of the personal pronoun I seems to miss the fact that it is a special affront to raise a hand against the Lord’s messenger or the Lord’s anointed (1 Samuel 24:6, 10; 19:21) – even when that person had behaved dishonorably. King David killed a man for as much (2 Samuel 1:14, 16). When David, an anointed king, writes during his flight from his own son he is profuse in his use of the words me/my (7 times) and I frequently (Psalm 3:1-4). There are other psalms where the psalmist asks for retribution and mentions rejoicing in vengeance (Psalm 13; 18:37-50; 58:10). But is Samson anointed? The works he had done were by the Spirit (Judges 13:25; 14:5-6; 14:19; 15:14). But you will say that the Lord had departed from him (Judges 16:20). The Lord would also depart from Israel’s first king, Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). However, once anointed that king was still regarded as anointed (2 Samuel 1:14, 16).

In his humiliation Samson has had time to think. The calling on his life and his callous casting away of the needs of his people are fresh on his heart. His newfound identification with Yahweh meant that the mockery aimed at him was also against the Lord, that the praising of Dagon was his fault, and that the gouging of his eyes was seen as a defeat of the one true God. Did he want vengeance for his lost eyesight. Certainly. Just be careful not to see Samson as lacking faith and an awareness of his mission. Why? Because the writer of Hebrews helps us to see that it was by faith that the weak became strong (Hebrews 11:32, 34). A man lacking commitment to the cause found the strength to (1) make the ultimate sacrifice and (2) be superhuman one more time. But for a better reason – a great work of deliverance. Some say that Samson’s prayer was bad and suicidal. Hardly! It was finally a crying out from complete commitment, a wayward man’s willingness to wage war and fight the good fight, and a determination to die doing what he was born to begin – deliverance ministry.

“Don’t let me die of natural causes. O God, don’t let me die apart from what you fashioned me to do. Let me die as your agent of angst against your enemies and the enemies of your people. Oh God, let me die on purpose.”

Conclusion (Judges 16:31)

31 And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty years.

Israel’s judge is dead. And in the end he killed so many of the enemy that there is no one left to protest the claiming of his broken body; the five lords of the Philistines are among the dead. And so his family is able to come down and take him. They bury him in a place that has not been mentioned since Judges 13:2 – the beginning of the story. In this bookend of words the author indicates closure on the story of Samson. Between these markers there has been a strong message about Israel’s last great judge.

• The Calling — There was a great calling on his life to liberate his people from oppression. God equipped him to carry out the mission with supernatural gifts from the Spirit.
• The Compromises — Early on it is clear that his calling is undermined by his continuous compromises through the company he keeps.
• The Consequences — Finally the strong man is made weak by his decision to love a woman who does not love God.
• The Compassion — God graciously grants Samson strength so that he can use the last of his life for what he was born to do.

There is a great calling on our lives and God has equipped us to carry out that calling in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our calling is hindered or else helped by the company we keep. And our strength will be greatly reduced by the consequences of folly. However, the grace of God is greater than our sin. If we will turn your eyes upon Jesus we can find grace to help in our hour of need. In the power of His Spirit we can go back to doing what we were born again to do.

Questions for Community Discussion

1. What would it look like to become more accountable?
2. Do you know what calling is on your life and what abilities you have been given?
3. How could your gifts be used to bring help to those who are oppressed and in need of deliverance?

References

Block, D. I. (1999). Judges, Ruth (Vol. 6, p. 450). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.