EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Shane Carrington | Sulphur Springs, Texas
There are indelible characters with highly respected names in the Hall of Faith of Hebrews 11. Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, etc.: what an incredible list of godly men of faith!
Others might not make the list if we were choosing them: Samson, for example, seems more an example of worldly-mindedness and carnality. For example:
- He demanded a wife from the Philistines (Judges 14:1-2). Israelites, of course, were not to marry foreigners (Deut. 7:1-6). This was so serious that, in the days of Ezra, the people became aware that they had to put away the foreign wives they had married (Ezra 10:1-3), and they did exactly that (Ezra 10:19).
- When Samson’s parents pushed back, he rebelled against their wise counsel (Judges 14:3), selfishly saying, “Get her for me, for she looks good to me.” In this, he echoed the tragic theme of the book: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
- Samson also solicited a prostitute. “Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her” (Judges 16:1).
His sins seem obvious to most, but some have tried to reframe Samson’s choices in such a way as to declare most of his choices as righteous, not rebellious. Perhaps this effort is born from a viewpoint that a man listed in Hebrews 11 as an example of faith could not possibly have done the carnal acts that Samson did. However, there is another possible explanation for Samson’s appearance in Hebrews 11.
First of all, there is no justification for sin.
- Sin is a violation of God’s holy law. “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4)
- God hates sin. “But of the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness’” (Heb. 1:8-9a). - By sinning we earn spiritual death. “For the wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23a).
- Eternal spiritual condemnation is our consequence for sinning. “…when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:7b-9).
- The only remedy for sin is Jesus. “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18).
Any attempts to soften the seriousness or repercussions of sin are ill-placed and unscriptural. Samson’s sins are unjustifiable; so are ours.
The reality is that the hall of faith in Hebrews 11 is a list of flawed, imperfect people who needed God’s patience, grace, and forgiveness. Consider a few from the list.
- Noah was saved by grace through faith (Heb. 11:7), but later he committed the sin of drunkenness.
- Abraham was the friend of God who lived by faith (Heb. 11:8-10), but he also lied on two different occasions about Sarah.
- Sarah and Abraham had Isaac by faith (Heb. 11:11-12, 17-19), but earlier, they instituted a plan which produced Ishmael, trying to assist God by coming up with their own way for the lineage to continue.
- Moses led Israel by faith, but then sinned, and did not get to enter the promised land (Heb. 11:23-29).
- Gideon backslid later in life (Heb. 11:32).
- Barak showed cowardice (Heb. 11:32).
- Jephthah made a rash vow (Heb. 11:32).
- David sinned grievously in regard to Bathsheba and her husband in many ways that included adultery and murder (Heb. 11:32).
Samson fits in Hebrews 11 because the passage lists people of faith who also had deep flaws and great spiritual needs. Unjust, unrepentant sinners need to forsake sin and come to God in order to receive forgiveness. Thankfully, God provides a way of redemption for people who are willing!
One of the striking differences between God and Satan is that the devil only shows us what he wants us to know, while God gives us the full picture. Satan urges us to “enjoy the…pleasures of sin” (Heb. 11:25). God, on the other hand, removes the ellipsis, and reveals that these pleasures are “passing” (Heb. 11:25). In this way, Satan tries to allure humanity with promises of carnal pleasures, selfish freedoms, and narcissistic exploits. By contrast, God tells us that sin has a pleasurable side, but that it brings eternal death in the ferocious wake of its temporary gratification (Rom. 6:23).
In a similar fashion, when God depicts His faithful servants from ages past, He does not reveal them in the narrative of Scripture as flawless people who lacked weaknesses. God shows us that Abraham, Moses, Peter, and Samson, etc. were people who made mistakes, needed God’s forgiveness, and grew in faith. Men and women like us!
The hall of faith in Hebrews 11 is not a list of flawless paragons who made all the right decisions and lived without needing God’s help, including forgiveness. It is a description of decisions and lives of faith in people who learned how much they needed God’s grace, patience, and forgiveness. And when times were at their darkest — including those times when their own bad decisions dimmed the light — they came to realize just how much they needed God for forgiveness, strength, and renewed purpose in His service. This sounds a great deal like Samson between two pillars, having lost his dignity, purpose, and even his eyes.
The character of God shapes His people by His holiness.God expresses this throughout Leviticus as seen in the thematic statement of Lev. 10:44-45.
“For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. … For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.”
God’s holiness means His purity from sin and His consecration to higher purposes. In a sense it could be said that holiness is the central attribute of God, encompassing both His justice (see Lev. 10:1-2) and His love (see Lev. 19:18). God is separate from sin (holy), but He is also compassionate and merciful, desiring to provide humanity a way of sanctification (holiness). The Levitical system of the Old Testament provided a provisional way of declaring God’s holiness to Israel, bringing them closer to Him through teachings, sacrifices, and spiritual growth. In time, God sent Jesus as the ultimate declaration of His holiness and the means of truly redeeming humanity. As Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6), “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). Or, as the Hebrews writer expressed it,
“And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect” (Heb. 11:39-40).
They needed Jesus, and so do we. We are fortunate to live on this side of the cross, whereas they lived in a time anticipating the Davidic (Messianic) king and the redemption He offers.
Samson lived in a barbaric time. The book of Judges, from beginning to end, describes Israel in disarray. They had not followed God’s instructions fully concerning removing the natives from the land of Canaan. As a result, they were afflicted with many sorrows. This brutal period in Israel describes the people without good and godly leadership (Judges 21:25). During their time, God sent deliverer after deliverer: judges who led the the people in victory over oppression. However, the leaders were flawed. They struggled to live their faith. Samson was no different. Yet God used this man and his weaknesses to fulfill His purpose. As the pillars of the temple collapsed upon him, this broken man helped God’s people win a great victory. What a blessing!
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July 2025 | GROW magazine
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