Unfulfilled Potential
by Bill Ireland, Pinnacle Associate
Samson is likely the most recognizable of all the judges. His name is synonymous with great strength, and a number of movies have been made about his life. One of John Milton’s most famous poems is “Samson Agonistes,” in which he explores the interplay between the divine and human will.
What we may not know, however, about Samson is that he was in many ways entirely different from all the judges preceding him. He stands apart from the others for a variety of reasons. His story begins with his mother, the wife of Manoa, and the first thing the writer tells us is that she is “barren.” Childless. The word “barren,” however, is a tip off that something wonderful is about to happen. Practically every time a woman in the Old Testament is described as barren—well, we can be sure that God is about to intervene and create a future where none was thought possible. So, there’s a hint of the miraculous in Samson’s beginning. As well, the writer tells us that Samson will be a Nazirite, one who is consecrated wholly to the Lord. Because of this vow, Samson is supposed to avoid strong drink, unclean foods, and never, ever cut his hair. From these details, we learn Samson is someone special, and we should expect great things from him.
But that was not to be.
The writer alerts us to the fact that despite all he had going for him, Samson would fail. Unlike the other judges before him, he would not succeed in delivering his people. In fact, his mother was told before he was born that he would only begin to deliver his people (Judges 13:5). In other words, he wouldn’t get the job done. Despite his legendary strength and prowess, he would never fulfill his potential and accomplish his mission.
In this respect, Samson’s negative example serves as a cautionary tale, revealing some of the ways we leave our work undone and never live into our full potential.
For one, Samson was terribly undisciplined. He was a prisoner of his desires. Consequently, his story is not dominated by accounts of military victories, but instead by detailed stories of his failed relationships with three women. Against his parents’ wishes, Samson first marries a woman named Timnah. He insisted he be allowed to marry her because as he says, “she pleases me,” or “she looks right in my eyes.” Later on, he will fall in love with a prostitute, a relationship that goes nowhere. Last but not least, he is captivated by a Philistine woman named Delilah. Samson’s enemies pay her well to induce Samson to disclose the source of his strength. Despite her charms, Samson holds her off until he cannot resist her any longer. He eventually tells her his secret, and as a result, he becomes the captive of the Philistines.
What we have, then, is a portrait of someone who didn’t think things through but instead acted on impulse. He flew off in all directions. His strength and talent were wasted because he could not govern himself.
As well, the unfinished and incomplete nature of Samson’s life resulted from his lack of purpose and an overriding sense of mission.
This facet shows up in Samson’s episodic use of his wit and strength. As the writer tells us, at Samson’s wedding to Timnah, he asked his guests to solve a riddle. If they solved it, he would give them a lot of very fine garments. If they couldn’t solve it, they had to pay him. The only way his friends could solve the riddle was to enlist Timnah’s help, and she nagged Samson until he told her the answer to the riddle. She passed the answer along to his guests, and when they gave him the right answer, he was furious. To pay what he owed, he went on a violent rampage and killed thirty men and used their garments to pay his debt. Likewise, when his father-in-law refused to allow him to see Timnah, he erupted in a rage and proceeded to burn the Philistine’s crops. At the end of his life, when he was mocked by the Philistines and offered up as an example for ridicule, he asked God for strength to collapse the temple where the Philistines worshiped their god.
All these actions reveal Samson was motivated by revenge rather than a desire for the redemption of the Hebrew people. He was more interested in getting even rather than working to deliver his people. Although Samson knew himself to be an extraordinarily gifted and strong individual, he never knew why he was. All his potential was never harnessed to something greater than himself.
Finally, Samson’s unfinished life resulted from his solitary action. Because of his outsized strength, Samson didn’t think he needed anyone else. He could go it alone.
If we go back and review the stories of Ehud, Deborah and Barak, Gideon, and Jephthah—if we go back and review their stories, we’ll see that they rallied the Hebrew people to their side. The tribes answered the call. It’s worth noting that none of those judges won their battles all by themselves; they had help. Samson, however, never rallied any of the other Hebrews to his side. He never enlisted others to join him in the fight. As a result, he fought alone and died alone. The only time anyone showed up for Samson was to bury him.
No matter how strong, smart, or self-confident we may be, we still need other people. No wonder then that God, after all that breath-taking work of creation, looked around and said, “As wonderful as this world is, there’s something missing. It is not good for anyone to be alone.” Samson went off the rails because he had no friends who held him accountable, no friends to push him to be his best rather than his worst.
At the end of his life, Samson died, buried in the rubble of a collapsed temple. In a way, that’s fitting. Because of his lack of discipline, his inability to link his life to larger purpose, and his determination to go it alone, his life collapsed, and the ruins of his life show that he never amounted to much.