Judges 15:14–15: “When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.”

April 29th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The Philistines came against the tribe of Judah because Samson had taken revenge on the Philistines after they dealt treacherously with him concerning his wife. In order to avoid a battle, Judah found Samson, bound him, and delivered him to the Philistines. As Samson stood before the shouting Philistine army, bound in ropes, “the Spirit of the LORD” came on him. The scene that followed is worthy of the big screen. Samson’s ropes broke and he came charging down the hill like a roaring lion. As he came, he saw the “jawbone of a donkey,” scooped it up and charged into the mass of the Philistine army, swinging the jawbone like a club with all his God-given power. The Philistines must have been tripping all over themselves because it seems that they didn’t even fight back. Under the power of God, the mighty arm of this judge swung the jawbone so effectively that within a short while the army scattered and a 1000 men lay dead.

Judges 13:5 tells us that God’s purpose in Samson’s life was to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. Even though in Judges 14:4 Samson disobeyed the Lord’s command by marrying a Philistine woman, God still used him to move against the Philistines. God used Samson in spite of his weaknesses and sin, putting him in the center of the fight for God’s people. We find God doing similar things throughout the Bible with other men. Jonah ran from God but the Lord still brought revival to Nineveh. David committed adultery with Bathsheba but she later bore Solomon. Peter sinned by denying the Lord, but God used that experience coupled with forgiveness to push Peter into leading the early church. He does the same with us, even though we may have been disobedient in the past, God can still use us today. The lesson here is that God can use our disobedience to accomplish His will. But how much better would it be to be in the center of God’s will, enjoying His fellowship, working with Him?

“LORD, we love to walk along with You, knowing what You are doing and being used by You. Please use us.”