JUDGES 13
Samson means “sunny,” and initially he did bring sunshine to his home and to Israel at a dark period in their history. But his life ended in the darkness because he did not fully obey the Lord. He began to deliver Israel from the Philistines (v. 5), but Samuel and David would finish the job.
How could a man fail when he had so much in his favor? He was born to godly parents who feared the Lord, prayed for wisdom, and obeyed His will. Samson was dedicated to the Lord as a lifelong Nazirite (Num. 6). A godly home is no guarantee of a godly life if the spiritual influence is rejected by the children. The parents were not at fault; Samson was.
He began his ministry blessed by the Lord and closed his life mocked by a heathen crowd. Yes, in Samson’s death, he killed many of the enemy, but how much better had he been a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1–2) and not a dead one.