But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. – Judges 16:22

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 13, 2012): Judges 16

A few years ago I attended a youth event where people were having their heads shaved for charity. The original intention was that one person would get his head shaved for missions and we had brought in a hair dresser for precisely that purpose. At the end of the evening (which actually happened just past midnight) we brought him up on stage and began to remove his hair. But there is often some sort of a momentum that seems to be built up within a community in these things. So when we finished with the one guy that was supposed to have his head shaved, all in a sudden we had a line up of people wanting to get their heads shaved for a twenty dollar donation to missions - and we had our single hairdresser working over time.

After about four or five people walked away with their new hairdo (for the curious, the count was four guys and one girl) the cry started to go up for my head and the head of a friend of mine. At the time, our hair was fairly long – and watching a guy with a crew cut get his hair cut is one thing, but for some reason it is much more exciting to watch someone with hair down to his collar get his shaved off. My friend did not miss a beat. He smiled and said, “Garry and I would love to get our hair cut, but we are Associate Pastors and we cannot get our hair cut without our Senior Pastor’s permission. Sorry” And then he stepped back and leaned over to me and continued “Besides, at our age there is no guarantee that the hair will grow back.”

If there is a category in the Bible for most obvious sayings, this statement has to lead the pack. A friend of mine once commented that this was also part of another group of sayings – stupid things the Bible says. The point is that it is the nature of our hair to grow – even after it has been shaved - notwithstanding the concern of my friend at the shavefest. Of course, author of Judges, his hair began to grow – we are created that way.

But that also misses the point that the author is trying to get across. Just a reminder, Samson’s strength was not in his hair. Samson’s strength was in his relationship with his God, which was symbolized by his long locks. And as the author makes the comment about Samson’s hair immediately beginning to to grow, the meaning that he wants us to hear is this – God immediately began to re-establish the relationship that he once had with Samson.

Perry Noble is great at telling guys that God’s will is that the man will pursue the woman. And I agree, but the model we are following is that God has continually pursued us. Even in those moments after we have shaved our heads and destroyed our relationship with God, God immediately continues his pursuit of us. 

When we have broken our covenant with him, God’s response is to pursue us and begin to restore that relationship with us – and Jesus Christ on the cross is proof that I am worth the pursuit.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 17