Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. – Psalm 29:1

Today's Scripture Reading (June 29, 2022): Psalm 28 & 29

The biblical story of Samson is really a cautionary tale about our pride. He is the Bible's most famous strongman, and the story should have been about a man who should have had a unique connection with his God. But the truth of the story is that Samson was a proud man who believed that the world owed him whatever he wanted. He always thought that he was the smartest man in the room, and Samson felt that everything he had achieved in his world was because of his superior ability. Apparently, at least in Samson's mind, that ability had nothing to do with God.

All of this comes to a head in Samson's famous conversation with his girlfriend, Delilah. According to the biblical story, Delilah is bought by Samson's Philistine enemies. She is charged with the task of finding the secret to Samson's strength. And so, she asks Samson to reveal his strength. Samson's first response is, "If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I'll become as weak as any other man" (Judges 16:7). Samson seems to have fallen asleep, and Delilah ties him up and then invites the Philistine soldiers to hide in the room. And then she wakes Samson up, and he snaps the bowstrings with little effort. The secret of his strength had not been discovered.

Delilah tries a second time. This time, Samson responds, "If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I'll become as weak as any other man" (Judges 16:11). But the scene repeats itself, and Samson snaps the ropes as if they were nothing but thin threads. And the secret of his strength continued to remain undiscovered.

Delilah tried a third time. And this time, Samson responds with, "No razor has ever been used on my head, because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother's womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man" (Judges 16:17). Delilah restages the scene, and this time, with his head freshly shaven, he becomes as weak as any other man. Because of this result, we seem to believe that the secret of Samson's strength is his hair. But it isn't; the secret of Samson's strength is his relationship with God, of which his hair was merely a symbol. But that is something that Samson missed. Samson believed that the secret of his strength was Samson. No one could contain him. If Samson understood that his relationship with God was really the secret of his strength, he would have never told Delilah his secret. She wasn't trustworthy, and Samson couldn't have been that stupid. But the reality is that Samson believed that everything depended on Samson. God was an afterthought to Samson throughout most of his life.

The New International Version renders David's words as "Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings." But the words are actually closer to "Ascribe (or give) to the Lord, you mighty, Give to him honor and strength." David might have been talking about angels or heavenly beings, but he also might have had in mind the strongmen of the earth, of which Samson was one. David's hope might have been that we would not repeat the mistake of Samson. Our strength, just like Samson's, comes from God. And that is something that we need to remember and return to him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 30