[230 words]
“And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house” (Judges 14:19).
Samson is known by many for his great strength. God uses him in many unique ways to deliver Israel from their enemies, and with each success, it’s written that the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him. Samson is a man’s man—and so it’s no wonder that when the Spirit descended on Jesus that some, no doubt, were waiting to see a lion torn open with bare hands, torches tied to the tails of 300 foxes, or a serious number of enemies being subdued with the jawbone of a donkey. But, no, He was God’s man. Instead of a weakness for any woman that walked by Him, Jesus was made like us in every way but did not sin. Instead of choosing to use the Spirit to fuel his anger to kill thirty men for their garments, He directed it into zeal for His Father’s house as the tables were overturned and the moneychangers were driven from the temple. We’re given the Spirit at baptism, but God won’t choose our actions. What do you do with His gift?
Doug Kashorek
Plattsburgh church of Christ
Plattsburgh, NY