The Roaring Lion
Samson takes on a lion with jaw-dropping ease. But remember that the Samson saga is not a simple factual account but narrative art as retold by the scribe in the latter days of Judah. We are invited to look for deeper levels of meaning here. Just as Samson was to tell a riddle, so the whole story is told so that we will look past the information and get the meaning. Wine and vineyards in the Old Testament are strong, erotic symbols (Songs 1:2,4; 2:13; 4:16; 5:1; 6:11; 7:2,8-9,12; 8:2). It’s there, in the place that represents sensuality, that Samson encounters a ferocious lion.
That’s where the lion often strikes. As we get the first hint of Samson’s besetting weakness - lust - we realise that it’s in the area of sexuality that the greatest battles are to be won. But there’s encouragement here, as God’s Spirit helps him. We, too, face a roaring lion of temptation - but God’s Spirit helps us in our weakness. We can resist the devil - and he will flee from us (James 4:7). There is power in the name of Jesus. But let’s not underestimate the strength of that attacker.