Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, 22 May 2022, by Captain Michael Ramsay. Based on 'Covenant: The Example of Samson' in The Officer (March-April 2009) by Captain Michael Ramsay. Available on-line: http://sheepspeak.com/RamsayonCovenantSamson.pdf Similar to 'Judges 16:23-31. Samson: Just Dessert' Presented to Nipawin and Tisdale Corps on June 8, 2008 by Captain Michael Ramsay. Available on-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/06/judges-1623-31-samson-just-dessert.html
We read about the end of Samson’s life and we have just read about the beginning of his life and a covenant that his mom and dad were encouraged to enter into with God on behalf of their son – and their whole nation, actually.
Do we know what a covenant is? A covenant is an agreement. I covenant is promise. A covenant is a contract. It is a holy contract. Mostly today if we use this word covenant it will be in relationship to our marriage covenants – in that covenant, among other things, people promise not to date other people but to forsake all others. Sometimes people enter into sobriety covenants to help them break free of addiction – they promise not to drink again and other things. And when someone becomes a full member of The Salvation Army we enter into a soldier’s covenant where we also promise to do and not to do certain things as a way of saying we are part of this movement.
COVENANTS are very important to the Lord. In his article 'Till I Die' (Nov - Dec 2008), then Captain Stephen Court made a very important point about our soldier's covenant when he pointed out that it does not come with an expiry date. This is significant. We can't simply declare that we no longer feel called to a covenant or that we no longer agree with every aspect of the covenant, then pick and choose which parts we adhere to and which we disregard.
This is like Samson in the Bible. Samson was bound by a covenant without an expiry date (Judges 13:7), a covenant that he didn't even willingly enter into (Judges 13, cf 1 Samuel 1, Luke 1, Leviticus 27:28, 29), a covenant that he either didn't like to obey or at the very least struggled to keep.
Samson was not to drink nor was he to defile himself or do any other number of things. However, Samson was a liar at times (Judges 16:7ff). He was a killer at times (see Judges 14:19), he visited prostitutes (Judges 16: 1), he put himself and others ahead of God at times (Judges 14: 17), he disobeyed his vows. He transgressed his covenant with God. But – even though he did this time and again- the Lord did not forsake him (see Judges 16:22, Romans 3:3, 4).
At some times in his life Samson, like many of us, was better at following the Lord's direction than at others. At times he was greatly used by God. At times he experienced the great blessings that accompanied his covenant. At times Samson drew on the strength of the Lord and was used greatly by God to accomplish his purposes. At other times Samson sinned.
Every time in his life that Samson turned to and drew on the strength of the Lord, the Lord delivered him. No matter what Samson did, the Lord did not leave him. He still reaped the benefits of his covenant with the Lord until one very significant day.
I'm sure it was a surprise to Samson, who had lied, visited prostituted women, sinned and transgressed his covenant in his life, that one day after the covenant made on his behalf by someone else had been violated (by someone else, see Judge 16: 18), the Lord's strength of his covenant was not available to him (Judges 16:20).
Samson disobeyed his covenant and finally - after being given many chances - the Lord allowed him to experience the natural and logical consequences of disobeying his covenant. Samson was blinded, bound and imprisoned (Judge 16:21).
But the story does not end there. This is significant. Samson did not fulfil his vow. Samson sinned. Samson disregarded his covenant. Because he did this, he suffered natural and logical consequences, but the Lord did not release him from his covenant (see Judges 16:22). He did not crumple it up and throw it away. He did not say you failed so many times that I am giving up on this covenant, your ability to fulfil it and I am giving up on you. No! God is faithful even when we are faithless. God did not forsake Samson. When Samson repented, turned to the Lord and drew on the strength of the Lord that was provided through his covenant, the Lord used Samson to save his
people and Samson is now forever remembered as a hero of the faith (Hebrews 11).
This is important for Salvation Army soldiers and officers and any of us who enter into any other covenants with the Lord. We, Salvation Army soldiers, like Samson, are bound to God through a covenant that does not have an expiry date before we die (Romans 7:2, 3). This is like the covenant on the Cross. When we enter into an eternal relationship with Jesus Christ, for his part, he will never leave us nor forsake us. (whether we can leave him or not is a discussion for another time)
If we do not live up to our covenant, like Samson, we will find that we are not as effective as we could be and we will find that we will suffer the natural and logical consequences of disrespecting our covenants.
However, no matter what we have done, no matter how far we have strayed, no matter how may times we have fallen short of our covenantal promises, while we are still alive there is still the opportunity to turn to the Lord (repent) and draw on our covenant and his strength – and God will save us in through and from whatever we need saving in through and from both for now and forever.
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