Shincheonji Perspective
A Shincheonji member may point to Samson lying to his wife, Delilah, about where his source of strength comes from.
Is Samson a Good Man for a Moral Compass?
When it comes to morality, Samson is probably one of the worst people to look at. If anything, his character shows that despite our own personal flaws, God can use evil men and women to bring himself glory.
Throughout the story of Samson, we can see that his character is questionable at best.
- Marrying a Philistine woman against God’s law and his parents’ wishes.
- Breaking his Nazarite vow by touching a dead lion’s carcass and eating honey from it.
- Potentially violating his Nazarite vow by attending a “drinking party” for his wedding.
- Killing Philistines out of anger to pay off a bet.
- Burning the Philistines’ crops in an act of vengeance.
- Visiting a prostitute in Gaza.
- Engaging in an intimate relationship with Delilah, who was not his wife.
- Generally being described as undisciplined, unable to control his eyes, appetite, anger, or mouth.
It is clear that Samson is someone that we ought not to emulate. He managed to put himself in a position that eventually led to him losing his strength. If anything, the story of Samson also shows the consequences of unchecked desires, which leads people to dangerous situations. Samson should not have been in that position in the first place if he were following God.
If one were to ignore this fact, and then respond with “well, he also shouldn’t have told Delilah about the source of his strength”, then sure, we can both agree with that. However; a Christian would normally have a higher moral standard and not overlook the other obvious flaws of Samson.