Over and over, the Book of Proverbs warns us that pride comes before a fall. Samson’s life displays this quite literally. His story in the book of Judges provides an object lesson showing how not to live. So, if we want to reject pride and avoid its consequences, how should we live instead? Perhaps the key can be found in what Samson lacked: vulnerability.
Pride can be a plague from birth. Samson was a miracle to his parents. They more than likely told him the story of the angel prophesying his birth many times over, perhaps inadvertently stroking his pride since he was small.
As Samson grew, we know he was exceedingly strong, probably muscular, and that he had truly amazing hair. His physical attractiveness might have contributed to his pride problem, or at least a sense of entitlement. We see a clear sense of self-centeredness when Samson insisted that his father and mother were to get him a particular Philistine woman to be his wife, which was an unlawful relationship for the Israelites.
Immediately after they wed, his lovely bride betrayed him to her people during a riddle challenge. Samson’s pride was wounded by this, to say the least. Angered and embarrassed, he killed thirty men and left his trophy wife with his best man. After his anger subsided and his affection for his wife returned, he revisited her to make amends only to discover that her father had given her to another man. The connection between pride and disgrace (Proverbs 11) was definitely proving true for Samson.
Rather than stop there, Samson’s pride wanted vengeance. He tied together and set fire to the tails of foxes, then let them loose in the wheat fields, olive groves, and vineyards of the Philistines. His enemies responded by burning his wife and her father to death.
Samson still did not learn his lesson. He met and cohabitated with another beautiful foreign woman, Delilah. Delilah, too, betrayed Samson by revealing that his strength was part of his Nazarite vow to not cut his hair. She sold his secret for a sum of money, and it cost him his strength, his position, and his eyesight. Imagine the forced vulnerability and humiliation of having your eyes put out, as Samson’s were.
Next, we see Samson put on shameful display when three thousand Philistines gathered at one large house to celebrate their god. To pridefully gloat over the demise of the Israeli judge, they bound the vulnerable, blinded Samson, and left him seemingly defenseless in the front of the storied home to make sport of him. But Samson had been in captivity just long enough to regrow his hair and, more importantly, restore his heart. He finally, humbly acknowledged that it was only the Lord God who could cause his strength to return.
"Then Samson prayed to the Lord, 'Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.'” Judges 16:28
Because of the loss of his eyesight, Samson had to depend on a lad to lead him by the hand to “restfully” lean on the pillars that held up the building. Knowing his demise would be the same as those who were gathered, Samson leaned into the pillars with all the strength God had given to him, causing the building to collapse and crush the mockers in attendance. A literal fall, after a whole lot of pride.
In hindsight, we’re able to analyze the “if only” mistakes of Samson’s life – the places where he could’ve turned from pride to humility and saved himself from destruction. If only Samson had been teachable, if only he had listened to his parent’s instruction, if only he recognized and turned from being enticed into forbidden relationships with godless women, if only he had humbled himself before God, giving thanks for the extraordinary gifts he had been given.
All the “ifs” could’ve at any point prevented such a great fall. To sum it all up – if only Samson had learned to be vulnerable.
It’s often thought that someone who is vulnerable is weak and in need of protection. Like young children, a vulnerable person has the need for care and support. Placing oneself in the care of another requires humility, and humility is the bane of pride. Choosing to acknowledge a great need for God is a lesson that Samson learned the hard way, after many years of choosing the opposite.
The fear of appearing vulnerable can cripple us sometimes. Our pride may cause even the thought of it to make us wince or blush with unease, feeling shame at our perceived failures. Most people don’t like feeling unprepared, appearing unlearned, or being put “on the spot” for immediate answers. We like to look as if we have it all together, and being vulnerable – by admitting that we don’t – seems too risky.
Humbling ourselves, being vulnerably honest, can seem costly in our places of work, our communities, our churches, or even in some of our relationships. Yet Proverbs 18 is clear: Pride comes before a downfall, but humility – which seems to be so very costly – comes before honor. Proverbs 29:23 reiterates that a man’s heart brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.
Though Samson was a loved son, a judge for Israel, and anointed by the Spirit of God to lead with supernatural strength, he was filled with the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). May his life be an example of what not to do.
Instead, may Jesus be our example of what we should do: "When asked who was greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus answered, 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, (vulnerably acknowledging the need of the care and support of their Father) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven' (Matthew 18:3-4).
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Certified as a Senior Chaplain through the International Fellowship of Chaplains, Cindi Killen serves as the assistant manager of the Spiritual Development team at Medi-Share where she has worked for 8 years. She and her husband of what she describes as over 40 short years share date nights and serve together at their church on the weekends. They have 7 adult children by birth and adoption, a small multitude of grandchildren, and always a house guest. Cindi enjoys walking and bike riding on trails, her husband’s cooking, and visiting small towns and out-of-the-way places. Her passion is to come alongside others encouraging them to live rooted and strengthened in the faith.