Captain Jack Sparrow of the Bible

This week I was in Judges 13, 14 15 and 16 reading about Samson - you know, the really strong guy. As a kid I remember the stories of how heroic Samson was, how strong he was and how he killed the evil Philistines at the end of the story. However, as I read the story this time (probably the 50th time!) I saw something I had never seen before. Samson was used greatly by God but Samson never once did anything to earn God's favor, Samson did quite the opposite, he did just about everything God said not to do. Samson disrespected his parents, married a Philistine girl, stole from people, killed people, lied to people, was arrogant and never once repented of any of it.

At the end of the story when he finally killed the Philistines he said he did it to revenge their gouging out his eyes, not because he was being obedient to the Lord. As I sat there taking this in I could not help but think of Captain Jack Sparrow. The two were very similar, they were in to wine, women and warfare. Read the story for yourself. There is even a verse that makes me think they looked alike:

Judges 16: 13b - “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” ~ Apparently Samson had dreds.

It just reminded me again as to how God does not choose to use us based on how good we are, He chooses to use broken, sinful people so He will be glorified, not us. In the end God destroyed the Philistines through Samson but if we make the hero out to be Samson we have given glory to the wrong person.

The ultimate show of God's love for sinful mankind was when He sent His son. Just like how God chose Samson in spite of his unrepentant, selfish ways, God sent his some for lost sinners.

Romans 5:8 - 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We did nothing to deserve God's grace and mercy. Better yet we did the opposite, we were God haters and yet He still saved us:

Romans 5: 10 For if, when we were haters of God, the death of his Son made us at peace with him, much more, now that we are his friends, will we have salvation through his life; 

What an awesome God we have. A God who loves us in spite of who we are!