Aren't you glad that's true? Grace is sufficient. Be turning with me to the book of Judges, Judges chapter 13. I love studying types of Christ in the Old Testament. There are many, many types of Christ in the Old Testament. Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant, scapegoat, the Passover lamb, King David, King Solomon are all types of Christ. Jonah is a type of Christ. The city of refuge are a type of Christ. Adam, Joseph in Israel, the brazen serpent, the list goes on and on and on.

But today I'd like to look at the type of Christ in the person of Samson. Now Samson was not your typical believer. He was A little rough around the edges, to say the least. He had a really bad case of what's called today toxic masculinity. But he was God's chosen. He was God's chosen man for that hour and for the task of throwing off the power of the Philistines over the nation of Israel.

And in Judges 13, let's begin reading in verse 1, And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years. And there was a certain man of Zorah of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah, and his wife was barren and bare not. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman and said unto her, Behold, now thou art barren and barest not, but thou shall conceive and bear a son. Now, therefore, beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing. For lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come upon his head. For the child shall be called a Nazarite unto God from the womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, a man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God. Very terrible. But I asked him not whence he was, neither told me his name. But he said unto me, behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God, from the womb to the day of his death.

Then Manoah entreated the Lord and said, Oh my Lord, let the man of God, which did sin, which thou did sin, come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. And God hearkened unto the voice of Manoah and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah, her husband was not with her. And the woman made haste and ran and showed her husband and said unto him, behold, the man hath appeared unto me that came unto me the other day.

And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said unto him, art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. And Manoah said, now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child and how shall we do unto him and the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah of all that I said unto thee the woman let her be unto the woman let her beware she may not eat anything that cometh of the vine neither let her drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing as I have commanded her to observe

and Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord I pray thee let us detain thee until We shall have made ready a kid for thee. And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, though thou detain me, I shall will not eat thy bread. And if I will offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, what is thy name? That when thy sayings come to pass, we may do the honor. And the angel of the Lord said unto him, why askest thou thus after my name seeing it is secret.

So Manoah took a kid and a meat offering and offered it into the upon a rock unto the Lord. And the angel did wondrously and Manoah and his wife looked on for it came to pass when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it and fell on their faces to the ground.

But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto his wife, we shall surely die because we have seen God. But his wife said unto him, if the Lord were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would he at this time have told us such things as these.

And the woman bear a son and called his name Samson. And the child grew and the Lord blessed him. And the spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp between day of excuse me, times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtal.

Now the first thing that we observe is the birth of Samson as the birth of our Savior was miraculous. We're told in verse two that Manoah's wife who oddly enough is not called by name anywhere in this book. She's simply referred to as Manoah's wife. How she was barren and bare not. She had never born a child and she was well past the age of bearing children, much like Sarah, who later bore Isaac. And the angel came and spoke to her, whom she described to her husband as having the countenance of the countenance of an angel of God. And he told her, behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son. And the angel made her another promise concerning this son who she should bear. because we read in verse five, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.

And likewise, the birth of our Lord Jesus was also miraculous. In Luke chapter one, starting in verse 26, we read how the angel of God came to Mary and told her much the same thing as he told Manoah's wife, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son. But this birth was miraculous for a different reason than the birth of Samson. Mary, unlike Manoah's wife, was at the beginning of her childbearing years, not well past. But unlike Manoah's wife, this conception and this birth was like none other that had ever taken place before or since. Mary had never known a man, therefore, From man's way of thinking, it was impossible for her to conceive. In a similar promise to the promise that the angel made to Samson's mother that he should begin to deliver Israel from oppression, the angel told Joseph, Jesus' father, to call the child named Jesus because he shall save his people from their sins. He shall relieve them from the oppression under which they would be born.

Then in chapter 14, in verse 1, Samson goes to Timnath and sees a woman and came back and told his parents that he desired them to get him this woman. And they asked him, can you not find a wife among your own people? But Samson simply replied, get her for me. And this is a picture primarily of Christ choosing his bride mostly from among the Gentiles And not the Jews, because the scripture tells us that God has cast off the physical nation of Israel.

Turn over to the book of Acts with me. Hold your place here in Judges. Turn over to Acts 13. Acts chapter 13. We have here an account of Paul and some of the brethren in the synagogue in Antioch. And starting in verse 15, the rulers of the Jews invited them to speak. And Paul stood up and began to give them a history lesson concerning the nation of Israel and how God brought them out of Egypt, how they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, how God gave them judges, which is what we're reading about here in the book of Judges, for 450 years, After that, God began to give them kings. First Saul, then David, Solomon, and many others. And he then reminds them how, as the Lord Jesus stood before Pilate, the Jewish leaders convinced Pilate to have him condemned. And Paul reminds these Jews how that our Lord was buried and rose from the grave and how he was exalted on high.

And beginning in verse 38, We read this verse 38 of Acts chapter 13. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through his this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets Behold ye despisers in wonder and perish. For I work a work in your days, a work which shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached unto them the next Sabbath. Now, when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitude they were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming.

Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye have put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life. Lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light unto the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained, to eternal life believed.

Now the Jews here were appalled. They were flabbergasted that a Jew like Paul would put forth the idea that God would have anything to do with Gentiles because they knew that Old Testament scriptures they knew how God had told the Jews repeatedly to slaughter these Gentiles their neighbors even the women children cattle everything that lived.

But had they known the scriptures nearly as well as they claim to, they would have known that there were several places, many places in the Old Testament that spoke of this coming to pass. Most of these verses are found in the book of Isaiah. Let me read just a few. These are from the book of Isaiah concerning God giving light to the Gentiles. I will give thee for a covenant of the people for a light to the Gentiles. Again, I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus sayeth the Lord, behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people and they shall bring their sons in their arms and thy daughter shall be carried upon their shoulders. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light and the Kings to the brightness of thy rising. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all the kings thy glory, and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.

Again in Isaiah, O Lord, my strength and my fortress and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth. And in Matthew 12, we again find Isaiah quoted, behold, my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased, I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles, and in his name shall the Gentiles trust."

And also in chapter 14 of Judges, we read the account of Samson meeting a young lion in the way, and how he slew this lion with his bare hands. Turn back there with me. We'll read just a couple of verses. Judges 14. Verses 5 and 6, Then went Samson down and his father and his mother to Temnath, and came to the vineyards of Temnath. And behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid. And he had nothing in his hand, but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

This is, of course, a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ slaying and overcoming that roaring lion that would destroy our souls, that lion who is called in the scriptures, Satan. Christ put down Satan's rebellion and that of the fallen angels, and he will one day cast him, we're told, in the book of Revelation into the lake of fire, Satan, whom the scriptures call roaring lion.

We read this promise in Genesis 3, starting in verse 14, and the Lord said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field. And upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, and it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. This is, of course, the promise of the Savior that will come and destroy this great serpent and his power.

I don't know how many of you have ever read The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. If you've not, you should. At one time, it was the most read book in America after the Bible. It was required reading in many public schools. Sadly, we're not even close to that anymore. But in this book, The Pilgrim's Progress, he has a character named Christian, and he tracks his journey from an unbeliever to the promised land. And as he's going on his journey, Christian comes to a narrow passage, and he espies two lions ahead of him. And these lions are roaring. And Christian thought there was nothing but death before him. But there's a character called Watchful, and he cried out to Christian. And he told him, fear not the lions, for they are chained and are placed there for a trial of thy faith where it is, and for the discovery of those that have none. Keep in the midst of the path and no hurt shall come unto thee. And so Christian went on his way trembling for the fear of the lions when he heard them roar, but they did him no harm. As he got closer to them, he saw they were chained and they could not get to him because of those restraints. So it is with us in this life. Peter warned us of this when he wrote, be sober, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil, As a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour, whom resist steadfast in the face, knowing that the afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

And many times, too many times, sadly, we're much like Christian. We are overcome with fear, but in those times, we've been taught we have no strength of our own. In those times, we're forced to rely on the power of our mighty Samson, our mighty Savior, who we are told controls all things in this world, including that roaring lion, Satan.

We know this because of what we read in Job, how Satan was only allowed to do to Job what God Almighty allowed him to do. And what did our Lord tell Peter? He said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that He may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, that He might sift thee as wheat, that He would grind you to dust. And our great adversary would do just that except for the fact that our Lord prayed for us.

We read in John 17, our Lord's prayer to the Father, and we read this, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, for them, which thou hast given me, for they are thine. I have kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me, I have kept, and none of them is lost. And the Lord prayed further. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. And then our Lord prayed the most blessed prayer of all. He said, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which Thou hast given me for Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world."

This is how the saints of God persevere to the end. Because it is the will of Christ and it is the will of the Father that we shall persevere to the end because we are in Him, we are secure from all harm.

Then in chapter 15, here in the Book of Judges. There's an account of Samson capturing 300 foxes. Now, from the sound of it, this area must have been overrun with foxes. 300 foxes is a lot, and I've thought about this. Samson, I'm sure, didn't capture all these in a day, so he had to have someplace that he kept these foxes he had captured up and fed them and watered them till he could accumulate 300. Don't know how he did it, but we're told that he did, He used those foxes to burn up the cornfields and the vineyards and the olive trees of the Philistines.

These foxes are a type of gospel preacher who sent out to destroy any hope that man puts in any works of his hands as the foxes burned up that corn and the vineyards and the olive trees that the Philistines had planted. The corn and the olive trees were counted on by the Philistines to sustain them and to keep them alive. And so gospel preachers are set fire to any hope of any who would trust in the merits of his own hands, the works of his own hands for anything having to do with their spiritual life. Before God gives faith to a lost sinner, he burns up every hope that he ever had except for Christ.

And later we read of how Samson carried away the gates of the city Not just carried them away, but carried them up a hill. Now normally in those days, the gates of a city were pretty massive. So this was no small task that Sampson accomplished. Now the primary function of city gates in those days, of course, was to keep out an invader, to keep them from conquering the city. But also from those very same gates would march the armies of that city and that country to go out and meet their enemies.

Now turn over with me to Matthew 16. Matthew 16. This is a familiar text. Beginning in verse 13. Matthew 16, 13. When Jesus came to the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias and others, Jeremiah's or one of the prophets. He sayeth unto them, but whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou Simon Barjona for flesh and blood bloodeth not revealed it unto thee, but my father, which is in heaven. And I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

So our Lord is saying that even though the armies of Satan go forth from the gates of hell to attempt to destroy the church of God in this world, it will never happen. Never. They shall not prevail. They shall not overwhelm. They shall not conquer. the Church of Christ in this world.

There always have been and there always will be those whom God has kept for Himself that have not bowed the knee to Baal. Those that Paul wrote of in Romans 8. And this is how that we are in the situation that we're in. How that we are conquerors, as Paul calls us.

Paul says in Romans 8, 37, Nay, in all things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Now I'm wondering how he could write that more than conquerors when in the previous verse he wrote this as it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. How can we both be sheep for the slaughter and also be more than conquerors because he wrote In the next two verses in Romans 8, 38 and 39, Paul wrote this, for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is how we are more than conquerors. We are in Christ Jesus forever because of the love of God towards us. Isaiah 53 tells us that Christ was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and the servant is no better than the Lord. If He had that kind of treatment from the world, we really cannot expect anything much better. But He was the sacrificial lamb at one time, but He is now called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. No more to suffer. No more to be a sacrifice. But rather to go forth to conquer all his enemies. Jesus Christ shall never be conquered. So we being in him shall never be conquered. He shall prevail over our enemies in his. We are then more than conquerors.

Another type of Christ, another similarity between Christ and Samson we see is this. In chapter 15, back over in Judges. Chapter 15. This is another type of Christ. When the men of Judah came to bind Him, Samson allowed them to do so. In chapter 15, verse 11. Then 3,000 men of Judah went up to the top of the rock Edom and said unto Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? And what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, as they did unto me, so have I done unto them. Firm believer in an eye for an eye. And they said unto him, we are come down to bind thee that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, swear unto me that you will not fall upon me yourselves. And they swear unto him, saying, no, but we will bind thee fast and deliver thee into their hand. But surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords and brought him up from the rock.

Now, these men had no ability whatsoever to bind Samson and to deliver him to the Philistines without him allowing them to do so. 3,000 men, we're told, went up to this rock. That's a testament to the fear they had of Samson. And after they swore that they wouldn't kill him, Samson allowed them to bind him. But we read in verse 14 of the 15th chapter how Samson broke those bands and slew 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. Now the men of Judah unknowingly brought what they thought was going to be a prisoner of the Philistines, who ended up being their executioner.

And likewise, when the mob came to bind our Lord Jesus Christ, he allowed them to do so. Turn with me over to the book of John, John chapter 18. Samson allowed the men to bind him and our Lord Jesus Christ, allowed those that came to him in the garden to bind him.

In John 18, beginning in verse one, and when Jesus spoke in these words, he went forth with his disciples over the book Cedron, where was a garden into the which he entered and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place for Jesus often times resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of officers, and men from the chief priests and Pharisees come a thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto them, whom seek ye? And they said unto him, Jesus of Nazareth. And he said unto them, I am he. Notice that the word he is in italics. It was added by the translators. Our Lord's reply was simply, I am. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. And as soon as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground.

Then asked he them again, whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. And he answered, I have told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way, that the saying might be fulfilled, which he spoke of them which thou gave me, I have lost. None. Our Lord made it clear to these men that they had no ability whatsoever to take him against his will. After he had put him on the ground with just two words, I am, he then lays out the condition of his surrender. This is unheard of. When someone comes to capture someone, a criminal that the police are after, they don't allow him to set the terms of his surrender. But the Lord told them, if therefore you seek Me, you're going to let these go their way. He said, I put you on the ground one time, and I can put you there another time and keep you there. And notice that in none of the Gospels is there a contrary response whatsoever from those men that came to bind Him, even though the Scriptures tell us and history tells us that the Lord and His disciples were probably outnumbered about more than ten to one. And the Lord let them know who was truly in charge, and He made it crystal clear that He was allowing them to take Him captive so the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Now, another similarity that we find between Samson and our Lord Jesus Christ is this. They were both, for a short while, forsaken of God. Chapter 16 in the book of Judges tells us that Samson wished not that the Lord had departed from him. The Lord forsook Samson because of his sin. But at that time, he was not aware that it had even happened. And it was too late when he realized what had happened for him to do anything about it because his strength was then gone.

And so it was with our Lord Jesus Christ, God also forsook him for the very same reason, because of sin. God the Father departed from Christ when He hung between heaven and earth, He forsook His darling Son for one reason, and one reason only, because of the sin. Not any sin of our Lord Jesus Christ, because we know He had none, but rather the sin of His chosen people. But unlike Samson, who did not realize the Lord had departed from him, our Lord Jesus Christ was acutely aware that He had been forsaken by God the Father. This is what caused him to cry out those heart-rending words, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?

But we read how the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson one more time, one last time. He did not forsake him forever. This reminded me of that text in Isaiah 54, where we read, For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. Likewise, the Lord Jesus Christ was not forsaken forever, but he was raised the third day by the Father and given a place of glory at his right hand.

The love that Samson had for a wretched, wicked woman led to his death. Delilah never cared anything for Samson. She cared only for that silver that was promised her as a reward for exposing Samson's strength. This relationship was a one-way affair. Samson loved Delilah, but she did not love him. And so it was with us and our Lord Jesus Christ, for the love of a wretched group of ungodly sinners, it led to his death. And this was also a one-way love affair. He loved us before the foundation of the world, we're told, before he ever spoke this world into existence, and certainly long, long before we were ever born. He loved us and died for us, as scriptures tell us, when we were yet his enemies.

But like Delilah, who never loved Samson, the bride of Christ comes to love her husband. because of the faith that she is given to believe. We loved him because he first loved us, we're told. We love him because of what he has done in us and what he has done for us.

And then in Judges 16, 25, we read that how the Philistines brought forth Samson so that they can make sport of him, another similarity of Samson and our Lord Jesus Christ. And it came to pass when their hearts were merry, speaking of the Philistines, that they said, call Samson, that he may make a sport. And they called Samson out of the prison house, and he made them sport, and they set him between the pillars. When it is said they made sport of him in their drunken condition, it just merely means that they made a game of mocking and deriding him. And likewise, the Roman soldiers, we read, made sport of our Lord Jesus Christ. We read in Luke 22, 63, and it says, And the men who held Jesus mocked Him and smote Him. And when they had blindfolded Him, they struck Him in the face and asked Him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote Thee? And many of the things blasphemously spake they against Him. They were having a great time making sport of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We read also in Mark 15, 16, and the soldiers led him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole band. Now, a band of Roman soldiers was made up of 100 men. And they clothed him with purple and plaited a crown of thorns and put it upon his head and began to salute him, began to make sport of him. Hail, King of the Jews. And they smote him on the head with a reed and did spit upon him and bow their knee worshiping. him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him and put his own clothes on him and let him away to be crucified.

Judges 1621, speaking of Samson, this is after he was captured and they had put out his eyes. It says he did grind in the prison house. He was made to endure hard labor with no help from anyone else. And likewise, Christ did a hard work for His people. It's described in Isaiah 63. It says, I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me. Like Samson, our Lord Jesus Christ did what He did completely alone.

One of the saddest verses in Scripture, I think, is in Psalm 69, 20. David wrote of this, and it speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ. Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. And I look for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.

In chapter 16 of Judges, we read how that Samson slew 3,000 at his death. Now this number 3,000 is found several times in scripture. One account is in Exodus 32, where the children of Levi slew 3,000 because of their worship of the golden calf. But the one occurrence where this number 3,000 has great significance is found in the book of Acts, of course, chapter 2, where the Lord saved 3,000 on the day of Pentecost. And this verse here in Judges 16, 27 tells us that all the Lords of the Philistines were slain that day, that their power over Israel was forever broken by the death of Samson.

And the Lord Jesus Christ, by his death, broke the power of Satan and the gods of this world over his people. All those who thought they had finally gotten the victory over this one called Christ learned too late that his death had only sealed their fate. This is described in 1 Corinthians 2, Starting in verse 7 we read, But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The death of our Lord Jesus Christ was not a defeat. Rather, it was a resounding success. It's described in scriptures as an accomplishment. We don't usually think of death as an accomplishment, but this was a death like no other. Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke of the death which he should accomplish at Jerusalem when he was on the Mount of Transfiguration, speaking with Moses and Elijah.

And the Lords of the Philistines were told and gathered in one place, and they made this statement. They said, Our God hath delivered Samson our enemy and to our hands. Samson was indeed delivered into their hands, not by their God, but by the sovereign God of Israel. But little did they know that this one who was delivered was to be the very one who would bring about their death and the end of the Philistine's dominion over Israel. Likewise, our Lord Jesus Christ was not dragged, screaming, and kicking to his death, but rather he was delivered, we're told, by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God, all according to the purpose of the triune God to accomplish the eternal salvation of his chosen ones.

Jesus told his disciples as much when we read in Luke 24 7, the Lord said, the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and the third day shall rise again. All that came to pass in the arrest and the execution of our Lord Jesus Christ came to pass because He told us the Scripture must be fulfilled.

And the last thing that we read of Samson here in verse 31 of chapter 16, it says, Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorodiah and Estal in the bearing place of Manoah, his father, and he judged Israel 20 years. And likewise, we read how the brethren of our Lord Jesus Christ came and took his body and laid it in a borrowed sepulcher.

But unlike Samson, our Lord didn't stay in the grave for very long. The father raised him on the third day and gave him a seat of honor at his right hand. He gave him, we're told in Matthew 28, all power. All power to rule over the affairs of men and to be the judge of this world.

A Samson was just a man, albeit a man incredibly blessed by God, given extraordinary power to war against the enemies of the people of God and finally to overcome those enemies in his death. And so too, our blessed Lord, he was given All power to war against the enemies of the people of God, to completely conquer those enemies, and to give His people the victory.

And in the end, our mighty Samson will do that very thing.

Billy, please come lead us in a song.