Samson's Choice: Divine Providence and Free Will in Judges 14

Judges 14:4

4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

God utilized Samson's personal choices and natural inclinations to create opportunities for the deliverance of Israel, rather than overriding his free will or forcing him to like a Philistine womanBHOTV3 148.1. While Samson was a free moral agent who could choose right or wrong, God’s providence is a school that overrules even unwise human decisions to move toward a divine purpose2BC 1006.8+1.

The Role of Human Choice

Samson was endowed with the power of choice, similar to the freedom given to Joseph, but he often permitted his passions to dictate his path instead of the fear of God2BC 1006.8. When Samson saw a woman in Timnath and insisted, "get her for me; for she pleaseth me well," he was following his own desires and the "object of his fancy" rather than seeking to honor God Judges 14:3ST October 6, 1881, par. 3+1. This marriage was an unwise step taken to please himself, not a requirement imposed by GodEP 405.3+1.

Divine Oversight and "Occasion"

Although the marriage itself was a result of Samson’s self-pleasing, divine agency worked through this choice to accomplish a higher endBHOTV3 148.1. The "seeking of an occasion" against the Philistines was from the Lord, meaning God used the natural consequences of Samson’s choice to initiate the struggle against Israel’s oppressorsBHOTV3 148.1.

• Free Will: God does not take pleasure in forced obedience; He grants freedom of will to all His creatures so they may render voluntary servicePP 34.3.

• Providential Overruling: Providence is the divine oversight that lays every agency, even those acting out of selfish motives, under contribution to God’s all-comprehending purposeADRE August 1850, page 24.2.

• Result of the Choice: Samson ceased to be a Nazarite in heart before he ceased to be one outwardly, yet God used the resulting circumstances to begin the deliverance of His peopleBHOTV3 153.1+1.

The Contrast of Consecration

God had surrounded Samson with favorable conditions from birth to ensure intellectual vigor and moral purity, but Samson yielded to the tempter and placed himself in alliance with the enemies of GodEP 405.3+1. When national and divine purposes were made subservient to his own lusts, Samson sinned; however, when he consciously subordinated his will to God’s purposes, he acted by faithBHOTV3 148.1. Even in his eventual failure and death, God asserted His almighty power and supreme authority over the heathen god DagonEP 409.4+1.

Summary of the Plan

God did not manipulate Samson's heart to make him like the woman; rather, Samson's own choice became the "occasion" through which God’s promise to "begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines" was fulfilled Judges 13:5PP 567.2+1. This demonstrates that while men may choose a path of self-indulgence, the Majesty of heaven holds the destiny of nations and the concerns of His church in His own handsEP 410.2+1.