Samson: The Power of Hair

In the Bible story of Samson, we learn that God set him aside from many other men and gave him great strength through his HAIR! Back in the bible time men had very short beards and hair, so for Samson to have long hair was seen as something different to the Isrealites. Being born a Nazarite he was required to not cut his hair along with many other laws to follow. In the scipture long-hair is seen as a sign of weakness especially on a man; so Samson definitelys stood outside of the crowd. When the Philistine men came against him he was able fight and win each and every battle. However, Samson had a weakness and that was women (I guess women do rule the world).

His second marriage to a Philistine woman by the name of Delilah takes the story into a different direction. He reveals the secret of his powers to her and she betrays him and cuts his hair off one night while he's sound asleep. This time the Philistines confront him and are able to capture him and throw him into a dungeon. They tortured him and gouged his eyes. During a sacraficial ritual, he prays to God to once again give him the strength and power that he once had to help him fight against the men. God answered and granted him his prayer. He is then able to push over the two pillars supporting the temple. He kills himself and triumph over the men who chose to worship many gods other than the Almighty.

This story has many lessons and morals that one could learn from such as: obedience, deception, temptation, pride and just overall being different than what society would accept.  However, I like to look at this story in another aspect. This has always been one of my favorite stories in the bible because it speaks of hair and the power that God can give us through it. We could all assume that this story symbolizes that the hair that God has blessed us with is something very sacred and shouldn't be taken lightly or tampered with.

Our hair is what makes us who we are and gives us our own distinguished look/identity. It also gives us wisdom and knowledge. Our hair protects our heads from the sun and other pollutants in the air. When Samson goes into the temple to fight his last battle, God grants his long hair back which gives him the courage and might to win over his enemies. To be different gives you great strength over your foes and potrays boldness. It also shows that you don't want to assimilate into society and accomdate to their demands and summons. Yes, Samson had a few flaws that got him into the trouble that he experienced with the Philistines, but he still was without a doubt the chosen one sent by God to deliever Isreal. He learned that he took for granted the gift that God blessed him with and decided to put all his trust in the Lord. He was set as an example for all and still was able to be seen as a hero at the end.

If you have nappy, curly, wavy, dreaded or puffy hair learn to embrace what God has given you. Stand outside of the crowd and accept your natural beauty. Who can do it better than you?? NO ONE! Samson did it; probably went about it in the wrong way but he still did it! Let's all be like Samson and know that we have stregnth through our hair and can make a difference through our hair. Take care of it and treasure it, and then let God do the rest.  So, what are your views or opinions of the story of Samson and how it symbolizes the importance of hair??

*To read more about the story of Samson and the principles it illustrates click here*