Samson (7)—Tragic Victory - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

The lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice … They called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them … Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.
Judges 16:23, 25, 30

Samson (7)—Tragic Victory
Not realizing that the Lord had departed from him, and thinking he could shake himself free as before, Samson had been captured by the Philistines. They gouged out his eyes, bound him with fetters of bronze, and put him to grind grain in the prison.

This world which hated our Lord hates His followers as well. As with Samson, it would make them work like slaves in its interest and use them for its entertainment. When they crucified our Lord, they sat down to watch Him suffer, jeering and reviling Him as He hung there. The early Christians were condemned to death, a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. Similar treatment has been meted out to believers through the centuries.

Samson’s hair began to grow again when he was imprisoned. He now prayed for strength to take vengeance on the Philistines for his two eyes, and collapsed Dagon’s temple on thousands of his foes. His sad epitaph is that he killed more in his death than he had killed in his lifetime—his death did more toward accomplishing God’s purpose for his life than his entire lifetime had.

Our blessed Lord Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). He glorified God in His entire life upon earth. Yet we can reverently, thankfully say that He has accomplished even more in His death than in His life. His death has procured eternal salvation for us. This full salvation is now being offered freely to anyone who will receive it.

Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.