Let me share a concrete example of how to read an Old Testament passage on two different levels– the literal/historical level and the allegorical/Christological level.
Both levels can be beneficial, which was, according to Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa, the key validation of any Scripture reading was this—- “Does the proposed interpretive reading increase or enhance our love of God and neighbor, and thereby benefit our spirituality of love and light today, here, and now?” If the answer to the above question is in the negative, then the proposed reading is not to be spiritually validated.
Applying this “rule of divine character” would authorize the Christian reader to disregard the literal-historical accuracy of any passage which attributed satanic activity or unworthy qualities to the divine nature of God as revealed by Jesus. The particular passage at this point could then EITHER be interpreted solely Christo-allegorically, OR the passage could be reinterpreted on a literal-historical analysis by upgrading the passage’s theological understanding using the better informed theodicy of New Testament.
Here is why New Testament upgrades are sometimes necessary. Old Testament Judaism had an undifferentiated view of God and Satan. They believed, in stark contrast to the New Testament, that Satan was an obedient servant angel serving God and executing His wrathful commands. Old Testament theology saw Satan God’s left hand of wrath, His “angry voice,” His death angel, His minister of temptation and punishment.
So, for the Old Testament writer to claim the Lord did THIS destructive thing or THAT destructive thing could mean EITHER God or Satan (as God’s “destroying angel”) did it BECAUSE they saw Satan as God’s sovereign left hand. Satan, then, was part of their functional definition of “the Lord.” Because they did not differentiate between Satan and God, the Hebrews believed that BOTH good and evil, BOTH love and wrath, BOTH blessing and cursing, and BOTH infinite mercy and infinite vengeance came from God’s hands. It’s just that the lovingkindness of God came from HIs right hand (where Jesus now sits according to the New Testament), while the obliterating wrath came from His left hand (i.e. his servant angel Satan).
Old Testament writers saw Satan as an agent of God following His commands. God and Satan were on the same cosmic page operating in a harmony of dualistic tension. To say God commanded or caused a destructive event IS equivalent to saying Satan commanded or caused the destructive event. Again, Satan was seen as God’s “angry voice.”
Thank God for Jesus. He upgraded our theology in revealing Himself as God’s ONLY hand, HIs ONLY voice, and His ONLY son. He revealed Satan as a cosmic rebel, NOT a servant angel. And that difference makes all the difference.
So, we need to make this adjustment when reading the Old Testament by recognizing that its authors had a largely undifferentiated view of God. We must use the JESUS HERMENEUTIC to reverse-engineer any and all passages which misattribute the works and directives OF Satan TO God.
Now, having set the above foundation, let me now share two very different, but still very beneficial, readings of parts of the Samson narrative.
1) Here is one beneficial reading using a literal-historical analysis of the story of Samson. The lessons of Samson and Delilah show us the male-female relationship at its most carnally toxic:
a) The story of Samson and Delilah is the perfect example of a lust-driven egomaniacal man manipulated by a greedy game-playing woman. Sick games of relational manipulation are played by both, with Delilah clearly outplaying Samson and causing his defeat and captivity.
b) This story also tells of a romantic relationship being “monetized,” here by Delilah, for sheer profit. She is paid by the Philistine lords to expose Samson’s weakness. We do the same whenever we cultivate a relationship with the sole ultimate motive to reap a personal profit. Marrying or dating primarily for money, security, and prestige are all nauseatingly Delilah-like.
c) The carnal Samson traded his unique nazarite gift from God for a woman who didn’t really love him, didn’t speak truthfully to or about him, and didn’t care at all what happened to him. Her cruelty to Samson was unimaginable, and yet he quite literally asked for it. He trusted in her game-playing rather than in God. And it cost him his spiritual vision.
d) And these archetypes aren’t restricted to particular sexes. A man can just as easily be Delilah-like in his manipulations, and a woman Samson-like in her carnally oblivious and prideful state. God wants to teach us how to avoid toxic relationships. Don’t allow yourself to become a Samson and your significant other to become a Delilah. If you each continually bring out these poisonous aspects in each others’ personality, it’s time to relationally reconfigure or part ways.
2) Here is a second reading of the Samson narrative, but this one is allegorical/Christological.
WHO IS THE NEW TESTAMENT “SAMSON?”
“…Jesus EXPOUNDED unto them in ALL THE SCRIPTURES the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:27. So what did Jesus tell these disciples on the road to Emmaus about the story of Samson? How could that story POSSIBLY speak of Jesus? And, yet Jesus said that it did, so let’s put on the mind of Christ and see what we find.
Samson was the strongest warrior in the Old Testament. His supernatural strength confounded the enemy time and time again. No army could stop him. No ropes could bind him. No lion could devour him. No gates could imprison him. The evil Philistines referred to him as “the destroyer of our country.” Jdg. 16:24. His exploits began the final deliverance of Israel from Philistine oppression. Jdg. 13:5.
Although Samson’s failure with Delilah is well known, it cannot erase a life of great victory which placed Samson in the hall of faith heroes of Hebrews 11.
Samson is a wonderful Old Testament allegory which prophetically speaks of the New Testament Jesus.
Both Samson and Jesus’ births were announced prophetically by angels as soon-to-be deliverers of their people. Judges 13:6; Luke 1:30-33.
Samson’s exploits started the full and deliverance from Philistine oppression. Judges 13:5. Jesus’ exploits started the full and final deliverance of the sons of men from Satanic oppression. Genesis 3:15; Luke 2:30-40; Luke 4:18-19; 1 John 3:8.
Samson defeated a legion of Philistine warriors with a jawbone as his weapon of choice. Judges 15:9-20. Jesus cast out a legion of demonic spirits with words of authority spoken through His own righteous jawbone. Mark 5:9-13.
Samson displayed supernatural strength throughout his life by being a one man wrecking machine “stripping and spoiling” the Philistine powers of their coverings. Judges 14:19. Christ displayed Samson’s same supernatural strength when He singlehandedly “stripped and spoiled principalities and powers, making a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Col. 2:15. The original words in this passage, Greek scholars tell us, describe a triumphant military ceremony portraying Jesus as “stripping” all the demonic powers of their armor and then having a victory parade showing off the spoils. This victory saw Jesus ascending out of Hell, “leading captivity captive.” Eph. 4:8-10; Matt. 16:18.
Samson tore the hinges off the gates of Gaza and carried them away on his shoulders. Jdg. 16:3. Jesus tore the hinges off the enemy gates of Hades, then carried them away and discarded them at the foot of the cross, these gates nevermore able to lock anybody away from God’s love again. Matthew 16:18; Revelation 1:18.
Samson defeated a lion. Jdg. 14:6. Jesus defeated Satan who “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Pet. 5:8; 1 John 3:8.
Samson’s own people sought to betray him. Jdg. 15:12. Jesus’ own people sought to betray Him. Lu. 22:47-48.
Samson willingly laid his head in the lap of the enemy. Jdg. 15:11-16. Jesus willingly laid His life in the lap of the enemy. Jn. 10:17-18.
Samson was tormented and ridiculed by the enemy as he prepared to die. Jdg. 16:25. Jesus was tormented and ridiculed by the enemy as He prepared to die. Matt. 27:39; Ps. 22.
Samson’s outstretched arms formed his body in the shape of a cross as he collapsed the Philistine temple. Jdg. 16:29-30. Jesus died with arms outstretched on the cross as He collapsed Satan’s kingdom. Heb. 2:14.
Samson’s death destroyed more of the enemy than he did during his life. Jdg. 16:30. Jesus’ death ravaged the hordes of hellish strongholds and oppressions on a far greater scale than He did during His life. Col. 2:15; John 16:7.
Samson used a jawbone as a weapon of devastation. Jesus used His jawbone as a weapon to smite demonic oppression. Rev. 19:15. We too are called to follow Jesus’ lead by picking up our jawbones, raising the level of our confession, and wielding the name of Jesus and His words of light and love to complete victory over all enemy notions which seek to rise up against the knowledge of God. Jn. 14:12-14; 2 Cor. 10:3-5.
ADDENDUM: other parts of the Samson narrative which appear to have God command or compel vengeful mass murder and wanton destruction of human life should be interpreted solely as Christo-allegory. To read them as literally and historically accurate ignores the theological upgrade Jesus gave us in Matthew 5:38-48 where His description of His Father’s “perfection” (a perfection we are to seek to emulate) lies in the non-violent way He both regards and treats enemies.
Jesus reveals a God who NEVER kills, and never orders us to kill. But, in wrongly reading OT Scripture “by the letter,” which Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:6 to NEVER do, for “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life,” one could say God kills and tells many others like Joshua and Saul to kill whole tribes of women, babies and men.
But, again, reading the theological upgrade provided by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:38-48, we are told in the last verse to “Therefore be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.” What is the “Therefore” there for? The previous 10 verses tell us what the Father’s perfection is— to turn the other cheek toward our enemies, to bless those who curse us and despitefully use us, to pray for our enemies rather than kill them, to go the extra mile and give the extra coat. Just like the Lord blesses the just and the unjust with needed rain and energizing sunlight, the Father doesn’t kill His enemies, but instead overcomes them with good. Romans 12:21.
So, as “able ministers of the New Covenant,”(2 Corinthians 3:6), if we read the Old Testament with the New Testament Spirit, which always gives life, we will see that it was Satan, always Satan, masquerading as an agent of God (“angel of light”), who either kills or orders us to kill. This is true regardless of whether we see the devil as a dark spirit, a dark angel, of a dark dynamic working in the corporate psyche of humanity).
Richard Murray, June 3, 2019
At Rest In Him 