Not every manifestation of spiritual power is holy or wholesome
Samson and Delilah (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) With Samson it seems that even Spirit-given power, power that had been promised and given by God , can be misused and exploited for very questionable behavior. I don’t think the narrator of these stories means us to assume that God necessarily approved of all that was done in the power of his Spirit. There is a growing excess in Samson’s raging violence. Not every manifestation of spiritual power is unambiguously holy or wholesome. There is something mysterious about the manifestations of the Spirit of God at this earlier period of Israel’s life. The Spirit of God , it seems, can be very good, positive and enriching, giving people ability, competence and power, or filling people for skillful and creative tasks. The Spirit can give people great powers of leadership and courage. The Spirit can also be unpredictable, sudden and surprising. The Spirit can be abused by those who run wild and ...