Dr Paul Allen

In 1948 a ship named Nora headed from a Yugoslavian port to the Middle East. To the naked eye, the cargo was onions—almost 600 tons of them. Imagine the stench. I get seasick at the best of times; sitting on that many onions would guarantee it. Onions weren’t the real cargo though. It was a stash of Czech rifles making their way into the hands of Israel’s army, but no customs officer was going to dig through mountains of onions to find them. In Judges, Samson’s antics stick in our nostrils like the stench of a shipload of onions. His behaviour is revolting. It’s a crash course in how not to live. But take a deep breath, plug your nose, rummage around a little, and before long you’ll discover the real cargo—the truth that our God can and will bring his plans and purposes to fruition despite his people’s antics. This is the goodness and grace of our God. Even when our actions reek of sin, his steadfast love and faithfulness win the victory. Personal Vendetta (Judg. 15:1–8) In Judges 14, ...