The Riddle of Samson
Renewing Your Mind
Ligonier Ministries
4.8 • 5.3K Ratings
🗓️ 7 February 2026
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Samson is a fascinating character who has puzzled students of the Bible for centuries. Today, W. Robert Godfrey explains how we can gain clarity by studying Samson's life in the broader context of the book of Judges.
Get The Life of Samson, W. Robert Godfrey's video teaching series on DVD, with your donation. You'll also gain digital access to all 10 messages and the study guide: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/4609/offer
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Meet Today's Teacher:
W. Robert Godfrey is a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow and chairman of Ligonier Ministries. He is president emeritus and professor emeritus of church history at Westminster Seminary California.
Meet the Host:
Nathan W. Bingham is vice president of media for Ligonier Ministries, executive producer and host of Renewing Your Mind, and host of the Ask Ligonier podcast.
Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Book of Judges demonstrates how God rescued the Israelites from their rebellion. |
| 0:05.0 | Even one of their famous judges was rebellious. |
| 0:08.0 | This is the pattern of spiritual decline that we're going to see here in the Book of Judges. |
| 0:14.0 | And all of this you see is very intentional. |
| 0:17.0 | But if you don't see the big picture, you might not notice that. |
| 0:20.0 | And you might say, well, why is this crazy Samson in this story? |
| 0:22.9 | He does one bad thing after another. |
| 0:25.3 | Yeah, it's showing the spiritual decline of Israel. |
| 0:34.2 | God used a series of judges to free Israel from the oppressive nations that surrounded them. |
| 0:40.9 | Israel rebelled, a nation would conquer, and a judge would rise up to save them. |
| 0:46.9 | Welcome to the Saturday edition of Renewing Your Mind, as we begin a weekend study on the highlights, |
| 0:52.6 | what you might say, the low lights of a judge named Samson. |
| 0:57.7 | Unwise, deceptive, worldly, and full of lust. |
| 1:02.4 | Samson didn't model the traits of a godly man, yet he was used for God's purposes. |
| 1:08.3 | And over the coming Saturdays, Ligonier's chairman, W. Robert Godfrey, |
| 1:12.6 | will help us to make sense of these contrasts. |
| 1:15.3 | And we'll learn that this is far more |
| 1:17.0 | than a fascinating children's bedtime story |
| 1:19.5 | about a man with long hair and supernatural strength. |
| 1:23.9 | If you'd like to own the complete series, |
| 1:26.3 | it is available for you right now when you give |
| 1:28.8 | a donation at Renewing Your Mind.org in support of this daily outreach. |
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