My friend and I just finished studying the Book of Judges and one of the things that we wondered about was Samson's physical appearance.

 

Sunday School and Hollywood have always depicted him as someone who could win Mr. Universe but if God's ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts, we wondered if Samson was indeed an OT Terminator. Maybe---just maybe he looked like a regular guy?

 

If he looked like The Rock (Dwayne Johnson, not Jesus), I venture that the Philistines would be more cautious about him. (Wouldn't we all?) I am not saying they weren't, but they would be MORE. They wouldn't risk his anger by using his wife to get the answer to the riddle. They wouldn't believe that he had a secret to his strength. His biceps alone would tell them that. They would not have allowed him to stand between the columns---you know, just in case. 

 

When I say that I think he looked like a regular guy, I don't mean to say he looked like somebody who can get sand kicked to his face by a beach bully. The Philistines still had a bit of respect for him.

 

I'm sure he wasn't shorter than the average guy otherwise that would have been mentioned like in the story of Zaccheus. He may have been just as tall as the average Philistine and Hebrew on account that a battalion was needed each time to capture him. 

 

Why am I harping on what Samson looked like? I think God's glory is made more marvelous if we picture Samson looking like your husband or brother where there's nothing in them to make a strong army afraid of them except for his incredible Hulk reputation. I think of Abraham who was too old to father a child much less to have descendants as many as the sand and stars. I think of David who was too young to slay a giant who had been a warrior since the former was born. I think of Peter the cowardly braggart who abandoned a cross-carrying Jesus but insisted later to be crucified upside down. God always has a divine plot twist. Just wait for the end and give Him the end-credits.