Factors that Frame Character

Judges 14:1-4

"Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife." His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me." (His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)"

The Bible takes us into a snapshot of a man's life to learn about his character and motivations from choosing a wife for him and that incident with a lion and honey. (a) Nature and (b) nurture are two of the most debated influences in a person's character and as we see here, children aren't 100% 'tabula rasa' (empty slate - Locke), but indeed the veins are already in that marble slab (Leibniz) on which, say, Michelangelo can easily chip David from. Those veins represent our innate potentialities - genetic predisposition to cerain behaviour, physical appearance and tendencies and that the sculptor is our upbringing, environment and circumstances. And yet God uses our inclinations and circumstances for His purposes, He knows how we will react when presented with certain situations, as in Samson's choosing a wife from the Philistines, and can bring about His sovereign purposes in the face of our free will. Finally, it is as if there are only two factors that determine the course of our lives. it is still much about a third major factor, which is (c) choice, that is free will. Samson still makes those choices and at every fork in the road we are equally capable of choosing against our inclinations and tendencies even our upbringing. By God's Power within us through Jesus Christ's blood, that 'DNA' is symbolically transformed and in the face of these choices, we are capable in making the right ones, especially when tempered by Holy Discernment and God's Spirit.

Psalm 139:13

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."

Ezekiel 36:26

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

~03.10.2013