Adventistische Schriften über: "Why did God not withdraw His support from Samson immediately, even though he, as a Nazirite, violated his vow by consuming alcohol?"

God did not withdraw His support from Samson immediately because He was patient and gave Samson time to repent despite his transgressions. The Lord held onto him for a long time while Samson gradually violated the conditions of his holy calling. Only when Samson betrayed his secret by yielding to his passions and thereby permanently abandoned his fidelity to God did the divine strength leave him.

God's Patience and Samson's Gradual Decline

»Little by little he had violated the conditions of his holy calling. God had long patience with him; but when he gave himself so much to the power of sin that he betrayed his secret, the Lord withdrew from him. In his long hair alone there was no virtue, but it was a sign of his loyalty to God; and when the symbol was sacrificed to the devotion to passion, the blessings it signified were also forfeited.«

1 - Ellen Gould White, Patriarchs and Prophets (PP 566.2)

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Samson's Spiritual Decline

»We can distinguish two periods in his history: the first in which he acted under the influence of this spirit; the second in which he yielded to his passions, fell into sin one after another, became unfaithful to his calling and betrayed it, after which Jehovah abandoned him and His judgment followed.«

2 - Alfred Edersheim, Bible History Old Testament Vol. 3 (BHOTV3 145.2)

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