As I read through the Bible, I'm sometimes puzzled (yet comforted) at how imperfect the people are that God chooses (or even creates) to use.
Tonight, I read the story of Samson.
An angel of God came to a barren woman and told her that she was going to conceive a son - she should abstain from alcohol and all fermented beverages and that her son would be a Nazirite.
(This means that God planned ahead for this very imperfect man to be born so that God could use him to begin the deliverance of the Israelites from the Philistines.)
The Nazirite vows included prohibitions against
- touching dead bodies,
- cutting one's hair,
- consuming grapes in any form (including grapes, raisins, vinegar and wine); this does not include drinking strong drink that does not come from grapes - vodka is ok.
- following the rest of the Jewish Law
So, how did Samson do with all of this?