Read | Judges 3:7–11
The Israelites did what was evil in the LORD’s sight; they forgot the LORD their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs. The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years.
The Israelites cried out to the LORD. So the LORD raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother, as a deliverer to save the Israelites. The Spirit of the LORD came on him, and he judged Israel. Othniel went out to battle, and the LORD handed over King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram to him, so that Othniel overpowered him. Then the land had peace for forty years, and Othniel son of Kenaz died.
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Focus
View this work of art, titled The Blinded Samson, by Lovis Corinth, connected to Sunday’s sermon passage.
As you look at this piece, take a few quiet moments to go through a three-step process. First, observe what you see in the image, from colors to composition to recognizable elements, without trying to understand what it is supposed to mean. Then read about the work, using these details to help you interpret the work of art. Ask God what he might be saying through the image, and listen for his insight in your thoughts, feelings, or prayers.
Commentary:
Lovis Corinth was a German Impressionist and later Expressionist painter. In 1911, at the age of 53, Corinth suffered a stroke which paralyzed him partially on his left side. During this time, he began painting more expressively, using vibrant colors and thick brushstrokes, the hallmarks of Expressionist painting. He painted many self portraits, especially to mark his birthdays, and in 1912, the year following his stroke, he used his own likeness in The Blinded Samson. Corinth’s biblical artworks were often explorations of suffering and struggle, and it’s clear he saw aspects of his own life in Samson’s narrative.
In this work, Corinth has masterfully rendered Samson’s confusion, anguish, and apparent powerlessness. As is so common in biblical narrative, the story is flipped upside down. At first, Samson appears to be a hero, but he does what is right in his own eyes, making him spiritually weak. His malformed spiritual sight nearly proves to be fatal, and it costs him his physical strength as well as his eyes. Once he is humbled in this way, he remembers God in his prayers. It is only after he is at his weakest that God uses him most mightily.
Art Source: The Blinded Samson, Lovis Corinth, 1912. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Pray
As you observe the image, what emotions are evoked? Bring those emotions to God in prayer, asking him to use them to further understand his love for his chosen people.
Going Deeper
If you are also following the BibleProject’s One Story That Leads to Jesus reading plan, complete today’s reading.
