Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
Hebrews 11 is often called the Hall of Faith. The greats are mentioned in this chapter: Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Noah, and more. They were given a good report and their notoriety has echoed through time. Most of the names were also given a description of their faithful actions. Verse 32 wraps up the enumeration with a handful of other faithful men. Among them is Samson.
To be clear, Samson spent the bulk of his life caring for himself. He disobeyed his father. Married heathen women. Was often intemperate, causing conflict wherever he went. While he disrupted the aggression of the enemy, he did so in a reckless, selfish way. It was the anointing of the Lord and his commitment not to cut his hair that kept him in place. And yet, Samson toyed with his covenant. On numerous occasions, he “shook himself” back into form until his flagrancy without consequence ran out. In the end, we find him blind, bound, and imprisoned. He was powerless. So how could he end up with the aforementioned faithful men?
The simple answer is this: God always has the last word. The Bible states that a just man falls seven times and rises up again. The conclusion of each person resides in the hands of the Lord. Micah 7:8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
I cannot explain the rise and fall, and recovery of any person. Only to say that God is merciful beyond our comprehension. It is of the Lord that we find reconciliation and renewal. That Samson’s last day was his most significant day is a telling thing. Judges 16:30 So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
This means that the victory Samson found in his last day was greater than all of his days added together. God always has the last word. Because of what the Lord did through Samson on the last day, the writer of Hebrews chapter 11 was inspired by the Holy Ghost to include him among the other great men of faith. I offer no excuse or explanation to the days of this life. All I know is that God is in the business of last day salvation. There will be 11th hour born again believers and their reward will be the same. It will be His last word.