God can work his will, even through the Libertarians!

From Judges 13-15:

1. I wonder about Manoah. Did he not trust his wife that it was really an angel that came to her? I think the angel's instructions were pretty clear. Why did he need clarification?

2. The angel, when asked what its name was, said it is beyond understanding. What does that mean? I never realized that there was anything to understand from a name.

3. Manoah's wife seems smarter than Manoah, not only because of item # 1 above, but also because when he thinks they are going to die because they have seen an angel of the Lord, the wife brings a little bit of common sense to the picture. (Besides that, if they would surely die upon seeing an angel of the Lord, why did he request of God that the angel come back?)

4. Samson's first wife did not have very good friends. They threatened her after they had agreed to a wager with Samson. Also, why didn't she just tell Samson after the threat was made. He obviously was able to protect her and her family. And you would think Samson would learn something from how she had tricked him into giving the answer.

5. Referring to the last item, it is obvious that Samson was slow in learning about women trying to trick him. Delilah kept on testing his statements and then turning it back on him like he was an uncaring person. If I were Samson, I would've turned it back the other way. Why do you keep testing me? You don't trust me? Then why should I trust you? Why do you want to know anyways? And what business is it of yours? Why do you keep testing this fact? Why do you want me to be powerless? I could never live with someone like that. Thank God for Paula!

6. The bible says that Samson led Israel for twenty years. Yet he slept with prostitutes and always was chasing after Philistine girls. He had broken most of the portions of the creed that was part of being a Nazirite, and he was not really very interested in living according to God's commands, from what we are shown. I guess sometimes God allows and uses those who are not necessarily the best role models. That does not mean that he is pleased with their actions. No where does the bible say that Samson is "a man after God's own heart" as it states about David. I may be going out on a limb here, but one could successfully argue that God had a plan of using President Bush, even though he has broken many constitutional laws by allowing prisoner torture and illegal wiretapping. One could also argue that God had a plan of using President Clinton even though he was not faithful to his wife and tried to cover it up. (Though they are in opposing parties, I do not believe that either of these men would be called "men after God's own heart", but yet God uses them to work his will.) It is unfortunate that as voters we can only look at the outward appearance and not the heart. Personally, I think the last president that we had who was truly somewhat upright and just in all of his dealings was Jimmy Carter.