SCRIPTURE: JUDGES 16
SAMSON AND DELILAH (vs. 1-31)
Samson went to Gaza and spent a night with a prostitute. The people of Gaza gathered together to capture him at dawn. But during the middle of the night, Samson got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. (vs. 3)
Sometime later, he fell in love with a woman named Delilah in the valley of Sorek. The rulers of the Philistine promised her eleven hundred shekels of silver if she can lure Samson to reveal the secret of his great strength. Delilah tried asking Samson the secret of his strength. He told her as 3 times as follows: First – Tie me with seven fresh thongs that have not been dried. Second – Tie me with new ropes securely that have never been used. Third – Weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin. Delilah did the 3 things he told her but his strength remained with him. When the Philistines came, they were subdued. So Delilah continued to nag and press him saying: “How can you say you love me when you did not confide to me the secret of your great strength?” (v. 15). With the constant nagging day after day, Samson finally divulge his secret saying: ?No razor has ever been used on my head because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man” (v. 17). So Delilah sent word to the rulers of the Philistines and the men came back with silver for her. Delilah put Samson to sleep on her lap and called on a man to shave off seven braids of his hair. His strength left him. When he woke up, the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze shackle and set him to grinding in the prison. But the hair began to grow again after it had been shaved.
THE DEATH OF SAMSON (VS. 23-31)
The rulers of the Philistines were celebrating a great feast to their god Dagon for delivering Samson to their hands. Then they brought Samson out of the prison and stood among the pillar. Samson requested the servant to let him stand near the pillar for support. Then Samson prayed to the Lord: “O Sovereign Lord, remember me, O God please strengthen me just once more and let me with one blow get revenge on the philistines for my two eyes” (v. 28). Then Samson reached toward the two pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said: “Let me die with the Philistines”. Then he pushed with all his might, the temple came down and all the rulers with about three thousand men and women were killed. Then Samson’s family brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah, his father. He led Israel for 20 years.
THOUGHTS:
Delilah tried to lure Samson to tell her the secret of his strength. He lied to her 3 times. He should have been alerted of the danger but because his conscience was defective and his moral senses were destroyed, he finally succumb to temptation of lust and ruined himself by betrayal. This teaches us that sexual immorality is very dangerous. Do not fall into the temptation of satisfying flesh into total self-destruction. Keep your desire for love and sexual pleasure from deceiving you.
Samson made his decision to fell in love with Delilah and he had to face the consequence of his decision. We are free to make our own choices – to follow God or go on our own way. But we must face the consequence resulting from our choice.
Samson the mighty warrior was captured, blinded and humiliated. But when Samson said a prayer of confession and repentance, God answered his prayer and destroyed the pagan temple and worshipers. Don’t let guilt feelings of you sin keep you from praying to God. No matter how long you have been away from God, He is ready to hear you and restore you. If you are willing to turn to God like what Samson did, every situation can be salvaged.