“Sampson and Delilah”

 “Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.” (Judges 16:1)

Samson certainly had relationship issues. Mainly since he had no idea when to keep his trap shut. He told his first wife the answer to his riddle. She was given away to Samson’s best friend. Then the Philistines burned her and her father.

Samson went in to Gaza to sleep with a harlot. The men of Gaza began an assassination plot. They are going to wait by the gate of the city and at the break of dawn they will kill Samson.

Samson didn’t sleep all night, instead he woke at midnight. Samson then went to the gate of the city, ripped it up, posts, bars and all. Then Samson took the gate on his back and took it to the top of a hill in Hebron.

Delilah Entices Samson

Samson loved the woman Delilah. Delilah had other ideas. Delilah had been approached by the lords of the Philistines to find out Samson’s strength. The Philistines wanted to bind Samson so they could use him as they wanted.

Delilah asked Samson how he could be bound up. Sampson lied to her three times about how he could be bound. Delilah persisted. Everyday she begged him to tell her. It is the old argument, “If you love me you will…”. Fill in the blank.

Delilah didn’t love Samson, if she had, she would have not wanted to know the answer.

Samson Relents to Delilah

Delilah continually pestered Samson to know where his strength came from. Finally Samson told her, it was his hair. From birth Samson had never cut his hair.

From the moment God had told his mother to eat or drink nothing unclean, Sampson’s strength came from God. As with everyone in the Old Testament, Samson’s weakness of spirit, is what brings about his downfall.

Samson Imprisoned

Delilah reveals to the Philistine Lords the strength of Samson comes from his hair. They have Samson’s hair cut off while he is sleeping. As a prisoner of the Philistines, Samson’s eyes are put out. Blind and weak he works in the prison of the Philistines.

God Delivers

In time, Samson’s hair begins to grow. As his hair grows, his strength returns. This works to Samson’s and Israel’s advantage.

The Philistines have a grand party and decide to have Samson as their entertainment. Samson is led into the palace by a small boy. Samson asks the boy to place him by the main pillars of the palace so that he would have a place to lean on.

With everyone in attendance the party was at full height. Three thousand Philistine men and women were on the roof to watch the spectacle.

“And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” (Judges 16:28)

With his hands bound to the two pillars of the palace, Samson with all his might brought the building down on the heads of the Philistines. He slew, with his own life, more than he had killed in life.

“Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.” (Judges 16:31)

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