Samson was a continual annoyance to the Philistines and they sought his life at every opportunity. One day he went to the small town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute. The men of Gaza surrounded the house and waited until morning to kill him. At midnight Samson slipped away and took hold of the gates of the town and removed them, with their posts and cross bar intact; carrying them to the top of the hill in Hebron.
Judges 16:3 ESV But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron.
After this Samson fell in love with Delilah. The Philistines paid her 1,100 pieces of silver to seduce Samson and find out the secret of Samson’s great strength. So began a cat and mouse game of Samson teasing Delilah about his strength. First he told her that if he was bound with seven fresh bow strings that have not been dried, then he would be as weak as any man. With men lying in wait to ambush him, Delilah bound Samson and then says, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he snaps the bow strings as if they were burnt in the fire. The Delilah said, "Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell me how you might be bound." Then Samson said that if he were bound with new ropes, then he would be as weak as any man. Again he snapped the ropes. Then he told her that he would become weak if the seven locks of his hair were woven together and held with a pin; again he broke free. Delilah challenged his love and tormented him day after day with her nagging until Samson was sick of it. Finally he told her his secret, that a razor has never touched his head and that his strength was in his hair. She realized that this was finally the truth and she set another trap for him by lulling him to sleep; she cuts off his hair. When the Philistines came, she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" He arose not knowing that the LORD had left him. His strength was not in his hair, but in his obedience to the LORD. His power and might was the LORD in him. He was seized, bound and his eyes were gouged out. He was taken to Gaza in shackles and put to work grinding at the mill in the prison.
Judges 16:21-22 ESV And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison. (22) But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
Samson had a lot of time to think about his life and disobedience to God. The people mocked and ridiculed him, saying “Our god has delivered our enemy.” But Samson’s hair grew and the Spirit of the LORD returned to him. His prayers and repentance were heard by the LORD. The lords of the Philistines gathered all of the people to sacrifice to their god, Dagon, and to rejoice because their god had delivered their enemy, Samson into their hands. They called to have Samson entertain them and he was brought up out of the prison and taken to the temple of Dagon. Then Samson said to the young man who led him by the hand, "Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them." There were 3,000 men and women at the temple that day to worship Dagon.
Judges 16:27 ESV Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.
Samson then called upon the LORD to give him strength just once more and to avenge him for his two eyes. Then Samson stood between the two pillars and pushed against them until they moved and the house fell and all 3,000 people died that day with Samson. The number that he killed at his death; were more than he killed in his life.
Judges 16:28-30 ESV Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes." (29) And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. (30) And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.
Three great lessons can be learned from this story:
- Obedience is supreme with the LORD
- Our strength comes from the LORD
- We see more through our hearts than through our eyes
Prayer: Almighty Father, my LORD, fill me with the Holy Ghost that give me all power in Christ Jesus. Lead me in obedience, trusting in your strength and not my own. Give me a heavenly vision to see through my heart, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Copyright © 2006, 2011 Thomas C. Blake
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