Samson and Delilah, and Samson’s Demise

• Realizing the ambush awaiting him, Samson left the harlot’s house at midnight and tore down the city gates and carried them off, posts and all (1-3).
• Moving from one bad relationship to another, Samson befriends Delilah who plots with the Philistine lords to discover the source of Samson’s strength (4-5).
• Three times she fails to learn his secret (6-14); but after playing the “You don’t love me” card, Delilah succeeds in swaying Samson to disclose the truth (15-17).
• Actually, the source of Samson’s strength was the Holy Spirit and not his hair; but Samson seems to have been (willfully?) ignorant of that fact; and even more ignorant of the fact that the Lord was no longer with him (20).
• Powerless because God had departed, Samson is easily taken captive, blinded and bound, and forced to work like an animal (21).
• Some time later, blind Samson was paraded before the people (21-25).
• He called upon the Lord for strength; and he was able to destroy the building and the 3000 people who were standing on the roof.

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With the Jawbone of an Ass

• Samson attempted to be reconciled with his wife; but her father refused (1-2)
• When Samson set the Philistine fields afire (4-5), they retaliated against his wife and her father (6).
• Samson, understandably, fought back (7-8).
• To avoid battle with the Philistines, men of Judah sought to bind Samson and deliver him to the Philistines (9-11).
• Samson submitted to them; but he broke free and killed 1,000 Philistines (14-17).
• God caused water to flow from the jawbone (19) to refresh Samson, who judged Israel for 20 years (20).

Meditation Points:

The dead bone became an instrument of death and a vessel of life.

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Who hasn’t heard of strong man Samson?

His birth and childhood (Chapter 13)

• Of the tribe of Dan (verse 2). Remember chapters 17 & 18.
• A miraculous birth foretold by an angel (verse 3).
• Nazarite from the womb (verse 7)–so his pregnant mother must observe Nazarite laws, too.
• Request for child-rearing advice (verses 8, 12).
• Angel refuses worship, adoration, veneration (verse 16).
• Like Isaiah (Isa. 6), Manoah fears that he will die because he has seen the Lord (verse 22).
• His wife, rightfully, argues that the Lord had ample opportunity to kill them if that was His intent (verse 23).
• Samson is blessed by God (verse 24).
• The Spirit of the LORD leads Samson (verse 25).

His Philistine wife and the trouble that ensued (Chapter 14)

• Samson, the Israelite, should not have wanted a Philistine bride; and his parents told him so (verses 2-3).
• The Lord used Samson’s misplace affection as an occasion against the Philistines (verse 4).
• The Spirit of the Lord enabled Samson to kill a young lion (verse 6; remember 1:25).
• The wedding riddle (verse 14) becomes a wedge between Samson and his new bride (verse 16-17).
• The Spirit of the Lord enabled Samson to pay off his bets (verse 19).
• Samson’s father-in-law gives Samson’s new bride to one of Samson’s “former” friends (verse 20).

Meditation Points:

1. When reading the Old Testament we must be careful to discern AN angel of the Lord from THE angel of the Lord.
2. Expectant mothers must be careful what they eat, because their diet affects their unborn baby, too.
3. Parents should always ask God how to train up their children.
4. If Samson had not been visiting a Philistine city he never would have fallen for a Philistine woman.
5. Watch how the Spirit of the Lord influences and empowers Samson.

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6 years of Jephthah (1-7)

• The controversy with men of Ephraim. Remember Gideon’s conflict (Judges 8:1).
• Sibboleth or Shibboleth? Peter’s speech betrayed him (Matthew 26:73). What does your speech say about you?
  

  Mt 12:37  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

7 years of Ibzan of Bethlehem (8-10)

• Do you approve of his parenting techniques?

10 years of Elon, a Zebulonite (11-12)

8 years of Abdon, a Pirathonite (13-15)

• What is nepotism? Is it always bad?

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