41. SAMSON

"He shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

Aim

To show that Samson's strength came from God.

Synopsis

Many times God delivered His people from their enemies by raising up judges to lead them. During the lifetime of each judge Israel served Yahweh, but when the judge died they again turned to the worship of idols. The last warning of Joshua (Josh. 23:6-7) had been forgotten and God punished His people by allowing other nations to oppress them.

Judges 13:1-7; 16

THE PHILISTINES

For forty years Israel suffered under the Philistines, who lived in a strip of country along the southern sea-coast of Canaan. They were a powerful, warlike people who had not been conquered when Israel occupied Canaan under Joshua. Their main cities were Gaza, Gath, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ekron. Each city had its ruler, and these were called "the five lords of the Philistines". While under the domination of the Philistines, Israel could not make swords or spears (1 Sam. 13:19-20). So without God's help they were no match for their enemies who came against them with these weapons.

SAMSON IS BORN: Judges 13:1-7

Manoah and his wife lived in Zorah, in the country of Dan, which was near the Philistines' land. They were faithful Israelites, but they had no children. One day God sent an angel to the woman to tell her that they were to have a son! He was to be a very special child, for he was to grow up to be the one who would "begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines" (v5). His mother had to take special care before he was born. She was not to drink wine nor any strong drink, nor eat anything described in the Law of Moses as from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other Delilah could see that this time Samson had told her man. "unclean" (v4).

Her son was to be a "Nazarite" (see Num. 6) which means that his whole life was to be spent in God's service. As a sign of this, his hair must never be cut, he was not to drink wine nor any strong drink, nor eat anything "unclean" (v5).

SAMSON - THE JUDGE: Judges 16:1-3

When Samson grew up, God's spirit moved him to try to help his people. The Philistines learnt to fear him because he was very strong and on several occasions he killed many of them. This great strength was given to him by God for the special work he had to do, which was to "begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines".

Samson made regular trips into Philistine country. On one occasion, when he was in Gaza, the Philistines lay in wait for him all night by the gate of the city at midnight, but the gate was shut; so he dragged the gate and the two posts from the wall and carried them all on his shoulders to the top of a hill on the road leading to Hebron. The Philistines were amazed at his great strength and wondered how they could possibly overcome him.

SAMSON AND DELILAH: Judges 16:4-20

About this time, Samson fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah. The lords of the Philistines at last thought of a good plan to find out the secret of Samson's great strength. They offered Delilah a large sum of money to "entice him and see wherein his great strength lieth" (v5). She agreed to help them, for it would make her rich.

So when Samson came to visit her, she said, "Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth" (v6). Samson pretended to tell her on three occasions, and each time the Philistines found he was still as strong as ever. Day after day Delilah begged him to tell her his secret, and at last he told her "all his heart" (v17). He had been a Nazarite from birth and his hair had never been cut as a sign of his separateness from other men. "If I be shaven," he said, "then my strength will go the truth. Quickly she called the lords of the Philistines to come and be ready to take Samson. She waited until Samson was asleep and then told a man to shave his head - "and his strength went from him" (v19).

Do not imagine that the great strength of Samson lay in his hair. While it remained long it was a sign of his obedience to God's command (Judg.13:5), and God gave him the strength for his work of opposing the Philistines. But when Samson's hair was cut, the Nazarite vow was broken; Samson had forsaken God's law, and God took his strength away.

THE DEATH OF SAMSON: Judges 16:21-31

The Philistines were now easily able to overcome Samson. They put out his eyes and brought him to Gaza, binding him with fetters of brass and put him to work, grinding corn in the prison house. As Samson worked in darkness in the prison house, he would have thought about the foolish things he had done. God had justly punished him for his disobedience. His hair began to grow again and as time passed he renewed his vow to God to serve Him when opportunity came.

The Philistines thought their god had delivered Samson into their hands. So they gathered to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon, the fish god. Samson was brought into the place where they were assembled, probably the temple of Dagon their god, to "make sport" for them, so that they might mock him. He asked the lad who guided him to let him feel the main pillars on which the house stood, that he might lean on them. Then he prayed, "0 Lord Yahweh, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me" (v28). Taking hold of the pillars he said, "Let me die with the Philistines" (v30). Gathering all his strength, he strained on the pillars and they came crashing down, causing the whole building to collapse. All the people there, including the lords of the Philistines, died. God had heard Samson's prayer and those that he slew at his death were more than he slew during his life (v30).

It is recorded that Samson judged Israel twenty years, and although he did not always live in accordance with God's way, he carried out the work of "beginning to deliver Israel from the Philistines'".

LESSON FOR US

Samson was betrayed by a woman who looked beautiful, but had an evil mind. She pretended to love him, but it was only to destroy him. Had Samson obeyed God, he would not have had anything to do with her and he would not have suffered and died as he did.

Samson was strong as long as he kept his vow, that is, his promise to serve God. His love for Delilah blinded him to the wickedness of breaking his promise. When the Philistines put his eyes out and he became truly blind, then he could at last see clearly how foolish he had been. Let us be wise and obey God at all times.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Samson was just like Israel as a nation. They were supposed to keep themselves separate unto God, as they had vowed to do. (See Josh. 24:24).

Samson was a Nazarite from his birth, but broke his vow (Judg. 16:17).

Israel was not to marry the people of Canaan (Josh, 23:12-23) but they did; and so did Samson. God said they would be led astray by the gods of those nations if they mixed with them and that is just what happened, as we see many times in the Book of Judges (see Judg. 2:11-13). When Samson loved Delilah, she took away his strength, by enticing him to break his vow. Then the Philistines thought their god, Dagon, had won a victory over Yahweh. So Samson brought shame on God's name.

When he was blinded, he was at last able to see clearly (in his mind), what a terrible thing he had done. He cried to God, as Israel did in times of trouble, and God heard his prayer and delivered him (see also Judg. 4:1,3,23; 6:1,6-8; 13:1,5). Then Yahweh showed His great power in giving Samson the strength to kill so many Philistines and destroy the temple of their god.

In Heb. 11:32 Samson is counted among the worthies of faith. He learned to overcome his weaknesses and trust in God in the end. We should learn from Samson's life that God's laws must be obeyed and we must keep separate from the world if we wish to please Him.

QUESTIONS

Short Answers

1. Who was Samson's father?

2. God had a special work for Samson to do when he grew up. What was this work?

3. What is a Nazarite?

4. Why was Samson so strong?

5. What did Samson do one night when he was locked in the city of Gaza?

6. Who was Delilah?

7. What did Delilah want Samson to tell her?

8. What did Delilah do when she found out Samson's secret?

9. What did the Philistines do to Samson after his hair was cut off?

Detailed Answers

1. Samson was chosen to live in a very special way for God.

   1. Can you tell how Samson was different from other men?

   2. What work did Samson do for God?

2. Tell the story of Samson and Delilah.

Additional Answers

3. Tell what happened to Samson after he broke his vow by letting Delilah cut his hair.

4. Tell how Samson was like the nation of Israel.