Samson and Deliah Judges 16

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Judges 16:4 "And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Deliah."

It is sad that Samson never had the opportunity to be a family man. His first love was given to another. Although he loved Deliah, she does not return his love but used his love for her to defeat him.

Samson did little if anything to actually change Israel. He was a force that Israel's enemies had to recognize and could not defeat in battle. He was a witness when Israel had rebelled against God and the enemy surrounded them. He had faith, great faith and is mentioned in Hebrews 11:32.
The great chapter of faith.

v32 "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon(Gideon), and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets v33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions."

He is mentioned in good company.

Now we come to his betrayal by Deliah. His last love.

v5 "And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her and said unto, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver."

Several times Samson lied to her and she told the Philistines. They attempted to bind him and he broke the bonds. Finally, she used his desire to be loved against him and questioned his love for her.

v16-17"And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb; if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."

The deed was done. Samson's head was shaven and they took him away to make sport of him. The Philistines put out his eyes and set him to grinding in prison. He was brought before a great assembly of the Philistines which included lords and their leaders. His hair had begun to grow and his strength to return. He asked the boy who helped him to place his hands on the pillars which held up the building where they were assembled. Then....

v30 "And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life."

Notice though the sincere prayer Samson prayed before his death. He still had his faith.

v28 "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."

He said Remember me and Strengthen me. How many times has our soul groaned with that prayer?

They thought to use Samson to bring praise to their god Dagon v23, 24 but the LORD did not allow Samson to be used in that fashion. Even though Samson made some mistakes and suffered the mark of a servant of God by his Nazarite vow, disrespect from the masses. He was in the end a man of faith and demonstrated that his God still held power over any gods that could be thought up by others.

Romans 4:5 "But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

Psalms 112:4 "Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious and full of compassion and righteous."

keywords: Bible Study, Old Testament, Judges, Samson, Deliah, Philistines, Israel, Milton Southerland