Samson and Delilah.

Samson and Delilah.

We now enter the most well known and final episodes in the life of Samson. He is in love with Delilah, a Philistine woman from the valley of Sorek, which starts about fifteen miles West of Jerusalem and then going towards the coastal plain.

In the following verses we see the Philistines taking the opportunity to destroy Samson because of his love for Delilah, the Philistine lords each offered eleven hundred pieces of silver if she would find out why Samson was so strong. This tells us that Samson’s appearance obviously did not show why he was so strong, it was not large and with many muscles.

We must be very careful on choosing our company and relationships, Samson’s choices destroyed his character and his relationship with God

1 Corinthians 6:15-20.

"15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."

Philistines bribe Delilah to find secret of Samson’s strength.

Judges 16:4-22

"4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, 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. "

First attempt, Tied with seven green withes.

Delilah somehow binds Samson with seven green withes (bowstrings)and said "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.", without any effort he breaks the bowstrings. We have to presume that the Philistines had kept out of the room until they saw it was safe.

"6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightiest be bound to afflict thee.
7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withes, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known. "

Second attempt, Strong new ropes.

Deliah pretends to be hurt by Samson’s lie, This time Samson recommends the use of brand new ropes. It seems strange that he was not suspicious of Deliah’s behaviour. He had so much confidence in himself, that he thought that he was invincible.

" 10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread. "

Third attempt, weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

Samson could have been in trouble as he involves his hair being weaved into the loom. The hair being damaged or cut could have resulted in the loss of his strength.
How he could sleep while she weaved his hair into the cloth is strange, but when she shouted "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." he pulls the loom out of the ground with his hair.
We have to presume that the hair was not cut to remove it from the loom.

"13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. "

Fourth and final attempt, Shave his head.

Some time now passes, Delilah pretends to be upset by his lies, claims he does not love her. She is probably thinking of the silver reward.
Delilah presses daily and eventually Samson reveals the source of his strength, "I am a Nazarite," Samson explains the significance of his vow and his hair. Some how Delilah cuts his hair, then announces to him that "the Philistines are here." Samson reacts as before but now Samson, very sadly "wist not that the LORD was departed from him. " Samson is captured.

" 16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17 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.
18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house."

Samson called unto the LORD.

Samson was turned into a slave of the Philistines for some time, his task was chained to a mill and was grinding the corn.
The Philistines thought that they were the victors, they were so proud in themselves that they did not note that Samson’s hair was slowly growing again.

God was not finished with the Philistines or His servant. He used the pride of the Philistines to punish them.

Judges 16:11-31.

"22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. "

The Philistines are punished by God.

Samson is put on display in the their temple to Dagon, to show their pride. Samson was put on display between the two main buildings structure pillars. The temple was built using two main pillars which supported the roof and walls. This must have been very large building going by the number of people present.

Samson turns to the Lord for help and using the strength, given to him by the Lord, destroys the temple, killing their leaders and more Philistine people, by this one act, than he had killed during his life.

"25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.
26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.
27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
28 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.
29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
30 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.
31 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 burying place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years. "

1 Timothy 6:11.

"11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. "

2 Timothy 2:22.

"22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."