Judges 16:4-22
“And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 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.” (Judges 16:4-5)
Though Samson was called by God, he had a very low moral standard. A lot of guys think that having a lot of women shows their strength. Proverbs 31:3 warns, “Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.” They fail to understand that involvement with several women actually weakens them, just as any other sin does.
The Philistines recognized that they could use his love for Delilah to learn what they needed to know to defeat Samson. That same principle has been used to destroy many careers and governments. Espionage depends on either sex or money for most of it’s success. They would pay her to use sex to learn Samson’s secrets.
“And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 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 withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.” (Judges 16:6-9)
Enamored with her, her request didn’t seem totally unreasonable to Samson, although he was not so besotted as to ignore the risks totally. He gave her a plausible explanation, that she immediately tested, informing the Philistines of what he had told her. When he simply stood up breaking the strips of reed off as if they didn’t even exist, it was obvious he had lied. I imagine the men who were hidden made it a point to stay hidden.
“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.
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.
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.” (Judges 16:10-12)
Sulking a little and accusing him of lying to her, which he had, she again asked to know what the source of his strength was. He again lied to her and again she tried it. It should have been clear by this time that she is trying to take away his strength. Clearly she does not have his best interests in mind.
“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.
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.” (Judges 16:13-14)
The third time she asked, Samson came a little closer to the truth, telling her that by weaving his long hair into a piece of cloth his strength would be taken away. Again she did exactly what he said would take away his strength. When he stood up taking the main part of the loom with him, it was obvious he had lied again. By this time it should have been obvious she will use the information he gives her against him. Caught up in his sexual lust for her, Samson ignored the fact that three times she had used his information against him. Had he been thinking, he would have known she didn’t love him and walked away, but he kept coming back.
“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.
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.” (Judges 16:15-17)
Delilah accused him of not loving her, implying that she’d no longer be willing ot be with him, and after a period of time Samson gave in to keep her from leaving, telling her everything she wanted to know even though she had made it clear she would use the information against him. Manipulation is a form of blackmail, and blackmailers seldom stop as long as it works.
“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 showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
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. 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.” (Judges 16:18-20)
Convinced he had finally told her the whole story, Delilah contacted the Philistine rulers and hired a barber to come in and shave his head after Samson went to sleep. She began to torment him in his sleep, and when his responses were like those of other men she knew she’d found out his secret and woke him shouting that the Philistines were attacking.
Leaping from the bed, Samson was totally unaware that he no longer had the Spirit of God upon him. He responded just as he always had, but there was no power. His sin had led to the loss of the Holy Spirit’s power.
“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. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.” (Judges 16:21-22)
With his strength gone, Samson was captured, blinded, and enslaved to do a job usually reserved for a donkey, harnessed to a pole and walking in a circle to turn a mill wheel for grinding grain. It was a humiliating experience.
Under the Nazarite oath, if a man broke one of the conditions, he was to shave his head and start over, according to Numbers 6:9-12. It wasn’t long before Samson’s hair began to grow again.
While a Christian never loses the Holy Spirit, sin may result in his power being taken away. Like Samson, the presence or absence of the Holy Spirit does not produce a different feeling, and a Christian doesn’t realize the Spirit has departed. Like Samson, their first clue is when they are defeated and imprisoned by sin, and everything about their life is destroyed.
How many have made the mistake of thinking a feeling of exhilaration or excitement indicates the presence of the Holy Spirit?
“And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 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.” (Judges 16:4-5)
Though Samson was called by God, he had a very low moral standard. A lot of guys think that having a lot of women shows their strength. Proverbs 31:3 warns, “Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.” They fail to understand that involvement with several women actually weakens them, just as any other sin does.
The Philistines recognized that they could use his love for Delilah to learn what they needed to know to defeat Samson. That same principle has been used to destroy many careers and governments. Espionage depends on either sex or money for most of it’s success. They would pay her to use sex to learn Samson’s secrets.
“And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 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 withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.” (Judges 16:6-9)
Enamored with her, her request didn’t seem totally unreasonable to Samson, although he was not so besotted as to ignore the risks totally. He gave her a plausible explanation, that she immediately tested, informing the Philistines of what he had told her. When he simply stood up breaking the strips of reed off as if they didn’t even exist, it was obvious he had lied. I imagine the men who were hidden made it a point to stay hidden.
“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.
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.
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.” (Judges 16:10-12)
Sulking a little and accusing him of lying to her, which he had, she again asked to know what the source of his strength was. He again lied to her and again she tried it. It should have been clear by this time that she is trying to take away his strength. Clearly she does not have his best interests in mind.
“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.
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.” (Judges 16:13-14)
The third time she asked, Samson came a little closer to the truth, telling her that by weaving his long hair into a piece of cloth his strength would be taken away. Again she did exactly what he said would take away his strength. When he stood up taking the main part of the loom with him, it was obvious he had lied again. By this time it should have been obvious she will use the information he gives her against him. Caught up in his sexual lust for her, Samson ignored the fact that three times she had used his information against him. Had he been thinking, he would have known she didn’t love him and walked away, but he kept coming back.
“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.
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.” (Judges 16:15-17)
Delilah accused him of not loving her, implying that she’d no longer be willing ot be with him, and after a period of time Samson gave in to keep her from leaving, telling her everything she wanted to know even though she had made it clear she would use the information against him. Manipulation is a form of blackmail, and blackmailers seldom stop as long as it works.
“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 showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
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. 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.” (Judges 16:18-20)
Convinced he had finally told her the whole story, Delilah contacted the Philistine rulers and hired a barber to come in and shave his head after Samson went to sleep. She began to torment him in his sleep, and when his responses were like those of other men she knew she’d found out his secret and woke him shouting that the Philistines were attacking.
Leaping from the bed, Samson was totally unaware that he no longer had the Spirit of God upon him. He responded just as he always had, but there was no power. His sin had led to the loss of the Holy Spirit’s power.
“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. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.” (Judges 16:21-22)
With his strength gone, Samson was captured, blinded, and enslaved to do a job usually reserved for a donkey, harnessed to a pole and walking in a circle to turn a mill wheel for grinding grain. It was a humiliating experience.
Under the Nazarite oath, if a man broke one of the conditions, he was to shave his head and start over, according to Numbers 6:9-12. It wasn’t long before Samson’s hair began to grow again.
While a Christian never loses the Holy Spirit, sin may result in his power being taken away. Like Samson, the presence or absence of the Holy Spirit does not produce a different feeling, and a Christian doesn’t realize the Spirit has departed. Like Samson, their first clue is when they are defeated and imprisoned by sin, and everything about their life is destroyed.
How many have made the mistake of thinking a feeling of exhilaration or excitement indicates the presence of the Holy Spirit?
Amen to that! Excellent post, thank you. Samson courted sin until it finally yielded unsavory results, and he got to reap them. How many of us wallow in sin until God as to shake our world like He did Samson's? Sadder, we tend to return to wallowing after we've been shaken out of it for a time...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ian.
ReplyDeleteSadly, many don't even realize spiritual power is real today.