Delilah leads Samson to his doom
November 17, 2019
Commentary
Samson traveled to Gaza (a philistine city), saw a prostitute, and had sex with her (v. 1). When the people of Gaza heard that the famous Samson, killer of Philistines, was spending the night in their city, they planned an ambush for him. In the light of morning, they would capture him at the gate as he left the city (v. 2). But Samson did not spend the night in Gaza. At Midnight he arose and took hold of the entire gate: doors, posts, and bar. He put them on his shoulders and carried them 38 miles to Hebron (v. 3). Samson’s strength was truly incredible!
Samson had already gotten himself into trouble with two philistine women, but he hadn’t learned his lesson yet. Delilah lived in the valley of Sorek, not far from his home (v. 4). Three times Delilah enticed Samson, and three times he lied to her (vv. 6-16). She did this to receive a reward of eleven hundred pieces of silver (approximately 30 pounds) from each of five lords of the Philistines (v. 5). They wanted information that would lead to the capture of Samson who was regarded as a national menace. We find the tragic results of a man who chooses to go his way and reject the counsel of loved ones. He would not let God have his way in his life. From here on Samson does nothing but lose (vv. 17-22). Finally, Samson told her the truth. He told how his hair has never been cut, and if it was ever cut his strength would leave him, and he would be as weak as anyone else.
1. He lost his hair (v. 19).
2. He lost his strength (v. 20).
3. He lost his sight (v. 21).
4. He lost his liberty (v. 21).
Application
Immorality is one of the chief ways Satan tears down the ministry of men. I must never get the mistaken idea that it is impossible for this to happen to me. The only way to be sure of remaining pure is to stay close to the Lord and make this a part of my daily prayer life.
Judges 16:1– 22 (NET)
1 Samson went to Gaza. There he saw a prostitute and slept with her. 2 The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” So they surrounded the town and hid all night at the city gate, waiting for him to leave. They relaxed all night, thinking, “He will not leave until morning comes; then we will kill him!” 3 Samson spent half the night with the prostitute; then he got up in the middle of the night and left. He grabbed the doors of the city gate, as well as the two posts, and pulled them right off, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of a hill east of Hebron.
4 After this Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her and said to her, “Trick him! Find out what makes him so strong and how we can subdue him and humiliate him. Each one of us will give you 1,100 silver pieces.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me what makes you so strong and how you can be subdued and humiliated.” 7 Samson said to her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become weak and be just like any other man.” 8 So the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him up with them. 9 They hid in the bedroom and then she said to him, “The Philistines are here, Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire. The secret of his strength was not discovered.
10 Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you deceived me and told me lies! Now tell me how you can be subdued.” 11 He said to her, “If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used, I will become weak and be just like any other man.” 12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are here, Samson!” (The Philistines were hiding in the bedroom.) But he tore the ropes from his arms as if they were a piece of thread.
13 Delilah said to Samson, “Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies. Tell me how you can be subdued.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on the loom and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man.” 14 So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom, fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are here, Samson!” He woke up and tore away the pin of the loom and the fabric.
15 She said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you will not share your secret with me? Three times you have deceived me and have not told me what makes you so strong.” 16 She nagged him every day and pressured him until he was sick to death of it. 17 Finally he told her his secret. He said to her, “My hair has never been cut, for I have been dedicated to God from the time I was conceived. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me; I would become weak and be just like all other men.” 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her his secret, she sent for the rulers of the Philistines, saying, “Come up here again, for he has told me his secret.” So the rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her, bringing the silver in their hands. 19 She made him go to sleep on her lap and then called a man in to shave off the seven braids of his hair. She made him vulnerable and his strength left him. 20 She said, “The Philistines are here, Samson!” He woke up and thought, “I will do as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not realize that the Lord had left him. 21 The Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him in bronze chains. He became a grinder in the prison. 22 His hair began to grow back after it had been shaved off.
Illustration: The sin of lying
A minister told his congregation, “Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17.” The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. The minister smiled and said, “Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying.” (from Christianstories.com).