CWFI Devotional Guide: Judges 16

A. Then Samson went to Gaza and meet an harlot and spent the night. When some men of Gaza heard they conspired to kill him at dawn, but Samson stayed till mid-night. Samson got up and carried off two of the city gates to the city of Hebron.

B. Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to Delilah to conspire a way to get Samson to reveal the secret of his strength.

C. Delilah asked, "What is the secret to your strength? How can someone tie you up and capture you?" Samson says, "Bind me up with seven new vines that are not withered and I shall be weak." (Note: Delilah was offered a bribe to find the secret of Samson's strength)

D. The Philistine rulers brought Delilah the seven new vines cords for her to bind him. She shouted, "Samson the Philistines are here." Samson woke from his sleep and broke the cords. She said, "You lied to me. Now tell me the truth to bind you."

E. Samson says, "If you weave seven locks of my hair with a pin into a loom, I will become weak as any other man." When Samson was asleep, she called out, "Samson the Philistines are here." Samson woke from his sleep and pulled out the lock and pin. (Note: By now you would think Samson would have caught on to the tricks of Delilah. You would think he would realize she was fixing to betray him.) (Note: She won't stop hounding him about how she can tie him up.) (Note: It looks like Samson still acts childish after judging Israel for twenty years. You would think he should be wiser. But Samson's reign is almost over.)

F. After feeling exhausted of resisting her taunting, Samson gave in to her. (Note: Mind you that Delilah is just a woman he has not married. Samson is actually shacking up with Delilah. Some define the meaning of Delilah as "long hair," some as "lustful," some as "lustfully beautiful." Whatever the definition of her name, her behavior is destructive to any man with any respectable job position, business, family, high status and etc. The unmarried sexual relations when you have other obligations will ruin any life, job, position, family, and etc. Is the two minute sexual relation climax worth losing your soul? Don't let anyone take your place-mat at the King's table. Let no one take your heavenly inheritance. There was no talk of marriage or pregnancy. In case of any pregnancy, get DNA testing. Next time abstain or marry your partner before any sexual connection is made.) Samson finally told Delilah, "I have never had my hair shaven since birth. I was born a Nazarene. If you shave my hair, I would become weak like any other man." (Note: Samson never had a razor to his head, but he believed in the secret. Yet Samson never experienced being weak, nor having his head shaved, nor being weak like other men. How does he know the experience?)
(Note: Have you ever had a secret that you shared with someone? Have you ever wished after sharing that secret, that you shared it with the wrong person? When you share your past, you are keeping the past present. Keep the past in the past and go forward to the future. Press forward to the prize of the high calling in Jesus Christ.)

G. Delilah believed Samson this time and asked the Philistine rulers to return once again. She asked them to bring the money with them. While Samson fell asleep in Delilah's lap, she called a man to cut his hair. (Note: Samson should have known something was up. For he have never fell asleep in her lap before. And in her lap is a good position for a haircut.)

H. Delilah announced to Samson, "Samson the Philistines are upon you." Samson got up and thought he'll leave like always, but he didn't realize the LORD had departed him. (Note: Samson was visiting Delilah. No specific relation was announced. Samson was in love with her and she took advantage of that. She accepted a money bribe to pay the rent.)

I. Samson's strength was gone. The Philistines captured Samson and gouged out his eyes. (Note: Because Samson had his eyes for lustful women, his captors saw fit to remove his real weakness. Samson's real weakness was the lust of the eye and the pride of life. His captors saw fit to gouge out his lustful seeing eyes. But it was not a capital crime for all the Philistines he killed. They actually let Samson live. This will be the down fall of the Philistines who will come to visit Samson at the freak show months later. The Philistines wanted to make a mockery of the world's strongest man. They every reason to kill Samson, but that will be their mistake. The fact is Samson's hair is growing back. The lost of his anointed strength was temporary. God forgives sin. The reason for Samson's weakness that they sought and paid for was overlooked. Samson's strength grew along with his hair.)

J. While in chains Samson was an entertainer. After Samson had regained his hair, there was a festival and an celebration in temple of Dagon. After entertaining that day, Samson asked the servant who brought him from prison to let him stand between the pillars of the temple of Dagon.

K. The temple had a flat roof and the celebration for the Dagon got happening. There were three thousand men and women on the roof watching Samson perform.

L. Samson prays to God, "LORD give me strength, I want to revenge the Philistines for my two eyes." Samson braced himself between the two pillars that supported the temple. Samson says, "I will die with the Philistines. Then Samson pushed hard and causing the temple to collapse on the Philistine rulers and everyone in it.

M. Samsons' brothers and his whole family claimed his body. They buried him in the tomb of Manoah his father. (Note: The scriptures didn't mention the death of his father and the many other brothers Samson had. But while Samson was ruler of Israel for twenty years he had other brothers born.) (Note: Samson's revenge were simple desires and deadly. But the highlight of Samson's career is Israel had peace for twenty years until he meet Delilah, "The Lustful One.")

N. (Note: During the gluttony of the flesh, alcohol in the system, or sexapade the victim may utter secrets of a magnitude that's not tactful. Samson learned his lesson and repented. God gave him a chance to repent. For Samson, God gave him a second chance. Don't gamble with your life or salvation. Submit your life into the hands of Jesus.)