Our daughter has taken a fancy to the character "Popeye". As I was watching the movie with her this morning, it reminded me of the story of Samson.
Samson was born a Nazarite, which meant “one who has a vow”. Nazarites were Israelites who were consecrated, or separated/set apart, to the service of God (Numbers 6). Samson, specifically, was a child of the promise as an angel had visited his mother prior to his birth. He was never to drink wine, his hair was to never be cut, and he was not to come in contact with corpses. He grew up to be the strongest man - a perfect warrior against the Philistines. As long as he kept the vows, unbroken, he would always be victorious over his enemies and his supernatural strength would remain intact. But everything changed for him when he met Delilah. Her deceit and trickery exposed Samson’s weaknesses.
Samson was born a Nazarite, which meant “one who has a vow”. Nazarites were Israelites who were consecrated, or separated/set apart, to the service of God (Numbers 6). Samson, specifically, was a child of the promise as an angel had visited his mother prior to his birth. He was never to drink wine, his hair was to never be cut, and he was not to come in contact with corpses. He grew up to be the strongest man - a perfect warrior against the Philistines. As long as he kept the vows, unbroken, he would always be victorious over his enemies and his supernatural strength would remain intact. But everything changed for him when he met Delilah. Her deceit and trickery exposed Samson’s weaknesses.
The
reason Delilah was able to get Samson to reveal his innermost secrets was because his
weakness was…wait for it…women. If you
read the story from beginning to end, then you will recognize that Samson slept
with many women, even prostitutes. His father even enabled his behavior. He also had a wife that was untrustworthy,
yet he still loved her.
Judges 16
4 Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of
Sorek whose name was Delilah. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you
can lure him into showing you the secret of his great
strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie
him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels[a] of silver.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the
secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
7 Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with
seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any
other man.”
There’s
something to be said about revealing your innermost secrets to just anyone,
particularly if it makes you vulnerable and causes you to break your commitment
to God. Samson was delivered into the hands of the Philistines, who also
blinded him. He was as weak as any other
man and could not even defend himself.
As time passed, in order for Samson to be as strong as he was before,
his hair had to grow back. But more
importantly, he had to renew his covenant, his vow, with God.
28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God,
strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two
eyes.” 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central
pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand
on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the
Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on
the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than
while he lived.
31 Then his brothers and his father’s whole
family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah
and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led[d] Israel twenty years.
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