Samsons final plea
Notes
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What have we learned so far the last few weeks about Samson?
Samson was born to be a partial deliverer of Isreal
He was called to be a Nazirite his entire life.
We learned that he has some negative characteristics
He was disobedient to God’s law
disobedient to his parents
he has carnal judgement
lacked discernement
violent/angry
lack of commitment to marriage/women in general.
Last time we met we learned about Samson going back to this wife, him torching the fields, that his own people took him back to the Philistines, how he defeated the philistines and now he was leading Isreal now for the first time.
Samson and the Prostitute of Gaza
Samson and the Prostitute of Gaza
Read 1-3
What sticks out to you all during this story?
Samson again breaks the law when he lies with a women outside of Isreal.
They surround the place where he was staying, but remain quite. But… something interesting happens.
Samson takes the gate and physically removes it and carries not not just a few feet, but 46 miles uphill. What is interesting about this is that it didn’t say God gave him the strength to do so. So does that mean that Samson also had some natural strength in addition to the strength that God gave him?
Read 4-6
Again he goes for a women, and again it is not a women who is a Israelite. Sorek was the name of a wadi valley that ran from the hill country of Judah and Dan down to the Mediterranean coast
Sorek was the name of a wadi valley that ran from the hill country of Judah and Dan down to the Mediterranean coast
v5. We see that the Philistines want the women to seduce Samson with a promise of 1,100 pieces of silver each. According to most Scholars there was 5 governors. Which would have resulted in 5,500 pieces of silver. That alot of money. Lets look at some other examples of money in scripture.
This is more than three times the weight of the gold retained by Gideon after the victory over the Midianite kings (). With these figures we may also compare the four hundred shekels of silver paid by Abraham to purchase a burial plot for his wife (, ), the fifty shekels David paid Araunah for his oxen and threshing floor (), the seventeen shekels Jeremiah paid to purchase a field (), and the thirty shekels set as a price for a slave in .
6. We see in verse 6 that Delilah asks Samson a question. This question is not answered with discernment however, but Samson again sees this as a game.
someone read 7-9
Did Samson do anything wrong here? He broke the Nazirite vow again! Just like the Jawbone, and the Lion he is coming in contact with a corpse.
What are bowstrings made of? In this case it was seven tendons of animals that were freshly slaughtered.
This act did not find him he bind him he escaped.
someone read 10-12
So that did not work either! Remember in last chapter he was bound with two new ropes so this time he is bound with five yet he still breaks free.
someone read 13-14
Samson is getting a little close to revealing the source of his strength isn't he, but yet again he escapes again.
someone read 15-22
Delilah is doing the same thing that is Timnite wife did. He is trying to play with Samsons feelings. It says here that she did this day after day. Samson was getting restless. Now we know because he lacks discernment. He is going to tell her what is the source of his power.
Look at verse 17
He told her all his heart, uh oh. He confesses read 17...
I want you to notice something. This is the first time he has confessed God in this passage. Samson has time and time again break the vow that he was called to. If he took his vow seriously he would not have done all the things he has done.
What is also important to note is how this translates. He didnt called God Yahweh here, but called hm elohim a generic name for God.
verse 18 Delilah knows he is telling the truth and she is about to cash in.
verse 19 she shaves his head in his sleep. Now this chapter has been interesting on how these people are sleeping.. Idk about you, but if someone was shaving my head I would wake up! However just like the guards God keep Samson asleep.
When he awakes he thinks, he can just shake himself free, but unfortunately the worst possible thing happens to him. The Lord left him, and he didnt even know it. His whole life he was doing what he wanted to do and the Lord was with him, but on this day the lord left. As Christians we have the promise that God will never leave us. Samson could have been with fellowship with God, but he wasnt. Look what happens after that moment. He looses his eyes, and he is finally bound. But God right look what he did verse 22 .... When wombs are barren God gives life, when heads are bald, God gives growth. This small reminder is a powerful one, because God will still achieve his purposes, despite Samson and his sin.
Read 23-27
Anyone know who Dagon is the father of? Baal! What is he the God of agriculture and the main deity of the Philistines.
Now did there God give them into the hand of the Philistines? No we know that God gave Samson into the hand of his enemies for a purpose.
While they are crying out to their God they bring out Samson. Samson was talking to a young boy, and he asked for his help to place his hands on two pillars. Now we see something different for Samson he cries out to the Lord. This time with these Words. O Lord God, which translates from the Hebrew O sovereign Lord, unlike when he was talking to Delilah and said God generically he now addresses God as he always should have. He asks him for strength one last time! However, he does it in a selfish way again. So I can get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes. What should he have said. Lord give me strength so I can be the Judge you have called me to be. So I can help rescue the people of Isreal. But God in his mercy still gave him strength. He said let me die with the Philistines. Read 30....
This is a tragic note. This man, with his unprecedentedly high calling and with his extraordinary divine gifts, has wasted his life. Indeed, he accomplishes more for God dead than alive. A story that started out so beautifully was one that ended in tragedy.
In the end the people who he was suppose to help claimed him and buried him.
What did we learn from Samson that we previously may have looked over?
One thing that stood out to me was something I found in a commentary.
The New American Commentary: Judges, Ruth (5) Epilogue (16:31b)
He also reminds us that the temptation may be the greatest to those who are most gifted.
We are all gifted in many different ways, and the ways we are most gifted in can often be where are biggest blind spots are.
Also if God calls us to something he will give us the strength or carry it out.