Judges 16:1-31
16:1 The opening of this chapter lets us know right away that Samson has not learned from his mistake. He unites himself with another woman who opposes his faith.
16:2 Samson's enemies hear of his presence and seek his life. They plot to kill him in the morning.
16:3 Samson hides until midnight and then leaves, using his extraordinary strength to do so by lifting the gateposts.
16:4 Samson falls in love with a women named Delilah.
16:5 The Philistines devise a plan to use Delilah to uncover Samson's weakness. Until now, no one has been able to defeat Samson because of his God-given strength. And because Samson has fallen in love with a woman who has no regard for him or his faith, she agrees.
16:6 Delilah uses Samson's love for her to extract the secret from him.
16:7 Samson tells Delilah that if he is bound with seven fresh bowstrings, he will become weak like any other man.
16:8 Delilah betrays Samson and tells this to the Philistines.
16:9 But when Delilah binds Samson, he is easily able to break the ties on his wrists. Samson lied to Delilah, meaning that he knew she was untrustworthy. Yet, against reason, he remains with her. This would be a really good time for Samson to consult with God, but he does not.
16:10 Delilah is upset with Samson for lying to her. She asks him again what will make him weak.
16:11 Samson tells her that he will become weak if tied with new ropes. Another lie - Samson has already escaped from the binding of new ropes (previous chapter). This repeated conversation is representation of Samson's association with this woman little by little chipping away his faith. He never cuts her off. He allows her to keep chipping away until she finally breaks the protective shell God has placed over him.
16:12 Delilah binds Samson again but he is able to escape. She continues to challenge his principles. That is the symbolism. Delilah continues to persist against God in Samson's life... and Samson allows her or else it could never be done.
16:13 Again Delilah asks Samson to tell her his weakness. And he answers: weave his hair into the loom. He continues to entertain Delilah's scheming.
16:14-15 This proves to be another lie. Delilah is so angry with Samson that she accuses him of not actually loving her. Ironically, Samson is more committed to her than he is to God.
16:16-17 Day by day Delilah pleads with Samson to tell her the truth of his strength. Eventually she wears him down and he tells her. His strength has come from being raised as a child of God. This is symbolized by his hair. Samson's hair has never been cut (his covenant with God has never been cut). But Delilah plots to cut it now.
Is Samson's faith brought down by this series of pleading? Not necessarily. Samson's faith is brittle to begin with because he never falls in love with God. He never consults God. He never shows appreciation for God's protection and presence over his life. Samson neglects his faith and even acts against it - desiring things and people who are no good for him. Living a life of constant neglect and opposition to God will eventually snap the connected we have with Him.
Delilah may be the one with the razor, but is is Samson who - little by little - cuts himself off from God.
16:18-19 Delilah's master is money, and she is paid for deceiving Samson. She lulls Samson to sleep and allows the Philistines to overtake him. She shaves his head while he is asleep. The symbolism is this: Samson has been "asleep" in faith. He's let countless truths roll right past him in pursuit of his desire. While asleep in faith, others are easily able to overtake us and corrupt the principles of our lives.
16:20 Without his connection with God, Samson is made vulnerable. He pushed God aside all of his life and finally pushed him so far that he left himself alone.
16:21 Samson is imprisoned in Gaza.
16:22 Although imprisoned, Samson's hair begins to grow - as hair naturally does. But there might be more to it than that. Samson might have begun to nurture his faith while in prison. He might have tried to reconnect with God. Regret and reflection seem to have caused Samson to turn back to God because his story is not yet over.
16:23-24 The Philistines mistakenly believer that their fake god cause delivered Samson to them. They do not understand that Samson delivered himself to them by rejected the true God.
16:25-27 The Philistines try to use Samson as a slave for entertainment. They want to use his strength (which must have returned; he has been rebuilding his faith) to create a show. In a temple filled with people, they bring Samson out to stand between two pillars.
16:28 Finally, Samson calls out to God for help. Samson asks God to remember him and the hear his prayer. He requests strength for a final act against the Philistines. God's plan is to diminish the Philistine forces and therefore He agrees.
16:29-30 Samson sacrifices himself, pulling up the pillars of the temple and killing more Philistines than he ever had before. God's will is fulfilled. Samson could have lived a much different life, a life with joy as well as purpose. But he did not align himself with God. Our lesson from Samson is to place God above our desire... for when we put Him first, He is able to transform our lives with joy while we fulfill our purpose. When we give God His rightful seat at command, we are able to receive personal joy as well as purposeful fulfillment. From the power seat, God arranges it all.
Samson's story begs us to ask: What have we put in the power seat of our lives? Desire? Fear? Oust it! Whatever it is. Place God in that seat and life will blossom.
16:31 Samson's family claims his body and buries him with his father Manoah.
