Enduring Word Bible- The Samson Series-5

Enduring Word Bible- #22

Judges 16

Samson and Delilah

We have seen that Samson 

had a habit of not always 

making God-pleasing decisions.

Chapter 16 starts out with Samson

 going to a prostitute in Gaza.

His presence becomes known 

to the people there and they plan 

to ambush him at dawn.

At midnight he goes out to the city gates

 and pulls up the doors and two posts with bars.

 He carries them on his shoulders

 to the top of the hill in Hebron. 
The Enduring Word commentary says:

Despite his sin, God still gave Samson supernatural strength
 to escape from the Philistines.
 God did this because God’s purpose was bigger
 than Samson himself,
 and because God used Samson 
despite Samson’s sin, not because of it.

It may have been over 20 miles to the hill
 that Samson carried the doors to the gate.

Once again, 
Samson is saved for a greater purpose.

He then falls in love with Delilah,

 a woman in the Valley of Sorek.

The lords of the Philistines find out 

and come to Delilah with the bribe

 of 1,100 pieces of silver 

from each of them if she finds out

 where Samson's strength lies.

A series of of pleas and false answers

 challenges their relationship.

Finally Samson is "vexed to death"

 and he tells Delilah.

Samson falls asleep on her knees 

and she calls a man to shave off

 the seven locks of his head.

When the Philistines arrive, 

he plans to go out 

and get free as in the past scenarios.

But, Samson 

"did not know that the Lord had left him."

The Philistines grab him

 and gouge out his eyes 
and bind him in shackles.

He spends his time in prison

 grinding at the mill.

Samson certainly placed his obedience

 to God in compartments.

He struggled with the knowledge

 that the Lord wanted all of his heart.

He failed often.

We see that for Samson and also for us:

we have nothing good- apart from God.

It is the central fact in God's goodness to us,

and why He sent His son.

Supplies:

Watercolor pencils,

 Micron pen

Washi tape