| “And he [Samson] told her [Delilah] all his heart … if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man” (Judges 16:17). |
| “And she [Delilah] made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his [Samson’s] head … and his strength went from him” (Judges 16:19). |
| Twice before, Samson had become involved with worldly women — Philistine women, and the Lord had graciously delivered him. It seems that Samson did not learn his lesson, and when he got involved with a third Philistine woman, the Lord allowed him to tell her the secret of his strength. She arranged to cut his hair off, and he lost his strength. You can read about what happened to him in the rest of Judges 16. This third woman did not really love Samson, but it says that he loved her. The leaders of the Philistines had promised her a lot of money if she could find out why Samson was so strong. Finally Samson told her, and he lost his strength. |
| This is a picture of what happens to us if we become too friendly with people of this world, and get involved with them. They may seem very nice, but they will deceive us if we trust in them. Samson trusted Delilah, but she was really only trying to find out his secret so that she could get that big gift of money from the Philistine leaders. As you read the rest of the chapter, you will find out that poor Samson ended up in prison, working hard to grind corn (wheat) for the Philistines. |
| We are to preach the gospel to the people of this world, and be a help to them if they are in trouble. All this is good for us to do as Christians. But it is not good to become involved with them socially, and to try and form close relationships with them. Those who do not know the Lord cannot possibly understand a Christian, for they have no new life in Christ, as a believer does. Samson’s history is a good warning for all of us, for we will lose our spiritual strength if we get involved with this world. |
