Judges 15 and 16
Samson, who was a judge in Israel, did many deeds no other man could do alone, because God gave him very great strength.
One night he was in Gaza, a city of the enemy, and the men there, who hated Samson, planned to kill him at daylight. The city had a high wall and the gate was locked and barred. But while the men slept, Samson lifted the gate, posts, bars, and all, and went away carrying them on his shoulders.
Twice he let himself be bound with strong ropes, and the men of the enemy were very pleased, for they wanted to put him in prison. But after the ropes were fastened tight, he broke them, as if they were only threads, and went free.
Once he was bound with seven stout green branches or vines, which are very hard to break, yet he easily broke them all.
Also, he let his seven long locks of hair he pinned fast to a beam of the ceiling; then he walked away, taking the beam of wood!
No one could understand such strength; and it is sad that Samson did not use his great power more to help Israel; instead, he made friends in the enemy’s land, which God had said not to do. One friend was an evil woman, who had been offered money if she could get Samson to be taken a prisoner. She begged him to tell her how he was so strong. At last he told her that if his long hair were cut off he would be no stronger than any other man.
So, while Samson was sleeping, the woman had a man come and shave off his hair. When he awoke the men stood near, ready to take him. He tried to go free, as at other times, but could not; his great strength was gone! The men took him to Gaza and treated him very cruelly, putting out his eyes. They kept him chained in prison, but made him grind their grain.
So the strong man became weak because God’s words were disobeyed, for the angel of God had said that Samson should never have his hair cut.
These people, who were enemies of Samson and all Israel, were the Philistines. At last, because of them, all the country of Canaan was called, “Palestine”, and is still so named.
Find the place, Gaza, on a map of Palestine, near the Mediterranean Sea. There is a large city there now.
ML 08/21/1938