Judges 16:21-31
We do not know how long Samson was in the prison at Gaza, after the enemy had cut his hair. But his hair began to grow again, and his strength came back to him, but he could not see, for they had put out his eyes.
One day a great number of the chief men and women of that land came tether to hold a feast and sacrifice to their idol, because they said the idol had given Samson to them. This feast must have been in a very large building. We read of there being three thousand people in it.
They called for Samson to be brought out of the prison so they could all see and laugh at him.
A boy led Samson by the hand, and Samson asked him to bring him to the middle pillars which held up the great roof, or porch, where the people stood to see and rejoice over him. They did not know he had become strong again.
Samson felt very angry at them because of the loss of his eyes, and wanted to punish them. He put his right arm around one big pillar, and his left arm around the other big pillar; then he bent forward with all his great strength, and pushed the pillars out from under the roof, so the whole house suddenly fell, and all the people were killed. This was a dreadful thing and Samson too was killed. His relatives heard of his death, and came after his body and buried him on his father’s land.
So the story of the strong man is a sad one, because of his making friends those who did not believe in the Lord.
Find how long Samson was a judge of Israel (Judges 15:20; and 16:31).
There were two more men who judged Israel, but are not told of in the Book of Judges, but later, in the Book of Samuel. There were many sad things done in the land of Israel because the people worshiped idols and did not keep God’s words. The last verse of the book says,
“Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
ML 08/28/1938