Samson, the great, strong man, found himself locked inside a city, with heavy gates locked and bolted to keep him in there. With his great strength, he just picked up those gates, posts and all, and carried them up the hill on his shoulder!
What made Samson so strong? You are not as strong as he was, but you have some power, and it is the same God who gives us every breath we have who gave Samson his great strength. Samson’s extra strength was given because his parents obeyed the command of God to keep Samson’s hair long, and it was never to be cut. Deep in his heart Samson knew this, and he obeyed God’s command too.
Samson was a true believer in God. But he was also a proud and selfish man. He had a lot of disappointments, but he did not learn from them. And as a result, he did not have a happy life or a happy ending. God says that the end of an upright man’s life is peace, but Samson’s end was not peace. Read on and see.
Samson saw a pretty girl named Delilah and decided to marry her. But she was not happy, because she wanted to know the secret of his great strength, and he did not want to tell her.
Hoping to satisfy Delilah’s question about his great strength, he told her lies. But she tested each lie and found each one was not the truth. Her friends promised her lots of money if she would find out the secret to his great strength and tell them. But listen . . . what is having a lot of money or being in first place or anything else, compared with the knowledge of the true and living God? Do you know Him? He is the God who made the world and who sent His only begotten Son into the world to save sinners. Do you want to know Him? Or would you rather have lots of money?
Delilah wanted that money. And Samson, who was a true believer, wanted to please her. Are you a true believer too? Is your first choice to please the God who loves you so much? If your first choice is anything lower than that, you will find pain and sorrow, as Samson did. God loves you too much to let you have your own way.
Samson finally told Delilah the truth -that if his long hair was cut, he would be like other men. Do you want to be like other people, working for the same goals as the world does? It is a long way down for a believer to live for the same goals as the world.
Delilah’s friends sneaked in and cut his hair. God is still with me, thought Samson, but he was wrong. His great strength was gone! They blinded him, put him in prison, and gave him the job of turning the millstone to grind grain all day long. This work was for donkeys, but they thought it was good enough for their prisoner, and all the shouting and victory was given to their false god Dagon.
Samson was in prison a long time, and his hair began to grow again. His enemies seemed to forget that the source of his strength had been in his long hair, but God did not forget. God knows where every one of His dear children is right now, and He is working to give you better than you ask or think.
Those people planned a big party for Dagon their god, and everybody crowded into the temple for the celebration. Nobody wanted to miss the fun. The temple was a big place with an amazing roof, which was supported by two huge pillars. The best view was on the ground floor, but people on the roof could see and share in the fun too. When everyone was celebrating, blind Samson was led in by a young boy and placed between the two pillars so that everyone could see his badly scarred face and ragged hair. We can imagine the cheers and laughing because their big enemy was defeated.
Was he? Yes, but God was not defeated, and His Word shall stand forever.
Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, Let me feel the pillars so that I can lean on them. And then Samson prayed to the God in whom his heart truly believed, O Lord God, remember me and strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may have revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.
Let me die with the Philistines! he said, and then he pushed with all his might! The two great pillars collapsed and the temple fell on all the people! The laughing was changed to screaming. . . and then the silence of death. The world’s fun doesn’t last.
God had seen that precious bit of true faith underneath Samson’s pride, and God valued it and included Samson’s name in Hebrews 11 - the faith chapter. But it was a terribly sad ending for Samson.
If you are a true believer, God wants you to live by faith every day. “Faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:1717So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)). This will lead to a happy life and a happy ending.
Think About God’s Word!
1. What did Delilah’s friends do to Samson?
Project: Galatians 2 contains the story of a real believer who did a wrong thing because he was afraid of what others would say. Who was he and what did he do?