Judges 16:4-22.  Yesterday we talked a little more about how the Israelites were content to live with the Philistines ruling over them.  They had learned to coexist.  But God was not content.  Letting sin go on forever, allowing us to be separated from Him forever, is not something God is willing for to allow.  Back in the book of Genesis when sin first entered onto the scene God pushed Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden and put a guard on the entrance, a powerful angel.  God wanted to prevent mankind from eating from the Tree of Life that was in the garden thereby sealing his doomed existence forever (Genesis 3:22-24).  God had a better plan, a plan to pay for our sins himself (See more in “The Old Testament Connection”).  The Israelites were part of that plan, Samson was part of thea plan, and we are part of that plan.

The Bible teaches us that God knows everything and alway has.  That includes all of the bad choices that all of have and will ever make.  The Israelite were making bad choices and so was Samson.  In todays reading Samson continues to follow his own passions instead of looking to God for direction.  Again it involves a woman.  He just cannot seem to get enough of those Philistine women.  For the first time we actually get a name for the woman in Samson’s life.  Although the meaning of the name is unsure (See “What’s in a Name?”) two of the possibilities are interesting.  Her name may come from an Arabic root and mean “Flirtatious” or it may be a contraction of the hebrew word meaning “of the night”.  As we will see she certainly seems to flirt with Samson, sucking him down the path of his misguided desires.  Darkness often represents evil in the Bible while light represents God and his path for us.  Delilah certainly represent both of those ideas, flirting and a path other than Gods.

Samson seems to be involved with Delilah for some time.  He is with her long enough for the leaders of the Philistines to find out where he is and who he is with.  they then approach Delilah with an offer of a lot of money.  One source indicates that this would be about 17 pounds of silver.  Today that would be worth about $8500.00.  In the time of Judges though that would allow you to buy 200 oxen with some money left over for land or several fields (2 Samuel 24:24, Jeremiah 32:9). Another Source indicates that this would be about 138 pounds or about $68000.00 today.  So it was a lot of money.   Delilah takes the job and bugs Samson for the secret of his power (Remember the meaning of “stired” from Judges 13:25).  Although that word is not used here we certainly see Delilah pushing Samson.  He must have had quite and ego because she even tells him she wants to know how someone can overpower him.  Samson makes up some source of how he can be beaten and she passes it along to the Philistine leaders.  Samson over powers them.  This happens three times with the same result.  The third time though Samson gets close to the truth by telling involving his hair in the lies about his strength.  His flirting with the flirt is a flirtation with disaster.  More time and more bugging and Samson feels annoyed to death.

Samson eventually tells her about being dedicated to God and the Nazirite Vow.  Interestingly he seems to think it is all about his hair and that if it si cut he will lose his power.  His power.  He fails to realize it is and always has been God.  Delilah gets him to fall asleep and has a man cut his hair.  She has sent for the Philistines and they are there waiting.  Samson wakes up and goes out to fight them and does not even realize God is not with him.  The Philistines overpower him and gouge out his eyes.  They then take him back to Gaza where he is used as a human food processor pushing their grinding stone round and round.  The greal fighter who once destroyed all the fields around one of their towns is now making flour for them to eat.  The greatest irony though is that the guy who never really seemed to see God in his life now cannot see at all.  Todays part of the story ends with his hair growing back.

Hebrew authors were master story tellers.  Delilah was certainly a tease in Samson’s life but the author is baiting us too.  His hair is growing back?  Is there hope? Is more revenge coming or will Samson start to really see?  We will have to wait until tomorrow.  But for today what might we see in this part of the story.  Judges 16:17-18 tells us that Samson told her every thing that was in his heart.  And what he told he was all about him.  His power, his dedication, his hair.  Four times he has told her how he can be like every other man.  what he failed to realize was that he was like every other man.  In the end he really only had power when God was with him.  His story should not have been, “me me me”.  It should have been, “Him, Him, Him”.  Of course he was a strong impressive guy.  the Philistines did not chain him up for nothing.  And usually animals pull grain mills not men.  We all are Samsons in our own ways, we all have talents and abilities.   But what we are as human beings is really only useful and helpful when are controlled and guided by God.   When we are controlled by our passions the results are disastrous in our lives.  god in His great wisdom and power will still see His plan finished but there  are consequences for us if we do not allow Him to guide us.  One time Jesus was challenged because his followers were  not obeying the religious rules of the Jews.  Specifically his followers were eating without washing their hands.  The leaders felt that dirt going in you mouth would make you un-pure to God.  Jesus told them that it wan’t dirt going in that makes us un-pure it’s the dirt that comes out that shows we aren’t right with God.  He said, “Out of the heart the mouth speaks.”  Samson’s word showed that he was all about himself.  Although he knew about God the rest of his life was all him, as far as he cold see.

Do we do the same thing?  Do we talk all about God but really think it’s all about us?  Do we talk the talk but not walk the walk?  There is an old poem “Footprints in the Sand” (footprints-inthe-sand.com).  In it a follower of Jesus asks God why there were only one set of footprints during the worst parts of their life. They though God had left them alone.  God’s answer was that those were the times when God was carrying them.  What does your speech tell others about your heart.  We need to remember that God is for us and God is with us.  He will take care of our needs (Romans 8:31-39; Hebrews 13:5-6).  God fix my heart.  Help me believe in you more.  Help me remember all that you have done for me.  Help me never give myself the credit.  Let the words out of my mouth be words of thanks and praise.  Lord help my unbelief.  Open my eyes, fill my heart, and use my lips.