NOT DONE YET. Judges 16 In Samson’s death, the purpose of his life was fulfilled. God had raised him up to punish the sinful Philistines and to begin delivering Israel from them. In the temple of Dagon, the god the Philistines believed gave them crops of grain, they likely thought they were getting revenge for Samson burning their grain crops, orchards, and vineyards. Samson’s death was a casualty of war, not a suicide. The Lord was working through him, even in his death, to stop the sins of the Israelites, punish the Philistines, and demonstrate His sovereign authority and power over false gods.
There were five major cities of the Philistines, each ruled by a leader determined to preserve their prosperity, even at others' expense. These wealthy, powerful men wanted to get rid of Samson, so when he went to Gaza to visit a prostitute, they saw an opportunity to capture him. Samson was a man driven by uncontrolled passion who mimicked the low morality of the Canaanite people. He had great physical strength but lacked moral strength, which ultimately led to his downfall and death.
We might think a matter is acceptable because "everyone does it," but there is always a high price to pay for sin, regardless of the issue. "When lust is conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." There are always consequences for any action we take. For those things that are good and done for God's glory, or for those that are done for the pleasures of sin, there are either good or bad consequences.
The large city gates probably had bronze bars as locks, and they were usually guarded. Those who wanted Samson dead stayed there all night, planning to kill him when he left through the gates. You can only imagine how scared those men must have been when the massive gates were torn off the hinges, picked up, and carried nearly forty miles to the hill country of Hebron. Perhaps this was his way of responding to the three thousand men of Judah for what they had previously done to him. Samson's lust and the gates of Gaza might have seemed like a personal victory at the time, but what he sowed in Gaza, he reaped in the valley of Sorek.
Samson did not fail because the temptation was too strong or because it was unavoidable. He failed because he toyed with sin and played with it. Likely, during his twenty years as a judge, he went to Gaza with a confidence that revealed recklessness in both his spiritual and physical life. He was out of fellowship with God. His confidence was based on fleshly strength, and his life conflicted with God's will. He was filled with self-centered confidence. Now, he had power without purity, strength without self-control. For twenty years, he enjoyed a life of victory, never once experiencing defeat. Instead of gratitude, it led to spiritual complacency. As a result, Nazariteship became very trivial to him. Because he had not faced any defeats—only more of God's grace—he may have thought that God didn’t care about immorality or broken vows.
A person can serve the Lord in spiritual work for twenty years and still fall into sin. We can lose fellowship with God when we are involved in spiritual service. The deception of temptation cannot be fully avoided. Temptation itself is not sin—only if we yield to it. There are at least three reasons why we give in to temptation when it appears in our lives. Moral compromise blinds us and always makes us vulnerable. It starts gradually, like beginning to go down an incline rather than falling off a cliff. Personal purity is crucial in every Christian's life. Temptation often appears appealing and has the power to manipulate us. Sin usually seems desirable, good, and fulfilling instead of ugly and destructive. Temptation strikes when we choose the wrong company. Nothing influences our character more than the people we spend time with. We must learn to help others say "NO" and to stand firm alone with grace and strength.
The process of temptation starts with a feeling of curiosity and gradually moves closer to the source of our strength. Temptation pushes us to try something and then to try it again. The principles of temptation are clear: when we play with temptation, it traps us. The scripture plainly states, "Flee immorality" (1Cor.6:18); "Flee idolatry" (1Cor.10:14); "Flee these things (materialism)" (1Tim.6.11); "Flee youthful lusts" (1Tim.2:22). Samson chose not to run away and lost his character. Lifestyle, leisure, and even work can be sacrificed to protect one's integrity. Self-confidence can blind us to the truth. You cannot play with sin and keep it in check. Sin makes fools out of us.
The intense anger and hostility of the Philistines toward Samson shifted from wanting to kill him quickly to planning to torture him as a form of revenge. One thousand one hundred shekels of silver from those five rulers was a fortune, considering that a year's work was worth only ten shekels of silver [Ju. 17:10]. Lust and the gates of Gaza led to love, the trap of deceit, and ultimately to loss and the blindness caused by sin. Through pride and self-indulgence, his life was ultimately destroyed.
The love of money was clearly more important to Delilah than the pleasures of sexual love. There is manipulative power in physical love that she did not hesitate to exploit to become wealthy. “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Samson could not resist the tearful, persistent pestering of his wife in earlier years, and he had not learned to resist such manipulations from Delilah.
Temptation starts with sweet words that flatter and satisfy the human desire, but deception and truth come from opposite directions. One leads to life, the other to shame. Self-confidence and recklessness often go hand in hand because they share many traits in the human ego. Closely following them is carnality, just like its sibling, never letting a careless person believe that it is truly an enemy.
Power without purity is a serious weakness, even if it shows off its strength. Power often reveals itself without regard for the Lord's guidance or its effects on others, not realizing that without purity, it won't last long. Self-control and strength are foreign concepts unless God is fully in charge and guiding each person. Conflict and strength push each other as they show off publicly until one finally causes damage. Persistence acts like rain on the roof, wearing down strength until it finally gives in. The only escape from its hold is the power of truth, and that truth may bring consequences that humble us and deflate pride.
If we do not learn the lessons taught in the early years of our lives, we become vulnerable to those whose goal is to oppose righteous living and who want Christians to conform to worldly ways. Foolishness and stubbornness prevent us from valuing the lessons we've been taught. Parents, spiritual mentors, and seasoned saints with much life experience are all sources of wisdom and guidance for holy living. Do not disregard or dismiss what they have to say.
Samson arrogantly engaged in a game with the Philistines, who had deadly intent behind their actions. Delilah was a deceptive actress determined to get the money she was offered. Her deceptive heart, compromising act of love, and counterfeit concern were limitless in her pursuit of what she wanted. The game spiraled out of control when Samson, apparently without much concern, allowed Delilah to strip him of the sign of his consecration to the Lord. Samson's hair held no magic, but it signified that, at least in part, he had trusted God. Unaware that the Lord had left him, Samson lost his strength. He had betrayed his calling for a momentary pleasure of his flesh. He lost the power he once had through the Spirit of God due to disobedience. Disobedience leads to defeat, humiliation, shame, and weakness.
Delilah, the deceiver, became wealthy when she brought Samson into captivity. It was God's plan to restore Samson. His final decline to Gaza and the valley of Sorek led him into slavery. No matter how far we fall, we are never beyond God's forgiveness. While forgiveness was immediate, restoration was a slow process. God did not abandon Samson, even though he was a deeply flawed servant. Quietly and unnoticed, a new determination was growing. If a Nazarite vow was broken, the hair had to be cut, and the special dedication had to begin again. Nazarites had to rededicate themselves to the Lord and offer a guilt-offering. Samson had no lamb to bring, but he could offer his own life, which he did. Because Samson refused to discipline his own life, God disciplined him with chains and fetters under his enemies’ control. In grace, God removed everything that kept him from trusting Him. This is the work of the Refiner.
If we allow what defines us as children of God and servants of our Lord to be compromised, we might not realize until it's too late that we have been abandoned on our own. When that occurs, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life have free rein over us, leaving us helpless and ineffective, even if we don't see it at first. The only way to regain some of what is lost is through repentance and confession of failure. Even then, sin's consequences remain, because restoration and recovery come at a high cost that must be paid.
Although most may never see the changes that occur, we can observe evidence when someone who has been forgiven by God is again used by Him, experiencing His grace. Dignity, honor, and self-respect fall before the relentless pressure of unrestrained lust. Resisting the attraction to follow another person instead of the Lord is one of the most difficult challenges a disciple faces. Discipline promotes maturity and restores usefulness. Discipline is given to those whom the Lord loves. It hurts sinners and others around them who lack love or time for God. When heeded, discipline heals and transforms behavior.
Loss of strength, willingness, and the desire to serve the Lord, along with liberty in Christ, commitment to walk in the light, and spiritual discernment, follow disobedience to God and giving in to the flesh. The consequences of sin are not erased. Sin traps, blinds, deceives, and controls us when we yield to it. The loss of Samson’s eyesight was permanent. However, even after failure and sin, there was still a place for recovery. Forgiveness comes after repentance and confession of sin—that is immediate. The process of restoration takes time. The growth of his hair was a visible sign that his fellowship with God was being restored.
In Samson's prayer, he accepted God's forgiveness, trusted completely in God, and was finally fully committed to God. True victory comes after admitting failure, accepting forgiveness, acknowledging fellowship with God, and acting in faith. Samson had fallen so many times that it might discourage us unless we realize God is not done with us yet. The fact that his family was able to retrieve his body and bury it with his father shows that the Philistines had had enough. They would not have any more dealings with Samson and would not dishonor him again. The story of Samson concludes that after his death, he was "brought up" to the place where he started.
Believers who think they can bring an unbeliever to faith in Christ or even influence a carnal believer to follow them must remember that such things seldom happen. Before one of God's children makes any kind of commitment to another with the intent of marriage, decide what kind of person you believe God is leading you to before passion takes over. Assess if faith is genuine and character is righteous. Personality, temperament, and the dedication to solving problems rather than avoiding them are more important and rewarding than love and passion.
Take your time and be patient when making decisions that will impact the rest of your life. The charming appearance and the attention someone gives you might seem appealing, but deceit and sweetness often go hand in hand. No matter how attractive or persistent a person may be, don't give in to nagging. Coldness and secretive schemes often accompany each other. Pretending and professing love often go together. Flattery and temptation also commonly align. We all need God's help to tell the difference between deception and truth. The relentless pressure of deception and the lust of the flesh can pull you down.