Today we read about Samson. Like Samuel:

• He was born to a barren woman, see 1 Samuel 1:2; Judges 13:2.
• No razor ever touched his head, (a part of the Nazirite vow which included abstaining from strong drink and touching no unclean thing), see 1 Samuel 1:11; Judges 13:5.
• He judged Israel, see 1 Samuel 7:15; Judges 15:20.

But Samson had a weakness – women:

1. The woman from Timnah, Judges 14:1.
2. The prostitute from Gaza, Judges 16:1.
3. Delilah from the Valley of Sorek, Judges 16:4.

Samson broke the law when he chose to marry the woman from Timnah, see Deuteronomy 7:3.

He was a Nazirite, (Judges 13:7), and was to avoid wine, strong drink, grapes, grape skins, grape seeds, and raisins, see Numbers 6:1-21. Why did he go to Timnah by way of the vineyards?

Then he broke the law to not touch anything ritually unclean when he ate honey out of the carcass of the dead lion, Judges 14:9.

God warned him 3 times about Delilah:

1. She bound him with fresh bowstrings, Judges 16:4-9.
2. She bound him with new ropes, Judges 16:10-12.
3. She wove his hair into the fabric on a loom, Judges 16:13, 14.

But Samson stopped listening to God and gave himself completely to his weakness. It cost him everything – even his life.

God knows our weaknesses. He gave us free will and we choose whether to indulge in our weakness or not. The first time, God used Samson’s weakness to act against the Philistines, see Judges 15:3-17.

Judges 14:4, “His father and mother did not know that this was from the Lord, for He was seeking an opportunity to act against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.” Modern English Version

What if Samson had not given into his weakness again? He could have set Israel free from them – without losing his eyes or his life.

Samuel judged Israel 86 years and lived to be 103, see bible.ca/ef/expository. Samson judged Israel 20 years and most likely died before he was 50.

God can bring good out of our weakness but if we continue to indulge in it, He will let us suffer the natural consequences, see Genesis 6:3.

©2009-2017 frugalfish.org. All rights reserved.