Because she nagged him day after day and pleaded with him until she wore him out, he told her the whole truth and said to her, “My hair has never been cut, because I am a Nazirite to God from birth. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become weak and be like any other man.”     Judges 16:16-17 HCSB

Samson had super human strength which was given him by God. He had been set apart as a Nazirite from birth. The Nazirite vow is explained in detail in Numbers chapter 6.

God gave Samson great strength and intended to use Samson to fight against the Philistines. If this sounds familiar, you may recall that David went from young shepherd boy who slay a giant to a mighty warrior who slay tens of thousands of Philistines. The Philistines were enemies of God’s chosen people. But Samson had some problems.

First, Samson tended to not always be so faithful to his vows. According to Numbers 6:6, Nazirites are not to have any contact with a dead body.  In Judges 14:5-9, Samson scooped honey from the carcass of a lion that God had given him the strength to rip apart with his bare hands. The Bible does not differentiate between human and animal body. Samson hid this fact from his parents, so this would lead us to believe he felt it was wrong or they would not approve.

Secondly, Samson had an issue with pride. No doubt the word of his great strength had spread throughout the land and unfortunately it went to his head. He became prideful and arrogant. At his seven day wedding feast, he tells some Philistine men a riddle and places a bet with them. This doesn’t go well and he says some unkind things about his wife and them (Judges 14:10-20). The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he left to go and kill 30 men in Ashkelon. In his absence his new wife was given to his best man.

Samson also had an issue with anger and revenge. In Judges 15, he was angered at his father-in-law for giving his wife to his best man. So, he used 300 foxes to burn the fields of grain, the vineyards and the olive groves of the Philistines. As a result, the Philistines burned his father-in-law and wife with fire. Samson then attacked the Philistines in revenge (v. 7). None of these passages say that the Spirit of the Lord was with him or upon him. This was all him.

Last but not least, Samson had an issue with lust. In Judges 16, he begins by spending the night with a prostitute. Then he falls for a young woman who sells him out to the Philistines. Samson loves Delilah, but sells him out to the Philistines. She cuts off all his hair while he is sleeping. He loses his strength and becomes like any other man. He no longer has the strength that God had given him. The Spirit of the Lord is no longer directing him. Sadly, in Judges 16:20, Samson awakes to find the Philistines upon him and he figures that it’s no problem. He will just use his great strength as he has always done. Sadly, in verse 20, it says, “But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.”

Samson is now just like any other lost, sinful man. He is without the Lord. He can do nothing (John 15:5). He is captured by the Philistines. They gouged his eyes out. They humiliated him by having him led out of prison by a young boy to entertain at a huge party where about 3,000 Philistines were gathered. They were gathered to offer a great sacrifice to their false God, Dagon for delivering Samson to them.

Now that he has been captured and humiliated, Samson finally gets it. He understands that without God, he is just like any other man. In verse 28, he prays to God to give him strength and allow him to take vengeance on the Philistines. He is now asking God to permit him to take vengeance on these people for what they have done to him. God answers his prayer. Samson takes down the  building, killing everyone inside. Verse 29 tells us that the number he killed in his death was greater than those he had killed in his life

I don’t know about you, but I can identify with Samson. For many years, I lived like any other lost, sinful person. I was not being obedient, I was not putting God first. But praise God, when I tired of living that way and called out to Him, he saved me. He will do the same for you. If you are tired of living like any other person out in this lost world, turn to God today. Trust in Him, obey Him before it’s too late.

Have a great day!