Judges 16:1-31

Samson was a blind man in more ways than one.  The Philistines gouged out his eyes and made a spectacle out of him, so he was physically blind.  However, he was also blinded by his lust for women.  The desires of his flesh were so strong that he was somehow unable to see that the women he “loved” were simply using their bodies as a means to subdue him and make profit off of him.  Unfortunately, his most serious form of blindness was a spiritual blindness that kept him from fearing and serving the Lord with his heart.  He had a potential to be used of God in amazing ways and could have done much to further the work of God in the lives of the children of Israel.  Instead he ran around like a bull in a china closet and his great power was essentially wasted.  His lack of fear for the Lord made him proud, indulgent and basically useless.  God has given all of us potential for serving Him, but we too often waste these blessings on self promotion and lusts.  The story of Samson is tragic, but what is even more tragic is the way that it often repeats itself in the lives of so many people still today.

SAMSON IS DISTRACTED: Women were the main distraction in Samson’s life.  His first marriage was to a woman who did not truly love him and ended up bringing great heartache to him.  He was then distracted by a prostitute who tried to trap him but he was able to escape.  Finally he was distracted by Delilah who was using him as a part of her “get rich quick scheme.” His lust for these women distracted him from being able to see that they did not love him but were simply using their bodies as weapons in the war that was raging between him and the Philistines.  Satan has used this weapon of sex as a distraction to bring down many men throughout the history of this world.  We must all be very aware of this tactic and know that these lusts that burn in our hearts are distractions from the potential that God wants to realize in each of our lives.

SAMSON IS DECEIVED: It is hard to imagine why Samson was so foolish and ignorant in his relationship with Delilah.  The first time she asked about the source of his strength, he seems to understand that her motives are not pure, so he simply makes up a lie.  His distrust proves to be true because she tried to use his information against him and inflicts upon him exactly what he claims to be the source of his strength.  What amazes me about him is that after this first deception he still goes back for more time and time again.  It seems he would have realized that she was simply out to get him and really had no feelings for him.  His lack of perception is astounding as we stand on the outside looking in, but it should stand as a warning to all of us that we can often be blinded by our own lusts to the point that we cannot see the dangers lurking in our own hearts.

SAMSON IS DESTROYED: Samson finally reveals the source of his strength is in his vow to God and the promise not to cut his hair.  I, quite frankly, do not understand how God continued to give him such great strength because he had violated so many other areas of his vow except for his hair.  I guess this is a warning to all of us that just because God continues to use us does not mean that He approves of the lives we lead.  God repeatedly uses sinful men to do His work, but they eventually suffer great consequences.  “Success” should never be confused as God’s approval.  We must always evaluate our actions according to God’s Word and not according to results.  Once Samson’s hair is shaved, the Lord leaves him and he is powerless and is tortured and made fun of for the rest of his life.  When his hair grew back he asked the Lord to empower him one more time and God answers his request.  Samson literally “brings the house down” and kills many powerful Philistines through an act that ended up destroying his own life as well.  May God give us spiritual perception that we might be able to avoid the tragic consequences of being blinded by our own sin.