Strengh

Today we covered "STRENGH" for our afternoon prayer. When you get a chance please read Judges 16. This is a familiar story about Samson and Delilah.

As you look back in Judges 13 before Samson was conceived an angel gave strict instruction found in verse 5 - For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. We all know that Samson strength was in his hair.

The example of Samson strength is found in Judges 16:7 –9; So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 8After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

In Judges 15 we know that Samson defeated the Philistines also in this chapter it shows us Samson strength again in verses 14-16: 14) When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands. 15) He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it. 16) Then Samson said: "With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men!"

In Judges 16 Samson meets Delilah. However the Philistine used Delilah to get back at Samson for what he had done. Oh Delilah, beautiful Philistine woman that Samson found comfort in. By lusting after her beauty and being seduced by here made him vulnerable to Delilah. See the Philistine used Delilah to get back Samson by what he had done to their people in the earlier verses. See Satan uses those same tactics to keep your mind off Jesus. Can I go deeper? Delilah was Samson weakness. See Delilah can be anything that bounds you and it is going to keep your focus from God. See Delilah can be many things such as; lusting after that woman, lusting after that man, that bottle of wine or liquor, those 3 or more cigarettes you smoke daily, the drugs, the music you listen too, problems in your family, problems in your marriage, problems on the job, or material things, Oh Delilah! How I need your right now; Oh Delilah! Later in chapter 16 of Judges, Samson gave up his secret of his strength to Oh Delilah. By laying his head in her lap, and stroking Samson hair, Samson was at ease with Delilah. Delilah cut his braids; locs (hair) and his strength left him powerless from the Lord. She summoned the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. Not knowing that Samson hair started to grow again.

As you read the rest of the chapter listed below: Samson Dies with the Philistines

23) Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said: "Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy!" 24) When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said: "Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, the destroyer of our land, and the one who multiplied our dead." 25) So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may perform for us." So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars. 26) Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, "Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them." 27) Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there--about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed. 28) Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, "O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!" 29) And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars, which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. 30) Then Samson said "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.