Samson's weakness

Samson-meaning "of the sun"; proclaiming that he was radiant and mighty. The name "Samson" is derived from shemesh("sun"), so that Samson bore the name of God, who is also a "a sun and shield". [Psalms 84:12] As God protected Israel, so did Samson watch over it in his generation, judging the people even as God did. Samson's strength was divinely derived. Samson resembled God in requiring neither aid or help.

Samson was said to be so strong that he could uplift two mountains and rub them together like two clods of earth, yet his superhuman strength, like Goliaths, brought woe upon its possessor. Samson is something of a Hercules figure, utilizing massive strength to combat his enemies and to perform heroic feats unachievable by ordinary men: wrestling a lion, slaying an entire army with nothing more than a donkey's jawbone, and tearing down an entire building.

Samson falls in love with a woman, Delilah (which is a Jewish name), at the Brook of Sorek. (Judges 16). Sorek is a "fruitless tree"(means "empty" in Hebrew),implying a moral lesson suggesting that Samson's involvement in his affair with Delilah was eventually "fruitless". However,another etymology suggest that "sorek" means"special vine" and refers to the grapes and wines grown in the area.

The Philistines approach Delilah and induce her (with 1100 silver coins) to try to find the secret of Samson's strength. Samson does not want to tell her the secret, so he teases her, telling her that he can be bound with fresh bowstrings. She does so while he sleeps, but when he wakes up he snaps the strings. She persists, and he tells her he can be bound with new ropes. She binds him with new ropes while he sleeps, and he snaps them, too. She asks again, and he says he can be bound if his locks are woven together. She weaves them together, but he undoes them when he wakes. Eventually Samson tells Delilah that he will lose his strength with the loss of his hair. Delilah means "weak" and how interesting that Samson, the strong one, could be totally dominated by Delilah, the weak one. Nevertheless, his ultimate loss of strength-being tamed by the wit of a woman (Delilah) is somewhat similar to stories such as Beauty and the Beast; albeit with the woman appearing as more of the villian in this story. Delilah calls for a servant to shave Samson's seven locks. Since that breaks the Nazarite oath, God leaves him, and Samson is captured by the Philistines. (Judges 16:20). The gouge out his eyes. After being blinded, Samson is brought to Gaza, imprisoned, and put to work grinding grain.

The lion is very significant in the story. God was trying to teach Samson something about the degree of power that he possessed. There is a lion in our life, as well. Peter writes that our adversary, the devil, goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He is our lion, seeking to tempt us, to draw us away from obedience to Jesus Christ.

Samson learned that God was adequate to meet any need he had. In our own life God is adequate; that He is slaying our Philistines, and that he has dealt with the lion in our life.

God will give us up to the passions of our own life, if we insist on it. Samson grinding away at the mill is a vivid illustration of what happens in the inner man. There is a blinding--a loss of a sense of moral perspective and vision. The is a binding--a loss of our freedom and liberty and mobility in the Spirit. There is a grinding--a sense of futility and boredom and purposlessness about life, or just going around and around and around inside.

God never forgets us. When He takes His hands off of us and lets us go, He is still right there available to us. He never abandons us, He is there ready to respond to His entreaty. Samson grinding at the mill brought his life to mind, realized what had happened to him, and knew that his strength lay in his Lord.

by Patti Hallford

Jdg 16:20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he knew not that the LORD was departed from him.

Cross references:
Numbers 14:-42-43Num 14:42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.

Num 14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.

Jos 7:12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.