Samson Archives - Steps to Life

Fulfilling His Purpose

August 30, 2021 by Damien Jenkins

A long time ago in the land of the Philistines, there was a feast. Many people from all the regions of the Philistines had come to this feast to honor their god Dagon in his temple because he had protected them from and defeated their enemy, Samson (Judges 16:23). The temple was filled with men and women, all the “lords of the Philistines.”

Chosen by God for the purpose of delivering His people, Samson was meant to be raised as a Nazarite, consecrated and set apart. He had been born into the right family, raised in the right way, given the right diet and the right background – everything he needed to fulfill God’s purpose for his life, the same as we as Seventh-day Adventists have been called to be and do. And yet, he chose to please himself. We can see the purpose, the mission, the cause and calling of God for this deliverer of Israel. And we can see how he chose instead to do his own will. We also see that even in his attempts to please himself, God’s purpose through him would still be carried out, but it cost Samson everything.

Defeated by his insistence to do his own will rather than God’s, Samson finds himself blind, with his hair shorn and absolutely powerless, bound, ridiculed and abused by the very people he was meant to conquer, but had been determined to be a part of through marriage. He was overwhelmed by the humiliation and horror of his current situation brought about by his own choices and actions. His heart cried out in sorrow because his eyes could not, and in that cry he asked the very question that many of us may have asked or are asking, “Lord, how did I get here?”

Twenty years had passed since Samson married the young woman of Timnah and he had killed 1,000 Philistines. He had judged Israel during that time in relative peace. He was now a grown man, but the choices of his youth had left a telling mark on his life as he continued to seek to please himself.

In Judges 16:1 the Bible says, “Now Samson went to Gaza … .” Did he go to investigate and determine the Philistines’ weaknesses and how they could be brought down so that Israel could finally be free from their enemy? No, he went to Gaza “and saw a harlot and went in to her.”

We read in Patriarchs and Prophets, 564: “After his victory the Israelites made Samson judge, and he ruled Israel for twenty years. But one wrong step prepares the way for another. Samson had transgressed the command of God by taking a wife from the Philistines, and again he ventured among them – now his deadly enemies – in the indulgence of unlawful passion. Trusting to his great strength, which had inspired the Philistines with such terror, he went boldly to Gaza, to visit a harlot of that place.” We also read in The Desire of Ages, 126: “Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God’s promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims those promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of Scriptures.”

Presumption is living your life the way you choose to, assuming that you will be okay until you decide when to change. Samson was presumptuous, like many young people are today. Many Adventists believe they will make changes in their lives when they see the Sunday law being passed, delaying their commitment to their own loss.

Samson went to Gaza to commit fornication with a harlot. Fornication is the act of being physically intimate with someone who is not your husband or wife. Paul said, “Now the body is not for sexual immorality [fornication] but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ‘the two,’ He says, ‘shall become one flesh.’ But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. … Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality [fornication] sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:13–20).

Fornication cheapens and objectifies the body, degrades you in the mind of the other person and sends a message that you have little self-value and are not worth committing to. Remember, however, that you have been bought with an extremely high price and your body belongs to God.

“When the Gazites were told, ‘Samson has come here!’ they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, ‘In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him’ ” (Judges 16:2). The Philistines had been exposed to the Israelite culture and they knew that, as an Israelite, what Samson was doing was wrong. This gave them an opportunity to lay a trap for him by means of which he could have perished that day. However, “At midnight Samson was aroused. The accusing voice of conscience filled him with remorse, as he remembered that he had broken his vow as a Nazarite. But notwithstanding his sin, God’s mercy had not forsaken him. His prodigious strength again served to deliver him. Going to the city gate, he wrenched it from its place and carried it, with its posts and bars, to the top of a hill on the way to Hebron.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 565.

Samson’s narrow escape did not cause him to surrender his ungodly, pleasure-seeking ways. “Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah” (Judges 16:4). We are reminded in Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

“But even this narrow escape did not stay his evil course. He did not again venture among the Philistines, but he continued to seek those sensuous pleasures that were luring him to ruin. ‘He loved a woman in the valley of Sorek,’ not far from his own birthplace. Her name was Delilah, ‘the consumer.’ The vale of Sorek was celebrated for its vineyards; these also had a temptation for the wavering Nazarite, who had already indulged in the use of wine, thus breaking another tie that bound him to purity and to God. The Philistines kept a vigilant watch over the movements of their enemy, and when he degraded himself by this new attachment, they determined, through Delilah, to accomplish his ruin.” Ibid., 565.

How could Samson keep breaking the ties that bound him to God over and over again? But maybe an equally important question to ask is, how does this keep happening to us, over and over again?

The Philistines offered Delilah a great deal of wealth to find out how they might overcome Samson. With flattery and feigned caring, Delilah sought to ingratiate herself with Samson until finally she says in Judges 16:6, “ ‘Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.’ ” Though his actions may cause us to think that Samson must have been dull, he did in fact see through Delilah’s attempt to discover the secret of his strength. He determined to have some fun with her and the Philistines.

Beginning in Judges 16:7–16, we read of Delilah’s efforts to learn the secret of Samson’s strength. First he suggested that she bind him with “seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried,” then that she bind him with “new ropes that had never been used.” Neither of these revealed his secret.

Interestingly, while Delilah was attempting to learn the secret of his strength, Samson was aware of her motive. He knew the Philistines were there. He wasn’t being duped, but he still determined to remain with her in spite of her treachery. He was so confident in his own abilities and in what God had done for him in the past that he had no fear. Although he had repeatedly violated his Nazarite vows, God had always come through for him, and he was not afraid of what these men could do to him.

Again, Delilah pleaded with Samson to tell her his secret. He suggested that she should “weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom.” Now he was getting closer to the truth regarding how his strength could be taken from him. Can this happen to us? We can live too close to the boundaries of right with the risk of going over.

Of course, we know that this did not reveal Samson’s secret. Delilah accused him, “ ‘How can you say, “I love you,” when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies’ ” (verse 15). Then she pestered him day after day, begging him to tell her the secret of his strength “so that his soul was vexed to death” (verse 16).

After many days of enduring Delilah’s pleading and begging, the unthinkable happened. He told her the truth. “… he told her all his heart, and said to her, ‘No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazarite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man’ ” (verse 17). Looking at his life, Samson must have realized that he was not the person he was supposed to be and that he had violated almost every part of the vow he had taken. His tone and expression both must have shown the great disappointment he felt in himself and he finally revealed the truth.

“When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, ‘Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.’ So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand” (verse 18). They were so sure it would work this time that they brought Delilah’s payment with them.

The Bible contains some scary Scriptures: “The hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7–11), “I never knew you, depart from me …” (Matthew 7:21–23). I believe that Judges 16:20 should be included in that group of texts, “But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.” Though Delilah had cut his hair, Samson intended to escape as he had previously. Samson’s confidence was in himself, his own ability and strength, but he had stepped over the edge and God had left him.

Samson’s hair was a sign of his consecration to God and the seven locks represented completeness, the perfection of that commitment. They also represent the seventh-day Sabbath which is the sign of our commitment to God, as Seventh-day Adventists, in the last crisis. If you violate that belief, God will depart from you and you will be lost. There is a parallel in this story for us today.

Samson’s strength was gone. He was captured and bound. His eyes were burned out with hot metal rods. He was a prisoner of the Philistines.

Chained in the temple, listening as the Philistines sang the praises of their god Dagon, pelted with food, laughed at and mocked, Samson felt shame and humiliation. I want to suggest to you that he began to remember his faithful parents who did the best they could to direct him in the right path, his Nazarite vow, his consecration to God, his mission, his purpose, and how good God had been to him and that He would save to the uttermost. But he also remembered how he had completely disregarded all of it. His heart ached, but he could shed no tears. So he cried out to the Lord, “O Adonai Yahweh [Lord God], remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O Elohim [God], that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes” (Judges 16:28)!

God understands the cry of a penitent heart. Samson used the most personal name of God that he knew, he confessed that he had dishonored and rejected God, and he knew that God deserved better than what he had given Him, but he pleaded for help one more time.

Bracing himself against the pillars of the temple, Samson cried out, “Let me die with the Philistines” (verse 30, first part)! At that moment, Samson realized that the destroyer of the Philistines was exactly what God had called him to be from the beginning, and he finally accepted that call. God answered Samson’s prayer and when he pushed with all his might, the temple fell on all the lords and all the people.

All his life Samson had served himself. He now recognized that he did not deserve the favor of God, but he determined to obey the purpose that God had for his life. With the destruction of the temple, he brought down the pride, the lust, the oppression, the presumption of the Philistines, to honor God. The Bible says, “So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.” This was such a devastating event that when Samson’s brothers came to take his body home for burial, not one Philistine tried to stop them.

“God’s promise that through Samson He would ‘begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines’ was fulfilled; but how dark and terrible the record of that life which might have been a praise to God and glory to the nation! Had Samson been true to his divine calling, the purpose of God could have been accomplished in his honor and exaltation. But he yielded to temptation and proved untrue to his trust, and his mission was fulfilled in defeat, bondage, and death.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 567.

So here is the question: After Samson delivered the crushing blow to the Philistines and became the very thing he first neglected, had he now been faithful to his calling? Do you believe that God forgave Samson? Do you believe He will forgive you?

Friends, it is not until we as Christians die to self that Christ can cause us to really live in Him. It is only when pride, selfishness, lust, and presumption have been removed from our lives that we can truly be used by God for His purpose. Maybe you haven’t lived the way you know the Lord wanted you to live. Or maybe you feel you’ve gone too far. Maybe you are a parent with a child who has left the faith for some reason. Maybe you are that child. You must remember that “He who began a good work in you” can and will perform it. The Bible says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). This is the decision you have to make. God is merciful and loving and willing to forgive, but He will never force you to love Him or give your heart to Him. That is something you must be willing to do.

What a wonderful thought that God does not forget, nor does He easily give up on us. The essential point that we must consider is that there is a line that we can cross and it could be too late. We do not want to tempt God and be presumptuous regarding His love for us.

It may be that the experience of Samson is not your experience at all. Maybe you have been true to what you believe has been the purpose God has for your life and you want to remain committed to God. It is not necessary to abandon your faith or God’s calling and then come back to have a testimony. The person who follows God’s leading and stays the course has a powerful testimony to the strength and care of Jesus.

But, if you can identify with the experience of Samson and want to have a change in your life, if you want to follow the purpose and will of God, then you must commit your life to Him and ask Him to lead you. I believe that Samson said in his heart the words of Micah 7:8, 9: “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness.”

God does not forsake a single one of His children. He has chosen each of us for a purpose and even if it is our choice to enjoy the pleasures of this world for a time, He is still able to fulfill His purposes, and may yet do so, through us. But don’t wait until it is too late.

Why have you chosen me,

Out of millions Your child to be.

You know all the wrong I have done.

O how could You pardon me,

Forgive my iniquity,

To save me gave Jesus Your Son.

But Lord help me be,

What You want me to be.

Your word I will strive to obey,

My life I now give for You I will live,

And walk by Your side all the way.

I am amazed to know,

That a God so great could love me so.

He’s willing and wanting to bless.

His grace is so wonderful,

His mercy so bountiful,

I can’t understand it I confess.

O Lord, help me to be

What You want me to be,

Your word I will strive to obey.

My heart and life I now give

For You, I will live

And walk by Your side all the way.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor Damien Jenkins was raised in a non-religious home, but at the age of 18 was introduced to the Gospel and his life was forever changed. Today he is pastor of the Water of Life Free Seventh-day Adventist Church in Hohenwald, Tennessee. He enjoys apologetics, Bible history, expounding on the topic of righteousness by faith and making the Bible simple and easy to understand.

God Never Quits He Keeps Appealing

June 21, 2021 by Damien Jenkins

As Seventh-day Adventists, we could identify with Samson, in particular regarding young Seventh-day Adventists who have been raised in the Adventist faith and teachings, but who like Samson, have come to a point in their life where they have said, “That’s it. I don’t want to do this anymore. I want to live my life, I just want,” as Samson said, “to please myself well.” There are several reasons why this is happening:

Compromise
Legalism
Turned off or hurt by the church
They just decide to leave
Trials, heartache, loss or trauma

None of these are a good reason to leave Jesus because He is true and faithful to us whether we are faithful to Him or not, but some people leave for one or a combination of these reasons.

“Had Samson obeyed the divine commands as faithfully as his parents had done, his would have been a nobler and happier destiny. But association with idolaters corrupted him. The town of Zorah being near the country of the Philistines, Samson came to mingle with them on friendly terms. Thus in his youth intimacies sprang up, the influence of which darkened his whole life. A young woman dwelling in the Philistine town of Timnath engaged Samson’s affections, and he determined to make her his wife. To his God-fearing parents, who endeavored to dissuade him from his purpose, his only answer was ‘She pleaseth me well’ (Judges 14:3, last part). The parents at last yielded to his wishes, and the marriage took place.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 562.

Some people say this is where Samson’s parents went wrong; they compromised. Telling his parents to arrange the marriage was merely a formality. Samson was a grown man. Had they said no, he would most probably still have done it. Samson’s parents simply recognized that they weren’t going to change his mind. This left the door open so that he could return if things didn’t turn out as planned. It is an example to us as well for our children, to return rather than being too embarrassed or afraid to seek us out at a time they need us most. We should tell them if we do not agree with their decision, but we need to recognize that it is their choice to make and yet be available should they need us. One thing we can be sure of, Samson’s parents did not stop praying for their son, and we also should continue to pray for our children, interceding with God on their behalf.

Ultimately our children have a mind and a conscience of their own. They have the liberty as free moral agents when they become adults to make their own decisions. As parents, we are not responsible for those decisions. When children begin to make their own decisions, to do their “own thing,” they are responsible for their own choices and their own lives. We are only responsible to confess and repent of our own shortcomings.

If a young person has left the church for any one or all of the five reasons listed above, we all need to know something about God: He does not give up. You can’t just simply ignore Him and His calling for your life, because He will leave no stone unturned until He has given you every opportunity to return. You can leave, you can please yourself, you can watch what you want, go where you want, wear what you want, marry who you want, but ultimately God will say to you, “Let’s try this one more time.” That is the God that we serve.

Samson’s parents were unable to change his mind. Then is stated one of the most interesting verses in the Bible. It says, “His father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel” (Judges 14:4 KJV).

As we look at this story in Judges 14 and 15, we find God’s people are in apostasy. As a result, God allows the enemy to overcome them. The children of Israel cry out to Him to save them, and God raises up a deliverer. Samson was a judge among the Israelites and was meant to be an example for the people. God had a mission laid out for him, a purpose to deliver the Israelites from the dominion of the Philistines, the enemies of God.

Every chapter in the book of Judges tells about a judge who had a mission, except for chapter 9 which tells us about Abimelech who was not a judge, but a usurper. Ehud, Othniel, Gideon, Deborah, and Jephthah each had a mission that they fulfilled. But in Judges 14 and 15 we find a judge who is called from birth with miraculous powers, in the spirit of God, a Nazarite consecrated to be the deliverer of God’s people. And what was his mission? To get married.

So looking at these two chapters, we will be looking at Samson’s life as it relates to Judges 14:4. Was Samson fulfilling God’s mission for him at this time? No. Does God want us to marry people who are not of our faith? No. So how could this be of the Lord?

The Bible tells us that God’s ways are not our ways. “ ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. … So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it’ ” (Isaiah 55:8, 9, 11). So even if we blunder, God’s purposes will still be fulfilled.

Looking at Isaiah 55:11 from The Bible in Basic English (BBE) translation, it says, “So will My word be which goes out of My mouth: it will not come back to Me with nothing done, but it will give effect to My purpose, and do that for which I have sent it.” God’s purposes are not limited by you and me. He wants us to cooperate with Him and co-labor with Him, but even if we refuse, things will still work out according to His will.

We see clearly from Samson’s experience that we can be in line with God’s will and fulfill His purpose in cooperation with Him or we can indirectly be used by Him to fulfill His purpose. And this is where we find Samson. If you are a young person trying to live your own life and leave out the things that you learned as a young Adventist, this is the experience you will have.

“Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done” (Judges 14:5, 6 KJV).

There are some things that we need to stress here. First of all, Samson was walking alone through the vineyards having separated from his parents somewhere along the journey. According to the Nazarite vows he was not to have anything to do with wine, but here he is walking through the vineyard. Then he is attacked by a lion. The Bible says, “… your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8, last part). So we see Samson walking in a place where he should not be walking and then the lion appears, but notice how he overcomes the lion. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and that is when he had the power. “ ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). In order to overcome temptation, even if on temptation’s ground, you need the Spirit of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, “… but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Claim that promise when you fall into hard times. God is powerful and if you trust in Him, even in the worst circumstances, He can show you what He can do in your life, just as we see here.

Returning to the story, several months later Samson is on his way to Timnath to be married. He decides to stop at the vineyard to see what has happened to the lion he killed. The lion is now nothing but bones, but bees have made a hive in the bones and Samson scoops out some honey to eat and he took some to give to his parents. This lion is an unclean, dead thing and to touch it was a violation of his Nazarite vow. You will also recall that Samson had not told his parents that he had killed the lion. Samson repeatedly shows himself to be an intemperate man; though strong physically, he was morally weak.

Samson’s decision to marry the woman from Timnath was not a wise one. Remember, God’s instructions to Israel when they went into the promised land, “When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites … and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly” (Deuteronomy 7:1–4).

There is a valid reason why the Bible tells us not to have close association with friends or family who are not interested in or who despise spiritual things. It says, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’ ” (1 Corinthians 15:33). How often do we surround ourselves with people who have no desire to know God, no desire for the Word believing that we will witness to them, but instead we are influenced by them, and our standard of holiness is lowered just like Samson? Booker T. Washington said, “Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than to be in bad company.”

“At his marriage feast Samson was brought into familiar association with those who hated the God of Israel. Whoever voluntarily enters into such relations will feel it necessary to conform, to some degree, to the habits and customs of his companions. The time thus spent is worse than wasted. Thoughts are entertained and words are spoken that tend to break down the strongholds of principle and to weaken the citadel of the soul.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 563. This will happen to all of us. We are drawn to and influenced by the things arounds us. We are not strong enough to resist and very subtly, we become demoralized by those with whom we associate.

Associating with these Philistine fellows, Samson bragged showing them what an intelligent guy he was by giving them a riddle. If they were not able to answer the riddle, then they would have to give him some clothing, but if they were able to find the answer to the riddle, then he would give them the clothing. Here was the riddle:

“Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet” (Judges 14:14).

Of course, this riddle was about the lion Samson had killed and the honey in the lion’s bones, but the Philistines were unable to figure it out. Not wanting to lose, they demanded Samson’s new wife to find out the answer to the riddle or they would kill her and her family. She begged Samson to tell her the answer, but he refused. Becoming very insistent because she had been threatened, she said, “ ‘You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me’ ” (Judges 14:16). Samson told her that he had not even told his parents, so why would he tell her? But, “Now she had wept on him for seven days while the feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day [because he had no peace] that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people” (Judges 14:17). Then the Philistines came to him with the answer to the riddle. “And he said to them: ‘If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would have not solved my riddle’ ” (Judges 14:18, last part)!

So what is all this really about? Let’s think about it: Samson was a Nazarite, a judge, from birth given a special mission or purpose by God to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of His enemies, the Philistines, but what was Samson doing? He was associating with the enemy, taking a wife from among them. At that moment he had no interest at all in God’s plan. He associated with the enemy, he gave them a riddle, made a bet with them and then felt betrayed when they did wrong to him. Then, “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house” (Judges 14:19 KJV). This is the first mention of Samson doing anything against the Philistines and what was his reason? He had to pay a debt. He felt betrayed, he was angry, so he killed 30 men from Ashkelon to give their clothes as payment for the debt and went home.

Time passed and Samson determined to see his wife again. But her father, believing that Samson had completely forsaken her, gave her as wife to Samson’s friend and offered him her younger sister. His response is found in Judges 15:3–5 KJV: “Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure [or hurt]. And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between the two tails. And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.”

This was an agricultural society and losing the corn in the fields, the vineyards and olives might not mean a lot to us today, but that is how people then survived. By Samson’s actions, their livelihood is ruined. We do not know how many people may have died from famine because of what Samson had done.

So, let’s take a closer look at why Samson did this. The father of Samson’s wife had given her to another man because Samson had left and the father thought he would not be coming back. Samson left because he felt betrayed when his wife had pressured him to give her the answer to the riddle when her life and the lives of her family were being threatened. But ultimately, if Samson had not chosen to befriend the Philistines and marry a Philistine woman, none of this would have happened in the first place. So who was really to blame for this and all the terrible consequences?

The Philistines, realizing that Samson was responsible for the destruction because his wife had been given to another man, went where the woman and her father were and burned the whole house down killing them inside. “And Samson said unto them, ‘Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.’ And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam” (Judges 15:7, 8 KJV).

Do we see Samson consulting with God before he does any of these things? Has he asked as David did when he said, “Lord, shall I go up, shall I not go up. Shall I forebear?” No. He killed 30 men in Ashkelon, then he destroyed the crops and the economy of one of the Philistine cities which would result in many deaths and killed a great number of people. As a result, his wife and her family are horrifically killed by her own people. So what are we seeing here? Samson was not thinking of God at all. His sole desire was to please himself and seek revenge for the slights and betrayals that he had suffered. Yet, he was indirectly fulfilling God’s mission for him as the deliverer of Israel.

By this time the Philistines were really upset and they went down to Judah to find him. They told the people of Judah, “ ‘We have come up to arrest Samson, to do to him as he has done to us’ ” (Judges 15:9, 10, last part). How did the people of Israel respond? Three thousand of Samson’s own people came to him at Etam and said, “ ‘Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? What is this you have done to us?’ … ‘We have come down to arrest you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines’ ” (Judges 15:11, 12). Not wanting to harm his own people, he allowed them to take him as long as they swore not to kill him themselves. They bound him with two new ropes and took him to the Philistines.

We need to understand from Samson’s story that if God has a purpose for your life, you cannot escape it. Samson’s whole issue at this point was “ ‘As they did to me, so I have done to them’ ” (verse 11). Is there anything about the Lord here on his mind? No. That’s the reason he was in this situation. He wasn’t interested in doing God’s will, he just wanted to please himself. Even still, God’s will was fulfilled.

The Bible then says in Judges 15:14, “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.” Samson took the jawbone of a donkey and again takes revenge on the Philistines killing a thousand men. “Then Samson said: ‘With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men!’ And so it was, when he had finished speaking, that he threw the jawbone from his hand, and called that place Ramath Lehi” (Judges 15:16, 17). Samson gave himself the glory for what he had done.

So what happened to finally make Samson see that he was not in control of his life? Verse 18, first part, says, “Then he became very thirsty, so he cried out to the Lord.” For the first time in this entire story that you see Samson call on the Lord. Continuing in verse 18, “ ‘You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?’ ” Samson still sounded a bit arrogant, but God knew his heart and answered his prayer, cleaving a hollow place so that water would come gushing out (verse 19). Without water, Samson would have died. He thought he was so mighty and strong, but he realized he had a need. When he called on God, God filled that need. After he drank his fill, he renamed the place where he had killed all the Philistines from Ramath Lehi (the lifting up of the jawbone) to En Hakkore (fountain of one calling).

As the dust settled, the screaming stopped, the clanking of armor died down and the survivors had all run away, Samson looked around and realized that the very thing he had been running from had found him anyway and everything he had wanted, he had lost. He had been running for so long and finally he realized the very thing he had wanted nothing to do with was the one thing he couldn’t get away from – the purpose God had for his life.

Friends, if you have fallen off the path, given up, or felt like you have no purpose anymore because of compromise, legalism, apostasy in your church, or because you wanted to see what the world was like, or because of trial or trauma, you will finally realize that the Lord’s way is always better. His purpose for you is for you to love Him with all your heart, soul and mind, to love your neighbor as yourself and to go home with Him. That is His purpose for all of us.

Jesus, I love You and I want to be Your child,

but for now I’m busy, will You come back in a while.

I’m sorry, Lord, but for now I have other things to do.

It’s just in the plans I’ve made, I’ve made no time for You.

How many times have you pushed the Lord aside

to make room for your foolish, earthly pride?

Time and time, God waits for you to open up to Him,

but instead of giving Him our hearts, we cast Him out again.

Jesus, I’m sorry, Lord, for the way that I have been.

Pushing you aside for things that always seem to win.

Now my eyes are open, Lord, and I can see Your light

shining on my pathway to eternal life.

His desire is to save us, and He will not leave one stone unturned until He has given us every opportunity to make that decision.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor Damien Jenkins was raised in a non-religious home, but at the age of 18 was introduced to the Gospel and his life was forever changed. Today he is pastor of the Water of Life Free Seventh-day Adventist church in Hohenwald, Tennessee. He enjoys apologetics, Bible history, expounding on the topic of righteousness by faith and making the Bible simple and easy to understand.

Bible Study Guides – Weakness Into Strength

May 8, 2019May 8, 2019 by Reformation Herald Publishing

May 26, 2019 – June 1, 2019

Key Text

“Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:14).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 563–568.

Introduction

“Physically he [Samson] was the strongest man upon the earth; but in self-control, integrity, and firmness, he was the weakest of men.” The Signs of the Times, October 13, 1881.

Sunday

REAPING WHAT WAS SOWN

What bitter fruit immediately occurred in Samson’s marriage with an unbeliever? Judges 14:7, 10, 20.

Note: “He [Samson] did not ask whether he could better glorify God when united with the object of his choice, or whether he was placing himself in a position where he could not fulfill the purpose to be accomplished by his life. To all who seek first to honor Him, God has promised wisdom; but there is no promise to those who are bent upon self-pleasing. …

“The wife, to obtain whom Samson had transgressed the command of God, proved treacherous to her husband before the close of the marriage feast. Incensed at her perfidy, Samson forsook her for the time, and went alone to his home at Zorah. When, afterward relenting, he returned for his bride, he found her the wife of another.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 563.

Monday

HUMANITY RESISTING GOD’S GRACE

How did Samson’s revenge on the Philistines show a sample of the unique strength God gave him for Israel’s deliverance? Judges 15:4–8, 13–15.
How long did Samson rule as a judge in Israel? Judges 15:20. How did the people show how human nature often hinders God’s plans?

Note: “Had the Israelites been ready to unite with Samson and follow up the victory, they might at this time have freed themselves from the power of their oppressors. But they had become dispirited and cowardly. They had neglected the work which God commanded them to perform, in dispossessing the heathen, and had united with them in their degrading practices, tolerating their cruelty, and, so long as it was not directed against themselves, even countenancing their injustice. When themselves brought under the power of the oppressor, they tamely submitted to the degradation which they might have escaped, had they only obeyed God. Even when the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, they would, not infrequently, desert him and unite with their enemies.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 564.

Despite Samson’s apostasy, how did God show him mercy? Judges 16:1–3.

Note: “Samson had transgressed the command of God by taking a wife from the Philistines, and again he ventured among them—now his deadly enemies—in the indulgence of unlawful passion. Trusting to his great strength, which had inspired the Philistines with such terror, he went boldly to Gaza, to visit a harlot of that place. The inhabitants of the city learned of his presence, and they were eager for revenge. Their enemy was shut safely within the walls of the most strongly fortified of all their cities; they felt sure of their prey, and only waited till the morning to complete their triumph. At midnight Samson was aroused. The accusing voice of conscience filled him with remorse, as he remembered that he had broken his vow as a Nazarite. But notwithstanding his sin, God’s mercy had not forsaken him. His prodigious strength again served to deliver him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 565.

Tuesday

THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL

In what sin was Samson becoming entangled? Judges 16:4–6; Galatians 6:8. How did this sin work his ruin?

Note: “He [Samson] did not again venture among the Philistines, but he continued to seek those sensuous pleasures that were luring him to ruin. … The vale of Sorek was celebrated for its vineyards; these also had a temptation for the wavering Nazarite, who had already indulged in the use of wine, thus breaking another tie that bound him to purity and to God. The Philistines kept a vigilant watch over the movements of their enemy, and when he degraded himself by this new attachment, they determined, through Delilah, to accomplish his ruin.

“A deputation consisting of one leading man from each of the Philistine provinces was sent to the vale of Sorek. They dared not attempt to seize him while in possession of his great strength, but it was their purpose to learn, if possible, the secret of his power. They therefore bribed Delilah to discover and reveal it.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 565.

What warnings should we heed from the downward spiral into which Samson was falling? Proverbs 5:21, 22; 7:10, 22, 23; Romans 13:14.

Note: “Samson’s infatuation seems almost incredible. At first he was not so wholly enthralled as to reveal the secret; but he had deliberately walked into the net of the betrayer of souls, and its meshes were drawing closer about him at every step.” The Signs of the Times, October 13, 1881.

“In the society of this enchantress, the judge of Israel squandered precious hours that should have been sacredly devoted to the welfare of his people. But the blinding passions which make even the strongest weak, had gained control of reason and of conscience.” Ibid.

“Samson in his peril had the same source of strength as had Joseph. He could choose the right or wrong as he pleased. But instead of taking hold of the strength of God, he permitted the wild passions of his nature to have full sway. The reasoning powers were perverted, the morals corrupted. God had called Samson to a position of great responsibility, honor, and usefulness; but he must first learn to govern by first learning to obey the laws of God.” Ibid.

Wednesday

THE BOTTOM OF THE PIT

What bitter results followed Samson’s spiritual weakness? Judges 16:15–21.

Note: “When he had been shaven, Delilah began to annoy him and cause him pain, thus making a trial of his strength; for the Philistines dared not approach him till fully convinced that his power was gone. Then they seized him and, having put out both his eyes, they took him to Gaza. Here he was bound with fetters in their prison house and confined to hard labor.

“What a change to him who had been the judge and champion of Israel!—now weak, blind, imprisoned, degraded to the most menial service! Little by little he had violated the conditions of his sacred calling. God had borne long with him; but when he had so yielded himself to the power of sin as to betray his secret, the Lord departed from him. There was no virtue in his long hair merely, but it was a token of his loyalty to God; and when the symbol was sacrificed in the indulgence of passion, the blessings of which it was a token were also forfeited.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 566.

What words of Jesus bring hope to each one of us? Luke 5:32.

Note: “In suffering and humiliation, a sport for the Philistines, Samson learned more of his own weakness than he had ever known before; and his afflictions led him to repentance.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 566.

What began to happen to Samson physically, showing God’s amazing mercy toward sinners? Judges 16:22. What attitude was beginning to take hold of Samson? Mark 9:24.

Note: “His [Samson’s] hair began gradually to grow, indicating the return of his extraordinary powers.” The Signs of the Times, October 13, 1881.

Thursday

THE TRIUMPH OF GOD’S MERCY

How and why did Satan mock at the disgraceful condition of God’s broken deliverer? Judges 16:23–25.

Note: “As the Philistines exulted over their great victory, they ascribed the honor to their gods, praising them as superior to the God of Israel. The contest, instead of being between Samson and the Philistines, was now between Jehovah and Dagon.” The Signs of the Times, October 13, 1881.

What deliberate request did Samson make to the one leading him by the hand? What prayer did Samson breathe to God? Judges 16:26–28.

Note: “After a time, as if weary, Samson asked permission to rest against the two central pillars which supported the temple roof. Then he silently uttered the prayer, ‘O Lord God, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines’ (Judges 16:28).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 567.

What did God use to impart saving faith to Samson? In what “hall of fame” is this frail man included? Judges 16:30; Hebrews 11:32, 33.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Why should the outcome of Samson’s marriage be no surprise?

2 To what spiritual path did the marriage lead Samson?

3 How is the history of Samson and Delilah repeated in various ways today?

4 What change did Samson make after the loss of his eyes?

5 How and why did God bless Samson’s prayer at the end of his life?

Question & Answer – Where Was Samson’s Strength

June 5, 2018 by Judy Hallingstad

His soul was vexed to death, that he [Samson] told her [Delilah] all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man” (Judges 16:17).

“There was no virtue in the length of his hair, in itself, but it was a token of his loyalty to God, and when the symbol was sacrificed in the indulgence of lustful passion, the blessings of which it was a token were also forfeited. Had Samson’s head been shaven without fault on his part, his strength would have remained. But his course had shown contempt for the favor and authority of God as much as if he had in disdain himself severed his locks from his head. Therefore God left him to endure the results of his own folly.” The Signs of the Times, October 13, 1881.

“The divine promise to Manoah was in due time fulfilled in the birth of a son, upon whom the name of Samson was bestowed. By the command of the angel no razor was to come upon the child’s head, he being consecrated to God as a Nazarite, from his birth. As the boy grew up, it became evident that he possessed extraordinary physical strength. This was not, however, as Samson and his parents well knew, dependent upon his well-knit sinews, but upon his condition as a Nazarite, of which his unshorn hair was a symbol.” Ibid., October 6, 1881.

“The Spirit of God keeps evil under the control of conscience. When man exalts himself above the influence of the Spirit, he reaps a harvest of iniquity. Over such a man the Spirit has less and less influence to restrain him from sowing seeds of disobedience. Warnings have less and less power over him. He gradually loses his fear of God. He sows to the flesh; he will reap corruption.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1112.

Bible Study Guides – Instruments of God’s Deliverance

January 23, 2018 by Reformation Herald Publishing

November 12, 2011 – November 18, 2011

Key Text

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae.” Hebrews 11:32.

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 543–568; Gospel Workers (1892), 297–299, 309–319.

Introduction

“By the repeated manifestations of His power in behalf of Israel, God would lead them to have faith in Him—with confidence to seek His help in every emergency. He is just as willing to work with the efforts of His people now and to accomplish great things through weak instrumentalities.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 554.

1 ADDRESSING AN EMERGENCY

Describe one predicament in which the Israelites found themselves during the time of the judges. Judges 6:1–6.
How did the Lord in His great mercy plan to remedy their situation? Judges 6:11–16.
What was the first step Gideon took at the peril of his life? Judges 6:22–32.

Note: “The deliverance of Israel was to be preceded by a solemn protest against the worship of Baal. Gideon must declare war upon idolatry before going out to battle with the enemies of his people.

“The divine direction was faithfully carried out. Knowing that he would be opposed if it were attempted openly, Gideon performed the work in secret; with the aid of his servants, accomplishing the whole in one night. Great was the rage of the men of Ophrah when they came next morning to pay their devotions to Baal. They would have taken Gideon’s life had not Joash—who had been told of the Angel’s visit—stood in defense of his son.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 547.

2 THE HUMBLE ENCOURAGED

What shows the deep humility of Gideon as God’s servant, and how will we likewise be blessed by reflecting such an attitude? Judges 6:17–23, 36–40; Proverbs 15:33.

Note: “The Lord can work most effectually through those who are most sensible of their own insufficiency, and who will rely upon Him as their leader and source of strength. He will make them strong by uniting their weakness to His might, and wise by connecting their ignorance with His wisdom.

“If they would cherish true humility, the Lord could do much more for His people; but there are few who can be trusted with any large measure of responsibility or success without becoming self-confident and forgetful of their dependence upon God. This is why, in choosing the instruments for His work, the Lord passes by those whom the world honors as great, talented, and brilliant. They are too often proud and self-sufficient. They feel competent to act without counsel from God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 553, 554.

“When we realize what is involved in our service to Christ, we are driven to the throne of grace to ask the Lord for the very things we need. He whose eyes are anointed with spiritual discernment feels that it means something to be a worker together with God. He will realize that it is perilous to trust in self; for self-confidence is vain. It is only when we accept solemn responsibility, relying upon God and distrusting self, that we can become efficient workers in His cause. To be clothed with humility does not mean that we are to be dwarfs in intellect, deficient in our aspirations, and cowardly in our lives, shunning all burdens for fear we shall not carry them successfully. In the strength of Christ we are to take up our responsibilities, bearing them for His sake, and ever going to Him for rest.” The Signs of the Times, August 15, 1892.

What added encouragement did God give to boost Gideon’s faith? Judges 7:9–15.

Note: “The apparently powerless condition of that little company of Israelites, compared with the vast host of the enemy, was fitly represented by the cake of barley bread. But as that loaf overthrew the tent upon which it fell, so would the handful of Israelites destroy their numerous and powerful enemies.” The Signs of the Times, July 14, 1881.

3 AMAZING METHODS

What are we to learn from the way Gideon was to select his army? Judges 7:1–8.

Note: “There is a lesson to be learned from Gideon’s army. It was not because of their great numbers that they prevailed, but because they were willing to follow the special directions of God by living faith. Those that were soon to press on to the battle, and who would scoop up the water and drink as they went, were the ones whom God accepted to engage in this enterprise; but those who prepared to have a good time, and bowed down leisurely and drank, were sent back to their homes.

“The Lord God of Israel looks upon us individually, and He sees whether we are in earnest in this matter. He sees whether we carry the burden of souls upon our hearts. He sees whether or not we touch these living interests with the tip ends of our fingers. If we have the interest that Knox had when he pleaded before God for Scotland, we shall have success. He cried, ‘Give me Scotland, Lord, or I die.’ And when we take hold of the work and wrestle with God, saying, ‘I must have souls; I will never give up the struggle,’ we will find that God will look upon our efforts with favor. He sees that if He gives you souls as the result of your ministry, it will not make you proud or lifted up. You will not be in a position where you will feel for an instant that someone else will get the credit for these souls; but you will feel so grateful to God that they are saved, that His praise will be in your hearts and on your lips day and night. It is such men that God will make mighty instruments to do His work.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 2, 45.

What was the main way that God miraculously gave this victory? Judges 7:16–22.

Note: “The light of three hundred lamps, piercing the midnight darkness, and that mighty shout from three hundred voices, suddenly aroused the sleeping army. Believing themselves at the mercy of an overwhelming force, the Midianites were panic-stricken. A terrible scene of confusion ensued. In their fright they fled in all directions, and mistaking their own companions for enemies they slew one another.” The Signs of the Times, July 14, 1881.

4 THE EXPERIENCE OF BARAK

Describe another time when Israel was in trouble. Judges 4:1–3. What was to be the solution? Judges 4:4–9.

Note: “Barak knew the scattered, disheartened, and unarmed condition of the Hebrews, and the strength and skill of their enemies. Although he had been designated by the Lord Himself as the one chosen to deliver Israel, and had received the assurance that God would go with him and subdue their enemies, yet he was timid and distrustful. He accepted the message from Deborah as the word of God, but he had little confidence in Israel, and feared that they would not obey his call. He refused to engage in such a doubtful undertaking unless Deborah would accompany him, and thus support his efforts by her influence and counsel. Deborah consented, but assured him that because of his lack of faith, the victory gained should not bring honor to him; for Sisera would be betrayed into the hands of a woman.” The Signs of the Times, June 16, 1881.

How was Deborah’s prophecy of victory gained, and why? Judges 4:10–22; 5:1, 2.

Note: “The Israelites were but poorly prepared for an encounter, and looked with terror upon the vast armies spread out in the plain beneath them, equipped with all the implements of warfare, and provided with the dreaded chariots of iron. These were so constructed as to be terribly destructive. Large, scythe-like knives were fastened to the axles, so that the chariots, being driven through the ranks of the enemy, would cut them down like wheat before the sickle.

“The Israelites had established themselves in a strong position in the mountains, to await a favorable opportunity for an attack. Encouraged by Deborah’s assurance that the very day had come for signal victory, Barak led his army down into the open plain, and boldly made a charge upon the enemy. The God of battle fought for Israel, and neither skill in warfare, nor superiority of numbers and equipment, could withstand them. The hosts of Sisera were panicstricken; in their terror they sought only how they might escape. Vast numbers were slain, and the strength of the invading army was utterly destroyed. The Israelites acted with courage and promptness; but God alone could have discomfited the enemy, and the victory could be ascribed to Him alone.” The Signs of the Times, June 16, 1881.

5 SAMSON AND JEPHTHAH

Though Samson’s life shows little sign that he ever appreciated God’s calling, what evidence shows that he finally repented? Judges 16:21–31.

Describe the chronic problem of Israel, and how God felt about it. Judges 10:6–16. What should we realize when tempted by the same problem today? I John 3:13.
What was Jephthah’s background, and what was he called to do? Judges 11:1–11. What reveals his sense of reverence and trust in God? Judges 11:14, 27–32.
How did Jephthah show his integrity and deep understanding of the solemnity of speaking before God? Judges 11:33–40; Psalm 15:1, 4, last part; Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How does the life of Gideon demonstrate the link between humility and victory?

2 In what aspects of life can the lessons from Gideon’s military strategy apply today?

3 What action is needed in order for us to become more successful soul winners?

4 Why did God choose to deliver Israel at the hand of a woman in the time of Barak?

5 In what ways do the experiences of Samson and Jephthah offer us hope?

Bible Study Guides – Samson

October 31, 2017 by Reformation Herald Publishing

July 12, 2015 – July 18, 2015

Key Text

“The Spirit of the Lord began to move him [Samson] at times.” Judges 13:25.

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 560–568.

Introduction

“God’s promise that through Samson He would ‘begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines’ (Judges 13:5) was fulfilled; but how dark and terrible the record of that life which might have been a praise to God and a glory to the nation!” Conflict and Courage, 132.

1 ISRAEL ONCE AGAIN UNDER OPPRESSION

What did the Israelites do during the times of prosperity and peace after the victories of Gideon and Jephthah? Judges 10:6, 7; 13:1.
How did the Lord answer their halfhearted cry for deliverance on one of those occasions? Judges 10:13, 14. Would God say the same thing to His people today?
How were the people of God in those times, and how are His people today, to support the work of reform to gain deliverance from sin and oppression? II Chronicles 7:14.

Note: “When His [God’s] people put away the sins that had shut out His presence, He heard their prayers and at once began to work for them.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 558.

“Our first work is to put away sin; but in order to do this, we must come so close to God that we can understand His character and requirements, and thus measure our sinfulness and our need of a Saviour.” The Review and Herald, March 4, 1884.

2 THE CAPTIVITY OF A CHOSEN DELIVERER

How did God answer the prayers of Israel for deliverance from the Philistine oppression? Judges 13:24, 25.

Note: “Though there was apparently no response [to deliver Israel], though year after year the power of the oppressor continued to rest more heavily upon the land, God’s providence was preparing help for them. Even in the early years of the Philistine oppression a child was born through whom God designed to humble the power of these mighty foes.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 560.

Instead of consecrating himself to his mission, how did Samson allow Satan to lead him astray and make him a captive of the powers of darkness? Judges 14:1–3.

Note: “Had Samson obeyed the divine commands as faithfully as his parents had done, his would have been a nobler and happier destiny. But association with idolaters corrupted him. The town of Zorah being near the country of the Philistines, Samson came to mingle with them on friendly terms. Thus in his youth intimacies sprang up, the influence of which darkened his whole life. A young woman dwelling in the Philistine town of Timnath engaged Samson’s affections, and he determined to make her his wife.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 562.

“He did not ask whether he could better glorify God when united with the object of his choice, or whether he was placing himself in a position where he could not fulfill the purpose to be accomplished by his life. To all who seek first to honor Him, God has promised wisdom; but there is no promise to those who are bent upon self-pleasing.

“How many are pursuing the same course as did Samson! How often marriages are formed between the godly and the ungodly, because inclination governs in the selection of husband or wife!” Ibid., 563.

What did Samson do after he found out that his own bride had betrayed him? What happened after he left the wedding? What happened when Samson’s anger cooled? Judges 14:15–20; 15:1, 2.

3 SAMSON’S LIGHT BECOMES DARKNESS

Upon hearing that his wife was given to another man, how did Samson exact revenge against the Philistines? Judges 15:4, 5.
How did Samson avenge the murderous retaliation of the Philistines against his wife and her father? Judges 15:6–8.

Note: “His [Samson’s] revenge, in the wasting of all the fields and vineyards of the Philistines, provoked them to murder her, although their threats had driven her to the deceit with which the trouble began. Samson had already given evidence of his marvelous strength by slaying, singlehanded, a young lion, and by killing thirty of the men of Ashkelon. Now, moved to anger by the barbarous murder of his wife, he attacked the Philistines and smote them ‘with a great slaughter’ (Judges 15:8).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 563, 564.

Describe the process by which Samson developed a character unfit for his mission of reformatory work. How is his story often repeated by some of those who have been called to be the light of the world? Compare Matthew 6:23 with Galatians 5:9; I John 2:11.

Note: “If we do not choose to give ourselves fully to God then we are in darkness. When we make any reserve we are leaving open a door through which Satan can enter to lead us astray by his temptations. He knows that if he can obscure our vision, so that the eye of faith cannot see God, there will be no barrier against sin.

“The prevalence of a sinful desire shows the delusion of the soul. Every indulgence of that desire strengthens the soul’s aversion to God. In following the path of Satan’s choosing, we are encompassed by the shadows of evil, and every step leads into deeper darkness and increases the blindness of the heart. …

“Through persistently cherishing evil, willfully disregarding the pleadings of divine love, the sinner loses the love for good, the desire for God, the very capacity to receive the light of heaven. The invitation of mercy is still full of love, the light is shining as brightly as when it first dawned upon his soul; but the voice falls on deaf ears, the light on blinded eyes.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 92.

4 “THE PHILISTINES TOOK HIM”

Despite God’s purpose to deliver Israel through Samson, what action demonstrated the Israelites spiritual degradation? Judges 15:10–13. Who, in many cases and in the first place, are to be blamed when such an estate of affairs exists among God’s people? Isaiah 3:12; Matthew 15:14.

Note: “There are men standing in responsible positions who teach one thing and practice another. While they have been forward to condemn their brethren, their own character is more faulty in the sight of God than the ones they would criticise [sic] and condemn. These men are blind leaders of the blind, and both leaders and those led by them will be ruined unless there is true repentance and heart-felt confession before God.” Special Testimony to the Battle Creek Church, 13.

After judging Israel for twenty years (Judges 15:20), how did Satan make Samson a slave of the enemies of Israel? Judges 16:1, 4–6, 16–20.

Note: “What a change to him who had been the judge and champion of Israel!—now weak, blind, imprisoned, degraded to the most menial service! Little by little he had violated the conditions of his sacred calling. God had borne long with him; but when he had so yielded himself to the power of sin as to betray his secret, the Lord departed from him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 566.

Since Samson did not know how to control his eyes (in a spiritual sense, Matthew 5:28, 29), what did God allow the Philistines to do (in a literal sense)? Judges 16:21.

Note: “In suffering and humiliation, a sport for the Philistines, Samson learned more of his own weakness than he had ever known before; and his afflictions led him to repentance. As his hair grew, his power gradually returned; but his enemies, regarding him as a fettered and helpless prisoner, felt no apprehensions.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 566.

5 AMONG THE HEROES OF FAITH

Why do you think Samson’s name is mentioned among the heroes of faith? Hebrews 11:32; Judges 16:28–30.
What warning should every Christian heed, especially by those who are directly engaged in the service of the Lord? I Corinthians 10:12.

Note: “God’s providential care had been over Samson, that he might be prepared to accomplish the work which he was called to do. At the very outset of life he was surrounded with favorable conditions for physical strength, intellectual vigor, and moral purity. But under the influence of wicked associates he let go that hold upon God which is man’s only safeguard, and he was swept away by the tide of evil. Those who in the way of duty are brought into trial may be sure that God will preserve them; but if men willfully place themselves under the power of temptation, they will fall, sooner or later.

“The very ones whom God purposes to use as His instruments for a special work, Satan employs his utmost power to lead astray. He attacks us at our weak points, working through defects in the character to gain control of the whole man; and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. But none need be overcome. Man is not left alone to conquer the power of evil by his own feeble efforts. Help is at hand and will be given to every soul who really desires it.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 568.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 When the few faithful worshippers in Israel were pleading for deliverance, whom did God raise from the family of Manoah?

2 What was the first recorded misstep of Samson?

3 How soon did Samson realize that marriage between a believer and an unbeliever, which brings great suffering, is a great mistake?

4 Describe step by step how Samson allowed his light to become darkness.

5 Under what miserable conditions did Samson still find repentance?