Samson Dies, Killing His enemy the Philistines

Vol 2 - No 34 April 17, 2007

The Faith of Samson - Part 6:

Our last study examined how Samson, in spite of having been blessed with great physical strength, personifies the natural man and the impossibility for anyone to met God's standard of righteousness as set forth in the law given to Moses. Contrasted to Samson and all mankind the Word of God came sinless into the world in the person of Jesus who kept the law to the letter and then died to pay for the sins of all who believe in Him. So it is that Samson's witness of faith points to the need for Jesus Christ's finished work. Faith is the substance (or foundation) of things hoped for, the evidence (or proof) of things not seen, Hebrews 11:11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

. In this study we will examine how Samson's self inflicted demise and death were a type of and pointed to the all sufficient sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

As we read the account of Delilah's attempts to learn his secret of strength in Judges 16:4 - 144 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

it seems obvious what was on her mind so why couldn't Samson see he was on the path to destruction? Because of his fallen nature, which like all men/women was self serving he thought he was invincible based on his track record and therefore was totally absorbed with what he was getting out of the relationship. And thus finally, after days of Delilah's manipulative ranting about how he had mocked and lied to her three (3) times so he must not really love her Samson finally broke down and revealed his secret. She immediately called the Philistine rulers and told them the news and they paid her off. She caused Samson to fall asleep on her lap and had a man shave his head. When he awoke he didn't realize the Lord left him and his strength was gone, but he found out when the Philistines took him and put out his eyes - Judges 16:15 - 2115 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

17 That he told her 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.

18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

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 wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

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Samson was imprisoned in forced labor turning the mill to grind grain. Anyone who knows about conditions in third world prisons can only imagine Samson's suffering. The Philistines were heathen idol worshipers and must have retaliated against him with a vengeance after he had intimidated and killed so many of them. We can only imagine the awful physical torture blind Samson must have suffered. The Word doesn't say how long he was there but it does indicate his hair had begun to grow, Judges 16:2222 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

, when the Philistine leaders gathered their people to celebrate his demise by sacrificing to their god Dagon, giving it credit for conquering him - Judges 16:2323 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

. They obviously didn't want to kill him for it gave them great satisfaction to domineer, torture and see such a man who they once feared, suffer so much. According to commentaries the area in which this happened was great wine country and no doubt everyone was drunk when they called for Samson to be brought from prison as the main event of their celebration. He was brought out in chains and placed at center stage between the massive pillars that supported the roof so everyone could witness his humiliation. They praised their god for delivering him, Judges 16:24 & 2524 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

, which must have riled our Lord to have anyone give credit to a worthless idol for defeating one of His people.

The building was full, with 3000 men and women on the roof, the key support of which were the two pillars. Samson asked the lad who tended him to place him in a position so he could lean on the two pillars then he prayed to God for strength just one last time. He knew he was going to die but he wanted to take revenge against the Philistines for the loss of his eyes. With strength only God could provide he pushed out the pillars and the roof with all thereon came down on him and the rest below and thus Samson killed more with him in death than he had during his life - Judges 16:26 - 3026 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.

27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, 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 for my two eyes.

29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

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Samson's death points to and is a type of Jesus Christ's even though the motive and way there were different. Samson had everything he needed to succeed except his sinful nature and he demonstrated his nature every step of the way through life by breaking God's law and covenant. Jesus Christ came into the world sinless and demonstrated His nature by living a perfect life of faith, totally in obedience to the Law of Moses and God's covenant. Samson began to free Israel from bondage as the Word of God had foretold and willingly died to revenge himself against the enemy who had blinded him. His motive, like the motive of all mankind, was generally selfish and self centered. But God can use man in spite of this trait to further His own Will, for God's motive is love for mankind. Jesus Christ offered up His life willingly, not in revenge for what had been done to Him, but to free mankind from what mankind had brought upon himself, the enemy of sin and death. "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." John 19:3030 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

. Jesus did not die until His job was done, and that job was to pay the price for sin for all and give eternal life to all who believe in Him.

And so it is that only in the Lord Jesus Christ do we have the hope of life. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." - I Corinthians 15:22 - 26.

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." - 2 Corinthians 9:1515 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

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