Read Judges 16:15-21 NIV
“Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.
So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”
When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.
Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”
He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.”
I recommend that sometime today you read the entire story of Samson, it’s not that long and pretty engaging reading (Judges 13-16).
Samson was a Judge of Israel, renowned for his strength and prowess in battle. He was born a Nazirite, which meant he must never drink wine, come into contact with corpses, or cut his hair (Numbers 6:1-21; Judges 13:5). The Nazirite Vow was a way for individuals to dedicate themselves to God as a consecration.
Samson would eventually violate all three provisions of this vow.
As we read above, Samson saw Delilah and fell in love with her, not realizing that she would so readily betray him for money.
Because Samson was impulsive and selfish, Samson made terrible choices about companionship that had immediate and terrible consequences in his life.
Perhaps Solomon was thinking about Samson when he wrote the verse “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20
The GOOD NEWS is that while Samson’s actions had a terrible cost, God returned to him when Samson prayed in faith. Many generations later in the book of Hebrews Paul even cited Samson as one who was living by faith when he died. (Hebrews 11:32).
Something to ponder today:
Perhaps you’re in a GOOD spot. Look around… is there someone else you could be specifically praying for to make wise decisions?
Are you praying for wisdom from God?
And if you’re currently in a BAD SPOT because of an unwise decision THERE IS HOPE. Perhaps you could ask the Godly, wise person that you thought of yesterday for advice and prayer. Who would that be?
