March 20 Daily Devotional

Judges 14–16

God gave Samson great strength but Samson did not always remember his solemn vow of keeping away from worldly things. His acts sometimes seem rash and cruel. Instead of looking up to God, he wanted to have his own way in opposing the Philistines. God used this man, and he began to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines, as the angel had said.

At one time Samson with his bare hands killed a young lion which came roaring against him. At another time he carried a huge city gate with its gate-posts a long distance to the top of a hill. Once he fought the Philistines so well that they were badly beaten. Soon after that he left the stone cave in which he lived and permitted his countrymen to tie him with new ropes and take him to the Philistines. Their joy did not last long, however, for, when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, the ropes on his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands dropped off his hands; and then, finding the jawbone of an ass, he rushed towards the Philistines and slew one thousand of them.

The Philistines hated him, yet he dared to go among them. At one time he fell in love with a young woman among the Philistines, whose name was Delilah. She was used by them to bring him into their power. The lords of the Philistines came and said to her, “Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth … and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.” So she came and coaxed him with her words, “How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me?” As she pressed him daily, he finally yielded and said to her, “There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite to God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me.” Wicked Delilah reported this to the Philistines, and while he was asleep they came and cut his hair. When he awoke, he found that his strength was gone. Now the Philistines laid hold on him, put out his eyes, bound him with fetters of brass, and took him to the prison in Gaza, where he had to do hard work.

While in prison, he realized that he had failed. He prayed to God to renew his strength. Meanwhile his hair began to grow again. At that time the Philistines had a celebration in honor of their god Dagon. Samson was called to make sport and amuse the many people that were present. He asked the boy that led him to take him to the pillars that supported the building. Then he called unto the Lord, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me … only this once.” And he took hold of the two pillars, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left, and said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Samson died with these Philistines.