Sampson was born across the Sorek Valley from Bet Shemash. His father’s name was Manoah, and he was from the clan of the Danites. His mother’s name is not mentioned in the Bible, but she was childless. An angel told her and Manoah that she would have a son and she was not to drink fermented drink or eat anything unclean. A razor was not to touch the boy’s head because he was to be a Nazarite. He was to be dedicated from the womb and would deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.
Oddly enough, Sampson married a Philistine woman from Timnah against his parent’s wishes. At the wedding feast he asked the Philistines if they could figure out his riddle. At the end of the feast, his young wife seduced him into telling her the riddle, which she explained to her friends. Then Sampson struck down thirty of their men at Ashkelon. When he returned, he discovered that his wife was given to one of his companions who came to the wedding.
Sampson led Israel for twenty years. He went to Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute. The Philistines planned to take him in the morning, but Sampson got up in the middle of the night, took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts and tore them loose, bar and all. He carried them to the top of the hill. Later he fell in love with Delilah and married her. The Philistines asked Delilah to find out where his great strength came from. He refused to tell her, but she would not leave him alone. She seduced him until he said, “No razor has ever been used on my head, because I have been a Nazarite 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.” Sampson lost his strength and was captured by the Philistines. They gouged out his eyes and put him in prison.
Why did Sampson allow himself to be seduced by women? We might think he was foolish, but how many times have we fallen by the power of our circumstances? Many Americans might think we have lost our country because of the election results. However, this is not a time to give up but to pray that the voting corruption would be exposed and that justice would be the end result.
Sampson’s hair grew in prison and his strength returned. The Philistines celebrated their victory over him, but when they brought him out of prison, his companion placed him between two temple pillars, which he pushed out. The temple fell, and Sampson killed more Philistines in his death than during the twenty years he led Israel (The Book of Judges).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray for a miracle in America; for revival, repentance, justice and victory. Lead our country back to you. Help us to trust you as never before. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Closer Walk with God 