Judges 16-17

1. Judges 16-17 Old Testament Bible Studies Prophetess Delisa Lindsey True Love Church of Refuge July 29, 2009

2. Samson’s Moral Weakness Judges 16:1-14

3. Judges 16:1 • Previously, we have seen Samson being overcome by spirits of rage and lust. Although the Lord would use him to accomplish mighty feats, he would return to the base lifestyle of yielding to his passions. • He single handedly killed a lion and a thousand men, but he couldn’t kill that beast within him that drove him to fulfilling the lusts of his flesh. • Samson takes a trip to Gaza to partake of a whore. He was no doubt an unwelcome visitor. • The Philistine women were beautiful and voluptuous and proved very hard for Samson to resist.

4. Judges 16:2 • Gaza means strong or stronghold. • As Samson indulged in sinful delights, his enemies waxed strong against him to kill him. • When we engage wickedly, we give the enemy the legal right to attack us. • Clearly, Samson was an unwelcome tourist in Gaza, therefore while he lay stupefied by sin, his enemies surrounded him, spied on him, and waited conspiring to kill him.

5. Certain houses are always open to strangers. These are the houses of destruction and decay. They bait you in with welcome arms and swallow you whole. Avoid the houses of Gazites where demonic strongholds await you. Samson was not in town for a mere visit. He hired the services of a prostitute for an illicit affair and left at midnight. “Do the freaks really come out at night?” The men laying at the gate, locked it, hoping to catch Samson the next morning. Samson finished his business and broke the locked gate, unhinged the doors of the gate, the two posts, and the bar and carried them away on his shoulders as the “gatekeepers” slept. He carried these away to Hebron, (association) on the top of the hill, the center of Judah. He carried the city’s gate 38 miles, 3,300 feet above sea level. The city’s gate was his trophy. He kept it to mock the Philistines. Judges 16:3

6. Judges 16:4 • Some time after the gate incident occurred, Samson finds himself in another compromising position with a beautiful, yet forbidden woman, Delilah. • Her name means “feeble”, to literally make a man weak in the knees. • Although her name is Hebrew, she was a Philistine. She was from Sorek, which means a “choice vine”. Literally, she is from that place that makes you love to drink to get drunk.

7. Judges 16:5 • The five lords of the Pentapolis, visited her, offering her a handsome price to lure Samson into telling her the source of his strength. • They wanted to know how they could entrap him, overcome him, and torture him. • They each offered her 1,100 pieces of silver amounting to 5,500 pieces or 140 pounds for her espionage services. • The Philistines were superstitious people and thought Samson wore a type of amulet or charm which served as the source of his strength. • What was the source?

8. Judges 16:6 • Delilah agrees to betray Samson, not so much by her words, but in her deeds. She uses her profession as a prostitute to lull Samson into a web of deceit, lust, and passion to coerce him to reveal his secret. • She played him like a fiddle, causing him to fall in love with her over and over again, each time she embraced him. He was madly in love with her and she was madly in love with …. the money was to receive as payment for her betrayal. • Does this sound familiar? Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss for a mere 30 pieces of silver. ‘Oh, please Samson, tell me where you get those big, strong arms! How do stay so buff and you don’t work out?”

9. Judges 16:7-8 • Samson started to play a deadly game with Delilah. He tells her that if he is bound with seven fresh bowstrings, rope looking vines, he will be as weak as any other man. • She reported this bit of information to the Philistines lords, who in return provided her with the cords wherewith to bind him. (see how the enemy takes no time is using the room that you give him.) • She plays this cruel joke by tying him with seven, fresh, green cords to see if in fact he was telling the truth. • The Philistines provided her with the cord and hid in his room while she told Samson that his enemies were coming for him

10. Judges 16:9-11 • Samson arose from his sleep and straightway broke the cords off him with the ease of thread giving way to fire. • Therefore the Philistines failed in their initial attempt to capture Samson. They could not determine his source of strength. • Delilah, enraged, insults Samson, calling him a liar and demands that he tells her how he can be bound. • Samson entertains her again by lying that if he were bound by unused braided ropes, he would be as weak as any other man.

11. Judges 16:12 • Eager for the handsome reward she was offered in exchange for her foolish lover, she tied him up again, hid the Philistines in a nearby room, and cried unto Samson that his enemies had come for him. • Samson arises from his sleep, and to Delilah’s horror, breaks the ropes as they were pieces of thread. • She pounces on him again for lying to her and she continues to insist that he tell her what can bind him.

12. Judges 16:13-14 • Samson, morally degenerate and helplessly sick with sin, challenges Delilah to yet another opportunity to bind him. • He tells her to divide his hair into seven locks and interweave with the weaver’s thread, then he shall be weak as any other man. • So Delilah takes the bait for the third time and pins his hair, fastening it to the weaver’s loom. She sounded the alarm this third time and he arose, pulling his hair out from the weaver’s pin, away from the loom and separated his hair from the web.

13. Samson tormented by Delilah, reveal his secret Judges 16:15-22

14. Judges 16:15 • Delilah begins to whine and throw a temper tantrum. “How can you say you love me, yet you continue to lie to me?” Apparently her schemes to overthrow her seemingly, mentally challenged guy friend was not the topic for discussion. Had Samson been walking in the Spirit instead of fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, he would not have found himself in such predicament, having to reveal the source of his strength. A woman of God would have known his source of strength for she too would be endowed with such.

15. Judges 16:16 • She pressed him for many days. The word press is tsuk in the Hebrew tongue which means to distress, oppress, sore, and constrain. • She literally wore him out with her continual nagging, contention, and strife. No doubt she cut him off sexually. She wore on him daily until his very soul was vexed (discouraged and loathing) unto death. This is where we get the saying, ‘worry me to death’. Continual nagging will shorten the days of your life.

16. The Spirit of Delilah:The Contentious, Angry Woman • Proverbs 19:13,”.. The contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.” • Proverbs 21:9 and 25:24, “ It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.” • Proverbs 21:19, “ It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.” • Proverbs 27:15, “A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. Whosoever hideth her, hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.”

17. Judges 16:17 • In is weakest moment, he confided his best kept secret to his arch enemy, the Philistines. He told her everything, bared his soul to the woman whom he thought loved him but in fact was love with the money and recognition she would earn as a result of her betraying him. • He told her of his Nazirite vow to God from his mother’s womb. He told her that no razor was to ever touch his head, for if he were ever shaven, his strength would depart rendering him weak as the ordinary man.

18. Judges 16:18 • Just as soon as Delilah sniffed out that Samson exposed his soul to her, she sent for the Philistines to bring her the money, she was confident this time that he was telling the truth. • The Philistines came to Delilah bringing the 5,500 pieces of silver. • Samson yielded to temptation and to the works of the flesh that his sins alone violated his Nazirite vow. His hair being cut only symbolized him being cut off from the presence of the Lord. He made an unwise choice of being more faithful to Delilah rather than to His God.

19. Judges 16:19-20 • Delilah used her gift to lure Samson into a deep sleep on her lap. After she plucked him to death with her incessant whining and complaining, she finally gave him peace and soothed him to sleep for the last time. • While he lay, helplessly worn out and asleep on her knees (symbol of weakness), she signaled to a man while she cut off his seven locks of hair. By the time she finished cutting his hair, his strength was gone. • She called him from his sleep again, telling him the Philistines were coming and he arose as if the presence of God was still upon him. The glory of God had departed from Samson. • Can you say, “Ichabod”?

20. The Lord was departed from him. • Samson lived in a state of disobedience and rebellion so long, he thought it to be the norm. • Compromise is deadly place to dwell. • Don’t mistake a delay from God’s judgment as a wink over your sin. In his infinite mercy and compassion, He gave Samson ample space to repent. • God allowed Samson to be punished by the very thing that brought him pleasure. “The Philistines are upon you,” Delilah said, but it was she who was upon him to destroy him. • How many times do we go against His will, yet His hands outstretch toward us beckoning us to come home? • We don’t ‘get away’ with anything, do we?

21. Judges 16:21-22 • His arch enemies pounced on him like that lion he destroyed in the beginning of his ministry and plucked his eyes out. Notice the first strategy the enemy uses against you is to destroy your vision. Without vision, you perish for you can’t see God working and intervening on your behalf. It shatters your faith and swallows your testimonies. • Their stratagem was to blind his faith, bring him down to their level, bind him hand and foot with brass chains, and use him for their wicked purposes. This is satan’s primary exploit. • Little did they know, God was not done with Samson. His hair began to grow. Aren’t you glad God is not through with you yet?

22. Samson avenged in his death Judges 16:23-31

23. What happened to Samson can happen to us • God was patient with Samson’s utter rebellion and disobedience. He suffered long with him over the lion and honey incident, and the insatiable appetite for strange women, but to give your strength to the enemy dealt a harsh blow to the purpose with which he had been called. • The enemies of Israel humiliated Samson, bringing him to Gaza whose gate he snatched away to the mountains. He allowed his lust to lead him to a place of blindness and helplessness. His sins separated him from God and allowed the enemy free reign in his life. • They gave him the job of a female slave, for his supernatural strength had lifted off him. He ground meal by hand, the lowest and most laborious form of slavery. • Although Samson’s hair began to grow again, the power in his renewed strength would come from his calling on the name of the Lord.

24. Judges 16:23-24 • The Philistines threw a feast in commemoration of their victory over Samson, his people, Israel, and His God. They sacrificed unto Dagon, the grain (god) devil, and as an added insult, made Samson a servant of his by grinding the grain. They attributed Samson’s defeat to Dagon, irregardless to the fact that Samson’s sins lifted God’s protective hedge which led him into enemy territory. • Nevertheless, the people danced, drank, and celebrated over Samson’s capture. No doubt Delilah was hailed as a high priestess for the active role in which she played in his apprehension. Our disobedience brings sheer joy to satan and his imps.

25. Judge 16:25-26 • Coaxed by their drunken stupor, the Philistines sent for Samson, out of prison, to make fun and mock him. They underestimated His God, who is mighty in battle. Even when we make a fool out of ourselves, God will still show Himself strong if for no one else but to exalt His own name in the earth. It is not about us, it’s all about Him. • He allowed Samson to be delivered into their hands, but He would have the last say-so. • Samson was so weak, they had a boy to guard him. He asked the boy to guide his hands to the pillars that he may rest upon them.

26. Judges 16:27-28 • The House of Dagon was full of celebrities, idolaters, spectators, and warlords. There were 3,000 people on the roof alone who were watching Samson and poking fun at him. • Samson embarrassed, humiliated, and ashamed calls on the name of the Lord in three different titles. • And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord (Adonai) GOD (Jehovah), remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God (Elohim), that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

27. Judges 16:29-30 • Samson took hold of the two middle pillars, bowed himself forward, sliding the pillars off their stone bases and killed thousands of Philistines. • Samson chose to die with them. • He killed all the warlords and although the exact number is unknown, it is fact that he killed more in his death than when he was alive. • Theologians have speculated as to who gave this report of Samson’s death and his prayer if all were dead. Some have reasoned that the lad, the little Hebrew lad who attended Samson during this time, escaped and reported these events.

28. Judges 16:31 • Samson’s saga ends here with a brief 20 year judgeship of which he ruled as a loner and died as a loner. His passions and his lusts consumed him, robbing him of numerous opportunities to glorify God in his life and death. • His tribal family buried him in his father’s tomb. They sought out his body among the slain and offered him in his death what they were too afraid to offer him in his life, decency and respect. • Although he dishonored God during his life, he sacrificed his life to avenge the enemies of God and left a peaceful 20 year reign for his people to enjoy.

29. Confusion to Israel:Final Cycle Judges 17-21

30. Religious Confusion Judges 17

31. Judges 17:1 • The next five chapters of the book of Judges reveal the spiritually apostate condition of Israel. God would raise up unusual leaders who would deliver Israel and they would soon return to their common and seemingly comfortable place of being spiritually slouchy and spiritually sluggish. • Case in point, Micah (who is like Jehovah), an Ephraimite, stole 1,100 shekels of pieces from his wealthy mother. (Although this chapter follows Samson chronologically, there is no resemblance to Delilah and her silver, whatsoever).

32. Judges 17:2-3 • The mother cursed the person who stole the silver, ignorant to the fact that her son was the thief. The son, upon hearing the curse admits to stealing it. (Ancient people feared the parental curse; they always sought out their parents’ blessings.) The mother retracts the curse and blesses her son for his confession. • Micah restored the silver to his mother who claimed she had dedicated the silver to the Lord. However, her idea of dedication was not in accordance with the Law of Moses which forbade graven and molten images.

33. Judges 17:4-6 • Micah restored the silver to his mother and she took 200 pieces and gave them to a silversmith to make a graven and molten image. • Micah made a shrine and made himself an ephod and teraphim (household idols) and consecrated one of his sons as his priest. • Needless to say, there was no established leader in Israel, therefore everyone followed their own pernicious ways which were right in their own eyes.

34. What’s the Significance? • 10 shekels a year was average pay, how did Micah’s mom acquire 1,000 shekels? • Why would she give Micah 200 shekels to help him establish his own religion? She paid for his gods, his ephod, and his household idols which were thought to bring happiness, peace, and prosperity. • Micah graduated from crook to high priest after his mother’s order in a very short period of time. • He made his own god, established himself as the high priest and ordained his son a priest to him. He established his own religious system which was very contrary to the Levitical priesthood set up after the order of Moses and all the laws pertaining to idolatry. • Have we carved God into the image of what we want Him to be? • Rather than follow the laws of God, man makes their own god and their own set of laws.

35. Judges 17:7-9 Hello, I am Pastor Vagabond • A Levite (preacher) is found wandering to Ephraim looking for work. Bethlehem was not assigned as a Levitical city, therefore this Levite was an opportunist, desiring to market his gift as a Levite priest. • God established cities for the Levites to live in, why was he wandering about as a vagabond? • He offered himself as a preacher for money and was looking for a place where he could profit. (Does this sound familiar to the vagabond spirit operating today?) God has designed each of us a place to either lead or be discipled, wherefore art thou a vagabond?

36. Judges 17:10-11 Micah, you can call me, Bishop Hireling • Micah offered the priest a place to stay and a job, hoping to legitimize his false religion with a legitimate priest. Micah made him his spiritual father and priest and paid him 10 shekels of silver a year to run his ‘church’ and provided him with his suits and his food! • Good gracious! • Micah now expects a blessing since he has everything in place including the blessings of his idolatrous mother. He has successfully linked his church to the Levitical priesthood and he thinks he has been blessed to be a blessing. The priest was just as content in his folly as Micah, calling him his son – a recipe for disaster.

37. Judges 17:12-13 • Micah consecrates, or ordains the Levite to his service in the house (church) of Micah. • Micah had no authority from God to ordain a renegade priest to himself. The Levite would be held more responsible than Micah because he should have known better. • Micah also thought that since he had a Levite as a priest, that God would “do me good”. Foolishly, he thought because he had acquired a hireling, God would pour out His choice blessings on this choice mess.

38. Judges 18-19discussed August 12,2009 No class August 5, 2009