Israels Judges

Judges 16
Introduction
Last week in chapter 15 we watched as Samsons unbridled anger turned into blood thirst and
in several rampages he massacred a large number of Philistine men. We also watched as the
men of Judah due to the long oppression of the Philistines were blind to the opportunity
presented them for freedom bound Samson and turned him over to them. Truly there were
several incidents in this chapters story that should have resulted differently!
Our lives mirror the story in that there are times that our situations can be altered for our good
if we only act in a different manner or make a different choice! Herein proves once again that
we need God to direct our lives daily!
In chapter 16 Samson continues to act without regard to his decisions. And in the course of
time will pay a steep consequence for his bad choices!
***First, we hear of
I. Samsons Sin vv. 1 - 3
One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.
The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him
all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, "At dawn we'll kill him." But
Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the
city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders
and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
Understanding the Word:
1. What do we find Samson doing (once again) in verse 1? _________________
2. Is this the action of a man of God? _______
3. Is this the action of a good leader? _______
4. While in his sin (literally) what occurs? ___________________________________________
5. What happened? ______________________________________________________________
6. As he escaped the plot what did he do? ___________________________________________
7. What did that do to the city? ____________________________________________________
***Second, we hear of
II. Sins Snare vv. 4 5
Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The
rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of

his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one
of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver (28 pounds)."
Understanding the Word:
1. The four and fifth words are. ____________!
2. The scripture says he fell in love with a woman, but in reality, He simply ______ into sin.
3. And what is the price of sin? (Romans 6:23) ________________________________________
4. Was Samsons sin appealing? _________________
5. Would we be attracted to sin if it were not appealing? ________________________
6. Just as Delilah (Samsons sin) turned on him so will our sin _________________.
7. As in Samsons case love can be ____________!
***Third, we hear of
III. Beautys Betrayal vv. 6 14
So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up
and subdued." Samson answered her, "If anyone ties me with seven fresh thongs (bowstring) that
have not been dried, I'll become as weak as any other man." Then the rulers of the Philistines brought
her seven fresh thongs that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. With men hidden in the
room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the thongs as easily
as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not
discovered. Then Delilah said to Samson, "You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now,
tell me how you can be tied." He said, "If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never
been used, I'll become as weak as any other man." So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with
them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!"
But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads. Delilah then said to Samson, "Until
now, you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied." He replied, "If
you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric [on the loom] and tighten it with the pin, I'll
become as weak as any other man." So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his
head, wove them into the fabric and tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, "Samson, the
Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the
fabric.
Understanding the Word:
1. Running her fingers through his long hair she said, _____________________________?
2. Did Samson tell her his secret? _______
3. What did Delilah do? ___________________________________________________________
4. Did the plot work? _______
5. Did she give up? _______

6. What did Samsons sin (Delilah) then do? ___________________________________________

7. Did this plot succeed? ________
8. Did she give up? _______
9. Will sin ever stop trying to trap you and hurt you? _______
***Fourth, we hear of
IV. Samson Succumbs vv. 15 - 20
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 tired to death. So he told her everything. "No
razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God
since birth. 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. Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man 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.
Understanding the Word:
1. Delilah is relentless in her quest to know the source of Samsons ____________.
2. How often did she question Samson about his strength? ________________________
3. Should her continued questioning have aroused suspension? _________________
4. Weve all heard the threes a charm, but in Samsons case it is a ____________.
5. Verse 17 says, He told her ____________, and in doing so ________________________.
(Compare Matthew 7:6)
6. What did Delilah do upon receiving the truth about Samsons strength? ________________
7. When Delilahs betrayal was upon him what did Samson discover? ____________________
8. When we are in sin the Lord is away from us as well due to our disobedience. Sadly, we
only discover the reality of that sad truth when sin is already at work in our life causing
destruction and hurt!
***Fifth, we hear of
V. Sins Savagery vv. 21 - 22

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 in the prison. But the hair on his head began to grow again
after it had been shaved.
Understanding the Word:
1. Samson yielding to sin caused him to _________________.
2. Can sin be as dramatic/severe in our life? ____________
3. After blinding him what was Samson subjected to? _________________________________
4. Can sin cause us to not only suffer pain but also become enslaved? ___________________
5. In time Samsons hair began to grow back which meant God was returning to him.
(Spiritually speaking in time a wayward child can come back to God.)
***Sixth, we hear of
VI. Samsons Salvation vv. 23 31
Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to
celebrate, saying, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands." When the people saw
him, they praised their god, saying, "Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who
laid waste our land and multiplied our slain." While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out
Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When
they stood him among the pillars, Samson said to the servant who held his hand, "Put me where I can
feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them." Now the temple was
crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about
three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O
Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one
blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." Then Samson reached toward the two central
pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left
hand on the other, Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might,
and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he
died than while he lived. Then his brothers and his father's whole family went down to get him. They
brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He
had led Israel twenty years.
Understanding the Word:
1. Success and victory are fleeting it they do not come from ____________.
2. The god to whom the Philistines prayed was _________________.
3. Samson was brought out before the people as a symbol of their _________________.
4. He was blind and their captive and thought to be _________________.
5. Upon realizing that he was between two pillars Samson saw an ____________________.
6. But what did Samson need _________________.

7. He cried out saying, ________________________________________.

8. God responded to his request and Samson _______________________________________.
9. As a result of the roof falling Samson ____________________________________________.
10. God can use our life in a greater way in our final years than in our beginning years!
Closing Thoughts:
1. Sin (lust for a bad woman) caused Samson daily grief, treachery, and eventual physical
torture, enslavement, death. It will do no less for us if we succumb to its deadly temptation.
2. Time after Delilah tried to trick Samson and her treachery was very evident. He should have
understood what was occurring, but chose to ignore it. You cannot ignore wrong or sin
because in time if left unaddressed it will seize you and destroy you.
3. God can and often does use people in a greater way in their latter years than at the
beginning of their life.
4. God can and will use people in ways strange to us to accomplish His plan just as He did
with Samson.
Pray