THE STORY OF SAMSON

Hello 👋 friends, our topic: THE STORY OF SAMSON

Samson was Nazirite, the son of Manoah born in Zorah from the tribe of Dan. He was a judge in Israel and God equipped him with supernatural powers. He achieved some many extraordinary feats including killed a lion with his bare hands, killing a thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey, with his strength, he pushed down the temple building containing five Philistines kings including about three thousand people.

What is a Nazirite: is a miracle child to an infertile spouse and a Nazirite is not meant to drink alcohol, cut his hair, or touch/near unclean things, for example corpse.

Samson was born when the Philistines were ruling over the Israelites, for 40 years and the Israelites were humiliated by their enemies. The Lord’s angel appeared to Manoah’s wife, and tell her she will have a son whom will be dedicated to the Lord and God will use him to rescue Israel from the hands of the Philistines. The angel instructed her not to drink wine or beer or eat forbidden food because she will deliver a “nazirite”. Finally, she had a son and they named him Samson and God bless the child as he grew. 

Samson saw a Philistine young lady that he loved and he informed his parents to get her as wife but they forbid him, advising him to marry from their clan or tribe, they never knew it was God’s direction. 

Samson told a riddle to the Philistines and they were unable to get the proper answer and the Philistines threatened to burn down the father’s house of Samson’s wife, if she did not trick Samson in revealing the riddle before the appointed day(7 days). This is the riddle “out of the eater came something to eat, out of the strong came something sweet”. She begged Samson to reveal the riddle but he refused and she continued nagging till the appointed day and Samson had no option but revealed it to her before the time and she tell the Philistines. The riddle answer “what can be sweeter than honey? What can be stronger than a lion”?

Samson was furious when the Philistines revealed his riddle and he knew everything and said to them, “if you have not been plowing with my cow, you wouldn’t know the answer now”. The Lord’s spirit made him strong and he killed 30 men in Ashkelon, striped them of their valueables and gave to the people that solve his riddle, his wife was later given to his best man during his wedding.

Samson was so angry and he burned up the both harvested wheat and the one that are still in the field, he achieved it by using three hundred foxes. Samson fled to the region of Judah and hidden himself in a cave, and 300 men of Judah tied him with ropes and hands him over to the Philistines. God gave him strength that broke the ropes into pieces and killed a thousand Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone. When Samson cried to the Lord for been thirsty, the Lord opened the ground and water gushed out and the place is named “Hakkore”.

Samson always making the headlines, went to the region of Gaza, and went in with a prostitute and the Philistines surrounded the place waiting for him at the city gate, they wanted to kill him. At midnight, he pulled out the city gate and carried it on his shoulder. 

There was a woman named Delilah, she lived in the city of Sorek Valley and Samson fell in love with her. When the news was everywhere, the five kings of the Philistines went to Delilah and promised her eleven hundred pieces of silver each. They wanted her to trick Samson into revealing his power/strength and she began to do her best in tricking and betraying Samson. She keeps trying to get Samson revealed his power but at no avail and one day Samson got tired of her continuous questioning and said to her “my hair has never been cut, and I was dedicated to God as a nazirite from the time I was born, if my hair were cut, I will lose my strength and be as weak as everyone else”.

Then Delilah sent for the Phillistines kings and they brought the money, they promised her and after tricking Samson and lulled him to sleep in her lap, Samson’s hair was cut and he lose his strength and they began to torment him. The Philistines captured him and put his eyes off, chained him and put him in the prison in Gaza.

It was a celebration for the Philistines and they offered great sacrifice to their god Dagon, as they all gathered in their temple singing victorious song over Samson. They brought Samson to make fun of and entertain them, and the five Philistine kings were present including over 3000 people. Blind Samson was led into the columns (pillars) of the temple, though his hair was growing and Samson prayed to God to give him his strength one more time, and his strength was restored, he pushed down the two columns that is holding the temple and the whole building collapsed, killing everyone.

His body was taken by his family and buried in the tomb of his father and he ruled Israel for 20 years before his death. 

We appreciate your affections and remain blessed.

Peace ☮️ out.