Samson & Delilah: Star Struggles, Love Do’s & Don’ts
Afterward, it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, 'Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.'
Judges 16:4-5 (NKJV)
Samson's tragic affair with Delilah is a tale of what NOT to do in love.
His epic story starts with his parents: Manoah and wife. Like some other biblical super-moms, she couldn’t conceive. But an angel of God said otherwise. Samson was coming!
They got instructions on how to raise him in an era when 'The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord' (Judges 13:1).
He was prayerful and obedient. She was wise and respected her husband. But their son, Samson, didn’t follow suit.
Samson fell for the wrong woman--THREE times!
Lady #1 was a pagan wife. She may have been lovely on the outside, but definitely NOT on the inside. When she was faced with the difficult choice of Samson or home, she chose home--not him.
Lady #2 was a prostitute. This affair was a thoughtless encounter that set up the strong man for an attack, but as usual with all of his fights, Israel’s unmatched superhero won.
Lady #3 was sly Delilah, and Samson fell for the sassy beauty. Although her dark schemes were revealed to him (no less than three times), God’s unbeaten star ignored the warnings. He loved her too much…
And that was precisely Samson’s problem. 'I have this against you, that you have left your first love' (Revelation 2:4).
OUR FIRST AND DEEPEST LOVE MUST BE FOR GOD: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind' (Matthew 22:37).
When Delilah took top spot in his heart, God wouldn’t have it. 'For the Lord your God is a consuming Fire, a jealous God' (Deuteronomy 4:24). The Lord’s jealous for our safety on earth, as well as our eternal life with Him.
Up until this point, God overlooked Samson's character flaws… and actually used them all for good. But not this one. The hero crossed the line.
Because lust is the devil’s dominion: a slippery slope leading down to hell. Samson's unrepentant lust caused his fall.
Samson & Delilah: Star Struggles, Love Do’s & Don’ts (Part 3)
NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.