An Interview with Samson

Scripture:

“if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13

Read the whole story of Samson & Delilah and Samson’s death in Judges 16.

Thoughts:

I wrote the following paper when I was a student at John Wesley College. The assignment was to research and present a minor prophet of the Old Testament. I chose Samson and presented his story as an interview.

Host: Ladies and gentlemen, we are here live with Samson who has been imprisoned by the Philistines. We are going to ask him a few questions while he is taking a break from the mindless turning of this huge wheel that he has been chained to.

Interviewer: In what year were you born, and where is the place of your birth?

Samson: I was born in the year 1090 BC, near the beginning of the Philistine oppression of Zorah, which is located across the valley of Sorek from Beth-Shemesh near the Israelite and Philistine border.

Interviewer: Can you explain what a Nazarite is?

Samson: A Nazarite is a person of who is bound by a special vow to God’s service; either for life or for a defined period of time. In my case, my mother and father made this dedication at my birth, so it was for life. As Nazarite, I could not drink of the fruit of the vine, and I was not able to cut my hair. As a Nazarite, I was to remain free from all impurities, even the touching of dead bodies.

Interviewer: What is the answer to your riddle?

Samson: When I went down to Timnah I met a young Philistine woman. When I returned, I told my parents that I wanted her for my wife. My father and mother were not pleased with this. They said to me, “Is there not an acceptable woman among your relatives or among our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?”

I then said to my father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” My parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at this time they were ruling over Israel. My father and my mother went with me down to Timnah. As we approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young line came roaring toward me. The Spirit of the Lord came upon me so I tore the lion apart with my bare hands as I might have torn a young goat. I told neither my mother nor father what I had done. Then I went down and talked with the woman, and I liked her. Some time later, when I had gone back to marry her, I turned back to look at the lion’s carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey, at which I had scooped out with my hands and ate as I went along. When I had rejoined my parents, I gave them some as well. I did not tell them that I had taken it from the carcass of a lion. Now my father had gone down to see the woman in which I had intended to marry. As it was customary for the bridegroom, I prepared a feast. I was given thirty companions. And I said to all of them, “Let me tell you a riddle. If you can answer my riddle within seven days of this feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty garments of clothes. If you cannot answer my riddle, you must give me the thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.” They replied, “Tell us your riddle.”

“Out of the eater, something to eat;
out of the strong, something sweet.”

For three days they could not give me the answer. On the fourth day, they went to my wife to try and get the answer to the riddle. So my wife came to me and said to me, “You have given my people this riddle, but you have not told me the answer to your riddle.” So I told her. Before the sunset on the seventh day, the men of the town said to me,

“What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger than a lion?”

Interviewer: Why did you allow Delilah to cut your hair?

Samson: Delilah with her persistent nagging prodded me day after day until I finally grew tired of her nagging and gave in. This was the second time that I had allowed myself to be brought down by her nagging. You might say this is a really bad excuse for my disobedience. My advice to you is that no matter how good something looks don‘t let someone talk you into doing
wrong.

Interviewer: How did God turn your failures and defeats into victories?

Samson: In spite of all my disobedience, God still answered my prayer to destroy the Philistines temple and its worshipers. God still loved me and was willing to use me in my weakness this final time. I can tell you that even though you may mess up, He still wants to use you and He still loves you.

Interviewer: What do you think about Delilah now that she has given you into the hands of the Philistines?

Samson: I think that Delilah was a very deceitful woman with honey on her lips and poison in her heart. She was a person who used me for her own personal gain. How could I have been such a fool? Delilah took advantage of me several times, and I was not even aware of this because I was in love.

God used Samson despite Samson allowing Delilah to cause him to stumble. God uses us despite our failures. His love is more powerful than our shortcomings. Just like He didn’t give up on Samson, God never gives up on us!

Imagery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQXv4JL0Fzg