Mike continues his lesson on Bible characters from Hebrews 11.
After many, many tries, the Philistines finally learn the secret of Samson’s great strength. But when Samson gives away that secret – when he loses the power God had given him – he did not even know the Lord had left him. So, the Philistines then captured Samson and gouged out his eyes.
In his blindness, what did Samson finally see?
“So he told her everything. ‘No razor has ever been used on my head,’ he said, ‘because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. 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. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone 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.”
Judges 16:17-20 (NIV)