Judges 16

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“Why Why Why... Delilah?”
[Read Judges 16]
After all that’s gone on, why would Samson go back to Gaza?


When Samson isn’t busy saving Isreal , he’s busy being Isreal. What could this mean?


When we looked at Jephthah’s story, we saw that his mouth was both his strength and weakness. How can we apply this idea to Samson?


What’s all this business with Gaza’s gates in verse 3? What’s all that about?


Verses 6 – 17 might seems a bit like déjà-vu. We’ve been in this same situation before, what can this tell us?


“He did not know that the Lord had left him” is one of the saddest sentances in the whole book. What does this tell us about Samson, and how does this act as a caution for us?


[Activity] > Again, there was a “seizing”, this time of Samson; again a seductive woman had betrayed him; again he “went down to Gaza”, but this time as a prisoner. Samson’s story is full of repetition. Find as many example of this, and what does this tell you?

The Philistines were at a disadvantage. They didn’t know what we know. That the God of Isreal, who does the unexpected (Ehud), whose strength is made perfect in weakness (Gideon), and who never breaks His word (Jephthah). Made a promise back in 13:7. What does this mean for Samson?


Parallels can be drawn between Samson, the last judge in Judges, and Jesus Christ, the last Judge. What are they?


Verse 24 shows the Philistines making a bold statement. This was in a way, both right and wrong...How?


As we’ve already seen, certain parallels can be drawn between Samson and Jesus. How does Samson’s end point towards Jesus?


[Conclusion]
Along with what Samson teaches us and points us towards (Jesus). He also gives us an opposite example too... the Isrealites (and ultimately, us). We, like the Isrealites, are repeatedly called, empowered and gifted. And yet we mess up, we are selfish.
The big idea we need to take away from Samson’s story is that God is here and God is the Judge. Before Samson’s birth the Lord prepared everything, throughout his life the Lord is masterminding everything, at his death the pagan god is defeated and the God of Isreal triumphs.
On a personal level, Samson is a harsh warning to us all. We are all given grace and mercy and gifts and talents and it is up to us what we do with them.