Judges 16

[MEST] Judges
Judges 16 >
“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.

Judges 15

[MEST] Judges

Judges 15

“Revenge is a dish best served with a donkey’s jawbone and 300 burning foxes”

[Read Judges 15]

Why might Samson still think (or want to) that all was well with his “wife” after activities at the end of chapter 14?

300 foxes?! What’s up with that?!

What’s the significance of loosing them in the fields and vineyards?

How is verse 6 ironic?

When the Philistines went up to Judah, why didn’t they just go to war with Isreal? They obviously had greater numbers, better weapons and battle knowledge. Not to mention that at this point in history, Isreal lay trampled beneath Philistine boots. So why not finish them off and be done with it?

Taking the metaphor that Isreal = Church and the Philistines = the world. What do the questions posed by the Isrealites in verses 10 and 11 tell us?

So again, we find Isreal back at the bottom of the spiral, in a similar place to Judges 1:1-20. They are more concerned with just getting along then doing what’s right. They are anxious to live and let live and would rather bind and betray their saviour then have him upset the balance. What does this point us towards?

Here we have the 3rd time that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson” and again it’s for questionable effect. The “unusual” choice of weapon tells us stuff. What?

At the end of this chapter we see some very interesting things. What are they?

What does this story tell us about revenge?

Judges 14

[MEST] Judges
Judges 14 >
As we begin our journey with Samson, the 12th and last judge, we continue to be confused and second guessed by the God of the unexpected. Just as we draw parallels between Samson and the other judges, as well as comparisons to other biblical characters whose births were proclaimed, we yet again find something completely new. This “judge” that emerges as Samson, hardly looks like a judge at all...
[Read > Judges 14]
Earlier in Judges, we’ve seen Jephthah’s mouth get him into trouble. What parallels can we draw Jephthah’s and Samson’s stories?

What does verse 4 tell us about God?

From the get go, we see Samson with his eyes on a lady. But 3 times in as many verses, the woman’s “Philistineness” is mentioned (she was a Philistine / “she’s a Philistine”, says Samson / “She’s a Philistine?” asks his parents). What does this tell us?

Samson says, “I’ve seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife”. What does this tell us about Samson and his parents?

Next we see Samson and his mom and dad going down to Timnah and a crazy episode with a lion! Why didn’t his mom and dad see this going on? Why was Samson so far in front or behind that they didn’t see? And what was Samson (a Nazarite) doing in a vineyard?

What’s the deal with the lion carcass and the honey?

[Activity] > Samson is a man of action. This can have good and bad connotations... (split into groups and discuss what these good and bad things are)
Why does Samson “riddle-me-this” with the Philistines at the party?

Again we see that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him” and Samson murders 30 innocent men at Ashkelon. This is paired with the killing of the lion, which incidentally there’s no mention of the lion attacking/threatening Samson. What do we think about the killing of these “innocents” in the power of the Spirit?