Judges 16:23-31 - Samson Review
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23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.”
24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.”
25 And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars.
26 And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.”
27 Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.
28 Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.”
29 And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other.
30 And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.
31 Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.
PRAY...
What is a load bearing wall? ...
23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.”
24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.”
The lords of the Philistines - likely the leaders of the FIVE major Philistine cities on the Mediterranean coast
Sacrifice
Praise
to Dagon
For delivering Samson into their hand
CF: Judges 14:4 “4 His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he (THE LORD) was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.”
The people also praise Dagon for delivering SAMSON into their hand
What’s missing?? they are not praising Dagon for delivering Israel into their hand…the enemy is a one man army…Israel is completely apathetic to the presence of the Philistines in the land.
Judges 16:25 (ESV)
25 And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them.
25a - When their hearts were merry…that is they were probably drunk at this point and make a terrible decision to bring Samson out of prison.
Judges 16:25–26 (ESV)
25 They made him stand between the pillars. 26 And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.”
25b - they put him in center of the building between the two major pillars that hold the building up…the load bearing wall.
26 - Samson, apparently familiar with the building architecture, asks to be placed against one of the two pillars (maybe during a break in the entertainment…idk)
27 Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.
27 - The house is full
Five lords of the Philistines
3000 men and women (just on the roof)…were there more within?
28 Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.”
28 - Samson called to the LORD
Remember me
Please strengthen me -
does he know how long his hair has to be to regain his strength?
does he know what he is supposed to do to reinstate his Nazarite vow?
Even if he does, would he have had the opportunity
That I may be avenged against the Philistines for my eyes.
29 And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other.
29 - Samson pushed the two pillars apart from one another and broke them!
This was an impressive structure…it is supporting 3000 people on the roof
But the major load of the roof was held up by these two cedar supporting pillars in the middle of the building
30 And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.
30a - As he broke these pillars, he said, “Let me die with the Philistines!”
30b - He killed more Philistines in this one event than in all of his other battles before this.
31 Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.
31a - His brothers and family took him and buried him with his family
31b - He judged for 20 years - this was probably between the JAWBONE episode and his mission into Gaza
The story of Samson is the last within the book of Judges that recounts the SAVING of Israel by a judge that is raised up by the Lord.
There are another five chapters describing the state of the nation after the time of the Deliverers. Just to preview it quickly…it’s not good. The time after the judges is marked by this phrase… “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
THE BOOK OF DELIVERERS
Othniel (Judges 3:7-11) - The nephew of Caleb, who had a different spirit about him. A gentile convert.
Ehud (Judges 3:12-30) - Disabled in his right hand, this left handed warrior
Shamgar (Judges 3:31)
Barak (Judges 4-5) - The reluctant judge who was
Gideon (Judges 6-8) - Least of his father’s house and weakest clan of Manasseh
Tola (Judges 10:1-2)
Jair (Judges 10:3-5)
Jephthah (Judges 11-12:7) - Son of a prostitute and cast out by his brothers
Ibzan (Judges 12:8-10)
Elon (Judges 12:11-12)
Abdon (Judges 12:13-15)
Samson (Judges 13-16) - Born to a barren woman…the only one fighting the Philistines
GO WITH THIS...
Are we willing to serve the Lord with our whole life as an act of worship?
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Do we have faith that God will empower us to accomplish our calling?
Romans 12 continues describing how the Lord has equipped the church
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,
5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;
7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;
8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Where does our strength come from?
I was reminded of Paul struggling with the thorn in his flesh...
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
In Judges and the presence of Holy Spirit seems a bit transient…a move of the Lord was marked by the Spirit of the Lord rushing upon the deliver…and the judge did not seem to know when that would come.
The POWER the Lord gives us comes from the Holy Spirit
21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,
22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.