Monday, November 26, 2007
By Faith... the Judges, Part 32 of 62
TEXT: "What more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets" (Hebrews 11:32).
IDEA: Falling in love with someone who doesn’t share your love for God can lead to a spiritual disaster.
PURPOSE: To help listeners appreciate that “falling in love” can lead to a spiritual fall.
Have you ever wondered why certain minor characters in the Bible have notoriety?
In the Apostles’ Creed it states that “Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate.” Do you think that Pilate ever wondered, “How did I get in there?” Have you ever wondered that?
A woman that many people know but really don’t know much about is Delilah. Why do you think she is famous?
I. Evil people fascinate us more than good people.
In literature, it is the evil people who are easier to portray. Why? One deed can demonstrate our dark side, but it takes many years to show us as good.
Are we drawn to evil people in the Bible – like Cain, Judas, Pilate, Herod, Delilah?
Do you think that Delilah was completely evil? How do you think her friends would have explained her relationship with Samson?
II. Samson must have seen something in Delilah that charmed him and made him fall in love with her (Judges 16:4).
What do we know about them and their relationship? We don’t know how or when they met. What DO we know?
Delilah probably was not a Philistine but a Jew.
Her name is Semitic, not Philistine. The Philistines were a presence in the country.
The “Valley of Sorek” is only a few miles from where Samson lived.
They had an extended relationship so that Samson came and went and the Philistines became aware of it.
Both Samson and Delilah were in their middle years—this wasn’t a youthful fling.
She was obviously still sexually attractive.
We know that Samson loved Delilah, but Delilah used Samson. Why did she use him?
She sold him to the enemy for money.
The five lords of the Philistines (Judges 16:5 1 Samuel 6:4) knew Delilah’s weakness. They offered her 5,500 pieces of silver to find out the secret of Samson’s strength. They thought it lay in some charm or amulet.
She was willing to sell Samson for financial security.
He sold himself to her for love. He was blinded by his feelings. Was Samson the only person who has done that?
Many people have sold their faith and their children because of love for someone who didn’t really share their faith and values.
