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Samson Removes Gaza’s Gates and Ultimately Meets His Fate

Word spread concerning Samson and his amazing strength. After reigning over the Philistines for twenty years, Samson headed for the city of Gaza, and there he encountered a harlot. Having full knowledge of his presence, the men of Gaza laid in wait all night for an opportunity to kill Samson.

At midnight, Samson arose taking the doors of the gate of the city, and carried them away on his shoulders. Once again, God was at work with Samson, and his strength proved paramount.

Upon his departure from Gaza, Samson headed to Sorek; and there he fell in love with a woman from that valley named Delilah. Completely consumed with being overpowered by Samson, and having full knowledge of the influence a woman can have over a man, the leader of the Philistines went to Delilah with a proposition. " Find out from Samson what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. In exchange, each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver."

Ever so cunning, Delilah went to Samson and requested that he tells what makes him so strong, and what will it take to tie him up securely.

Consumed with his love for the woman, Samson tells Delilah what it would take to make him weak and void of strength.

Influenced by her love of money over the love of her man, Delilah ties up Samson with the bowstrings given to her by the Philistine leader and hides some men in a room in her house.

Deceptively, she calls out to Samson (who is now tied up), and informs him that the Philistines have come to capture him. With the same strength he had displayed over and over, Samson broke the bowstrings as if they were nothing. Once again, his strength proved to be great.

Time and time again, Samson’s replies prove not to be true. Becoming frustrated at not having conquered Samson, and more importantly, not having got paid, Delilah pressures Samson continually until he give in to her.

As a result of her constant nagging, Samson tells Delilah his secret. Once again, the power and influence of a woman proves to be man’s terrible fate. Samson is no exception. He tells Delilah of his Nazarite birth, and that his God-given strength lies in the hairs on his head.

While Samson slept in the lap of the enemy, he lost his divine strength; for no man can serve two masters; he will either love one and hate the other or he will hold fast to one and leave the other. Samson made the wrong choice and suffered greatly as a result.

Realizing his fate, Samson prays to his only hope, and asks God to "remember him again." God, who is sovereign and full of grace (undeserved favor), hears Samson and gives him the strength needed to destroy the enemy (Philistines). While destroying the Philistine temple, Samson dies in the aftermath. Even while dying, Samson killed more people than he had during his entire life, proving that God is greater than all of our enemies.

We can learn a lesson from Samson: If we are faithful to God and not allow the cares of this world to come in and choke us, anything we set our hands to do will prove to be successful.

By Naomi J. Brown