Flirting With Disaster- Judges 16:1-14

 

One of the most epic Broadway productions ever created is “Phantom of the Opera” by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Regardless of what many think about the subject matter, few question the brilliance and beauty of its many songs. The show follows a peculiar relationship between a young blossoming opera singer (Christine) and her mysterious vocal teacher (the Phantom lurking in the shadows). The tension lies in who this young opera singer will choose in love—an old friend and hero figure (Raul) or the mysterious and disfigured Phantom whose passion for Christine has him stopping at nothing to lure her into his clutches. At one point in the show, the Phantom sets up a production in which Christine has the lead and shares a duet with the male protagonist. These two are to sing a song entitled “Past the Point of No Return.” However, after the show gets underway and this pivotal tune approaches, the Phantom himself assumes the role of the male lead in the show and ends up singing this telling song with Christine, his love interest. It is a powerful moment in which Christine realizes that, given all that has transpired up to this point, she really might be falling for the Phantom after all. You can cut the tension with a knife. So many little things lead to this moment and it is a fitting analogy for the scene we arrive at in Judges 16. As Samson’s story continues, our protagonist inches closer and closer to disaster and in verses 1-14 we watch the slow but inevitable pull toward utter failure (the point of no return). It is my prayer that by examining two relationships Samson entertains in this passage we might learn how to avoid the devastation sin can bring in our own lives and avoid the point of no return.

a. Samson Flirts with Disaster (Samson and the Harlot)-16:1-3

In the last episode of Samson’s life we saw him take a couple of baby steps in the right direction. His role as deliverer finally became public (while before it was hidden/private) and he finally had sense enough to call upon the Lord for help (when he proved thirsty). The reader might expect more positive steps moving forward as Samson serves as judge for his people. However, those with this expectation will be sorely disappointed. As the narrative moves into chapter 16, the story takes a sharp turn for the worse and in the span of a single verse we learn how Samson foolishly visits a prostitute in Gaza—“Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her” (16:1). Earlier, Samson was shown to think with his eyes and be led by his sexual desires into a quick marriage with a foreigner (which ended in disaster by the way-see chapter 14). Here, Samson appears to exhibit a total lack of self-discipline and impulse control and as a result, he forgets the whole marriage idea, chases what he is really after anyway (physical satisfaction), and he commits adultery with a stranger. In this short account, Samson behaved in a way that said, “I have needs and I’ll go anywhere to anybody to fulfill them.” However, we learn next that his pursuit of satisfaction in the wrong place did not just put him at odds with God’s will and ways, it placed him in a vulnerable situation.  

The Philistines, still hell-bent on killing Samson, learn of Samson’s whereabouts (perhaps from the prostitute herself), and immediately travel to the area to take him captive—“ When it was told to the Gazites, saying, ‘Samson has come here,’ they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. And they kept silent all night saying, ‘Let us wait until the morning light, then we will kill him…” (16:2). Knowing that the gates would be closed at night, these guard patiently wait until morning for the arrest, assuming that is when Samson would attempt to leave. To understand what happens next a bit better, the reader must understand what city gates looked like. Flanking both sides of the gate on the interior of the city wall you had guard houses where soldiers would sleep in a series of rooms inside. It is obvious by what happens next that these guards were asleep inside these nearby structures, waiting until morning to apprehend their victim.

As the guards were catching some Zs “Samson lay until midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the city gate and the two posts and pulled them up along with the bars; then he put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain which is opposite Hebron…” (16:3). Regardless of how Samson was able to slip by these guards at night, remove the doors, and carry them some forty miles up a mountain, his removal of these huge doors foreshadows the coming disaster that will overtake this same city by the end of this chapter (Chisholm). God had obviously empowered Samson once again to escape death at the hands of the Philistines in a spectacular way. God does this not because Samson deserves to be rescued, but because God has bigger plans for Samson that are coming later.

In this short account, Samson’s desire to fill his fleshly needs in an inappropriate way places him at unnecessary risk. While he escapes this time unscathed by the threats surrounding him, this may not always prove to be the case. After all, wisdom literature in the Bible teaches that prostitutes reside in the gateway to death (Prov. 6:26; 7:24-27). In this short account you have a prostitute and Samson tearing down a city gate. What looks like an escape is actually an entrance into a habit/path leading to his ultimate demise (Chisholm, Judges and Ruth, 417).

b. Disaster Flirts Back (Samson and Delilah)-16:4-14

While in verses 1-3 Samson flirts with disaster, in verse 4-14, disaster flirts back. The text reads, “After this it came about that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah” (16:4). So much is introduced in this opening of the next episode (the longest episode) in Samson’s saga). First, the problem is introduced with “he loved a woman.” This is not to say that women are the problem, but Samson’s lack of wisdom in the women he chooses to love and the many multiple women he enjoys intimacy with, time and time again, proven to be an issue. One commentator has said that here we have the ultimate answer to the riddle that Samson introduced in 14:18—Samson’s love of women is sweeter than honey and will also prove stronger than a lion (Block, Judges, Ruth, 453). This woman was from the valley of Sorek—a woman with allegiances to the Philistines (Danger, Danger, Danger!). Also, in this introduction of the story, we learn this woman’s name—"Delilah.” This is the first time a woman is namd in Samson’s story. Why is this particular woman given a name? Perhaps the answer lies in her name’s meaning. Scholars believe it could be a combination of the Arabic dalla which means “to flirt” and d + lylh meaning “of the night.” (Uh oh!). This is the woman Samson chooses to love this time around—a woman with a questionable name from a questionable background. We might assume, given what we have already learned from Samson, that so long as she looked good and satisfied his sexual needs, that is all that mattered to him. However, once again, his rush into a relationship with a questionable woman will render him vulnerable to disaster. His association with the wrong people in the wrong places will place him in a compromising position.

Seeing this new relationship as an opportunity to apprehend Samson, “The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, ‘Entice him, and see where his great strength lies and how we may overpower him that we may bind him to afflict him. Then we will each give you eleven pieces of silver,’…” (16:5). By now the Philistines have learned that there was something special with Samson that helped him evade capture—his strength. They needed to find his kryptonite (his vulnerability) and they enlist this feme fatale to find it. This episode of Samson’s life has all the makings of a blockbuster spy movie—a hero, a female double agent, money, sex, intrigue, etc. (Block, Judges, Ruth, 454).  

As the story unfolds, multiple attempts ensue that have Delilah seeking to discover the source of Samson’s strength. All these attempts begin the same way—a question—“So Delilah said to Samson, ‘Please tell me where your great strength is and how you may be bound to afflict you.’…” (16:6). Anyone else find this question a bit curious? Can anyone say red flag? Can you imagine if a love interest asked how you could be rendered vulnerable enough to be bound and tortured?

What is perhaps even more shocking than this question is Samson’s answer (yes, He ANSWERS HER!). “Samson said to her, ‘If they bind me with seven fresh cords that have not been dried, then I will become weak and be like any other man.’…” (16:7). Before we get to the answer itself let us consider why Samson doesn’t immediately dump this girl and move on to someone else following this peculiar request. It is obvious that in addition to being impulsive, lacking in self-control, and unwise, Samson is especially prideful. He believes that he is invincible. After all, had he not enjoyed success after success against his foes up to this point? Samson probably thought to himself, “what can this woman do to me?” Rather than flee, he flirts with danger, entertains her request, and even tries to poke fun at her and the Philistines by giving a bogus answer.

What is worse, his specification of “fresh” and “undried” sinews means that he in no way respects his Nazarite vow (you know, that promise he was supposed to keep from birth that would set him apart for God’s special service). These cords would have been made with fresh tendons from dead animals and would have put him in contact with that which was ceremonially unclean. Samson has already entered relations with women that were considered unclean, eaten honey out of a dead lion, enjoyed strong drink at a raucous party, and used a fresh jawbone of a donkey to kill 1000 men. All of these behaviors in their own way transgressed toe standard he was supposed to keep. Here, his Nazarite commitment takes another nosedive.

In response to what Delilah was told, “the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh cords that had not been dried and she bound him with them” (16:8). Imagine this: your love interest asks how you can be captured and afflicted, you teasingly answer, and then she returns later and ties you up using the tools you specified. While it might sound crazy to us, Samson believes he is playing a game—a game that he believes he cannot possibly lose.

His assumption seems to be credible as Delilah’s first attempt fails—“Now she had men lying in wait in an inner room. And she said to him, ‘The Philistines are upon you Samson!’ But he snapped the cords as a string of tow snaps when it touches fire. So his strength was not discovered…” (16:9).

This leads to a second attempt to capture Samson--“Then Delilah said to Samson, ‘Behold, you have deceived me and told me lies; now please tell me how you may be bound.’…” (16:10). Red flag number 2. His love interest seems persistent in her attempts to render him helpless. Anyone else might be bothered by this, but Samson thinks this is fun! Remember, this man believes he is invincible.

“He said to her, ‘if they bind me tightly with new ropes which have not been used, then I will become weak and be like any other man’…” (16:11). New ropes did not seem to be a problem earlier when the Israelites tried to hand him over to the Philistines earlier. While Samson knows this, Delilah may not.

“So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ For the men were lying in wait in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes from his arms like a thread…” (16:12). The second attempt on capturing Samson fails just like the first.

Will the third time be the charm? “Then Delilah said to Samson, ‘Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies; tell me how you may be bound.’…” (16:13a). As we count the number of attempts and red flags given off by this woman, let us also count the number of opportunities Samson is given to flee the scene and not follow this path any further. This is the third attempt from Delilah against her lover and Samson has had just as many opportunities to leave and move on from her to avoid unnecessary risk.

However, instead of calling it quits, he continues to play the dangerous game and, inches ever-so close to giving away what he believes to the be answer to his strength—"And he said to her, ‘If you weave the seven locks of my hair with the web [and fasten it with a pin, the I will become weak and be like any other man.’…” (16:13b). Now he is really playing with fire since his hair represents the key to his strength (Block, Judges, Ruth, 458). The reader holds her breath knowing that Samson is not gaining an upper hand against those who would wish him ill as much as he is veering closer to disaster.

“So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his hair and wove them into the web]. And she fastened it with the pin and said to him, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin of the loom and the web…” (16:14). Three attempts at Samson’s life and three attempts thwarted. However, as many of us already know, this winning streak will only last so long, especially if in every new attempt Samson grows more and more compromised and moves closer to giving himself up.

So What?

This passage reveals much concerning how anyone, even God’s chosen deliverer, can slip into sin. First, seeking to meet legitimate needs in illegitimate ways can have people at the wrong place doing the wrong things. Samson was looking for sexual satisfaction which, in and of itself is not wicked, but something God created to be enjoyed in a specific way (in the context of marriage). However, Samson satisfies this need in an illegitimate way by visiting a prostitute. These misguided impulse control issues also lead him into a questionable relationship with Delilah where we learn another lesson—pride can leave anyone feeling invincible and throw them open to utter failure. Samson believes he cannot lose the games that Delilah plays with him when all the while he inches closer to disaster. This leads to the third lesson, failure often does not come all at once, but is a product a many small steps in the wrong direction. So far Samson has been relatively unscathed by the attempts on his life. However, the steps that he has taken, whether he realizes it yet, have already brought him past the point of no return. We will watch things unfold next week.

But before we move on, I wonder if there are those among us who are looking to satisfy legitimate needs in illegitimate ways. Maybe it isn’t sex, but acceptance, companionship, relationships, respect, peace, relief, or something else that is not evil at all. However, maybe you are seeking to satisfy these legitimate needs in the wrong places, at the wrong times, or in the wrong ways.  Perhaps today is a day of correction in which you need to say “no” to a few things, people, or practices that are leaving you vulnerable to failure. I wonder if there are others listening who believe they are invincible. Something about making it through this difficult year relatively unscathed might have you believing that you cannot be touched or that you are somehow above the kind of failure we read about here. Maybe today is a day to be reminded of the fact that there but for the grace of God go I. ANYBODY given the right set of circumstances is vulnerable to egregious failure and often the thought of believing it can’t happen to you is the first step in the wrong direction. I wonder today if people hearing this have not “failed” yet but have already taken steps in the direction of disaster. Maybe you are a quarter way, halfway, or 75% of the way to the cul-de-sac of devastation and maybe until now you have not realized it. Maybe today is a day to turn around and run full speed in the opposite direction. Do not follow the way of Samson. As it was for Samson, unfortunately, so it is for all too many. The road to disaster often feels good, is well lit, and is one many take with confidence until they reach what is at the end. Do not go down that road today.