OK, let’s wrap this sordid Samson story up. Chapter 16 opens with just a little vignette involving Samson, a prostitute, Philistines, and the city gate:

Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute. He went to her. The news got around: “Samson’s here.” They gathered around in hiding, waiting all night for him at the city gate, quiet as mice, thinking, “At sunrise we’ll kill him.” Samson was in bed with the woman until midnight. Then he got up, seized the doors of the city gate and the two gateposts, bolts and all, hefted them on his shoulder, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. Judges 16.1 – 3, MSG)

Just a day in the life… Then Delilah comes on the scene:

Some time later he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek (Grapes). Her name was Delilah. The Philistine tyrants approached her and said, “Seduce him. Discover what’s behind his great strength and how we can tie him up and humble him. Each man’s company will give you a hundred shekels of silver.” (Judges 16.4, 5, MSG)

It must be that Samson wasn’t that big of a guy, not muscle-bound like, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger (two mentions in two days!?), or they wouldn’t be looking for the secret. At any rate, Delilah is on board with it, betraying Samson for money. His first woman was motivated by fear. I can’t figure out why Samson stays. He offers her three lies:

• Seven bowstrings
• New ropes
• Seven braids of my hair

And each time, she tries to subdue him and turn him over to the Philistines. Again, why does he stay? Aren’t her intentions obvious? Maybe the answer is in the first sentence of her story:

Some time later he fell in love…

Of course, the inevitable happened:

She kept at it day after day, nagging and tormenting him. Finally, he was fed up—he couldn’t take another minute of it. He spilled it. He told her, “A razor has never touched my head. I’ve been God’s Nazirite from conception. If I were shaved, my strength would leave me; I would be as helpless as any other mortal.” When Delilah realized that he had told her his secret, she sent for the Philistine tyrants, telling them, “Come quickly—this time he’s told me the truth.” They came, bringing the bribe money. When she got him to sleep, his head on her lap, she motioned to a man to cut off the seven braids of his hair. Immediately he began to grow weak. His strength drained from him. Then she said, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He woke up, thinking, “I’ll go out, like always, and shake free.” He didn’t realize that GOD had abandoned him. (Judges 16.16 – 20, MSG)

A sad verse. May it not happen to any of us: “He didn’t realize that GOD had abandoned him.”

But he gets one last chance, praying one last prayer, and goes out with a bang:

Then this: Everyone was feeling high and someone said, “Get Samson! Let him show us his stuff!” They got Samson from the prison and he put on a show for them. They had him standing between the pillars. Samson said to the young man who was acting as his guide, “Put me where I can touch the pillars that hold up the temple so I can rest against them.” The building was packed with men and women, including all the Philistine tyrants. And there were at least 3,000 in the stands watching Samson’s performance. And Samson cried out to GOD: Master, GOD! Oh, please, look on me again, Oh, please, give strength yet once more. God! With one avenging blow let me be avenged On the Philistines for my two eyes! Then Samson reached out to the two central pillars that held up the building and pushed against them, one with his right arm, the other with his left. Saying, “Let me die with the Philistines,” Samson pushed hard with all his might. The building crashed on the tyrants and all the people in it. He killed more people in his death than he had killed in his life. (Judges 16.25 – 30, MSG)

Samson’s life was characterized by a complete lack of self-control yet he killed A LOT of Philistines and is mentioned, as we’ve said before, in the Faith Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11.32 – 33).

You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. (1 Corinthians 9.24 – 27, MSG)