At a time when Israel was not following GOD and they were under the rulership of the Philistines, The Angel of the LORD appeared to an Israelite woman. He promised her that she would have a son who would start Israel's deliverance from the Philistines. He reminded her not to drink any alcohol or eat any unclean foods. The child's hair was not to be cut. Manoh, her husband, thought that this Angel of the LORD was a man; he did not realize that this was GOD himself.
The couple named the child Samson. When Samson became a man he wanted to marry a Philistine woman, even though this was against his parents' counsel. His fiance's friends played a trick on Samson when he was gambling with them. This made him so mad that he killed 30 men. Then when he found out that his fiance was married off to someone else he burned down all their corn crops, grape vines and olive trees. When the philistines came after him, Samson grabbed a jawbone off the skeleton of a dead donkey and with it killed a thousand men. Samson boasted to himself of how "he" killed a thousand men, forgetting that it was GOD who gave Samson his strength. Then Samson became very thirsty and realized his need of help so he cried out to GOD. GOD caused water to flow out of the donkey's jawbone to supply Samson's need.
Samson judged Israel for 20 years. But Samson's problem with women got him in trouble again. Her name was Delilah. The Philistine rulers offered her money to find out where Samson got his strength. Delilah tried several times until she eventually wore him out. Samson told her that he had a covenant with GOD and was not to cut his hair. When Samson fell asleep Delilah cut off his hair. The Philistines bound him up and plucked out his eyes.
The Philistines gathered all the people into a large coliseum, proclaiming that their god dagon had delivered Samson into their hands. Samson prayed to GOD that he would have his strength back one more time. Samson pushed on the two pillars that supported the roof, collapsing the entire coliseum, killing all the people inside including himself.
GOD had great plans for using Samson, but unfortunately he did not always follow GOD's ways. O that we might learn to follow GOD's plan for us.
Picture originally found here
