WANTED by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC
Introduction: In the Old West, there were many “Wanted” Outlaws – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Billy the Kid, Kid Curry. So also, Samson became a “Wanted” Man because of how he had fought against the Philistines. Unlike the Wanted outlaws of the Old West, Samson was a man of God, a man full of the Holy Spirit, and a type of Christ. Jesus Christ was also a “Wanted” man. Also, unlike the true criminals, he was “wanted” for our sins and transgressions.
Judges 16 6 And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, 17 that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. 19Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
Context: As I was reading that passage, I am sure many of you were saying to yourselves, “I wonder how Dr. Shah/Pastor Shah is going to make Samson the good guy now. There’s no way that he could be God’s man after the “Lord had departed from him.” Once again, let me remind you – The Bible never condemns Samson for anything that he did; the Bible says multiple times that he was full of the Holy Spirit; the book of Hebrews includes him in the “hall of faith” in chapter 11; and so far we have been seeing that Samson was a type of Christ. Based on all this, it is imperative that we set aside our preconceived bias and reexamine our evidence.
With that said, let’s begin by backing up to Judges 16:4 “Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.” At this point, people often assume the worst about Samson – “what a lustful man…” they say. Keep in mind that the word for “love” in Hebrew is “âhaḇ.” In all its contexts, it means love, not lust:
- Genesis 25:28 “…And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.”
- Genesis 29:18 “Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, ‘I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.’”
- I Kings 3:3 “And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David…”
He loved Delilah in the same way that he loved his wife, but, unlike his wife, Delilah was not an upright woman. In fact, if her name is any indication, it could mean either “loose hair” or “small, slight.” Or, it could be a play on words with the Hebrew word for “night” (laylâ). If you remember, Samson’s name meant “little sun” (šemeš). What is probably happening here is a contrast between one who was full of light and one who was full of darkness. Don’t forget: Samson is a type of Christ. John 1 4 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
Let’s return to the text: Judges 16:5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him…” As I’ve been saying throughout this series – Samson was not some big weightlifter, because if he was, it would’ve been obvious. Again, don’t forget: Samson is a type of Christ. Matthew 21:23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” The word for authority in Greek is “exousia” = authority and power. By the way, they asked the same question to Peter and John in Acts 4:7 “By what power or by what name have you done this?” This time the word is “dunamis” = power, strength, and force. Never forget that we as Christians live from a place of weakness. As Paul said regarding his prayer for God to remove the thorn in his flesh in 2 Corinthians 12 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Application: Do people wonder about the source of your strength? What do you reply when people say – “How are you making it?” Is it in your strength or his strength?
And how much were they going to give Delilah? Judges 16:5 “…and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” In our currency, this would be a million dollars. Not a big deal to take out the man who had destroyed all your fields and your best warriors. Samson is a type of Christ. Jesus was also betrayed by one of his own for only 30 pieces of silver. People suggest that it was about politics, but it was about money, plain and simple. People still sell Jesus for money.
Application: How much will it take for you to sell Jesus?
Judges 16 6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.” 7 And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” Did Samson lie? I believe that the tone of her question was playful. He responds in the same playful manner. He’s not lying. Question: Does he not know what Delilah is up to? Remember: Samson is a type of Christ. We could also ask: “Did Jesus not know that Judas would betray him?” It is a mark of the innocent Lamb of God.
Well, the narrative goes on – Judges 16 8 So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and she bound him with them. 9 Now men were lying in wait, staying with her in the room…” Where were these men hiding? Behind a curtain? Under the bed? In the broom closet? None of the above. They are in the room, more specifically, the “cheder,” the inner room. This is the same word Samson used when he came to get his wife. If there was going to be any sexual relationship between Samson and Delilah, it would’ve been in the “cheder.” Guess what? These wicked assassins are in the bedroom. I don’t believe that Samson would’ve carried on anything with Delilah in the living room or the dining room! He is a godly man who truly loves a woman who doesn’t love him back.
Back to Judges 16 9 “…And she said to him, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known. 10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me what you may be bound with.” 11 So he said to her, “If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” 12 Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread. 13 Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom”—14 So she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web from the loom.
At this point, you almost want to scream at Samson: “Are you blind? Are you so madly in love that you cannot see what this woman is up to? Can you not see her wicked and disloyal heart?” That is the point. The reason this whole narrative is placed here is so that we can get the deeper message. We are the wicked disloyal people for whom God constantly comes in grace and compassion. Nonetheless, we constantly turn our backs on him and sell him for a measly gain or a momentary pleasure.
Question: Does Samson still not get what Delilah is up to? Of course, he does. Here’s a bigger question: Did Jesus not get what the Pharisees, the scribes, and the chief priests were up to? Just like we want to scream at Samson, someone tried to scream at Jesus – Simon Peter. Matthew 16 21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Back to Judges 16 15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.” 16 And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death…” Delilah pestered Samson so that his soul was vexed to death; Jesus asked his disciples to pray with him, saying in Matthew 26:38Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
Judges 16:17 that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” Who is a Nazarite? Someone who has been called by God to demonstrate his obedience externally. We all know what an internal obedience looks like. External obedience is like being a walking visual aid for God. It was kind of like when the Amalekites came against the people of God, Moses was told by God to go to the top of a hill. As long as he raised his hands with his rod, Israel won under Joshua. When he lowered his hands, they lost. It was about prayer, but people could visibly see how God was answering prayers. So also with Samson, he was a Nazarite, a visible demonstration of God to the people. Everything Samson did was a visible demonstration of what Jesus would do one day. By the way, he was from Nazareth (more than just a play on words!). Matthew 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Back to Judges 16 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. 19Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. Samson was betrayed; Jesus was betrayed.
Judges 16:20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him. The Lord departed from Samson; listen to what Jesus said from the cross – Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” By the way, don’t think for a moment that Samson was lost. This is also part of God’s plan. If Samson was lost, then Jesus was abandoned by the Father. No broken Trinity. Jesus was representing our separation from God.
What happened to Samson next? Judges 16:21 “Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.”
- Samson was blinded; Jesus was blindfolded.
- Samson was bound; Jesus was bound.
Judges 16:22 “However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven.”
- Samson had to wait for a while before he was ready to come back; Jesus was in the tomb for three days before he rose again from the grave.
Judges 16 23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy!” 24 When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, The destroyer of our land, And the one who multiplied our dead.” 25 So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them…” Samson was brought in to perform for the Philistines; Jesus was asked to perfomr a miracle by Herod Luke 23:8 “Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.”
Judges 16 25 And they stationed him between the pillars. Samson was made to stand at the judgment pillars; Jesus was also asked to judge – Matthew 26 67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
Judges 16 26 Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” 27 Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed. 28 Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” This was not suicide but self-sacrifice. Samson didn’t pray for his eyes to he healed or for God to rescue him. So also, Jesus did not pray to be rescued. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane – Matthew 26:42 “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
Judges 16 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. 30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. Samson killed more in his death than in his life; So also, Jesus – Hebrews 2 14 “…that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.:”
Judges 16:31 “And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. Samson’s family came, got his body, and buried him; So also, Jesus’s disciples and family came, got his body, and buried him.
Invitation: Do you truly understand what Jesus went through for you? Can you see the disloyalty in your heart? Do you understand what it means by “strength through weakness?” Are you saved?