Thursday 9th July | Helen Cooke
Readings
Reflection
On reading the tale of Samson and Delilah, I found it interesting to notice how my views have changed over the years. I remember the “Sunday School” version, telling of a wicked, manipulative woman that takes advantage of a helpless man at his point of weakness. I now see it as a tale of a woman who did what she needed to do to get ahead, and a man who failed to learn from his previous foolishness.
Does this mean I excuse Delilah? Not at all. But I hold her to a different standard as she didn’t know the Lord (whilst Samson did). Indeed, as we learn from verse 17, Samson was a Nazirite. The Nazirite vow was a special vow from the time of Moses that a man or woman would take in order to separate themselves for God.* In contrast, we know little of Delilah’s background, other than that she was a Philistine (and we can presume that she was young and incredibly beautiful, given she was keeping company with Samson). Verse 5 tells of the life-changing opportunity that came her way. Not their representatives, but the Philistine leaders came to her personally, each offering a fortune (and no doubt Saviour-of-the-Nation status) if she could just seduce him and find out his great secret. Why, with no knowledge of God, would she not?
Therefore, it seems to me that Delilah’s motives are clear. I find myself much more confused in trying to understand Samson’s behaviour. Why did he not run a mile at verse 6? Delilah was not exactly subtle. Yet he stays, playing a game that he thinks he can win, and ultimately loses at terrible cost. Perhaps he had started to take for granted God’s unfailing love shown to him through his victories, despite his repeated unfaithfulness. Or perhaps he had started to see the source of his strength as himself, rather than God.
I discussed this passage with a friend and she summarised it better than I could, so these are her words that follow. It highlights our responsibility when we are known as people of God. People are watching us, and Satan wants to destroy us. We need God’s help! The good news is that despite our failures, we worship a God who loves us more than we deserve or can imagine. He can still use us, as he used Samson in his death to destroy one of Israel’s most feared enemies. God is working his purposes out.
* You can find out more about the Nazirite vow by reading Numbers 6:1-21
Prayers
Read Psalm 92 again and pray through each verse.
Collect
O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
Without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
Increase and multiply upon us your mercy;
That with you as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal
That we not lose our hold on things eternal;
Grant this, heavenly Father,
For our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,
Who is alive and reigns with you,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, now and for ever.
Amen.
