"And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, 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.” 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. Then 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." (vv.16-19)
Samson fell in love again and fell for a woman completely wrong for him, Delilah. This is another example of the pain and ruin that came into Samson’s life because he did not guard his heart. For Delilah was not deeply in love with him but, she was deeply in love with money. So when the lords of the Philistines came 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; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver,” she agreed. 1,100 shekels made up more than 140 pounds (63 kilograms) of silver.
Therefore, Delilah began to pester him daily with her words, so that his soul was vexed to death, until he told her all his heart (v.16). Earlier in this book Samson gave into the nagging of his Philistine wife (Judges 14:15-18). Now he yielded to the nagging of Delilah. She certainly sinned by using such terrible manipulation against Samson, but he also sinned by yielding to the manipulation of a harlot. In this we see the strongest man in the world weakened under the power of an ungodly relationship.
Perhaps Samson figured that because he was strong in one area of his life, he was strong in all areas. In this he was desperately wrong. Sin saps us of our God-given strength. We become spiritually weak but often imagine that we’re just as strong as ever. Samson did not realize how much he had changed when the Lord departed from him after telling Delilah his heart (v.18). He thought he could go out and do battle in his own strength but was sadly mistaken. For his strength was in no sense in his hair, but in his dedication to God, of which it was the symbol.
We too can lose our strength by exposing ourselves to a situation we know is wrong. And if we keep playing with it (fire), gradually it will wear us down until our defenses are gone and we are subdued (burned). Our strength comes from His Spirit speaking to us through His Word. Therefore, read the WORD of life every day that it may give you strength in time of need.
The Truth: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)
