The Dire Straits are here!

The Three Weeks is an annual mourning period which happens during mid-summer. The event began on the 17th day of the month Tammuz (or at sunset on Wednesday, July 8) and ends on the 9th day of the month of Av (or at sunset on Wednesday, July 29). This event marks the day when both the first and second Temples were destroyed in Jerusalem alone with a host of other unfortunate events in Jewish history. Bein ha-Metzarim is the Hebrew phrase for this time of mourning. When it is translated into English, it means "between the straits" or "the dire straits". (The events is also often called "The Three Weeks" owing to the fact that the occasion lasts three weeks.)

17th of Tammuz
The 17th day of the month of Tammuz is a fast day, on which people refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until nightfall. The fast is known as Shivah Asar B'Tammuz.

The day commemorates five significant tragic events that occurred on this date:
1. Moses broke the stone tables when he saw the Israelites worshiping the Golden Calf.
2. During the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, the Israelites were forced to cease offering the daily sacrifices due to lack of sheep.
3. Apostomos burned the holy Torah.
4. An idol was placed in the Holy Temple.
5. The walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans in 69 AD, after a lengthy siege. (Three weeks later, after the Israelites put up a valiant struggle, the Romans destroyed the second Holy Temple on the 9th of Av.)
6. The Jerusalem Talmud also states this is the date when the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem on their way to destroying the first Temple.

Observances
Fasting
Healthy Adults: People ages 13 and over are to abstain from eating or drinking between dawn and nightfall.
Pregnant and nursing women: They may not have to fast.
The elderly and ill: They should consult a Rabbi for instructions on how or if they should fast.

Even those exempt from fasting, such as those who are sick and children, should not indulge in delicacies or sweets.

It is permitted to wake up early before the fast begins to eat.

Abstaining from food and drink is the external element of a fast day. On a deeper level, a fast day is an auspicious day, a day when God is accessible, waiting for us to repent.

The sages explain: "Every generation for which the Temple is not rebuilt, it is as though the Temple was destroyed for that generation." A fast day is not only a sad day, but it is an opportune day. It is a day when we are empowered to fix the cause of that destruction, so that our long exile will be ended, and we will find ourselves living in Messianic times. May that time be very soon!

Synagogue
The Torah is read during the morning and afternoon prayers. The reading is the same for both sessions--Exodus 32:11-14 and 34:1-10. These passages discuss the aftermath of the Golden Calf incident, how Moses successfully interceded on the Israelites' behalf and how he attained forgiveness for their sin. After the afternoon Torah reading, Isaiah 55:6-56:8 is read.


17th of Tammuz-9th of Av Observances
For the entire three week time period there are a number of ordinances observed to commemorate this time of sorrow. These observances are meant to lessen one's joy and refrain from unnecessary danger during this time of mourning.

The following are not conducted unless absolutely necessary:
1. Weddings
2. Playing musical instruments or listening to music.
3. Wearing new clothing or eat fruit which has not been eaten yet this season. (Both of these events require the reciting of the Shehecheyanu blessing.)
4. Getting a haircut or shave.
5. Traveling on an airplane.


The Final Nine Days
Starting on the first of Av, the final nine days of the Three Weeks begins a time of intensified mourning. During this time, people refrain from eating meat and drinking wine and wearing freshly laundered clothes.


9th of Av
The ninth day of the month of Av is a more stringent fast that the 17th day of Tammuz. It begins at sunset when people gather in the synagogue to read the Book of Lamentations. Besides fasting, additional pleasures are abstained from such as washing, applying lotions or creams and wearing leather shoes. Until midday, people sit on the floor or on low stools.

Significant events which have happened on the 9th of Av
1. The report of the ten spies
In the year 1313 BC, the Israelites are in the desert, having recently experienced the miraculous Exodus from Egypt. They are now poised to enter the Promised Land. But first, they dispatch a reconnaissance mission consisting of 12 spies to assist in formulating a battle strategy. The spies return on the eighth day of the month of Av. Ten of the spies report that the land is unconquerable. That night (the 9th of Av) the people cry. They insist they would rather go back to Egypt than be slaughtered by the Canaanites. God is highly displeased by this public demonstration of distrust in His power. Consequently, that generation of Israelites never enters the Holy Land. Only their children have that privilege, after wandering in the desert for another 38 years.

2. Both Holy Temples are destroyed
The first Temple was destroyed on the 9th of Av (586 BC). Several centuries later in 70 AD, the second temple was destroyed by the Romans on the very same day the first Temple was destroyed (on the 9th of Av).

3. The Battle at Betar was lost
When the Israelites rebelled against Roman rule, they believed their leader, Simon bar Kochba, would fulfill their messianic longings. But, their hopes were dashed in 133 AD as the Israelites rebels were brutally butchered in the final battle at Betar. The date of the massacre was on the 9th of Av.

4. The Romans plowed the Ha-Mikdash
One year after their conquest of Betar, the Romans plowed over the Temple Mount, the nation's holiest site.

5. The Israelites were expelled from England
The Jews were expelled from England in 1290 AD on the 9th of Av.

6. The Israelites were banished from Spain
In 1492, the Golden Age of Spain came to a close when Queen Isabella and her husband Ferdinand ordered the Jews to be banished from the land. The edict of expulsion was signed on March 31, 1492. The Jews were given exactly four months to put their affairs in order and leave the country. The date on which no Jews were allowed to remain in Spain was the 9th of Av.

7. Both World Wars began
World War II and the Holocaust, most historians conclude, were the long drawn-out conclusion of World War I that began in 1914. Germany declared war on Russia, effectively catapulting the First World War into motion, on the 9th of Av.


Conclusion
There is more to the Three Weeks than fasting and lamentation. Hebrew sages tell us that those who mourn the destruction of Jerusalem will merit seeing it rebuilt with the coming of Messiah. May that day come soon. Then, all the mournful dates on the calendar will be transformed into days of tremendous joy and happiness!

"Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy." (Psalm 126:5)

Judges Chapter 17 Part One (Verses 1-5)

Introduction
Judges chapters 17 through 21 (the end of the book) are usually called "appendices" by biblical scholars, and there is good reason for this because these chapters do not deal with any of the Judges. Rather, there is some good general information in these chapters which is meant to add to our overall understanding of the era of the Judges.

As often happens in the Bible, these final chapters are not in chronological order. So even though Samson was the next to last Judge (Samuel being the final Judge although he was more of a transitory figure ushering Israel from the time of the Judges into the era of the Kings), what we read does not come after Samson. In fact, because of the last several chapters' subject matter (the tribe of Dan), this occurred at least 200 years BEFORE Samson. Generally speaking, most Jewish scholars and a fairly broad majority of Christian scholars put these events during the time of the FIRST Judge of Israel, Othniel.

As an aside, the Bible is often not concerned with chronological order. The Hebrews were less concerned with time and more concerned about presenting a story based on the order things happened. The ancient Hebrews had a greater concern to present a story based on connecting the major elements of the story, even if it took place in different eras. Thus, since Samson was from the tribe of Dan, these so-called appendices deal with the tribe of Dan, the history of the tribe of Dan, and how they had fallen so far away from the LORD. It also discusses what happened when the tribe of Dan abandoned their territorial allotment to move north to live in an area with few enemies.

Lastly, these chapters affirm something I spoke about in our very first lesson about the Book of Judges; that is the entire purpose and tone of the period of the Judges is to demonstrate that Israel (and all mankind in general) needed a king. This generally flies in the face of the most mainstream Christian commentators who say the opposite--they believe the Book of Judges demonstrates God did not want Israel to have a king, with the idea being God wanted to be their king. Thereby, for Israel to want an earthly king was sinful.

Yet, the very words of this book, the pattern God lays down from Genesis to Revelation shows mankind (and perhaps all beings, physical and spiritual) must have a king to guide them. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is called a king and a king forever which fulfills Old Testament prophecy. These prophecies continue to demonstrate that God wants man to have a king. The issue is which king, not whether there should be one.

We will find several places in the appendices the words, "At that time there was no king in Israel." These words are usually further amended with the words, "thus every man did what was right in his own eyes." In other words, one caused the other. The lack of a king led to each man choosing his own way. Israel's refusal to have a king caused a kind of spiritual anarchy to develop within the tribes. The reason the last few chapters are placed at the end of the book of Judges (instead of at the beginning where they would be in chronological order) is to focus on the decay inherent throughout Israel, and especially in the tribe of Dan. The entire premise for what goes on in the book of Judges and the deteriorating condition of the tribes of Israel can be summed up in the words, "At that time there was no king in Israel and every man did what was right in his own eyes."

Israel needed a king, and Israel is going to have a king (as will all mankind) in the form of Jesus for all eternity. And although Jesus is God, he also bore the form of a human. Thus, Jesus will be our ultimate earthly (and heavenly) king.


A. Micah makes a shrine for idols

1. (Judges 17:1-2) He returns a large amount of stolen silver to his mother
Now there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. He said to his mother, "The eleven hundred pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it." And his mother said, "Blessed be my son by the LORD."

Now there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim: Verse one begins with a man named Mikhayahu in the area of the hills of Ephraim. We are given no other details of his exact location than this. It seems as though this man's given name at birth was Mikhayahu, which means "who is like God". This is a very honorable name; it imbues the hope of a great destiny. Interestingly, we will see that the name Mikhayahu is shortened in the following verses to Micah. Micah is NOT short for Mikhayahu nor is it a nickname. Micah simply means, "who is like" (the reference to God is dropped).

He said to his mother: The story begins with a startling admission from Micah. He stole from his own mother 1100 pieces of silver. He now wants to give it back. A question which should pop into our minds is this: why does Micah have this sudden bout of conscience? The reason is he overheard his mother speaking a curse on the thief. The Rabbis said it was no accident Micah's mother spoke this curse within his hearing because she knew her son was the thief. By Micah overhearing the curse, she hoped this would be an incentive for him to return the stolen funds.

And his mother said, "Blessed be my son by the LORD": Immediately, when the son confessed and offers to give back the silver, his mother blesses him. In biblical times, a curse was taken very seriously. We can call them superstitious, but to the people of that day, it was understood that being the subject of a properly worded curse from anyone put you under the darkest of dark clouds. In ancient times, a curse was not a mere sound on the lips, but it was an agent sent forth. It was an active agent which hurt people.

People went to great lengths to appease the issuer of a curse if they were fortunate enough to learn that such a curse had befallen them. Further, the curse of a parent was considered the most potent kind, second only to a curse issued by God. So by the mother making sure her son overheard the curse (rather than doing it privately as was the usual way to do it), it offered the son the possibility of a way out.

The son admits his crime to his mother, returns the ill-gotten gains and his mother responds by neutralizing her curse upon him with a blessing. All parties are relieved. But Micah's questionable character is now revealed to us. His honorable name Mikhayahu is removed, and he becomes merely Micah from here onward.

Eleven: The number eleven will be seen throughout the next several chapters. We saw it in chapter 16 in regards to Delilah and Samson. (Delilah was offered 1100 pieces of silver from each of the Philistine leaders if she could find out where Samson's great strength lie (Judges 16:5).)

Eleven often is represented as a symbol of imperfection, judgment and disorder. Eleven may symbolize a lack of organization and chaos. Sometimes it is even considered to be a symbol of sin and evil which exists among people. We can see all these themes are present in these chapters.


2. (Judges 17:3-4) Micah's mother directs that some of the money be used to make an image to be used in worship
He then returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, "I wholly dedicate the silver from my hand to the LORD for my son to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will returned them to you." So when he returned the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith who made them into a graven image and a molten image, and they were in the house of Micah. 

His mother said, "I will wholly dedicate the silver from my hand to the LORD": After Micah returns the money, his mother promises she is going to dedicate the 1100 pieces of silver to the LORD. Micah's mother is going to make a graven image and a molten image for her son. But, then Micah's mom turns around and gives less than 20% of that dedicated money to a silversmith in order for Micah to have an idol for the household. It is presumed the mother kept the other 900 pieces of silver for herself. 

As we read these verses, we must keep in mind the time frame. This perverted thing has been repeatedly done over and over again in the tribes of Israel. This was not long after Joshua's death. Joshua's divine leadership ended with his death. The mother does what so many of us are even guilty of today: we wholly dedicate something to the LORD and then we give God only a fraction of the promised dedication. Micah's mother uses the money to make a Torah-forbidden image of God. And even that is selfish because she will use it only in her household. Nothing is actually given to God.

Brief Summary
There are three observations that we gained from the first four verses of Judges 17, which gives us insight into the spiritual climate of the times. First, you see how quickly religious and cultural syncretism overtook the tribes of Israel. Undoubtedly it was uneven. Some tribes easily abandoned the Torah of Moses while others made more of an effort to adhere to it. But all 12 tribes (and Levi) were heavily influenced by the many Canaanites who remained in the Promised Land. The Hebrews' propensity was to make allies and friends of them rather than driving them out or eradicating them (per God's instructions).

The syncretism seen here is one of mixing religious beliefs, in this case the God of Israel with the Canaanite Babylon Mystery Religions. It is amazing how quickly this happens, and how equally quickly a society adopts new ways and forgets where it came from. Invariably, there is a reason for this; it does not happen on its own. It can be for economic reasons, a desire to end conflict and have peace, or simply because the new ways look more attractive to the newest generation than the older ways practiced by their parents. It is natural to mix or dilute our religious beliefs with whatever seems expedient and popular. After a short time, this new platform of beliefs and behaviors becomes the standard and few even question it.

The second observation regarding the story of Micah is it is an example of the general condition of Israel in that era in that the Law of Moses was being violated on a regular basis. We can easily identify a number of direct trespasses against God in this story. Micah stole money from his mother, in doing so he failed to honor his parents, an image of God was made, etc.

The third observation is that Micah's mother showed the same ambivalence as her son towards God's commandments. She first vowed to donate the recovered 1100 pieces of silver to God, but instead, she kept the bulk of the money for herself. She used less than 20% of it to honor God, but even that was used in a perverted way by giving 200 pieces of silver to a silversmith to create a silver image of God. This idol would then be placed in an unauthorized manner by bowing down to it as an object of worship. It was placed in an unauthorized sanctuary which was serviced by one of Micah's sons whom he appointed as priest.

3. (Judges 17:5) Micah establishes an elaborate worship
And the man Micah had a shrine and he made an ephod and household idols and consecrates one of his sons, that he might become his priest.

And the man Micah had a shrine: It seems Micah owned a "house of God" or in Hebrew beit-elohim. In other words,  Micah's family had set apart an area of their house, or perhaps built a small sanctuary, where they could perform their own rituals and observations. The molten image of silver would have been the centerpiece. The image was in honor of God, the God of Israel. Even more, Micah had a priestly ephod (an apron worn by the Levitical high priests) manufactured to be used in the services and consecrated one of his ons to be the priest who officiated the services.

This is a horrible perversion of the Torah, which God gave his own people. This was no more than a few decades after Joshua's death. But were Micah, his mother and his household doing this for the purpose of committing evil? Did they go into this endeavor, thinking, "Let's go against God!" Were they wicked? Of course not. They thought they were being righteous. Their intention was to be seen by God and man as an especially pious people.

They had knowledge of the Torah of Moses because they created the ephod (a garment mentioned in the book of Leviticus to be worn by the high priest), and they dedicated everything to God by name. But what they did is what seems God's people like to do: they took parts of the Word of God and followed them, while ignoring the rest of the Scripture.

Christianity is guilty of this as were Micah and his mother. We have a tendency to only "listen" to Scripture which tickles our ears and ignore those words which seem harsh. Many in Christianity distort the words of the Bible by adding to them or subtracting from them. Many believe we only need to ask God for forgiveness and we neglect to forgive our neighbor. This goes against Jesus' words which state, "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15). It is hard and can be energy demanding and painful to forgiven others. So, many Christians will skip forgiving others and simply ask God for forgiveness. If we read this passage, we will find out if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us. This is quite unsavory to most folks; hence they will subtract these words from their lives.

How could something so clear, right from the mouth of Our Savior, be ignored? Because we prefer to do things our own way.

Judaism has also fallen into this same fault. Orthodox Judaism has established the principle that Rabbis are the ultimate religious authority for them. They have the right to add, change or subtract from the Torah as they see fit. This directly contradicts Scripture:  "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you" (Deuteronomy 4:2). "Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32).

(This same command is given in the Book of Revelation: "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which was written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Godf will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book" (Revelation 22:18-19).)

We are commanded not to add and not to subtract from the commands of God, but it has been done regularly over the centuries with disastrous results.

Judges Chapter 16 Part Six (Verses 21-31)

2. (Judges 16:21-22) Samson's Philistine imprisonment
Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison. However, the hair of his head began to grow after it was shaved off.

Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes: Samson was captured and taken into custody. His eyes were gouged out, which is another irony in this story. Samson's eyes were the instruments of his unfaithfulness. His eyes were the portals of his lust. He always did what was right in his own eyes. And now, God's harsh justice demanded that those fleshly eyes were to be blinded to the things of the world in order for Samson to finally see the LORD.

 They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains: The Philistines had a lot of experience with the inadequacy of ropes as a binding mechanism for capturing Samson. This time, they use bronze. Blinding Samson was a way to humiliate him and make him more docile. They also put him to working grinding grain.

He was a grinder in the prison: Usually, the scene which is illustrated in story books is one of Samson handcuffed to a huge industrial grain grinder which was normally powered by an ox or donkey. However, no such thing is implied by the test. All current archeological evidence is that thus type of grain mill was not even invented until at least 700 years after Samson's death. Samson merely sat at a standard stone grain mill and ground grain, a few handfuls at a time, from dawn to dusk.

Grinding grain was considered woman's work and for such a manly man as Samson to be reduced to such a thing after his notorious exploits made him utterly impotent and laughable to his enemies.

However, the hair of his head began to grow after it was shaved off: While Samson was languishing away in prison, something else was happening: his hair began to grow back. If one gives a little thought, a good question to ask would be: why would the writer of the Book of Judges record such an obvious and trivial thing as the very natural action of Samson's hair growing back? After all, this would happen to anyone under almost any circumstance. Of course, the answer is that the inspired writer has something more in mind here. It implies Samson re-examined his relationship with God, and Samson recognized his personal failings.

Samson was ready to acknowledge his sin and was going through the terribly painful process of true repentance. This repentance would lead to some kind of spiritual strengthening and some amount of restoration of his Nazirite status. 

This is a pattern for all of us to be aware of:
1. If we are unfaithful, our spiritual strength will deteriorate.
2. As out spiritual strength deteriorates, our usefulness to the Kingdom of God and His purposes for us begins to evaporate.
3. When we have become so unfaithful (we cross a line only known by God) as to cause God to react, God can chose to depart from us (at least in the sense of being an active protector or influence in our lives).
4. And when that happens, our fall/destruction is certain.

The good news is that even when we have finally come to destruction, if we recognize our sin, sincerely repent and confess it, then the LORD will return to us. However, that return may not be immediate or to the same degree or even for the same purpose as before our fall. Samson was in a glorious position for a long time. He was one of but a handful of Judges over Israel. Samson was feared and revered by friend and foe. The earth trembled wherever he walked. he was invincible.

But as we will soon see, even though he returned to God, and God returned to him, things were different. Samson's deteriorated condition bore little resemblance to his past glory. Sin has consequences, consequences which often are long lasting. Forgiveness does not mean those consequences will be averted. It merely means that the LORD will not cut us off from Him in eternity.


3. (Judges 16:23-25) Samson is mocked by his enemies
Now the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they said, "Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands." When the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, 'Our god has given our enemy into our hands, even the destroyer of our country, who has slain many of us." It so happened when they were in high spirits, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may amuse us." So they called for Samson from the prison, and he entertained them. And they made him stand between the pillars. 

Now the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon: As happened on regular occasions, the elite of the Philistines gathered at their temple to offer a sacrifice. The chief Philistine god was Dagon. While it was not for the express purpose of mocking Samson that they assembled, they did offer up thanks to Dagon for handing Samson over to them.

Dagon: Dagon is usually depicted in the form as a half-man and half-fish. (After all, the Philistines were called the Sea Peoples and their territory hugged the Mediterranean Sea.) However, Dagon's function was the god of grain and harvest. Fertility also played a role in Dagon's sphere of influence. This assembly was probably some sort of agricultural festival, which was underway in Philistia. Dagon is given credit for Samson's departure from God.

A very similar thing happens today. Whenever any Arab nation makes gains against Israel, Allah is given credit for it. This makes God seem weak and impotent to the unbelieving Muslims, thus it distorts God's true nature. Islam is growing at a much faster rate than Christianity, and that is not because of God. It is because of the unfaithfulness of His followers. This makes God seem weak, and God's enemies seem strong. Everyone likes to be a winner, so they will associate with whatever appears to be the perceived victor.

It so happened when they were in high spirits: Once the revelries of the festival were in full swing, and the people were drunk and feeling full of themselves, they decided it might be fun to bring Samson out so they could mock him,. But in prison, in the most unimaginable horror which were the prisons of old, Samson had changed, but not entirely. he had apparently come to terms with God such that God saw it as repentance. God returned some measure of strength and divine purpose to Samson.


4. (Judges 16:26-31) Samson's bittersweet death
Then Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, "Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them." Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there. And about 3,000 men and women were on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing them.

Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left. And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life. Then his brothers and all his father's household came down, took him, brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. Thus he had judged Israel twenty years.

Then Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, "Let me fell the pillars": In those days, the typical supporting pillars were not one large carved piece. Rather, they were some smaller cylindrical sections stacked up to form a pillar. So Samson was able to push one of those sections on each pillar far enough askew that the column's stones no longer lined up and thus crumbled. 

Many examples of that era of ancient temples in the Middle East have been found and catalogued. it was common for them to be quite large. It was also common that the roof was used for the regular folks to gather and watch the ceremonies below, which was conducted by priests and dignitaries.

In verse 23, we are told that the chiefs of the Philistines were there, meaning at least the kings of the five major Philistine cities were in attendance, the same one who hired Delilah to deceive Samson.

About 3,000 men and women were on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing them: The ground floor of the temple under the roof was full, and the roof was crowded. Undoubtedly the crowded condition of the roof made its total collapse easier, so that when Samson made the pillars that held it up unstable, the weight of 3,000 people on that roof contributed to its buckling. We are told upon Samson's death, he killed more of God's enemy (the Philistines) than he had in his many run-ins with them during his life.


The most powerful lesson we can learn: The LORD determined the last act of Samson, a redemptive act of sorts, after Samson had repented sufficiently, that the LORD decided to return to him. But this would also mean the end of his life. Unlike the earlier parts of his life, during a more faithful time, when the adoring women and children who followed Samson around and praised him after the many times he bruised the Philistines, this time the only songs that would be written for him would be as a memorial. The only honor he would get was to have his crushed body entombed with along with his father's. It did not have to be that way, but Samson could not see that before the LORD had departed from hum and his eyes were gouged out.

Samson died in a state of grace, but he died as a broken and shamed man. Samson could have been honored today as King David is honored. But instead, Samson chose the way of the flesh and preferred fellowship with God's enemies rather than with God's people. Samson ruined the unique gift the LORD had given him. All that was left was to lose his life in one final act of personal revenge--an act which at least served a purpose in God's Kingdom.

Just as in the past, it was always Samson's passions and lusts which led to the conflicts he caused, and then avenging and revenging that cycled back and forth between he and the Philistines. Even at his death, it was not God's instructions for him to kill all those Philistines, it was a person act of anger and payback for their treatment of him.

Then all his brothers and all his father's household came down: Verse 31 explains Samson's family came to the demolished temple to fetch Samson's body and bring it home for a proper burial. All know cultures of that era were greatly concerned with the corpse, and thus it was the norm for relatives of a fallen enemy to be given free passage to retrieve the body of a loved one. According to the Bible and all known records, Samson was an only child. The "brothers" spoken of here (those who claimed his body) are meant in a general sense and not in the sibling sense. These were members of Samson's clan, doing their duty as next of kin. Samson's judgeship ended after a 20 year run.

Judges Chapter 16 Part Five (Verse 20 Continued)

Did God's departure from Samson mean that Samson had lost his salvation?
Samson's hair loss as the chief symbol of his special relationship with God most likely did not mean Samson was spiritually cut-off from God. It most likely did not mean Samson was destined for the Place of Torment we call Hell.

We come back to a point I made at the beginning of this chapter: there is a critical difference between faith and faithfulness. By all accounts, Samson's faith remained; it was his faithfulness which he abandoned. Samson did not stop believing in the God of Israel. He did not even adopt other gods (as far as we are aware). Samson simply stopped being obedient. In fact, we watch him over time give in to primitive instincts: he touched dead bodies, used prostitutes, preferred the company of pagans and murdered out of personal anger and revenge. The result was a state of spiritual weakness which lead to his physical weakness. Samson now (with the loss of his Nazirite symbol, his hair) had no more power or strength than any pagan man. It is the same for Believers.

A Believer who backs away from his special relationship with God by means of disobedience gets weaker and weaker spiritually. He is more easily influenced by the world because he is less protected by God. He is less blessed by God and more connected to earthly treasures. There is almost no temptation that he can withstand any more since his nearness to God has evaporated. I can tell you from personal experience that a man can lose all faithfulness, and thus all power and nearness to the LORD, but still have faith.

This was my condition about 12 years ago. I was a Believer. I never stopped believing in God. I never renounced or denied Jesus was the Messiah. But I did stop being obedient. I stopped living the new life afforded by Jesus. I did not worship. I did not study or apply God's Word. I was a useless disciple. I had faith, but I was not faithful. The result was obvious, but I was oblivious to the process. When everything fell apart in my life, I knew what had to be done. I confessed to God and relearned how to be faithful. My life began to change, and in time, buds for future fruit began to form. But the process of returning to faithfulness was long and painful.

No man can measure your faith, but faithfulness is usually pretty apparent. While the first thing which happens when you are saved is acquisition of faith, the next step is faithfulness. Human birth is an excellent example of this.

When we are born, we are pretty useless. We are loved, and we have value in God's eyes. Our mere existence brings joy to our mother and father. Basically, as an infant, all we can do it receive and use up resources. Of course, no one is supposed to stay in that condition. We are supposed to grow, mature, learn, give back, become part of society and then the cycle begins again by bringing forth new infants.

Coming to faith in Jesus is like that, and thus the Bible calls it being born again. When at first we believe, we are pretty helpless and useless to the Kingdom of God. All we can do is receive. We have great value in the Father's eyes and we are loved by Our Savior. But we are not to remain in that infant state. We are expected to grow, mature, learn, give back and become a useful part of the Believer's community so that we can play a role in bringing forth new, reborn people. Our rebirth is from faith. The growth, maturity, learning, giving back and usefulness that ought to come in time are from our faithfulness. End the faithfulness and our usefulness ends along with it.

In short, faith is a state or condition of mind and spirit. While faithfulness is acting upon that state. Faith of itself is passive; faithfulness is action. Faithfulness is a physical acting out or expression of our inner faith. A life which bears little or no signs of faithfulness does not necessarily mean the person does not have faith, but it does mean they are being disobedient and are spiritually going in reverse. It is a fatal and even a dangerous position for a Believer.

We see this same principle playing out in the life of Samson. Samson maintained his faith in God (as far as we know it), but his faithfulness to God ebbed and flowed. (What we read about in the Book of Judges usually centers on Samson's low points.) Samson's lack of faithfulness led finally to the sad and utterly terrifying quote of verse 20: "But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him."


Samson was to save Israel from the Philistines...He was not supposed to become a Philistine
When Samson's insatiable lust for sex and beautiful women finally overwhelmed him (which happened with Delilah), he reached the point of no return. It would be just a matter of time before he was willing to make the all important symbol of his special and holy Nazirite status before the LORD (his long and uncut hair) something he was willing to risk if it meant he could continue in his fleshly pleasures. I have no doubt he never consciously thought that losing the symbol (and with it his set-apart relationship with God) would actually happen. 


Samson was born for the purpose of bedeviling the Philistines. This means he would have constant contact with them, but it did not mean he was to become one of them. The Philistines were to be his project and his enemy. They were not to become his closest friends. I point this out become it is common within Christianity for Believers with good intentions to involve themselves in the lives of criminals, prostitutes, or drug addicts. However, it is also rather common to see such a Believer begins to look more and more like those he came to rescue than the Savior who may have sent him. It happens that this Believer starts to take on the characteristics of the unsaved, but he says it is done to save them.

All too often this notion that we are rubbing elbows primarily of non-Believers as a means of doing something for God is that in fact we are doing it for ourselves. Sometimes it is a camouflage to hide our inner desires. Other times it is a means to appear especially pious. Samson grew to feel more comfortable with the pagan Philistines than he did among his own people. Such a comfort level is dangerous and can lead to a serious downfall unless one increases his nearness to God. Instead, Samson compromises his faith supposedly for the sake of fitting in with the group of people to whom he was supposed to be executing.