many years ago in the land of Israel there lived a man named monoa and his wife who was Barren and had not been able to conceive a child despite their longing for a child they remained faithful to God and prayed earnestly for his Blessing one day an angel of the Lord appeared to manoah's wife saying you are Barren and childless but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean you will become
pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazarite dedicated to God from the womb he will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines overwhelmed by this Divine visitation manoah's wife ran to tell her husband the news manoah prayed to God asking for guidance and seeking confirmation of the Angel's words in response God sent the angel once again to visit monoa and his wife when the angel appeared manoah asked when your words are fulfilled what is to be
the rule that governs the boy's life and work the angel replied your wife must do all that I have told her she must not eat anything that comes from the Grapevine nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean she must do everything I have commanded her manoah then asked the angel to stay while they prepared a young goat as a sacrifice to God as the Flames from the sacrifice ascended to heaven the angel ascended in the fire confirming the divine nature of the visitation filled with awe and reverence monoa and his
wife praised God for his goodness and mercy they named their son Samson meaning like the son and raised him according to the Angel's instructions dedicating him to God from birth Samson Rose to prominence in Israel known for his Incredible strength and unique Nazarite vow Samson Guided by the spirit of the Lord sought to challenge the Philistine oppressors who ruled over Israel one day Samson traveled to the Philistine town of timna where he encountered a young lion in a display of his extraordinary strength Samson tore the lion apart with his bare hands a feat that astounded
all who witnessed it sometime later as Samson returned to timna for his wedding he passed by the carcass of the lion and found that bees had created a hive inside it producing honey Samson without revealing the source of the honey shared it with his family demonstrating his bold and unconventional nature at his wedding Feast Samson posed a riddle to the Philistine guests challenging them to solve it within 7 Days the riddle out of the eater something to eat out of the strong something sweet puzzled the Philistines who could not discern its meaning desperate for an
answer the Philistine guests pressured Samson's wife to discover the Riddle's solution she pleaded with Samson until he relented and revealed the answer to her she in turn shared it with the Philistines betraying Samson's Trust on the seventh day as the Philistines confidently answered the riddle Samson realized that they had learned the answer through deceit consumed with anger he left the feast and traveled to ashalon where he took the lives of 30 men and took their garments to fulfill his promise of a prize this incident marked the beginning of Samson's conflict with the Philistines foreshadowing the
struggles and battles that would define his life at another time Samson visited his wife but his hopes were dashed when he realized that she had been given to another man in a bold Act of Revenge Samson captured 300 foxes tied them together in pairs and set their taals Ablaze unleashing them into the Philistine fields which were soon engulfed in flames the Philistines in their Fury retaliated by taking the lives of Samson's wife and her father consumed by grief and rage Samson waged a one-man war against the Philistines striking them down with unmatched ferocity seeking refuge
in a cave at the rock of aam Samson found himself surrounded by Philistine Soldiers the men of Judah fearing the pH F's reprisal urged Samson to surrender reluctantly Samson agreed but only if they promise not to harm him as the Philistines closed in the spirit of the Lord Came Upon Samson filling him with renewed strength with nothing but the Jawbone of a donkey in his hand Samson fought back single-handedly defeating a thousand Philistine soldiers in a stunning display of courage and might after the battle exhausted and parched Samson cried out to the Lord for relief
in a miraculous answer to his prayer water gushed forth from a hollow place in the ground refreshing Samson's weary Body and Soul one day Samson went to the city of Gaza a stronghold of the Philistines and spent the night there when the people of Gaza learned that Samson was in their City they surrounded it intending to capture him at dawn but Samson was not one to be easily captured in the middle of the night he got up and went to the city Gates where he found them securely fastened undeterred Samson tore the city gates from
their hinges bars and all and carry them to the top of a hill facing Hebron a city of the Israelites it was a remarkable display of strength and Defiance showing the Philistines that even in their their own stronghold Samson was a force to be reckoned with time passed and he fell in love with a woman named Delila who lived in the Valley of soric the rulers of the Philistines saw an opportunity to capture Samson and approached Delila with a tempting offer a large sum of money in exchange for discovering the secret of Samson's strength Delilah
enticed by the promise of wealth repeatedly asked Samson to reveal the source of his strength tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued she said three times he deceived her telling her that his strength would be weakened if he were bound with fresh bow strings new ropes or if his hair were woven into a loom each time Delila tested his words only to find herself deceived finally Delilah said how can you say I love you when you won't confide in me this is the third time you
have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength with such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it so he told her everything no razor has ever been used on my head because I have been a Nazarite dedicated to God for my mother's womb if my head were shaved my strength would leave me and I would become as weak as any other man while Samson slept Delilah betrayed him cutting his hair and robbing him of his strength the Philistines seized him gouged
out his eyes and brought him to Gaza where he was bound in bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison despite his downfall Samson's hair began to grow back a sign of God's mercy and restoration one day the Philistine leaders gathered in a great Temple to celebrate their victory over Samson they brought him out to entertain them unaware that his strength had returned turned Samson leaning against the Temple's pillars prayed to God for strength one last time with a mighty effort he pushed against the pillar saying let me die with the Philistines the
temple collapsed killing himself and all the Philistines inside including the rulers thus Samson's life ended in a final Act of strength and Redemption as he sacrificed himself to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Philistines though flawed and Fallen Samson's story reminds us of the power of repentance Redemption and God's unwavering faithfulness to his people thanks for watching please subscribe like and share