Bible Story Lessons

Samson was a special person who God chose to be leader over Israel.   He realised that God had given him a special gift of being very strong.  He was able to kill a lion with his bare hands and fight against a thousand Philistines.  Well, the Philistines certainly didn't like Samson and tried to find out the secret behind Samson's strength.

Samson liked girls, especially one named Delilah.  The rulers of Philistine noticed this and when they heard that Samson was in their city, they went to Delilah and said:

"See if you can get Samson to show you the secret of his great strength and then we will tie him up and give you a lot of money!"

And so Delilah asked Samson to tell her the secret of his great strength.  Samson decided to tease her so he told her to tie him up with seven leather strings and then he would become as weak as any other man.   Delilah tied up Samson while he was asleep and while some Philistine men hid in her room.  She then called, "Samson, the Philistines are here!"  But Samson just snapped those strings and the secret of his strength was safe.

Delilah no doubt stamped her foot in anger and shouted, "You have made a fool of me and you lied to me!"  But, Samson just laughed at her.  Delilah tried again when Samson said, "If anyone ties me with new ropes, I'll become as weak as any other man."  Delilah tied him up while he was asleep.  She then called out, "Samson, the Philistines are here!"  But he just snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were just cotton threads!

Delilah was getting desperate as she really wanted all that money!   Next Samson told her to weave his hair into some cloth.  She did that, but Samson just broke her loom into pieces!  Delilah was really angry and shouted, "How can you say, you love me, when you won't trust me and won't tell me the secret of your great strength!"

Delilah nagged Samson day after day until he finally he told her that if his hair was cut off he would become as weak as any other man.   Delilah excitedly told this to the Philistines rulers and they gave her all the money they had promised her and lay in hiding to catch Samson.

Delilah put Samson to sleep on her lap and while he slept a man shaved off all his hair.  Delilah called, "Samson, the Philistines are here!"  Samson woke up but wasn't aware that his gift from God had left him.  And so the Philistines caught him, but he could do nothing to fight them, because he had lost his strength!

Samson had to grind maize everyday in prison and soon his hair started to grow again.  God still had plans for him.  The Philistines decide to have a big party and called for Samson to enertain them.   Samson stood between two large pillars that held up their temple.   He then prayed, "O Lord God, please strengthen me just once more".   God heard his prayer and Samson pushed the pillars with all his might and the temple came crashing down!  And this was how God freed the people of Israel from the Philistines.

Samson ended up breaking all his promises to God.  He didn't seem to take God's rules very seriously.  God still used Samson to defeat the Philistines, but he would have done much more if he had obeyed.   Children need to be obedient to their parents too, and say "No" to doing wrong things.  God wants you to think first when you want to do something you know is wrong, and He wants you to choose to do what is good and right!

Let's ask God to help you make the right choices.  And if you have made wrong choices, then let's ask Jesus to forgive you and He will make you clean inside again.

God bless!