Scripture Focus (Judges 16:6-22) – “So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.” [7] Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” [8] Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. [9] Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known. [10] Then Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell me how you might be bound.” [11] And he said to her, “If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” [12] So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread. [13] Then Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might be bound.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” [14] So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web. And she made them tight with the pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin, the loom, and the web. [15] And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies.” [16] And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death. [17] And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.”[18] When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. [19] She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. [20] And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him. [21] And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison. [22] But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.”
I. Delilah Used Manipulation To Get What She Wanted (Judges 16:6-9)
A. Delilah moved in deception (Judges 16:6) – “So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.” Her pillow-talk seemed innocent enough, but she was an enemy in his bed.
B. Samson initially outplayed her (Judges 16:7-9) – “Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9 Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So, the secret of his strength was not known.”
C. Delilah played the victim (Judges 16:10-13a) – “Then Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell me how you might be bound.” 11 And he said to her, “If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 12 So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread. 13 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might be bound.”
II. Samson Was Blind To Her Deception (Judges 16:13b-17)
A. She was getting closer to her goal (Judges 16:13b-14) – “And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 14 So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web. And she made them tight with the pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin, the loom, and the web.”
B. She wearied him with her emotions & nagging (Judges 16:15) – “And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies.” 16 And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death.”
C. She defeated him through patient maneuvering (Judges 16:17) – “And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.”
III. The Enemy’s Committed Scheme Prevailed (Judges 16:18-22)
A. Samson lost his power one surrender after another (Judges 16:18) – “When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands.”
B. Delilah cooperated each step of the way (Judges 16:19-20a) – “She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. “Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!”
C. God withdrew His power while Samson slumbered (Judges 16:20b) – “And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.”
D. The enemy brought humiliation in successive strokes (Judges 16:21) – “And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.”
E. God gave grace one follicle at a time (Judges 16:22) – “But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.”