This is now the eighth lesson in our series on the life of Samson and if you can just hold in there with me for this final look at the mess- we will in our next lesson turn the corner, and around that corner we will be face to face with redemption.
In this final look at the mess we limit our examination to his affair with Delilah.
Perhaps the best place to begin this study is with the very revealing definition of the name Delilah. The core meaning of the word Delilah is expressed in one word- “feeble”.
The implication of that meaning in relation to Samson should be obvious. However, I am going to bring into this definition other related words from the Hebrew.
Here then is the much fuller meaning of the name Delilah: “brought low, dried up, not equal, emptied, fail, impoverished, made thin, to hang, languish, hang down, be low, to hang low, of distress, look weakly, to be brought low, be laid low”- and perhaps the most revealing part of the definition is this- “to scatter here and there.” This implies disintegration rather than integration- the undoing and coming apart of a thing- a breaking down of discipline and tight focus.
Perhaps this is why mothers tend not to name their daughters Delilah. In our culture names do not seem to carry much significance. In the culture of the Bible it was very different- and it was no accident that the woman who undid the strength of Samson had the name she did.
The issue for us, however, is not the actual name nor yet this figure in history. The issue for us is that we recognise in the spirit world the activity that fits the meaning of her name as well as the characteristics of what we know of her life and ways. Just as the literal person named Jezebel represented and was a physical picture of an actual spirit entity- we need to understand that Delilah also represented an actual spirit entity. And while the physical Jezebel and Delilah have long since passed off the scene the spirit they represented and defined is still very much a part of the scene.
That’s the larger picture in this image of Delilah- in the story we are considering. And to understand this story will arm us against the deception and seduction of what I will now call the “Delilah spirit.”
The first thing I would point out is that Delilah did not work alone; there was an alliance with the lords of the Philistines. In this issue of alliance we should be careful to recognise the reality of government. At this time the Philistines ruled over- which is to say, exercised government over- the people of God.
And that was the heart of the entire matter here- and is to this day; the issue is government- which I would express as “the authority of order.” There is the order, the authority, the government of God- and there is the order, the authority, the government of the enemy. That is the larger picture here.
The only real threat to that government, to that order, to that authority was Samson. And regardless of how we judge this man, the larger reality is that the authority of the order or government of God was confronting the false order or government which had gained supremacy over the people of God.
The only way to deal with that threat to government was through government- thus the alliance between a seductive woman and the lords of the Philistines. And while Delilah’s interest may have been purely mercenary, the larger interest working through her interest was government.
This issue of government is expressed in the word ‘lords’. In fact the meaning of the word and its related words in the Hebrew as well as the Greek is this: “ prince, i.e., one who rules or governs either by ability or clan position.” The word in the Hebrew text carries the idea of: “axle , i.e., a pin or shaft on which a wheel or set of wheels turns, of wood or metal.”
Verse 5 is very revealing regarding the method and the goal of this false government. The method is expressed in the word ‘entice.’ In this single word we have the full exposure of the way of the Delilah spirit. In the NAS the Hebrew word is translated in the following ways: entice, deceive, persuade, flatter, allure, enlarge, silly one, and silly.
The actual meaning of the word is: to be spacious, be open, be wide- to make spacious, make open- to be simple, entice, deceive, persuade- to be open-minded, be simple, be naïve-to be enticed, be deceived- be gullible- to persuade, seduce- to be persuaded.
Most of this definition seems easy enough to understand. The only aspect that may be a little difficult to fit is the reference to be spacious, be open, be wide- to make spacious, make open. However, this is one of the greatest telltale signs of seduction- a sure give away. The most powerful appeal of all seduction is the lie that it is bringing us into a broadness, an openness, a wideness, or a spaciousness of personal fulfillment and self-realization.
That was exactly the lie that moved at the heart of the seduction of Eve in Genesis three; “In the day that you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…”
Notice the word ‘opened’ in ‘your eyes will be opened’; and the lie was that through this broadened or increased power of sight they would be able to see all that God was withholding from them- and in the seeing of this (the discovery of this) they would become as broad, as wide, as open, as spacious, as without limitations and as infinite as God Himself.
The actual result was just the opposite of this; instead of broadness there was appalling narrowness. And we are about to discover the same result in the life of Samson, for such is the reality of the seduced.
Keeping with verse 5 we discover the goal of that seduction- and again, it is the exact opposite of what it promises. Here is the stated goal- “see where his great strength lies and how we may overpower him.” This does not sound like broadness to me- in fact this is all about diminishment, and narrowness, and shrinkage, and limitation, and disability.
The word ‘overpower’ means the following: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, to be able to gain or accomplish, be able to endure, be able to reach- to prevail, prevail over or prevail against, overcome, be victor- to have ability, have strength.
Some other key words from this definition in understanding the way of seduction are: persuade, flatter, allure, and gullible.
Before leaving this verse I would ask that you note that the seducer was also seduced. The way of Delilah is seduction- but the way of the false government that worked through her seduction is also seduction and is revealed in these words- “We will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”
It seems to me that from this the wise will understand that the two most seductive forces within the human experience are sex and money. And of course the real seduction is neither sex nor money- but what they represent- and what they represent is power or control.
At verse 6 the process of Samson’s undoing begins in earnest. While the record of the progression of the seduction deserves much consideration, I am going to move to the end of it (vs.16) because it is so revealing. However, before I do so, I would ask that you observe these often repeated words- this repeated complaint- of Delilah: “Behold, you have deceived me and told me lies.” If you reverse this negative complaint and state it in its positive form it would like this; ‘Expose your heart to me and trust me with the innermost secrets of your soul.’
I can tell you this much about the way of seduction- it subtly gains power or influence over the seduced one secret at a time; and regrettably this I share not as a matter of mere theory.
Here is verse 16: It came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death.
What we need to do here is simply consider the meaning of some key words.
Pressed- to constrain, press, bring into straits, straiten, oppress- casting of metal , i.e., a molding of a piece of heated, liquid metal into one piece
All of this is very revealing especially the words- bring into straits- because, as I stated earlier the lie of seduction is a promise of broadness or increased spaciousness- but the reality is it brings into straits; the picture being of one moving into ever increasing pinching narrowness. And with every movement into that narrowness there is a loss of free movement.
Join that idea with the reference to the casting of metal and it becomes clear that the seduced is actually being molded, shaped, and fashioned by the narrowness into which he is proceeding.
The second word of interest is the word ‘daily’. This is very revealing regarding the way of seduction. I can tell you this much- seduction is never in a hurry but it is absolutely persistent and unrelenting in its focus and mission. It does not conquer by sudden strike- but by infiltration and hidden influence.
While the actual Hebrew word here means a specific period of time, the interesting twist is found in the root word which carries the meaning of heat or hot. We often use the expression- ‘turn up the heat’- by which we mean turn up the pressure.
The next point of interest is what I call the means of seduction- and it is found in this- ‘She pressed him daily with her words.’ In defining this word in the original language you will find that the dominate thought is speech as opposed to actual words. This is a critical point because speech indicates so much more regarding the art of communication than just words.
Seduction is more a matter of voice than of words. And it is incredibly sobering to me that a part of the definition of this word is- to lead away. Do not underestimate the power of words and voice to lead the heart away.
Consider the wisdom of these proverbs: Prov.5:3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. And smoother than oil is her speech.
Pr.7:5- That they may keep you from am adulteress, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
Pr.7:21- With her many persuasions she entices him; with her flattering lips she seduces him.
Notice that it was with her words, her voice, her speech that she urged him; and that brings us to the next key word- urged.
Here is the meaning of the word in the original language: urge- to prod, i.e., to speak with insistent words, with a clear implication of incessant harassment.
The story of Samson does not let us know how long this whole affair went on, but it is absolutely clear that something very negative was taking place; and the revelation of that is found in the words- his soul was annoyed to death.’
The key word in this is the word annoyed- and its meaning is: annoyed- shortened , narrowed, i.e., pertaining to being restricted in space relative to a comparatively wide or broad area. There is more to this definition and we will get to it shortly, but I want you to see what it is that is being shortened, narrowed, restricted- what it is that is losing its reality of wideness and broadness- what it is that is being reduced; please note that it is his soul.
The narrowness is working from the internal to the external.
This means that his mind, (his powers of reason) are being narrowed. It means that his emotions are being narrowed. And finally, it means that his will (his powers of volition), his ability to resist is being narrowed.
The rest of the definition is also interesting- although at first you may wonder how it fits; here it is: reap , harvest, i.e., gather produce from the fields, orchards, or vineyards- which (and this is the particular application to the business of seduction) in some contexts this can refer to a conclusion or ending of a matter other than agricultural products.
At verse 16- and every time I read this it is almost as if I can actually feel it- seduction has reached its climax- the end of what began as a tiny seed planted, a tiny seed nurtured, a tiny seed watered, protected and developed; indeed, at verse 16 that tiny seed has become a full blown harvest- and just as harvest represents the end or conclusion of a process of growth or development- we are now face to face with the end of the most important secret of Samson’s life.
In some ways the following words are the scariest words of the Biblical revelation, ‘So he told her all that was in his heart.’
He has now gone where he has never gone before. Samson (Little Sunshine) the gift of God whose coming was announced by the angel of the Lord, whose coming met the worst of all possible needs in the lives of his parents; Little Sunshine, indulged by those over protective parents; Little Sunshine, who from the very beginning of his adult life made self-indulgent choices governed by sensory impulse- and yet who in all of that mess never tampered with the point of covenant in his life.
But now at verse 16 he has crossed a line and has violated that point of covenant.
And if you think because of my emphasis upon God’s faithfulness in keeping covenant I have been soft on sin, or that I have downplayed the seriousness of breaking covenant let me leave you with this horrific picture:
‘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.’ This physical picture is very symbolic of spiritual realities.
Seduction destroys the ability to see- which is to say, it narrows and finally destroys our sense of perspective both spiritually and mentally. Bronze always speaks of judgement, and the bronze chains point to being held in or under judgement. And then, perhaps the most tragic part of the picture- the enemy he hates now becomes his lord- and what is left of his life and strength flows into the support and promotion of the very thing he hates.
This is the harvest of succumbing to seduction. BUT the very next verse begins with, ‘However’ which points to a change in the story. Our next lesson (and likely the final one) will begin right there with that ‘However’.