40 – Samson’s Sins – Part 2

NOTE: THE TRANSCRIPT IS NOT EXACTLY LIKE THE RECORDING.

Whereas the story of the harlot in Judges 16:1-3 prophesied of the current condition of Israel, it also prophesied about Israel’s future state as a nation and as the Northern House of Israel’s future state AND how Yeshua would bear the cross to save and restore her back to His righteous nation. Now we will see how Delilah embodies the world and the world’s seduction of Israel as portrayed by Samson. These prophecies not only pertain to Israel during Samson’s lifetime and the split Kingdom 2700 to 2500 years ago, it also applies to the end of days in which we live.  

Delilah & The Syrians

Let’s jump right in. The story of Delilah was a prophecy about the Southern Kingdom’s coming punishment. YHVH sent 3 nations against Israel to test her just like YHVH used Delilah to test Samson.

Judges 16:4  It came to pass afterward, that he [Samson] loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 

Delilah was not named in scripture as a whore. She was more of a seductress although by her actions we know she also was a loose woman, perhaps even a harlot. She would show us how Israel would fall to the seductions, or “attempts to conquer”, of the Syrians, Assyrians and Babylonians. As a type and shadow of Israel’s enemies, she sought to conquer Samson just like the world sought, still seeks, to conquer Israel.

Here is what Delilah’s name means:

H1807
דּלילה
delı̂ylâh
del-ee-law’

From H1809; languishing: – Delilah, a Philistine woman: – Delilah.

The root word is:

H1809
דּלל
dâlal
daw-lal’

A primitive root (compare H1802); to slacken or be feeble; figuratively to be oppressed: – bring low, dry up, be emptied, be not equal, fail, be impoverished, be made thin.

Delilah’s name, meaning all things weak and feeble, prophesied of how the world conquers Israel. In all situations, the world is WEAK against Israel? That is, until Israel is seduced by the world after which YHVH strengthens His feeble enemies to capture His own people. We will find that Israel, under 2 of her Kings, voluntarily succumbed to the world in 3 different situations.

Now let’s talk about the symbolism of the Valley of Sorek. It was a green, lush and fertile valley 20 miles west of Jerusalem right on the border of Philistia and Judah. Some say on the border of Philistia and the tribe of Dan. The Valley of Sorek was evidence to Israel that YHVH had kept His promise to give them a land flowing with milk and honey – i.e. abundance. Sorek is the southern edge of the very fertile Jezreel Valley.

The meaning of the name ‘Sorek’ is “vine”.

H7796
ורק
śôrêq
so-rake’

The same as H8321; a vine; Sorek, a valley in Palestine: – Sorek.

This should remind us that Israel is YHVH’s vine. What did Yeshua have to say about this later on?

John 15:4  Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.
John 15:5  I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 

Is it possible Yeshua was, at least in part, referencing the Delilah account of Samson?

Judges 16:5  The lords of the Philistines came up to her [Delilah], and said to her, “Entice him, and see in which his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” 

Samson was a known trouble maker to the Philistines and they want to end it. Their belief was that Samson had magical powers. That’s what the world and the 3 Abrahamic religions think today. The religions teach, and the people believe, they can go into the occult, the Kabbalah, the Zorah, the New Age Movement, the various mystery religions, etc., and get YHVH’s secrets that way. Why? Because it’s about the magic! And magic is about illusion and manipulation. If the occultist can make people believe the illusion, then the manipulation of the people’s god (who is not YHVH) becomes easy.

Just let me tell you right now there is nothing magic about what YHVH does. Magic is Satan’s realm and if you are exploring or practicing any of the magic arts through the occult, the Kabbalah, the Zorah, the New Age Movement, mystery religions, etc., you are in danger of hellfire.

Judges 16:6  Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and by what you might be bound to afflict you.” 

Interestingly, Delilah tells Samson up front the reason for wanting to know the source of his strength. She wants to conquer him on behalf of her nation! That’s a prophecy within a prophecy because YHVH always tells His people what He is going to do them.

Judges 16:7  Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.” 

Recall that the tribe of Judah bound Samson with 2 new ropes in Judges 15. Those ropes could not hold Samson because he was strengthened by the Holy Spirit within him to cast them off.

The number 7 in this story is Samson hinting to Delilah at YHVH’s help in his life. Seven is YHVH’s number in so many ways that we don’t have time to go through all the meanings of the number 7. Suffice to say Samson was hinting that YHVH was His strength. That Delilah, the world, did not understand the reference is not surprising. The world is blind to YHVH and His ways.

Let’s take a look at the first seduction of Israel under King Jehoshaphat. He was a righteous King in 2 Chronicles 17 but in the first verse of 2 Chronicles 18, he allied himself with a harlot just as Samson had done with Delilah.

2 Chronicles 18:1  Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab. 

The Northern Kingdom was a harlot, apostate and astray from YHVH. Ahab, the King, was married to Jezebel, the high priestess of Baal. Then the righteous King of Judah, Jehoshaphat who kept YHVH’s commandments like David had (2 Chronicles 17:2-4), involved himself with Ahab and the House of Israel’s harlotry. It was likely Ahab who approached Jehoshaphat. I will tell you why.

Jehoshaphat was a brilliant military leader. He “fortified the cities of Judah, set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured”. Ahab took note of this because he was forward looking to any military confrontation that might happen with the Syrian empire who was going around conquering nations at that time. Ahab’s interest was a military one. He was not looking for any kind of restoration with YHVH or for Israel to be reunited. He was looking out for his own self-interest, like Delilah.

Samson was a righteousness man. He did not break his Nazirite vow although he did commit other sins. We know the Holy Spirit was always with him which suggests that he repented for his sins. Repentance restores our righteousness, our right standing, before YHVH. So we can rightfully say Samson was a righteous man. But then came Delilah. As for Jehoshaphat, then came Ahab.  

Let’s look at what Abah got for himself with this alliance: Jehoshaphat’s strength. You see, Jehoshaphat had amassed a great army of 1,160,000 warriors! You can add all the numbers up in 2 Chronicles 17:14-18.

Ahab got to make use of Jehoshaphat’s great army at Ramoth-Gilead when, together – the House of Israel and the House of Judah, fought the Syrians (1 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 18). The Syrians’ great army was like the 7 green cords to Israel. Looked great! Seemed to be “just the thing” that would work to bring Israel under Syrian control. But just as the 7 green cords could not bind Samson, the Syrians were never able to conquer Israel, although they kept trying. However, in the battle with the Syrians at Ramoth-Gilead, Ahab died while Jehoshaphat escaped just like Samson.

Back to Judges 16.

Judges 16:8  Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green cords which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
Judges 16:9  Now she had an ambush waiting in the inner room. She said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He broke the cords, as a string of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known. 

Samson breaking those cords was the work of the Holy Spirit. Whenever such feats are done, it is the Holy Spirit moving in him. YHVH stays with Israel even as we move closer to the world, all the while giving us strength to put the cords of the world off of us by His Holy Spirit.

Judges 16:10  Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies: now please tell me with which you might be bound.” 

Delilah & The Assyrians

When Delilah realized Samson had been duped her, she tried again a second time. And so did another of Israel’s enemies, Sennacherib the Assyrian King, who thought to take Jerusalem after Shalmaneser, not so many years before, had taken the Northern House of Israel into captivity.

Judges 16:11  He said to her, “If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.” 

Does this remind you of the red heifer’s specifications that she be a heifer that has done no work? Samson also has done no work. It has been YHVH’s Holy Spirit doing the work. The red heifer cannot have been yoked. Samson, so far, cannot be bound.

Judges 16:12  So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” The ambush was waiting in the inner room. He broke them off his arms like a thread. 

The King involved in this “Delilah” coup was Hezekiah. How did Hezekiah respond to the Assyrians attempt to bind him? When Sennacherib approached Hezekiah, it was to assert his authority over what was left of Israel. Hezekiah let himself be bound to Assyria like Samson let himself be bound by Delilah. And what did Hezekiah’s binding look like?

2Ki 18:14  Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Return from me. That which you put on me, I will bear.” The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
2Ki 18:15  Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in Yahweh’s house, and in the treasures of the king’s house.
2Ki 18:16  At that time, Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of Yahweh’s temple, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. 

Whoa! Where did Hezekiah’s faith go? He would later call on Isaiah to prophecy when the Assyrians kept their assault on Jerusalem after having received all the silver and gold. Sennacherib sent some of his men to harass the Jews (2 Kings 18:17-37). That was when Hezekiah prayed and Jerusalem was saved from Sennacherib. But where were Hezekiah’s prayers and consultation with Isaiah when Sennacherib first approached Jerusalem?

YHVH took care of this situation even though Hezekiah vandalized the Temple to appease the Assyrian Sennacherib. He went back to Nineveh where some members of his own family assassinated him. YHVH saved Jerusalem just as He saved Samson.

Delilah & Babylon

There was third attempt by Delilah to conquer Samson.

Judges 16:13  Delilah said to Samson, “Until now, you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me with what you might be bound.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.”
Judges 16:14  She fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He awakened out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.
Judges 16:15  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 have not told me where your great strength lies.” 

We must never tell the world we love it, Samson. That is the same thing as telling Satan we love him!

Judges 16:16  When she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, his soul was troubled to death. 

The world can wear us down until we just give up and “die”, as it were.

Judges 16:17  He told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come on my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I will become weak, and be like any other man.” 

Samson spilled it all! And so would Hezekiah!

Babylon came knocking after having quickly conquered the Assyrian empire.

2 Kings 20:12  At that time Berodach Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 

Delilah, dripping with sweetness but relentless to reach her objective, was Baladan, the King of Babylon.

2 Kings 20:13  Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all the storehouse of his precious things, the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, and the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house, or in all his dominion, that Hezekiah didn’t show them. 

A little gift from Babylon is all it took for Hezekiah to reveal Jerusalem’s secrets. And THIS is what the enemies of Israel wanted and were waiting for. Hezekiah, like Samson who finally gave away his secret, gave away all the secrets to YHVH’s city, His Temple and Hezekiah’s own palace!

Judges 16:18  When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart…

When Baladan, King of Babylon, saw that all of Jerusalem’s secrets were revealed, the process of taking Jerusalem captive got into progress. Jerusalem’s capture only needed to wait for the right time, the time that YHVH had in mind.

Judges 16:18 …she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up this once, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand. 

Let me address the money first. There is a double prophecy here. First, the betrayal of Samson prophesies the betrayal for Yeshua with money! And like the Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees, Delilah did not take Samson captive. She got Samson’s enemy to do that just like the Jewish leaders got the Romans to come and take him out of their custody.

Second, another prophetic perspective is that like Delilah, Baladan did not, himself, take Jerusalem captive. It would be Nebuchadnezzar who would prophetically fulfill the role of the lords of the Philistines. When the time came, he confiscated the Temple treasures and took the people into captivity.

How did Delilah accomplish her goal?

Judges 16:19  She made him [Samson] sleep on her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 

The other prophetic picture here is how that Hezekiah believed the Babylonians were friends of Jerusalem just because Baladan sent him a gift. Thus, his “eyes” were closed.

Isaiah came and asked Hezekiah:

2 Kings 20:15  He said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”
2 Kings 20:16  Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear YHVH’s word.
2 Kings 20:17  ‘Behold, the days come that all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have laid up in store to this day, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says YHVH.
2 Kings 20:18  ‘They will take away some of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will father; and they will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 

Notice that Hezekiah did not mention that he had also shown Baladan the Temple treasures. This is somewhat of a proud answer. Hezekiah was asleep on Babylon’s knees. In those days, the up and coming Babylon would have seemed like a savior from the Assyrians. Sleep, relief, that at last help had come and lulled Hezekiah into fully trusting the Babylonians so much that he showed them all of the Temple’s and his own treasures and then withheld that information from Isaiah. After doing that, he “slept” on Babylon’s knees like Samson on Delilah’s knees, fully trusting no harm would come and fully not trusting YHVH to save Jerusalem from Babylon as He had saved Jerusalem from Assyria.

Delilah & The End Of days

Samson encountered 2 whores in Judges 16, and there will be 2 whores at the end of days, too. Who are the 2 whores of the end times? First, the Great Whore of Babylon which will rule from Jerusalem under the auspices of the Jewish Antimessiah. She is a combination of Babylon and Judaism, and perhaps even Christian religious doctrines.

Who is the second whore? It is YHVH’s people generally. Those who are still apostate, astray, lukewarm, living to close to the Valley of Sorek so they can have their feet in both realms without making a commitment to either one! They don’t keep the commandments of YHVH. Both of these will be destroyed.

Now to finish the account of Samson.

Judges 16:20  She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that YHVH had departed from him. 

The Babylonian whore that took Jerusalem the first time will come again, united with Judaism’s Jews, to take the whole earth. The world will say to YHVH’s Bride, “The Babylonians [the Great Tribulation] are upon you!”.

But YHVH’s people who are IN and OF the world will say, “We will go out as at other times, and shake [ourselves] free” [of Babylon], meaning, “Why, we’ll just go and have ourselves another revival!” A revival is not enough. Revivals come and go. True repentance is needed, a true turning back to YHVH. That is what Yeshua’s messages to 5 of the 7 churches of Revelation is about.

Friends, there is coming a time when YHVH will say enough is enough and He will begin the punishment that starts in His own House (1 Peter 4:17). YHVH’s unsuspecting, sleeping people will be like Samson who did not know YHVH had decided to remove His Holy Spirit from them.

Judges 16:21  The Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he ground at the mill in the prison. 

Samson’s eyes were removed so he could not see to destroy his enemy again. Hezekiah’s spiritual eyes were put out so he could not see the danger of showing all the Temple treasures along with his own to the Babylonians.

The end times fulfillment of Samson’s Delilah prophecy is the same. Our people’s eyes have been put out. But… There is hope.

Judges 16:22  However the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaved. 

Samson’s strength began to return as his hair grew. And as his hair grew, so did he renew his commitment to YHVH and the Holy Spirit returned to him.

The Philistines didn’t really believe it was his hair that gave him strength or they wouldn’t have let it grow. And they were right. It was the Holy Spirit of YHVH that gave him his strength. The hair was only the outward sign of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He lost that because his relationship with the world, Delilah, led him further and further away from YHVH.

Prophetically, the revealing of the 144,000 will symbolize the “hair” growing back, the return of the Holy Spirit, to Israel. See? Even those who YHVH has removed His Spirit from have hope.

Right now, there is only a remnant, but during the Tribulation, the remnant will no longer be just a remnant of Israel. It will be that 100% of Israel will be believers. No non-believer will an Israelite, nor will they enter YHVH’s Kingdom. Future Israel will be comprised of 100% of Israel as believers in Yeshua. They will also be commandment keepers (Revelation 12:17, 14:12 and 22:14).

Now we return to Samson as a type and shadow of Yeshua.

Judges 16:23  The lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.”
Judges 16:24  When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, “Our god has delivered our enemy and the destroyer of our country, who has slain many of us, into our hand.”
Judges 16:25  When their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson, that he may entertain us.” They called for Samson out of the prison; and he performed before them. They set him between the pillars;
Judges 16:26  and Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, “Allow me to feel the pillars whereupon the house rests, that I may lean on them.”
Judges 16:27  Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were on the roof about three thousand men and women, who saw while Samson performed.
Judges 16:28  Samson called to YHVH, and said, “Lord YHVH, remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this once, God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”
Judges 16:29  Samson took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and leaned on them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. 

Yeshua died between 2 other crosses, one on the right hand, the other on the left hand. This is the second time Samson carries a load for Israel on his shoulders with one pillar on his right, the other on his left.

Judges 16:30  Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!”…

In the world, and because of Israel’s passion for the world, instead of YHVH’s Kingdom, is where Yeshua died.

Judges 16:30 …He [Samson] bowed himself with all his might…

John 19:30  When Yeshua therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” He bowed his head, and gave up his spirit. 

Judges 16:30… and the house fell on the lords and on all the people who were therein…

When Yeshua died, all of the remainder of 12-tribed Israel, Southern House of Judah, became a widow. Her husband died and along with it the marriage covenant. The only way back for them is the same and only way back for the Northern House of Israel – through Yeshua. In coming back this way, they return with the Gentiles who they were supposed to teach YHVH’s ways to, but failed to do so.

How do I know the Jews were widowed at Yeshua’s death? Because Isaiah prophesied about it.

Isa 54:4  “Don’t be afraid [Jerusalem]; for you will not be ashamed. Don’t be confounded; for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth [the rebellions against YHVH]; and the reproach of your widowhood you shall remember no more. 

Jerusalem, the people – i.e. Zion, became a widow on the day the Jewish leaders had Yeshua crucified.

Judges 16:30  …So the dead that he killed at his death were more than those who he killed in his life.
Judges 16:31  Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial site of Manoah his father. He judged Israel twenty years. 

Yeshua’s followers, who were His Jewish brothers, took him to be buried. Samson’s brothers did the same for him.

The prophecies of Samson shows us that God has been warning His people for 3500 years even since the golden calf incident. With the story of Samson, we have more details of the salvation YHVH provided. We can see it if we have eyes to see, not eyes that are blind or sleeping.

There are many more insights to be had, drawing the Samson prophecies to those which are against the WHOLE House of Israel, against the Northern Kingdom of Israel and against the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
It was important to understand Samson’s account as prophecies. Why? Because we can look back and see the fulfilled prophecies and have our faith strengthened. Seeing prophecies already fulfilled gives us resolve to continue through what is coming in the end of days because we know ALL of YHVH’s prophecies will be fulfilled.