SUPERMAN & KRYPTONITE
BIBLICAL STUDY: SAMSON & DELILAH
TOPIC: SEX & OTHER STUFF
INTRO: Open up about Hair (personal testimony). When I was young, child, I essentially had the equivalent of what is called a bowl cut. Then in high school I got the mullet, my preferred hair of choice. Most recently I wanted to grow my hair long (even though I am balding) like a country music star, but actually wound up looking like the little dutch boy. But today’s Bible lesson will begin with a discussion about hair, and move into some much deeper meaning.
BIBLE VERSE: Judges 16:1-21
1 One day Samson went to Gaza, here he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. 2 The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, "At dawn e’ll kill him."
3 But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
4 Some time later, he fell in love ith a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. he rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.
6 So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued."
7 Samson answered her, "If anyone ties me with seven fresh thongs that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man."
8 Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh thongs that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. 9 With men hidden in the room,she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you! But he snapped the thongs as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.
10 Then Delilah said to Samson, "You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied."
11 He said, "If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man."
12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you! But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads.
13 Delilah then said to Samson, "Until now, you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied."
13 He replied, "If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man." So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric 14 and tightened it with the pin.
14 Again she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you! He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.
15 Then she said to him, "How can you say, ’I love you,when you won’t confide in me? This is the third timeyou 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 tired to death.
17 So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man."
18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything." So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.
20 Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!"
20 He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I’ll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
21 Then the PhilistinesJer 47:1 seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison.
TRANSITION: Samson had a major source of weakness. Today we are going to look at that source of weakness. And we are going to begin by looking at his hair. (note: this sermon series is going to look at the issue of sex, but is going to touch on a variety of other topics along the way. In this situation, we are going to show lapses of judgment made by Samson while focusing specifically on sex with a purposeful intent)
1. WAS HIS WEAKNESS HIS HAIR?
NAZIRITE: A Nazirite had three oaths that had to be followed all the days of their lives, according to Numbers 6. These include: avoid contact with grapes or the drinking of wine, never touch a dead body of any kind, & let your hair grow and never get it cut. In Samson’s case, he as set out for “spiritual greatness” (use that term, it will come up later) even from the womb.
Because of these vows, without reading this carefully, someone could argue that Samson lost his strength because he broke his vow. No, actually the vow had already been broken.
SAMSON HAD ALREADY BROKEN HIS VOW LONG BEFORE HIS HAIR. Judges 14:8 (Samson touches something dead) Sometime later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey, which he scooped out with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.
BUT YOU WILL SEE… Samson didn’t lose his strength when because his hair left him. He lost his strength when the LORD left him. So why did the Lord leave him? It had to do with his weakness…
2. WAS HIS WEAKNESS WOMEN?
Question: Did Samson really need a full head of hair? If hair really wasn’t the source of his strength, then why did he weaken when he became bald. In all actuality, the source of his weakness was not his hair—it was women.
The Prostitute: Samson was a Godly man. Samson is a Godly man. But where does he begin this whole chapter 16 with, a visit to the home of a prostitute. Should a man of God be visiting the house of a prostitute? Should a woman of God visit the house of a prostitute? (make sure to get an answer…there is some life application here because in many ways, what we view on the internet, in movies, or our purpose at the parties is quite similar to Samson’s).
Questions: How easy is it to find nudity? Sexual references? If we’re honest, what is one of the main reasons people pursue high school relationships? Do people go to a party (or a club) on the lookout for sex? What about the old adage we hear so often…I can look but not touch…is that okay?
The Bible gives us great warnings about such behavior… BIBLE VERSE: Proverbs 5:1-5 5:1 My child, be attentive to my wisdom, pay close attention to my understanding, 5:2 in order to safeguard discretion, and that your lips may guard knowledge. 5:3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her seductive words are smoother than olive oil, 5:4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.
SEXUAL SIN IS SERIOUS: In many instances in the Bible, whenever a sin is mentioned, the Word provides Godly substitutions for it. If you’re mouth cusses, do such and such. If you are prone to violence, do such and such. But no examples exist for sexual sin. The Bible says to: Flee
Keep your path far from it
Don’t go near its door
Don’t look back
Don’t desire its “beauty” with your eyes
EXAMPLE: BUBONIC PLAGUE
If I put Bubonic Plague on this platter and threw it out into the crowd, you would run from it, leave the church, and probably be packed up and out of town in the matter of hours.
EXAMPLE: HALF-EATEN MEAL
Imagine you went to a restaurant, and ordered a meal. Pick Applebee’s, what would you order? (give some time for examples here, then pick different restaurants, really get them thinking food) Then you’re order comes and the food is half eaten, mixed around together, and the fork has been left on the plate for you. Now, how you would like that?
Listen my friends, here me now…that is what we are offering our spouses on the marriage bed. We’re playing with the plague and thinking that there are no consequences.
SAFE ADVICE:
A. Make a Covenant with Your Eyes (Job)
BIBLE VERSE: Job 31:1 Job said: "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl."
B. Do Not Date a Non-Believer (Remember: Delilah was a Philistine)
BIBLE VERSE: 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?
C. Do not Date to Save Someone (The False Idea of Missionary Dating)
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Corinthians 7:16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband. Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
D. Do Not Date an Idiot.
BIBLE VERSE: Proverbs 14:7 Leave the presence of a foolish person, or you will not understand wise counsel
.
3. WAS HIS WEAKNESS PRIDE?
QUOTE PASTOR JEFF STRITE. “It was in his pride. It was Samson’s pride in his physical power to whip just about anyone that challenged him…It was his pride in his position as a leader in Hebrew society
It was his pride in his abilities and prowess that led him to believe he could get away with whatever he wanted to do. It was his pride
• that led him to believe it was alright to visit a prostitute
• that led him to believe he could maintain an
ungodly relationship with a Philistine woman named Delilah
• that kept him in Delilah’s bedroom night after night even as she was plotting to betray him
You see, Samson’s physical strength became the source of his weakness. His power became the source of his pride. He’d never lost a fight. No one could defeat him. He was a man of power and prestige.”
QUOTES Richard Nixon: “If the President does it, it can’t be illegal.” Bill Clinton’s Preacher: “Sexual immorality doesn’t automatically render a leader immoral.”
BIBLE VERSE: Proverbs 6:16-19 6:16 There are six things that the LORD hates, even seven things that are an abomination to him: 6:17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 6:18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that are swift to run to evil, 6:19 a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who spreads discord among family members.
BREAKING IT DOWN:
The phrase “haughty eyes” literally means “arrogant ambition.” That’s pride! And the Bible lists it in front of murder! Does that tell you something?
EXAMPLE: BOAT CATASTROPHE In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn’t a technology problem like radar malfunction--or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.
Sources:
Closer Walk, December, 1991.
Strite, Jeff. Superman & His Kryptonite. Church of Christ at Logansport: Man of Steel Series, Indiana. May, 2002.
NAME: __________________
SUPERMAN & KRYPTONITE
TOPIC SERIES: _________________________
INTRO:
BIBLE VERSES: Judges 16:1-21
1. WAS HIS WEAKNESS HIS __________________________________________? YES NO
What is a Nazirite?
What is the vow?
A. _____________________________________________________________________
B. _____________________________________________________________________
C. _____________________________________________________________________
2. WAS HIS WEAKNESS _____________________________________________? YES NO
The Prostitute:
Questions:
BIBLE VERSE: Proverbs 5:1-5
__________________________________________ IS SERIOUS
What the Bible says to avoid it:
A. __________________________________ C. _______________________________
B. __________________________________ D. _______________________________
Example: Bubonic Plague
Example: Applebee’s Bar & Grill
SAFE ADVICE:
A. Make a Covenant with _______________________________
B. Do Not Date A ______________________________________
C. Do Not Date To _____________________________________
D. Do Not Date An _____________________________________
3. WAS HIS WEAKNESS ____________________________________________? YES NO
BIBLE VERSE: Proverbs 6:16-19
Example: The Black Sea