Samson's Failure

By Mary Vee
Judges 16

Samson's Thoughts

My great strength is gone.


My Israelite family had called me a man of super strength. Men and women, boys and girls marveled when I showed them what I could do. One time I snapped a huge city gate made of thick wood off it's hinges like it was a bird's feather then carried it to the top of a hill. Yes. The people called me the mighty Samson.


How could I have been so foolish?


I told Delilah my strength was in my hair. I trusted her. Sure, she asked where my strength came from three different times, but I thought she wanted to know more about me. When she tried the bowstrings, new rope, and loom to bind me, I thought it was a joke.  


Hah--hah. Some joke. She was a Philistine. Delilah had Philistine lords hiding in her home ready to pounce on me.


She gave me food and wine until I fell asleep then had my hair shaved. The Philistine lords grabbed me like a little school boy who misbehaved, wrapped chains around my arms and neck, and dragged me to their biggest city, Gaza. Along the way Philistines in the fields and in the city laughed, called me names, and spit at me.  "Look at the might Samson, now!"


I had disobeyed God.


I couldn't look at those Philistines any more. God gave me the mighty strength to conquer them and I didn't. I wanted to make friends with them. I liked their foods, their merchants, their entertainment. God sent me to flush them out of Israel, but I didn't. On a few occasions I conquered groups of Philistines when they made me mad, but I didn't conquer them all.  


The Philistines made me blind, but now I can see what needs to be done.


The Philistines threw me in their prison. They beat me and took out my eyes. The guards yanked the chains holding my arms like I was a naughty circus animal refusing to do what they wanted. I prayed to God each day. "Give me my strength Lord, that I may do your will. Give me another chance to conquer the Philistines."


Each day passed slowly, but God stayed with me.


I listened to the Philistines name calling; I did their work; I sat in their gloomy prison and ate their moldy bread. Each day my hair grew a little. I laughed to myself the day hair flopped onto my face. The more my hair grew, the stronger I became. The Philistines said, "He's getting his work done faster. Give him more." Little did they realize, my strength was returning.


One afternoon the Philistines led me out of the prison and threw water on me. "You have been summoned to entertain the Philistine lords at the great festival. Can't have you spoilin' their meal with your stinky body smell." 


My opportunity came. Lord let me serve you with strength tonight.


Come back to read what happens next.


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1.  Who captured mighty Samson?
2.  How did they capture him?
3.  What did Samson done wrong?
4.  How did Samson disobey God?
5.  What happened in prison?
6.  How did Samson change?
7.  What did Samson want to do?
8.  What did you learn from this story?

Can't Go into the Promised Land

By Mary Vee
Numbers 14:36-45

Moses' Thoughts

Unbelievable. 

Absolutely unbelievable. 

The entire camp listened to the terrible report of those ten spies yesterday. Caleb and Joshua did everything they could to convince our people not to listen to them. They raised their arms high begging the people, "Let's go now and take the land.  We have the Lord to fight the battles for us!"

But they wouldn't listen. How could our people be that foolish?

Were the plagues, Red Sea, manna, and quail that long ago? Why can't they remember what the Lord did for them?

I'm so frustrated.

Because the people refused to listen to Caleb and Joshua, God punished the ten spies with a plague. They're all dead, now. The entire camp mourned and wailed throughout the night. I'm not sure if the people cried more for the ten men who died or for their sin of disobeying God.

The next morning, I heard a large group from the camp head toward the top of the mountain. They raised their hands and shouted, "Here we are. We'll go into the Promised Land. We have sinned. We'll obey this time and go into the land."

I can't believe my ears. Won't they ever understand God's power? He told them His decision: No Promised Land for anyone age twenty and older. I better go warn them, again.

I grabbed my staff and walked to the front of the group and raised my staff to quiet them.  "Now, why do you sin against the command of the Lord? This isn't going to work. Don't you realize you'll be defeated in the Promised Land because God won't be with you? The Amalekites and Canaanites will come against you with their swords. You will die because the Lord said He won't not go with you."

Do you think they would they listen to God's message this time? No.

They formed an army to send into the Promised land. I refused to go with them and there was no way I'd let them take the ark of the covenant either. 

Later, a few survivors straggled back to the camp.  I gave them water then had them report to the people. They wiped their foreheads and gasped for breath. "Moses was right. We didn't have a chance. The Amalekites and Canaanites came against us with their swords. We alone survived." 

Our people finally realized the Lord meant what He said. All the people age twenty and over wept the rest of the night.

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1. What happened to the ten spies?
2. What punishment did God give the children of Israel who were twenty years old and older?
3. What did the people decide to do, hoping to fix the problem?
4. What happened to their army? 
5. Why did the people age twenty and over cry?
6. What did you learn from this story?