Study of the Book of Judges – Jdg 16:17-31 So Samson Killed More People in his Death Than in his Life

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Jdg 16:17-31 So Samson Killed More People in his Death Than in his Life

[Study Airs August 2, 2021]

Jdg 16:17  That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
Jdg 16:18  And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. 
Jdg 16:19  And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 
Jdg 16:20  And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. 
Jdg 16:21  But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. 
Jdg 16:22  Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. 
Jdg 16:23  Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. 
Jdg 16:24  And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. 
Jdg 16:25  And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.
Jdg 16:26  And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 
Jdg 16:27  Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. 
Jdg 16:28  And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 
Jdg 16:29  And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 
Jdg 16:30  And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. 
Jdg 16:31  Then his brethren 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 buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years. 

Today’s study is about Samson yielding to the incessant pressure of words from Delilah and the consequence of his actions. This is to affirm to us that whatever we sow, we reap. To the natural mind or our self-righteous nature, we may think that we may have done better than what Samson did as he was not faithful to his Nazarite vows and did not regard his election as a prize possession. However, we are not different from Samson. We, too, in our time in Babylon, were unfaithful, and we disregarded our calling in favor of pleasing the church instead of Christ. As the word of God says, what happened to the Old Testament people is typical of us and is written for our admonition.

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Jdg 16:17  That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

As indicated in the previous review, the hair of a Nazarite is what separates him from other Israelites as far as God is concerned, and therefore cannot be cut. It is a sign of his separation or election which is the source of his strength. Samson revealing this source of strength to Delilah is the same as what Hezekiah did when he showed the treasures of his house to the Babylonians (Delilah).

2Ki 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.
2Ki 20:13  And Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all the house of his precious things, the silver and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion which Hezekiah did not show them.
2Ki 20:14  And Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, What did these men say? And from where did they come to you? And Hezekiah said, They have come from a far country, from Babylon.
2Ki 20:15  And he said, What have they seen in your house? And Hezekiah answered, They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures which I have not shown to them.
2Ki 20:16  And Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the Word of Jehovah.
2Ki 20:17  Behold, the days come when all that is in your house, and which your fathers have laid up in store until today, shall be carried into Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says Jehovah.
2Ki 20:18  And of your sons which shall issue from you, which you shall father, they shall take away. And they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
2Ki 20:19  And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, Good is the Word of Jehovah which you have spoken. And he said, Is it not good if peace and truth are in my days?

Verse 18 of 2 Kings chapter 18 says that we become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. This means our walk in Babylon is/was characterized as unproductive. Whatever we do in the churches of this world (Babylon) does not work since we think we are doing them by our own strength.

We all love to show our spiritual treasures or insight to our brothers and sisters in Babylon when we started to see and hear. However, Jesus warned us that we should not cast our pearls before swine for they end up tearing us apart. That was what happened to Samson.

Mat 7:6  Do not give that which is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and tear you.

Jdg 16:18  And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. 

Our desire to please the church instead of Christ is taken advantage of by the church to enslave us to their delicacies. Our flesh, represented here by the Lords of the Philistines, therefore enslaves us to the pursuit of money, making us believe that gain is godliness. We therefore pierce ourselves with many sorrows through the pursuit of worldly mammon.

Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

1Ti 6:5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness:  from such withdraw thyself.
1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Jdg 16:19  And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 

It is through the church or Babylon that we are put to sleep, and as a result, we become spiritually dead!! Samson’s hair symbolizes his separation or election, and therefore the shaving off of the seven locks of his head means that his relationship with Christ was completely destroyed. Since our relationship with the Lord is our strength, the destruction of this relationship means that our strength had gone out from us while we were in Babylon.  Our miserable state in Babylon is described by several Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. Most of their writings describe our state in Babylon after our strength is taken away from us, just as Samson’s strength was gone after the seven locks of his hair were shaved. Let’s look at what these prophets tell us about our state in Babylon:

Jer 4:22  For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
Jer 4:23  I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
Jer 4:24  I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
Jer 4:25  I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
Jer 4:26  I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
Jer 4:27  For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
Jer 4:28  For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

Isa 3:8  For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
Isa 3:9  The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

Isa 3:12  As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

Jdg 16:20  And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. 

In Babylon, we think we have the strength to obey the Lord and do whatever we want, but we have no inkling that our Lord has departed from us.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Jdg 16:21  But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Samson’s inability to see his miserable state when he was overcome by the flesh (Philistines) in Babylon is shown by the fact that Samson’s eyes were removed, and he was bound with fetters of brass. Samson’s situation was not unique to him alone. We all go through periods where our eyes are removed and we are bound with fetters of brass, which talks of our bondage to sin. Throughout this period, we are tried or judged by the word of God. However, in the fullness of time, our Lord Jesus Christ sent and loosed us. This is clearly demonstrated by the life of Joseph.

Psa 105:17  He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant [sold to sin]:
Psa 105:18  Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron [Our walk was controlled by the flesh]:
Psa 105:19  Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him [Joseph was judged].
Psa 105:20  The king [our Lord Jesus] sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
Psa 105:21  He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:

This period of Samson’s incarceration is the period of his judgment by the Lord with the view of conforming him to the image of Christ.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

As we are aware, our forefathers in the Old Testament were typical of us, and so whatever happened to them is written for our admonition. We also are being judged in this life, just as Samson was judged in prison, so that we would learn righteousness.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Jdg 16:22  Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

If we are marked out as God’s elect, then in spite of whatever desperate situation we go through, our hair will start to grow again.  This means that we would begin to do things that conform to our election or separation as the judgment we go through would bring us to righteousness.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Inwardly, we would start seeing and hearing the word of God and would be given the power to obey, which would gradually bring us to conform to the image of His son Jesus.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

The experience that Samson went through is to tell us that we are marred in the hand of the potter before we are made into another vessel fit for the purpose of our Lord.

Jer 18:1  The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 18:2  Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Jer 18:3  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

The vessel being marred in the hand of the potter means that all that happens to us is of the Lord. It is not in the hands of the devil that we are marred!! This should assure us that all we are going through is the process of making us into another vessel.

Jdg 16:23  Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
Jdg 16:24  And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

Inwardly, the Philistines represent our flesh, and outwardly they represent Babylon as they worship Dagon, their god, which is another Jesus. When we are under the influence of the flesh, we worship another Jesus, and we invest a lot in praise and worship of our Lord but do not submit to Him. It is good to praise the Lord as fruit of the lips as we appreciate what the Lord has done for us, but there is a higher form of worship which is offering our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him.

Our spiritual form of worship is not conforming to the standards of this world but being transformed by the renewing of our minds. In Babylon, our worship only pertains to the fruit of the lips in which we invest all our energies but disregard the spiritual form of worship, which involves not conforming to the world and being transformed by our renewed minds which comes as our eyes begin to see and our ears hear!!

Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The way the Philistines were rejoicing over what their god Dagon had done in delivering Samson to them reminds me of when the Israelites rejoiced when the ark of the covenant was brought in their midst when defeat was staring them in their faces as they engaged in battle with the Philistines.

1Sa 4:2  And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
1Sa 4:3  And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
1Sa 4:4  So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
1Sa 4:5  And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

In Babylon, we do not have the presence of mind to think that our Lord has departed and that the God we are worshiping, which is represented by the ark carried by Hophni and Phinehas, is another Jesus. As we are aware, Hophni and Phinehas were very evil priests (1Sa 2:12-17). This means that those who led us (the priests) in Babylon were carrying another Jesus to us. We praise and worship this other Jesus (ark) thinking that it would save us. To the carnal mind or our fleshly mind, the sound of our praise and worship assures us that God is indeed with us. This was what happened to the Philistines (our flesh) when they heard the noise of their worship:

1Sa 4:6  And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
1Sa 4:7  And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.
1Sa 4:8  Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

Jdg 16:25  And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. 
Jdg 16:26  And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 
Jdg 16:27  Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. 

Our flesh likes to do or watch sports as a way of venting the pressures of everyday life. This is not to say that sports are carnal or bad. No! I enjoy watching sports as I’m currently watching the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. I do play tennis also to keep fit. As Paul said, sport is good, but is only a very temporal relief, but our focus must be on the goal of godliness.

1Ti 4:8  For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Our feasts in Babylon are all characterized by the old leaven of malice and wickedness. As indicated by Peter and Jude, we counted it pleasure to riot in the day time as we feast in Babylon.

1Co 5:8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

2Pe 2:13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

Jud 1:12  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

The pillars that held the house in which Samson was set represent the weak and beggarly elements which are the principles of the world that govern Babylon. These weak and beggarly elements include free will; observance of days, months, times and years; the trinity of God; everlasting punishment in hell, etc.  These pillars or foundations are only brought down in our lives as we die to the old man and his doctrines.

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

The three thousand men and women of the Philistines mentioned as the number of those feasting signify the fact that it is through judgment that the pillars holding Babylonian doctrines together in our lives are brought down. That is when the power of death is destroyed in our lives, and we can be presented to God as holy and blameless.

Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Samson being led by a lad means that when we were/are in Babylon, we are led or ruled by children who do not know what they are about. The children here are those who have just started their walk with the Lord but are carnal. These children lead us to err. The positive aspect of being led by a lad is that this evil experience will finally lead us to the identification and destruction of these pillars that hold Babylon together in our lives.

Isa 3:4  And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

Isa 3:8  For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

Isa 3:12  As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. 

Ecc 10:16  Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 
Ecc 10:17  Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

Jdg 16:28  And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

Samson’s prayer suggests that our blindness is due to our flesh (Philistines) or our carnal nature. Samson praying for strength to defeat the Philistines means that he had come to the realization that he had no strength anymore and must depend on God for victory over the flesh.  Our evil experiences in Babylon are all designed by the Lord to humble us.  This humbling is to bring us to the realization that of ourselves, we can do nothing and that we must depend on God totally for everything. Being unable to do anything even includes the evil that we do. We have to be strengthened to even do evil. It is when we come to this realization that we become strengthened to win the war against the flesh!!

Ecc 1:13  And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail [evil experience] hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith [humble us].

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Jdg 16:29  And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 

Jdg 16:30  And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Samson saying that he wants to die with the Philistines means that we must die to the flesh or the old man with all its doctrines. That is what being an overcomer is about. In the eyes of the Lord, it is not what we do but what we are becoming that is most significant.  If we lose sight of this, we would be like those who would ask the Lord, “Have we not prophesied in thy name and done many wonderful works?” That is when we shall be told that we are not known by the Lord.

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

This is not a one-time death of the flesh as the story suggests. We must know that the sum of God’s words says that dying to the flesh, or the old man, is a process that lasts a lifetime.

Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

The great city being divided into three parts means that our judgment which brings about the death of our flesh is a process. It is when we die to the flesh that we become productive in the service of our Lord as shown by the statement that the death of Samson resulted in more Philistine deaths than when he was alive. It is during this process of dying to the flesh that our Lord calls us to arise and shine as our light has come. Our light coming is when we are given to see and to hear.

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Isa 60:3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Isa 60:4  Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

Jdg 16:31  Then his brethren 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 buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

The burial of Samson by his brethren and all the house of his father is to let us know that our brothers and sisters have a role to play in the death of our old man or the flesh. It is through what every joint supplies that precipitates the death of our old man.

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Burying Samson between Zorah and Eshtaol is significant. According to Strong, Zorah means a type of wasp called a hornet. In the scriptures, there are only two places that the word “hornet” are used, and it was in relation to the defeat of the enemies of Israel as follows:

Deu 7:20   Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

Jos 24:12  And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

The name “Eshtaol” means to enquire, pray or request, and the name Manoah means rest. So what we are being told is that as we find rest in our Lord, our request to defeat our enemies or the old man is accomplished.

In our previous review, we have explained what the twenty-year rule by Samson entails. For easy reference, it is reproduced as follows:

In the scriptures, the number twenty signifies the beginning of maturity, as we are now ready to become enlisted in the Lord’s army to war against the enemies of our land.

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:22  Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Based on these scriptures, we can say that the twenty-year rule of the Israelites under Samson is a period in our lives that we are dominated by the flesh (Philistines), but we are gradually becoming mature in the things of God as a result of the sunlight (Samson) or the light of the glorious gospel we are receiving from the Lord. This beginning of maturity pertains to recognizing our appalling situation and beginning to rely on the Lord, through His words, to begin the cleansing process in our heavens which results in the gradual death of our flesh or the old man.

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

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