EXPLORE THE TEXT
Believers can be confident that God does not abandon them, in spite of their sin.
26 Samson said to the young man who was leading him by the hand,
“Lead me where I can feel the pillars supporting the temple, so I can lean against them.”
27 The temple was full of men and women;
all the leaders of the Philistines were there,
and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson entertain them.
28 He called out to the Lord,
“Lord God, please remember me.
Strengthen me, God, just once more.
With one act of vengeance, let me pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.”
29 Samson took hold of the two middle pillars supporting the temple
and leaned against them, one on his right hand and the other on his left.
30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.”
He pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the leaders and all the people in it.
And those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed in his life.
31 Then his brothers and his father’s whole family came down,
carried him back, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah.
So he judged Israel twenty years.
Read the application point above
Discuss when they have personally experienced this truth.
Despite Samson’s destructive choices in the past, he knew he could call out to God in this moment.
The Lord heard and answered Samson’s prayer.
Even in this moment, Samson’s motives likely were not noble.
Explain why Samson prayed for God’s help:
First, Samson called upon the Lord to remember him.
In Hebrew, “remember” is not the opposite of “forget” in English.
It means “to be mindful of” or “to act on behalf of.”Second, Samson asked the Lord to give him the strength to pay back the Philistines for gouging out his eyes.
His motivation for killing the Philistines was selfish, just as it had been before.
Samson was not concerned about the Lord’s reputation or the appalling falsehoods the Philistines were spewing about Dagon.
Nor did Samson express concern about the well-being of his own people.
In the end, Samson was all about Samson. (PSG, pp. 106-107)
Samson’s relatives retrieved his body and
buried him in a family tomb.
It is a sad ending to a sad life.
Samson suffered the consequences of his sinful choices.
We can know that believers still suffer for immoral decisions.
But we also know that God is just a prayer for forgiveness away.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 108 of the Personal Study Guide:
Lead the group to summarize this session. Allow one adult to start the story with a single sentence. Go around the group, allowing each adult to add a sentence until the entire story is complete. Lead the group to answer “Why?” for each statement above.
Refer to Pack Item 13 (Handout: The Cycle of Judges). Lead the group to scan the article again and to share how they see the major points illustrated in Samson’s life.
Read the session’s summary statement: Samson’s physical strength could not save him from the consequences of his weak moral character. Direct the group to read and reflect on the first question set on page 108 of the PSG. Allow volunteers to share ways they can help each other avoid compromise.
Close in prayer, asking God to give each adult an awareness of the Holy Spirit that will keep them from sinful choices.
Send a text or email to the group. Suggest they read the rest of Judges to see how Israel continued to spiral into sin. Challenge them to remember God’s faithfulness. Encourage them to respond to the second question set on page 108 of the PSG. Explain that the next session begins a study of the book of Ruth, a story of God’s faithfulness in a dark time. Urge them to read through this short book before your next Bible study.
Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. (See John 10:27-29; Colossians 1:12-14.)
Memorize a verse and apply it to a real-life situation.
Memorize Psalm 28:7, then write the verse in your own words. Reflect on ways Samson’s life illustrated this verse and ways that he fell short. Write a brief prayer, asking God to help you trust Him more, celebrate His work in your life, and show gratitude for all He has done.