Judges: Hope For Troubled Times

1
JudgesHope For Troubled Times

• Chapters 15-16
• Samson and Delilah
• 25 Jan 12

2
Announcements
3
Judges and Ruth
Week Date Topic
1 07 Dec 11 Overview Judges and Ruth
2 14 Dec 11 Israels Success and Failure Judges 11-25
3 21 Dec 11 Oppression and Deliverance Judges 26-331
4 28 Dec 11 Deborah, Gideon Judges 4-6
5 04 Jan 12 Gideons Success and Failure Judges 71-105
6 11 Jan 12 Jephthah the Judge Judges 106-1215
7 18 Jan 12 Samson and His Exploits Judges 13-14
8 25 Jan 12 Samson and Delilah Judges 15-16
9 01 Feb 12 Auditorium
10 08 Feb 12 A Levite and His Concubine Judges 17-19
11 15 Feb 12 The War with Benjamin Judges 20-21
12 22 Feb 12 Ruth and Naomi Return to Bethlehem Ruth 1-2
13 29 Feb 12 Ruth and Boaz are Married Ruth 3-4
4
Todays Objectives

• Review past lesson, Judges 13-14
• Provide an historical background and timeline for
  this weeks lesson
• Review historical maps of Israel and the region
• Read Judges 15 and 16
• Examine both the strengths and weaknesses of
  Samsons character as exhibited in his capture
  and death
• Examine our own spiritual strengths and
  weaknesses
• Sense our own need to grow in strength with God

5
Historical Background

• Jewish traditions states Samuel wrote Judges
• Written around 1050 B.C. and covered the period
  from 1375 B.C. to 1050 B.C.
• Death of Joshua to the beginning of the monarchy
• Israels form of government was a theocracy
• God alone was their King
• God raises up a series of judges between Joshuas
  death and the coronation of Saul
• Major and minor judges most did not rule over
  all
• Depressing period in Israels history
• Cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and
  deliverance
• Spiritual compromise was the norm of Israel
• God sends powerful oppressors to counter
  spiritual compromise

6
Historical Background

• Judges 15-16 1075 B.C. to 1055 B.C.
• Samson raised as a Judge from tribe of Dan
• Tiglath-Pileser I dies 1076
• Succeeded by his son Asharid-apal-Ekur (1076-1074
  B.C.)
• Succeeded by his brother Ashur-bel-kala
  (1074-1056 B.C.)
• Samuel born around 1100 B.C.
• Battle of Aphek (1075 B.C.) against the
  Philistines
• Battle of Mizpah (1055 B.C.) against Philistines
• Philistine oppression 1095-1055 B.C.
• Philistines worship the Dagon
• 20th Egyptian dynasty (Ramses III XI)
• End of the New Kingdom in 1075 B.C divides
  Egypt

7
Dagon Fish God
8
Tribe of Dan

• Name
• Fifth son of Jacob by Bilhah, maid of Rachel
• Name means judge (Gen 306)
• Jacobs blessing, Dan shall judge his people
  (Gen 4916)
• Dan will be a serpent on the roadside, a viper
  along the path (4917)
• Leading characteristics
• Unsteady
• Unscrupulous
• Violent
• Grim humor
• Stealthy in tactics

9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
Samsons Vengeance on the Philistines 151-20

• Samson returns to Timnah
• To see his wife (151)
• She had been given in marriage to another
• Samson burns the wheat, grape, and olive crops
  (155)
• Philistines want revenge
• Burn Samsons wife and father-in-law (156)
• Samson's revenge
• Kills many Philistines, then hides (158)
• Philistines seek to kill Samson
• Samsons willingly turns himself over to men of
  Judah
• In the process of being turned over to the
  Philistines, Samson breaks loose and kills 1000
  Philistines
• Samson led Israel for 20 years

13
Samson Shows His Strength and Weakness (161-3)

• Samson visits Gaza
• Gaza is one of the five principle Philistine
  cities
• Saw a prostitute and spent the night with her
  (161)
• People of Gaza react
• Surround the place and wait for him at the city
  gate
• At dawn we will kill him
• Samson reacts
• Stays only until the middle of the night
• Tears down the doors of the city gate
• Carried them to the top of the hill that faces
  Hebron

14
Samson Meets Delilah (164-14)

• Philistines use Delilah to lure Samson
• Samson falls in love
• Delilah from the Valley of Sorek (164)
• Philistines want to user her to find the secret
  of Samsons strength (165)
• Delilahs encounter with Samson
• What is the source of his strength, how to subdue
  him
• Seven fresh bowstrings (167)
• Ties Samson up with the bowstrings for the
  Philistines
• Samson escapes
• She tries two more times (1611-14)
• Both attempts fail

15
Samson Tells a Secret (1615-22)

• Delilah continue to prod Samson
• Day after day (1616)
• He finally capitulates
• If his hair is cut, he will loses his strength
  (1617)
• Delilah helps the Philistines subdue Samson
• Has someone shave off the seven braids of his
  hair
• His strength left him (1618)
• The Spirit of God had left him (1620)
• Philistines gouge out his eyes and take him to
  Gaza
• Ends up on prison (1621)
• Hair began to grow again (1622)

16
Samson Destroys the Temple (1623-31)

• Philistines assemble to honor Dagon
• For delivering Samson (1623)
• Praised their god (1624)
• Asked for Samson to be brought out
• To entertain them (1625)
• 3000 Philistines sat on the roof to watch (1627)
• Samson asks God to restore his strength
• To seek vengeance for the loss of his strength
  and sight
• Knocks down the pillars supporting the structure
• Kills many more that day than he ever did alive
  (1630)
• Family recovered his body and buried him in the
  tomb of Manoah

17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
(No Transcript)
21
Review

• Reviewed past lesson, Judges 13-14
• Provided an historical background and timeline
  for this weeks lesson
• Reviewed historical maps of Israel and the region
• Read Judges 15 and 16
• Examined both the strengths and weaknesses of
  Samsons character as exhibited in his capture
  and death
• Examined our spiritual strengths and weaknesses
• Sensed our own need to grow in strength with God