Judges – Part 2
Input
Understandably, Samson is the best known of all the Judges. We suggest that you re-tell together the life of Samson from what is told in Judges Chapters 13 to 16, quoting where appropriate.

WARNING. Beware of:
1. Assessing Samson’s character by modern, Christian (and Hollywood) standards.
2. Trying to vindicate everything he does as necessarily having some good motives behind it.
Basis. See Samson as a man locked in primitive tribal conflict who was given special powers but not the ability to handle them. Samson is the sad story of prostituted power.Trace the story from:the great expectations of his birth (Chapter 13), through his weakness for beautiful women, betrayed by his pagan wife (Chapter 14) by his own great physical powers (Chapter 15) and by Delilah, the Gaza prostitute, leading to his spectacular death, “eyeless in Gaza” (Chapter 16).Remember the length of his hair was but the visible sign of the Nazirite vow in which he was covenanted to God from birth.

Output
Your Verdict. Now, as a group:
What is your verdict on Samson as a leader of God’s people? Are there vital and relevant issues here still bothering us? If so, what are they?

More Tragedy
Further tragedies are recorded in Judges Chapter 17 to the end.These are tragedies of anarchy and idolatry and are recorded factually in all their native horror.Another form of prostituted power is the underlying theme of Chapters 17 and 18, which throughout, describes the attempt to use religion for corrupt human ends.(As if we would ever do that!)
The horrific story told in Chapters 19 to 21 contains the reason why the Tribe of Benjamin became virtually amputated as a tribe from the other tribes of Israel. If you have time to discuss further before your prayer-time together, make sure you read first Hebrews Chapter 11 verses 32 to 33 and 39 to 40.

Optional Reading for the Next Session -The four Chapters of Ruth.

Back to Old Testament Studies: Genesis to Ruth
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