Samson is the ultimate example of what happens when a person puts his own desires above God’s will. His rebellion against God led to his murder, and in many ways, that’s what this story is about: a man whose relationship with God was ruined by his love for women. But there are some other lessons we can learn from Samson and Delilah as well.
The story of Samson and Delilah is a cautionary tale, warning us of the dangers of placing our own desires above God’s will. It teaches us that we must put our faith in God, even when it seems like He has abandoned us. Finally, this story shows us that no matter how strong a person may be physically or emotionally, they cannot stand against God’s will alone.
God’s Gifts and Callings Are Irrevocable
God’s gifts and callings are irrevocable. God has given you a gift, or a calling, or both. He has given it to you because He wants you to use it. You just have to be willing to use it in His way and for His glory, not your own.
God gave Samson strength and the ability to defeat his enemies with this strength; however he also gave him an even bigger gift: the ability to resist temptation when it was too much for him as well as many other people who would have been able to resist such temptation if they had been in his position (see Judges 16:20).
The State of One’s Heart Is Reflected in One’s Appearance
Samson’s hair is a symbol of his strength. When his hair is cut off, it represents both his loss of physical strength and emotional vulnerability.
The story teaches us that the state of one’s heart is reflected in one’s appearance. Samson was known for his great physical strength: he could tear apart trees with his bare hands and carry heavy stones without breaking a sweat. But when Delilah gives him into captivity by cutting off his hair (the source of his power), he loses all self-control and goes from being a mighty hero to helplessly crying in front of her—all because she made him weak enough to be vulnerable.
Our Human Relationships Can Influence Our Relationship with God
The story of Samson and Delilah demonstrates that our human relationships can influence our relationship with God. God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable, but we must be vigilant about how we use them and what we do with them. The state of one’s heart is reflected in one’s appearance; if you want to be seen as beautiful by others, it helps to keep your heart beautiful as well. In the end, though it seems like a harsh lesson for someone who tried so hard to resist temptation, Samson still had his eyes blinded—but he could still see enough to die by the Philistine sword he himself once wielded against Israelites instead of on their behalf.
There Are Several Lessons We Can Learn from This Story
If you take a close look at the story of Samson and Delilah, there are several lessons we can learn from this ancient story.
- Be careful what company you keep. It’s often said that “birds of a feather flock together,” and it would seem that one of the reasons why Samson lost his strength was because he kept hanging out with Philistines (people who were enemies) instead of Israelites (his own people).
- Be careful what gifts you ask for. In this story, when Samson asked God for help with his hair loss problem, God gave him great strength—but only if he never cut his hair! When he did cut it off later on in life after being deceived by Delilah again and again, he lost all his strength and power on account of breaking God’s promise not to cut it off ever again after asking Him first before doing so himself without permission from above (which is something anyone should always do).
- Be careful what wishes come true—sometimes those could be bad ones too! If someone asks us “Can I have just one wish?” our answer should always be: “Yes…just don’t ask another question.” That way no harm will come from granting such favoritism since nobody else gets anything out of this interaction besides their own satisfaction which isn’t worth risking anything big over anyway.*And finally…be careful what words come out your mouth because some things may happen that aren’t exactly good for everyone involved in conversation about them–especially when someone has an agenda behind everything they say!
Final Thought
The story of Samson and Delilah is one that has been told time and time again since ancient times. It’s a powerful parable that teaches us about love, loyalty, faithfulness, betrayal and forgiveness. There are many lessons we can learn from this story but there is one lesson that stands out- God’s gifts and callings are irrevocable. We may think we’re strong enough to go it alone but in reality we need each other. God created us for community so let’s not be afraid to reach out when we need help