Trusting The Enemy

So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.”Samson replied, “If I were tied up with seven new bowstrings that have not yet been dried, I would become as weak as anyone else.” So the Philistine rulers brought Delilah seven new bowstrings, and she tied Samson up with them. She had hidden some men in one of the inner rooms of her house, and she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson snapped the bowstrings as a piece of string snaps when it is burned by a fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. [Judges 16.6-9]

There were three other instances that Delilah tried to get Samson to reveal the source of his strength. It would be the last of these attempts that led to Samson's demise.

I have always had the idea that the Philistines in hiding came out each time Delilah cried out, "the Philistines are coming..." However, for the first time in my life, I have seen today that the scriptures do not say that. We have no record that Samson ever knew the Philistines were in hiding each time. It seems they stayed in hiding to see if his strength was genuinely gone - and, if not, they stayed hidden.

This makes much more sense to me, because, in the past, I wondered, "Just how stupid could Samson be?" if the Philistines came out each time.

So it appears that Samson gradually began to trust Delilah more and more - sleeping with the enemy, if you will. I am sure whatever it was Samson was getting from Delilah was good in his estimation and he probably felt a genuine connection developing with her. Samson had no idea that the Philistines were in hiding just waiting to see if his strength was gone each time. So, he trusted more... and it ultimately cost him his life.

There is just no reason to trust an enemy - ever. I know we live in a  'global' age where commerce and social interaction have put many nations, including the USA, in a compromised position, just like Samson. To think that enemy nations will not surprise us just like Delilah surprised Samson as soon as she learned of his weakness, is naive at very best. At worst, as in Samson's case, it could change everything and ultimately lead to our demise.

Samson's story involved two very recognizable and timeless plots: politics and money. It could be argued that sex was involved too. The politics of the story is clear in that the Philistines were undeniable enemies of Israel. The money is evident in the ransom placed on Samson's head by the Philistines - that money that Delilah was working for.

This really highlights a subject I wrote about earlier based on Joshua 23.7...

Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them. [Joshua 23.7]

Father, it is clear to me that both personally and nationally, people should be cautious about associations. If someone looks and acts like an enemy, then they are an enemy and should not be associated with and certainly not trusted. Help me to understand this and help the USA to understand it!