參孫和大利拉
士師記十六章4至14節
4後來，參孫在梭烈谷喜愛一個婦人，名叫大利拉。
5非利士人的首領上去見那婦人，對她說：“求你誆哄參孫，探探他因何有這麼大的力氣，我們用何法能勝他，捆綁剋制他，我們就每人給你一千一百舍客勒銀子。”
6大利拉對參孫說：“求你告訴我，你因何有這麼大的力氣，當用何法捆綁剋制你？”
7參孫回答說：“人若用七條未乾的青繩子捆綁我，我就軟弱像別人一樣。”
8於是，非利士人的首領拿了七條未乾的青繩子來交給婦人，她就用繩子捆綁參孫。
9有人預先埋伏在婦人的內室裡。婦人說：“參孫哪，非利士人拿你來了！”參孫就掙斷繩子，如掙斷經火的麻線一般。這樣，他力氣的根由人還是不知道。
10大利拉對參孫說：“你欺哄我，向我說謊言。現在求你告訴我當用何法捆綁你。”
11參孫回答說：“人若用沒有使過的新繩捆綁我，我就軟弱像別人一樣。”
12大利拉就用新繩捆綁他，對他說：“參孫哪，非利士人拿你來了！”有人預先埋伏在內室裡。參孫將臂上的繩掙斷了，如掙斷一條線一樣。
13大利拉對參孫說：“你到如今還是欺哄我，向我說謊言。求你告訴我，當用何法捆綁你。”參孫回答說：“你若將我頭上的七條髮綹與緯線同織就可以了。”
14於是，大利拉將他的髮綹與緯線同織，用橛子釘住，對他說：“參孫哪，非利士人拿你來了！”參孫從睡中醒來，將機上的橛子和緯線，一齊都拔出來了。
信息分享
參孫認識大利拉的時候，是多大年紀呢？至少也有四十歲。第十六章尾提到參孫作以色列的士師共20年。
我們不知道參孫怎樣認識大利拉。她住在梭烈谷，那裡肯定是非利士人的領土。參孫如果是在梭烈谷碰見她的話，他去那裡幹甚麼呢？
今天的基督徒也往往在不該去的地方，認識某個尚未得救的人，互生情愫之後，便違背神的教導，與未得救的人結婚。
參孫喜愛大利拉，但聖經卻沒有說大利拉愛他。她三番五次地出賣他，怎麼可能是愛他呢？她愛錢財遠勝於愛他。
終於，參孫被試探而透露他的屬靈祕密。他以為自己有足夠的力量，其實不然！有人曾經說過：「參孫有能力撕裂獅子，卻沒有能力制伏自己感官的慾望；他能夠掙斷敵人綁他的麻繩，但不能掙脫情慾的束縛。」
就像燈蛾撲火一樣，他一次又一次地重投大利拉的懷抱。在她的不住請求下，終於告訴她，他的頭髮是他分別為聖歸給神的標記（13節）。他本該不惜一切代價保有這個分別為聖的標記。這就是他徹底失敗的開始。
對你而言，甚麼是你分別為聖歸給神的標記呢？是每天的讀經？你的禱告生活？你曾否輕忽這些屬靈生命的標記呢？
要謹慎地保衛，忠心地持守，別讓任何東西擾亂你與救主的關係。
SAMSON AND DELILAH
Judges 16:4-14
4 Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.”
7 And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
8 So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and she bound him with them.
9 Now men were lying in wait, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.
10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me what you may be bound with.”
11 So he said to her, “If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
12 Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread.
13 Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with.”
And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom”—
14 So she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web from the loom.
Message
How old was Samson when this story occurred? Possibly he was at least 40. The last words of chapter 16 state that he had led Israel for twenty years.
We don't know how Samson met Delilah. She lived in the Valley of the River Sorek, which was definitely in Philistine territory. What was he doing there?
Often today a Christian meets an unsaved person in a place where possibly the Christian should never be found. They become emotionally involved and the Christian ends up with an unsaved partner, contrary to God's Word.
Samson may have loved Delilah but the Bible never says Delilah loved Samson. How could she when she betrayed him so badly? She loved money much more than she loved him.
There came a day when Samson played with his spiritual secret. He thought he was strong but he wasn't! As someone has said “Samson could strangle a lion but not his own sensual desires. He could break the fetters of his foes, but not the cords of his own lust”.
Like a moth which cannot leave a light alone, Samson went back again and again to Delilah. Finally in answer to her pleadings, he mentioned his hair (v.13), the symbol of his consecration. He should have held that symbol sacred above everything else. It was the beginning of his total defeat.
In the same way today what might be called the symbol, the sign of your consecration to the Lord? Would it be your daily bible reading? Your prayer life? Have you been playing with these things and other symbols which are the secrets of your spiritual life?
Guard them carefully. Hold on to them faithfully. Don't let anything interrupt your fellowship with your Saviour.