参孙和大利拉
士师记十六章4至14节
4后来，参孙在梭烈谷喜爱一个妇人，名叫大利拉。
5非利士人的首领上去见那妇人，对她说：“求你诓哄参孙，探探他因何有这么大的力气，我们用何法能胜他，捆绑克制他，我们就每人给你一千一百舍客勒银子。”
6大利拉对参孙说：“求你告诉我，你因何有这么大的力气，当用何法捆绑克制你？”
7参孙回答说：“人若用七条未干的青绳子捆绑我，我就软弱像别人一样。”
8于是，非利士人的首领拿了七条未干的青绳子来交给妇人，她就用绳子捆绑参孙。
9有人预先埋伏在妇人的内室里。妇人说：“参孙哪，非利士人拿你来了！”参孙就挣断绳子，如挣断经火的麻线一般。这样，他力气的根由人还是不知道。
10大利拉对参孙说：“你欺哄我，向我说谎言。现在求你告诉我当用何法捆绑你。”
11参孙回答说：“人若用没有使过的新绳捆绑我，我就软弱像别人一样。”
12大利拉就用新绳捆绑他，对他说：“参孙哪，非利士人拿你来了！”有人预先埋伏在内室里。参孙将臂上的绳挣断了，如挣断一条线一样。
13大利拉对参孙说：“你到如今还是欺哄我，向我说谎言。求你告诉我，当用何法捆绑你。”参孙回答说：“你若将我头上的七条发绺与纬线同织就可以了。”
14于是，大利拉将他的发绺与纬线同织，用橛子钉住，对他说：“参孙哪，非利士人拿你来了！”参孙从睡中醒来，将机上的橛子和纬线，一齐都拔出来了。
信息分享
参孙认识大利拉的时候，是多大年纪呢？至少也有四十岁。第十六章尾提到参孙作以色列的士师共20年。
我们不知道参孙怎样认识大利拉。她住在梭烈谷，那里肯定是非利士人的领土。参孙如果是在梭烈谷碰见她的话，他去那里干甚么呢？
今天的基督徒也往往在不该去的地方，认识某个尚未得救的人，互生情愫之后，便违背神的教导，与未得救的人结婚。
参孙喜爱大利拉，但圣经却没有说大利拉爱他。她三番五次地出卖他，怎么可能是爱他呢？她爱钱财远胜于爱他。
终于，参孙被试探而透露他的属灵秘密。他以为自己有足够的力量，其实不然！有人曾经说过：「参孙有能力撕裂狮子，却没有能力制伏自己感官的欲望；他能够挣断敌人绑他的麻绳，但不能挣脱情欲的束缚。」
就像灯蛾扑火一样，他一次又一次地重投大利拉的怀抱。在她的不住请求下，终于告诉她，他的头发是他分别为圣归给神的标记（13节）。他本该不惜一切代价保有这个分别为圣的标记。这就是他彻底失败的开始。
对你而言，甚么是你分别为圣归给神的标记呢？是每天的读经？你的祷告生活？你曾否轻忽这些属灵生命的标记呢？
要谨慎地保卫，忠心地持守，别让任何东西扰乱你与救主的关系。
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.