Title: Prayer for Strength
Judges 16:28-31 Prayer for strength Topic: 14. Prayer. 2007. 7. 1.
◎ Introduction
: Samson asks God to give him a chance to take revenge, even by death. In response to God's response, it exerts tremendous power to destroy the Philistines and meet its end.
※ It is not enough to turn a millstone in prison with both eyes plucked out and tied with brass cords. Samson, who has been subjected to this insult, seeks a chance to get revenge.
1. Samson's head grows (22)
2. Making Samson play tricks (23-27)
3. Pray for strength to take revenge (28-30)
4. Buried in Manoah's burial place (31)
1. Samson's head grows (22)
※ “began to grow again”
* Although it is natural for the hair to grow with a shaved head, it means that Samson can be given a new opportunity to stand as a Nazarite. (Head means Nazarite)
※ As Samson grew hair, he remembered that he was a Nazarite, regretted his folly, repented, and realized anew that he would dedicate himself.
* This realization gave us the opportunity to once again receive God's power and take revenge.
2. Making Samson play tricks (23-27)
※ The Philistines, who captured Samson and imprisoned him, held a festival of thanks to their gods with a relaxed mind, and summoned Samson to perform some tricks to maximize the joy of victory.
One). The Philistines at the Feast of Victory (23-25)
※ Holding Samson to the Philistines must have been a greater joy than anything else.
Knowing that this was due to their god Dagon, they wanted to offer a great sacrifice (23-24).
※ Dagon: As the spirit of growth, it was mainly worshiped in Gaza and Ashdod.
* Dagon was originally worshiped in various places in Palestine, but was regarded by the Philistines as their patron god. (1 Samuel 5:1~2)
※ It can be seen that this event is ultimately a confrontation between the God of Israel and a false god. How much damage did they do to Samson?
① “You have ruined our land”
This is the story of Samson's taking the woman of Timnah to the Philistines and burning them with their fields and olive groves. (Judges 15:1-5)
② “The enemy who killed many of us”
Samson kills a Philistine three times in the Bible. (Judges 14:19, 15:7-8, 15,)
※ “Their heart was set between two pillars” (25)
* The reason Samson was summoned to perform his tricks was probably because he thought that even if he regained his strength in a state of blindness, it would not be a threat.
* You may have thought that it would be a better spectacle if your strength was restored from being tied with a blinding brazen cord.
2). Samson brought out as a craftsman (26-27)
※ The place where Samson was brought out to perform his tricks was a temple dedicated to Dagon, and the scale was large enough to build a pillar.
※ “Samson stretched his hands… and saw them all using his tricks”
* Because he cannot see, Samson, who is led by a boy and built between two pillars, tells the one who leads him to lean on the pillar that supports the temple.
* At this festival, all the princes and the high-ranking men, as well as the Philistines, gathered on the roof, and the number reached three thousand.
* He must have felt the unspeakable humiliation of his position as a judge of Israel to please the Philistines.
will be.
3. Pray for strength to take revenge (28-30)
※ In an indescribable humiliation, Samson prays to God for revenge
One). Prayer
※ “… Strengthen me just this one time… so that I may take revenge once and for all” (28)
* “Only this time” indicates a strong will to avenge himself even through death.
* You can see the extent of Samson's vengeance against the Philistines “at once”.
* Samson's prayer, expressed as a strong sense of revenge, shows what kind of reproach he suffered, and at the same time,
You can think of the Philistines, the enemies of God and Israel's enemies, as a ritual as a judge of Israel who must annihilate them.
* Samson's desperate prayer was answered.
2). answer
※ “…After… I want to die… and soon it will collapse… and there are more people who have killed” (29~30)
* “Soon it will fall”, grabbing the two pillars and doing everything in their power to die with the Philistines, the temple soon collapsed. There were more people who were killed by the roof than there have been so far.
* This tells the size of the temple and the number of people gathered, while at the same time showing how great the victories won by Samson's death.