Samson

 

Samson- Judges 13 - 16.

 

Once again, those who trusted and followed the Creator lost their way.  They became corrupt and greedy.  Their community was oppressed and declined for 40 years.

In those days there was a man called Noah.  He and his wife had not been able to have any children.  One day Noah’s wife witnessed a vision.  A visitor came to her and told her that she was to give birth to a boy who would restore the fortunes of their community.  The person instructed her to dedicate her son to the Creator from birth, and for the family to refrain from using alcohol or any drugs.  The child was never to cut his hair as a sign of his commitment to the Creator.  Noah’s wife was deeply troubled and immediately found her husband to discuss what this might mean.  Noah looked up to the sky and cried out to the Creator asking for an explanation and a confirmation that this was real. 

Once again Noah’s wife was visited by the strange shining person.  This time she asked that Noah be present too, and this was agreed.  The person explained that their child would be the one to restore strength and hope to the believing community.  Noah asked if the visitor could stay, at least for a meal.  ‘Not a meal’, was the reply, ‘but it would be appropriate for you to honour and praise the Creator.’  Noah and his wife got on their knees and praised the Creator.  The place was filled with the awe and presence of the Creator.

The visitor left in a most mysterious way, by rising up into the sky.  Noah and his wife looked at each other is terror.  “We’re doomed”, said Noah.  “Don’t be stupid”, retorted his wife.  “We’ve got a job to do.”

Samson was born a lively and healthy child.  His parents did not cut his hair when other one-year old’s were expected to have their heads shaved.  This caused a stir in their community, but much more was to come. 

One day, as an impulsive young man, Samson was chatting with women down in the town bar.  He fell very much in love with a beautiful girl and decided she was the one for him.   Samson’s parents could see what Samson could not.  ‘You have no idea what you are letting yourself in for’ they said.

Samson was smitten, and the young lady in question seemed keen too.  A parents meeting was arranged.  Samson and his family walked together into town to arrange things.  On the way, something caught Samson’s eye, and he veered off to investigate.  From behind some bins, Samson saw the glint of a knife.  Within seconds he was being attacked by a thief.  Samson picked up the large steel bin, too heavy for four men to lift, and brought it down on the attacker’s head.  He then returned, as calm as you like, to meet his future in-laws.  The meeting went well, and a date for a wedding was set.  Sometime later Samson passed the scene of the mugging.  The incident had caused a stir, but no one suspected his involvement.  The wreckage of the bin was still there as he had left it, and strangely also, Samson noticed a swarm of bees had made a home in the upturned remains.  There was honeycomb suspended from the cavernous interior.  Samson broke off a piece and hurried on.  Samson’s family were delighted to share in the fresh honey, little suspecting where it had been harvested.

Samson met up with his fiancées family to discuss who was paying for what.  “Let’s make it fun”, said Samson, impetuous as ever, “I will pay for everything myself if you can solve the riddle I have for you.”  For the People in that town a ‘riddling and a gambling’ were the height of culture.  The wager was set.

“Out of filth came forth perfection.”

“Out of the discarded came the delectable.”

With cheers and back slapping, Samson’s in-laws departed to scratch their heads and consult in small group into the wee hours.  No one had a clue, and soon their worries turned to the impending bill.  Weddings in that town were mighty affairs.  Samson’s fiancée would have to pump for the truth.  She agreed to come to her family’s rescue, and with tears and emotional manipulation, she pleaded with Samson to reveal the meaning of the riddle.  Eventually Samson gave in.  No sooner had he told her, she nipped off to give the intelligence to her family. 

In triumph Samson’s father-in-law presented Samson with the solution.  Samson was furious.  He knew that he had been dupped.  “You won’t have slept so well if you hadn’t sneaked into my bed,” he retorted. 

In a fury, Samson broke into his father-in-law’s business and took the money needed for the wedding.  He paid all the debts and retuned home in a mood. 

The following month Samson decided to see if he could make amends with his fiancée.  Arriving at his father-in-law’s house, he was surprised to hear that the weeding had gone ahead, but that his best man had become the groom.  Samson’s father-in-law was afraid, and offered Samson another daughter in marriage, ‘very much more beautiful...’

Samson’s rage returned and that night, many factories and businesses mysteriously went up in flames.  Everyone knew that Samson behind this, and people plotted what they could do bring him down. 

The atmosphere in the town had turned ugly.  Anyone now mixed with Samson was likely to be kneecapped. Believers in the Creator were especially targeted.  These people pleaded with Samson to moderate his behaviour and submit to the authorities. They asked him to hand himself in.

Eventually Samson agreed to face the police.  He was only concerned to be dealt with justly.  The people agreed, and together they went to the police.  Samson was greeted with delight and was immediately handcuffed.  It was clear that the police had been waiting for this moment.  Samson noticed officers brandishing all sorts of weapons.  The presence of the Creator come on Samson, and he pulled the handcuffs apart like plasticine.  With a purloined police truncation in hand, blows came raining down.  In no time at all the police station was in mayhem.  Bruised and defeated bodies lay everywhere. 

Samson walked out of the station and down the street.  No one touched him or considered it worth trying.

“With a Police cudgel I have cajoled my enemies.”  Samson exclaimed, throwing aside the blooded Truncheon.  Even today this place is known as ‘Baton Rouge’.

For twenty years Samson was able to stand up for the downtrodden, and the people looked to him as the only counter to the corruption and tyranny about them.

One day Samson came into town to spend the night with a woman he knew.  The word went round that he was on his own, and a gang surrounded the house, keeping constant watch.  Samson knew what was going on.  He could see that the road had been blocked with cars.  Samson, full of power, rushed at the barricade, and took hold of the fender of a large and expensive car and dragged it away from the town for about one mile.

It wasn’t long before Samson was in love again.  This time with Delilah.  Everyone knew that Delilah was like playing with fire.  Those who hated Samson offered Delilah a great reward for helping to trap Samson and bring him down.  Samson was smitten, and soon he was involved in a passionate affair with Delilah, and her charms. 

Oh you’re so strong!  What is it that makes you so much stronger that the riff raff round here? 

Again Delilah tried her charms.  Samson playfully suggested brand-new climbing ropes would defeet his powers.  Delilah was doubtful, but what do you know, Samson woke the next morning tied up like a turkey, with these precise ropes.  Samson called out angrily to Delilah “you seriously want to do me harm?” He noticed a scurrying away of intruders as he stood ripping apart the bonds like tissue paper.

Samson knew what she was about.  “Tie me up with piano wire and I’m a gonna” laughed Samson.  Strangely again, in the night Samson discovered that he had been trussed up with wire.  “How inconvenient” sighed Samson as he pulled the wire apart.

“You lie to me all the time” wailed Delilah.  “I can’t trust you in anything.”

Delilah continued in her quest to undo Samson and his community.  Samson continued to be under her spell.  Eventually after much pestering Samson informed Delilah that his strength was located in his hair.  ‘Now we are getting somewhere’, she thought, ‘it’s not an obvious, so it’s more likely to be correct.’ 

“Braid my hair in a loom, and I’m converted from lion to lamb.”  It was now not a surprise to find on awaking, Delilah hard at work weaving with Samson’s hair.  With an angry laugh Samson pulled his hair from the loom.  “Don’t break it” She screamed. “I know you are intent on bringing me down, but you will never succeed” Samson replied. 

It was not long before the actual truth did come out.  Delilah could spot that the blurred picture was coming into focus. ‘I shall not cut my hair as it is part of my oath of obedience to the Creator.’  That’s it - I have him at last. thought Delilah, thumped her fist into her palm, and sneaked off to her weary relatives.  Rather unconvinced, Delilah’s family fell in.  They could see the flash in Delilah’s eyes.

That night Delilah shaved Samson’s hair from his head.  When Samson woke this time, be sensed that his was all alone.  The presence of the Creator had left him.  He was at the hands of his enemies.

Samson was hauled out of the house and beaten badly.  He had his eyes ripped out and he was left barely alive.  “He could be useful down your uncles yard?” called out one man.  “Might as well get his to pay us back for years of trouble.”

That was the end of Samson.  He was not seen of or heard of again.

That is, until one of the gang leaders got married.  He threw a massive party to show off the extraordinary wealth he had accumulated.  Oligarchs and mafia barons gathered from across the globe.  The press were out, along with a luxuriant red carpet. 

As was the custom with this company, amusements were prepare in the form of gladiator fights.  The name of Samson was recalled.  That once feared man would make a perfect sparing partner against their campion.  “Let find him and rekindle the old days.  Once he was ‘Top Dog’.  Now he is just a dog.”  Samson was brought forward, a broken and stooping man.  He could hear the laughter and jeers as he arrived.  He groped his way forward resting beside a pillar.  His hair had grown and was back to the dread locks of old.  Little did his adversary’s know that that all with it the word dread had returned.  Samson looked up and whispered to the Creator.  “Give me back my strength once more, and I will be your judge and prosecutioner once more.”  Samson felt strength come back into his frame.  He stood tall.  The people around him noticed this change, and shrank back.  The vast hall slowing became quiet and subdued.  Without a word, Samson pushed at the pillar he was standing by. An ear splitting crack was heard high above them.  All were frozen.  The in a moment, the ceiling gave way.  Tonnes of concrete began to fall, and with a mighty rumble of the chaos, screams, metallic cracking, and smashing plate windows, the build began to fall down.  A gas mains exploded.  The upper floors of the building began falling in is if struck by a mighty earthquake or bomb.  Now the building and all within it had changed completely.  Silence descended, except for a thousand car alarms carried over the evening air.

That was the end of Samson.  But those who believed in the Creator also lost their oppressors.  They were able to meet together and their lives became more stable.

The End