THE LIFE OF DANIEL

Week 1/3: LIVING BOLDLY WHEN FACING ADVERSITY

JUDGES 04/04: SAMSON: THE UGLY

To conclude this study on Judges, we are going to examine the story of a man named Samson. The other
judges got to experience a twisted version of victory, but Samson faced inevitable defeat. He had all the
potential in the world, but it was poisoned. We can identify three poisons that ruined Samson's life and can
destroy ours too.

Preparing for Your Talk:

• We want the stories within Judges to be the ultimate illustration. It’s tremendous story-telling, so we don’t
need to go looking for more illustrations. Really focus on telling the stories in a way that captures
attention.
• Print the small Group discussion guide (or text it to leaders).
Sources & Suggested Study Materials
• NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible by Zondervan.
• The Expositor’s Bible Commentary by Frank E. Gaebelein, John H. Sailhamer, and Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

BIG IDEA: SMALL GROUP OBJECTIVE: SCRIPTURE USED:

Pride builds barriers. Humility We will discuss the three poisons Judges 16:4-5; 15-21
helps us build bridges. in Samson’s story and identify if Proverbs 16:18
any of them are impacting our own
lives.
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TEACHING OUTLINE

— SETTING UP THIS TALK —

• The Book of Judges has been a wild ride. Judges is not like a roller coaster with
twists and turns. It's more like those vertical drop rides.
• It's straight down, not very fun, and makes you want to throw up.
• We have looked at the good with Deborah. We have looked at the bad with
Jephthah. Now, to conclude this study, we are going to examine the ugly by
exploring the story of a man named Samson.

• Samson was the last judge sent to rescue Israel. Their vicious cycle had
repeated a dozen times at this point.
• Once again, they had turned from God, and their impending tragedy looked
like the end.
• God's people were facing their most powerful foe yet — the Philistines.
• It was a massive army of skilled soldiers who were notorious for their
conquests on horseback.
• Here's the kicker: they had God's people surrounded on every side.
• Samson was supposed to save Israel by defeating the Philistines.
• However, arrogance got in the way.
• Samson decided to ght the entire nation on his own with no help
from his soldiers, generals, or even God.

• Towards the beginning of the story, it actually looked like he might pull it o . Like
most tragic stories, heartbreak leads to havoc.
• After his beloved wife cheated on him (Judges 14), Samson took his anger
out on random Philistine soldiers.
• He charged them while carrying an animal skull and began to slaughter them
one at a time.
• All in all, Samson killed nearly a thousand skilled soldiers with the skull of
a donkey (Judges 15:13-20).
• Yes, you heard that right.
• Samson was strong as an ox, but he was also as stubborn as a mule.
• He should have been a hero, but he ends up looking far more like a villain.

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• I've seen people try to set Samson up to look like a Hebrew version of
Hercules — tall, strong, and handsome.
• That's only true on the surface. Sure, his muscles had muscles. It's true
that God blessed him with superhuman strength.
• However, he tragically let that blessing go to his head.
• He used his strength for evil.
• He was known to kill wild animals for fun, break building pillars in half,
and throw grown men like baby dolls.

• Samson had one thing going for him. He had great parents.
• They loved God and encouraged their son to live the life of a Nazarite
(Numbers 6).
• A Nazarite made a covenant with God that they would not cut their hair,
touch the dead, or drink alcohol. It was a life of purity and focus.
• Unfortunately, as we are about to see, Samson broke every single part of
the covenant. He was supposed to live a life of commitment, but he
chose to live a life of chaos.
• Turn with me in your Bibles to Judges chapter 16.

BIBLE STUDY:
READ: Judges 16:4-5; 15-21
Some time later, [Samson] fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was
Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing
you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and
subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver." Then she said to
him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me
three times now and have not told me what makes your strength so great." Finally, after she
had nagged him with her words day after day, and pestered him, he was tired to death. So he
told her his whole secret, and said to her, "A razor has never come upon my head; for I have
been a nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If my head were shaved, then my strength
would leave me; I would become weak, and be like anyone else." When Delilah realized that he
had told her his whole secret, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, "This time
come up, for he has told his whole secret to me." Then the lords of the Philistines came up to
her, and brought the money in their hands. She let him fall asleep on her lap; and she called a
man, and had him shave o the seven locks of his head. He began to weaken, and his strength
left him. Then she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" When he awoke from his
sleep, he thought, "I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free." But he did not know
that the Lord had left him.

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Contextualizing this Passage:

• There you have it. The most powerful warrior in Israel's history was defeated by
a pretty girl, a nap, and a haircut.
• The other judges got to experience a twisted version of victory, but Samson
faced inevitable defeat.
• He had all the potential in the world, but it was poisoned.
• We can identify three poisons that ruined Samson's life and can destroy
ours too.

APPLICATION
• One: Poisonous People
• Samson wasn't destroyed in the ways you'd think. It wasn't an army, tank,
assassin, or bear-wrestling injury.
• Samson's life was ruined because he trusted the wrong person.
• He thought he was in love, but she was a spy.
• Delilah ultimately turned him into the Philistine army for some quick cash.
• Be very careful letting poisonous people into your life.
• We live in an era when poisonous people can get to you like never
before. You don't even have to look for them; they can just appear
in your direct messages.
• Be careful who you trust because poisonous people are
everywhere. How do we nd them?
• Here are some examples:
• Critical Crowds: Have people ever talked down to you over
and over? They always have a critical thing to say, and you
always leave a conversation feeling worse about yourself.
Those people are poison. Some people want to help you live a
better life by pointing out your mistakes, and you should hold
on to those people. However, some simply seek to criticize.
That's poisonous.

• Pressuring Peers: These folks are always trying to push you

past your boundaries. Every exchange is an opportunity for

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them to pressure you into bad choices, change your mind

about your convictions, or even hand you something you
already refused. Those people are poison.
• Backstabbers: These are the people who are nice to your
face, but you nd out they are spreading rumors behind your
back. They always seem so curious in a conversation, but
they don't really care. They're just shing for information.
Please be careful because those people are likely poison.

• I get it. This seems awfully critical. Let's make this clear. Most people are not
poisonous.
• Within your community, there are plenty of people who love you, cheer for
you, and want the best for you. Embrace them!
• Don't go into every exchange suspicious and jaded, but don't ignore red
ags either.
• Ask God for discernment and He will help you nd the right people to
cherish.
• Bad people can pollute your potential, but good friends will take you
far.
• Yes, people shape you, but so does your perspective. Let’s look at
another poison that polluted Samson.

• Two: A Poisonous Perspective

• Samson's downfall didn't start in his bedroom. It started in his mind.
• He casually assumed that he knew better than God, so he did things his
way.
• He ignored God's commands.
• He tried to do everything on his own.
• He ended up in chains that he was unable to break.

• Perspective is a powerful thing. Every single mistake you've ever made started
in your mind.
• An obsession with popularity can make you lose track of who you really are.
• Worry can suck the joy out of life.
• A negative attitude will eventually seep into your relationships.

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• Learn from Samson and pray for a puri ed perspective.

• But there is one toxic trait that reigned supreme in the book of
Judges and it’s the perfect way to conclude our series. What’s the
worst perspective of all? Pride.

• Three: Pride
• What was the perspective that ultimately took down Samson? It was pride.
• He was a one-man show.
• He was arrogant. He was the kind of person who posted 3-4 sel es a day.
• His pride made him use God's gift of strength for evil.
• His pride made him use people instead of loving them.
• Samson's put himself on a high pedestal just to cause more pain when he
eventually fell.
• Ultimately, Samson's pride preluded his destruction. It sounds
extreme, but it's Biblical.
• Solomon, one of Israel's kings, wrote it this way, "Pride goes before
destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18).
• Watch out for pride because it is poison. It will make you isolate yourself,
refuse to own up to your mistakes, and prevent you from celebrating someone
else's success.
• Pride builds up walls and refuses to respond to constructive criticism.
• While pride makes us build barriers, humility helps us build bridges.

• Landing: Samson was supposed to save Israel, but he failed. He was a deeply
awed judge, but there is good news.
• While Samson struggled, God knew that a perfect judge was on the
horizon.
• The perfect judge showed up on the scene a few hundred years later.
• Jesus was everything that Samson was not.
• He embodied love, peacefulness, mercy, and humility.
• Live like Jesus, not like a judge.
• Try to wrap your mind around His humility.
• Christ was God in the esh, the King of all creation, but He
came to earth as a servant.

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• Jesus formed the oceans, but He still washed the disciples

feet.
• Jesus created the earth, but He lived a simple life.
• He thought of others before himself — all the way to His
death on a Roman cross.
• Jesus is our perfect judge.

— Break for Small Groups —

Handout on the next page.

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TALK IT OUT
Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stu .

Ice Breaker: Go around your circle and share this week’s highs and lows. What was the
best part of your week and what was the lowest part of your week?

Q1: What words come to mind when you think of Samson?

Q2: Samson had all the potential in the world, but he let di erent poisons pollute his
potential. How have you seen this play out in people’s lives?

Q3: What are some ways to identify is a person is problematic for you?

Q4: Pride played a big part in Samson’s downfall. What can you do protect yourself
against pride?

Application: Take an honest inventory of your potential in life and re ect on any poisons
that are trying to pollute it. Let a few trusted friends know about them then encourage
them to keep you accountable to living free of those poisons.

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY

2 Corinthians 7:1
1 John 3:1-3
1 John 3:6-10
Psalm 119:1-9
1 Samuel 2:1-2
Psalm 51:10-12

Do the following with each passage:

ASK– God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down and inviting God to be present.
Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.
READ– the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you,
reading them a second time if necessary.
REFLECT– on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and
experiences?
RESPOND– to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways
to live out what you’ve uncovered.

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