Dear Parents,
Samson
was the last of the major judges of Israel. He was born to parents who
dedicated him to the Lord as a Nazirite after the Angel of the Lord announced
that Samson would be born to save the Israelites from the power of the
Philistines. Samson grew up, and God blessed him with great strength. But when
Samson requested to marry a Philistine woman, his parents were confused. Samson
was supposed to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines. Why would he want
to marry one of them? But God had a plan in all of this. (See Judg. 14:4.)
As
Samson prepared for the wedding, he gave a riddle to the men with him about an
event that occurred on his way to Timnah. (See Judg. 14:9-14.) Days passed, and
the men convinced Samson’s wife to tell them the answer to the riddle. This
action sparked a series of events that would eventually lead to the death of
Samson.
When
the men solved his riddle, Samson was so angry that he torched the fields of
the Philistines. He used the jawbone of a donkey to kill 1,000 men, and he left
his wife. The Philistine leaders determined to kill Samson. When Samson fell in
love with a woman named Delilah, the leaders bribed her into telling them where
Samson’s strength came from.
A
man came and shaved the braids from Samson’s head. He lost his strength and
became helpless. The Philistines gouged out his eyes and took him prisoner.
They had him stand between the pillars of a pagan temple. In a final plea to
God, Samson asked for his strength back. God gave him strength, and Samson
knocked over the pillars, collapsing the temple. In his death, Samson killed
more Philistines than he had killed in his life. (Judg. 16:30)
Though
Samson disobeyed God, God used him to accomplish His purpose of delivering the
Israelites from the Philistines. As you talk to your kids about this story this
week, remind them that Samson’s sin led
to his own death, but God used his death to save the Israelites from their
enemies. Samson’s story reminds us of Jesus. Jesus never sinned, but God sent
Him to die on the cross and rise again to rescue people from sin and give them
eternal life.
FAMILY
STARTING POINTS
- Babies and Toddlers
- God helps us obey Him.
- God made Samson strong to help God’s people.
- Samson made wrong choices, but nothing could stop God’s plan.
- God sent Jesus to be our Judge.
- Preschool
- What is repentance? Repentance is turning away from sin and turning to Jesus.
- God made Samson strong.
- Kids
- What is repentance? Repentance is turning away from sin and turning to
Jesus.
- God gave Samson strength to defeat the Philistines.
