Today’s passage: Judges 16:23-31
Helpful thoughts:
- The Philistines praised their god for giving them victory over Samson. By default, it was also a taunting of the God of Israel.
- Samson never refers to Israel in his prayer for strength.
- God’s plan was not limited or inhibited by Samson’s Philistine lifestyle and death.
Questions to consider:
- Why did Samson want to knock over the pillars? What was his motivation? How was his motivation similar to his previous actions against the Philistines?
- How do you know Dagon the god of the Philistines did not give Samson into their hands? (Hint: He doesn’t exist!) Who did and for what purpose? (Judges 13:5)
- In what way could the ability of the nations surrounding Israel to “faithfully” worship their gods, and the inability of Israel to remain faithful to the true LORD, give us more reason to believe that our God is the true God? Why is it so easy for people groups around the world to follow false religions and so “hard” for people to accept the truth of Jesus Christ? What is the nature of those gods? What is the basis of those systems of belief? How are they all different from Biblical Christianity?