Judges 16:11-15: a reflection

11He said to her, “If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then I will become weak, and be as another man.” 12So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, then said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” The ambush was waiting in the inner room. He broke them off his arms like a thread. 13Delilah said to Samson, “Until now, you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me with what you might be bound.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the fabric on the loom.” 14She fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He awakened out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam and the fabric. 15She said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.”

In these verses Samson toys with the very thing that will destroy him. Delilah keeps pressing him to reveal the secret of his strength, plainly meaning to use it against him; and rather than flee this danger, Samson plays with it. He gives her false answers, one after another, letting her test each one while an ambush waits, edging closer and closer to the truth that will ruin him. He is playing with his own destruction, flirting with the danger instead of fleeing it, until at last he will give it away.

Notice Samson's folly: he plays with what he should flee. The danger was obvious; Delilah plainly meant to betray him, and an ambush waited each time. The wise course was to flee, to get away from the danger altogether. But Samson stayed, and played, toying with the very thing that would destroy him, giving ground bit by bit, drawing ever nearer to his ruin. He treated as a game what was deadly serious, flirting with his own destruction rather than fleeing it, until his playing undid him.

That folly is worth taking to heart, for we too can play with what we should flee. When we face a temptation or danger that could destroy us, the wise course is often to flee it, to get away altogether; but we can instead linger near it, toying with it, flirting with the danger, telling ourselves we can handle it, edging closer bit by bit, as Samson did with Delilah. Do not play with what could destroy you; flee it, rather than lingering near it and toying with the danger. When a temptation or danger threatens to ruin you, the wise course is to flee, not to flirt with it as Samson flirted with the danger that undid him. Get away from what could destroy you, rather than playing with it and drawing ever nearer to your own ruin, as Samson toyed with the very thing that would bring him down.

Lord, in these verses Samson toys with the very thing that will destroy him. Delilah keeps pressing him to reveal the secret of his strength, plainly meaning to use it against him; and rather than flee this danger, Samson plays with it. He gives her false answers, one after another, while an ambush waits, edging closer to the truth that will ruin him. He is playing with his own destruction, flirting with the danger instead of fleeing it. Show me Samson's folly: he plays with what he should flee. The danger was obvious; the wise course was to flee, to get away altogether. But Samson stayed, and played, toying with the very thing that would destroy him, giving ground bit by bit. He treated as a game what was deadly serious. Take that folly to my heart, for I too can play with what I should flee. When I face a temptation or danger that could destroy me, the wise course is often to flee it, to get away altogether; but I can instead linger near it, toying with it, telling myself I can handle it, edging closer bit by bit, as Samson did. Keep me from playing with what could destroy me; help me flee it, rather than lingering near it and toying with the danger. When a temptation or danger threatens to ruin me, help me flee, Lord, not flirt with it as Samson flirted with the danger that undid him. Help me get away from what could destroy me, rather than playing with it and drawing nearer to my own ruin.