Judges 16:23-31
Samson Dies with the Philistines
23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said:
“Our god has delivered into our hands
Samson our enemy!”
24 When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said:
“Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy,
The destroyer of our land,
And the one who multiplied our dead.”
25 So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars. 26 Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” 27 Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed.
28 Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. 30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.
31 And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty years.
The enemies of Israel gloated over betrayed Samson who had enacted the vengeance of God on their ungodly people of idolatry and immorality. They had sapped his strength by Delilah’s deceit, put out his sight, and imprisoned the judge of Israel in hard labor. Then they assembled to rejoice and gloat against him with a great sacrifice to Dagon their god to whom they made him perform for them like a circus act. These leaders of the Philistines were there with a total of three thousand men on the roof to watch Samson entertain them as they claimed their non-existent god had delivered him to them and praised an idol for what they imagined was victory over their enemy who had defeated them so often before his betrayal and public belittling. Samson stood between two main supporting pillars holding up the roof level of the massive temple where they jeered at him as he asked the true and living LORD God for payback from His enemies for his eyes and no doubt the betrayal that had taken his vow and eyesight with it. God answered not just to avenge Samson, but in His larger purpose to bring down the pride and ungodly idolatry of the enemies of His people whom Samson had led to victory before. This mighty man had regrown his Nazarite hair and the strength of that original vow to honor and serve God against all enemies, and with that renewed strength he pushed down the supporting columns of that idol temple arena and it collapsed on them all. His act there as a bound blind man of God killed more of God’s enemies and his won than he had ever taken out in the whole of his life till that time. His twenty years of rule came to a victorious end that day and he was buried by his family with honor for his life and work because he was born dedicated to God, and they recognized that he was chosen by the LORD for a greater purpose (Romans 8:28) seen in that victory out of imprisonment and ridicule. God uses the weak to demonstrate His strength (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10, 13:4) for His glory and honor with victory (1 Corinthians 15:57) in Christ. We are likewise used to bring down the enemy (2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Ephesians 6:12) by our testimony of the gospel for ultimate victory in Christ against all God’s enemies and ours in His (Revelation 6:10) vengeance on the ungodly who reject His Son and refuse to repent from their sin to trust in Him.
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