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Judges 16:4-22 | Samson and Delilah

LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS

In Judges 16:4-22, we meet Samson at a low point in his walk with God. Despite being chosen and gifted by the Lord with incredible strength, Samson repeatedly let his heart be pulled toward people who did not love God, and this time it was a Philistine woman named Delilah. The Philistine rulers bribed Delilah to discover the secret behind Samson’s power, and she wasted no time pressing him for the answer. Three times Samson gave her false answers, and three times his strength stayed exactly where it belonged. Delilah did not give up, and eventually her nagging wore Samson down.

Worn out by her constant begging, Samson finally told Delilah his uncut hair was a sign of his lifelong promise to God, the Nazarite vow, and if his hair was ever cut, his strength would leave him. Delilah had him captured, and while he slept his hair was shaved off. When he woke, his strength was gone because his heart had already drifted from the Lord. The Philistines seized him, blinded him, and forced him into hard labor. This sobering story reminds us that the friends we choose can either draw us closer to God or pull us away from Him, and it teaches children that listening to bad influences can lead to real consequences, even for someone as strong as Samson.

OPENING ACTIVITY 6:00-6:15 | Samson Hair Lacing Card

Items Needed:

Kids lace yarn through the holes to give Samson long hair, connecting to the idea that his hair was special and different from everyone else’s.

BIBLE STORY 6:15-6:25

Question 1: Where is this found in the Bible? (The book of Judges)
Question 2: Is this in the Old Testament or New Testament? (Old Testament)

ITEMS NEEDED: One paper rope, one strong rope

Hi friends! Today we get to hear about a very strong man named Samson. Can you say Samson? [Wait for response]

God gave Samson super strength. Let’s flex our big muscles like Samson. [Let kids flex their arms] Wow, so strong!

But Samson had a hard time picking good friends. Samson picked a friend named Delilah who did not love God. Can you say Delilah? [Wait for response]

[Object Lesson: Hold up two ropes, one strong and one made of thin string or paper] Look at these two ropes. This one is strong. This one is weak. A good friend is like the strong rope. They help us stay close to God. A friend who asks us to do bad things is like the weak rope. They can lead us the wrong way.

Delilah was not a good friend. She wanted to know Samson’s secret so she could tell people who wanted to hurt him. She kept asking him again and again.

Delilah said, tell me your secret. Can you say that with me? Tell me your secret! [Let kids repeat the phrase]

Samson tricked her three times so she would stop asking. First he said tie me with new ropes. [Make a tying motion with your hands] Then he said weave my hair into cloth. [Make a weaving motion] Each time, Samson broke free because he still had his hair.

Delilah kept asking and asking and would not stop.

Finally Samson felt so worn down that he told Delilah the truth. He told her his hair was a sign of his promise to God, and if it was cut, his strength would leave him.

[Whisper] While Samson slept, someone crept in quietly and cut off his hair. Can you make a quiet snipping sound with me? Snip, snip. [Let kids whisper “snip snip”]

When Samson woke up, his strength was gone. Because Samson picked a friend who did not love God, he ended up in big trouble.

Friends, when we pick friends who love God, they help us make good choices. When we pick friends who do not love God, they can lead us the wrong way, just like Delilah led Samson. Can you say good friends help me love God? [Wait for response]

Theological Questions:

  1. Who gives us the strength to make good choices? (God does)
  2. Does God still love us even when we pick the wrong friend? (Yes, God still loves us)

Life Application Questions:

  1. Was Delilah a good friend or a friend who led Samson the wrong way? (A friend who led him the wrong way)
  2. What can we do if a friend asks us to do something we know is not right? (Say no and tell a grown-up)

Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for loving us always. Help us choose friends who love You too. Amen. [Have all the kids say “Amen!” together]

WORSHIP IN SONG 6:25-6:35

PRAYER 6:35-6:45 p.m.

Transition kids to the floor for prayer time. Pray for children to have the courage to say no when a friend asks them to do something that is not kind or not honest, and to remember that God loves them even when they make mistakes.

BIBLE STORY GAME 6:45-6:55 p.m. | Building Strength Exercises

Tell kids that Samson’s strength came from God. In order for us to be strong, we have to do exercises and build our muscles. Take them through a variety of exercises.

BIBLE STORY CRAFT 6:55-7:10 | Friendship Bracelets

Items Needed:

Have children color and decorate their paper friendship bracelets with stickers. Encourage them to cut them out at home and give them to their friends.

SNACK TIME & BIBLE STORY VIDEO 7:10-7:25

Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat snacks while watching the Bible story video.

BONUS ACTIVITY | Rubber Band Strength Snap

Items Needed:

  • Large rubber bands
  • Unsharpened pencils or wooden craft sticks

Give each child a rubber band and let them stretch it around two fingers to feel how much it pulls back. Then a leader takes one rubber band and loops it around two pencils, slowly pulling the pencils apart to stretch the band further and further. Let kids count out loud as the band stretches, one, two, three, and watch what happens when it finally snaps.

Talk about how the rubber band looked strong and held together for a while, but once it was stretched too far, it broke all at once. Connect it to Samson, whose strength held strong through three tricks, but once he gave in and broke his promise to God, his strength was gone in an instant. Remind kids that staying close to God is what keeps us strong, not just how tough we look on the outside.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE Judges 16:4-22 (ESV)

4 After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” 6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.”

7 Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9 Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell me how you might be bound.” 11 And he said to her, “If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 12 So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.

13 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might be bound.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 14 So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web.[a] And she made them tight with the pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin, the loom, and the web.

15 And she 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 you have not told me where your great strength lies.” 16 And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death. 17 And he told her all his heart, 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 is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.”

18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. 19 She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. 21 And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison. 22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET

Today’s Key Takeaway: Choose good friends

What I learned today: Today we learned about Samson, a very strong man who chose a friend named Delilah who did not love God. Delilah kept asking Samson for his secret until he finally told her, and it led to big trouble for Samson. We learned that good friends help us love and obey God, while bad friends can lead us the wrong way.

Questions to ask me:

Theological Questions:

  1. Who gave Samson his strength? (God did)
  2. Did God stop loving Samson when he made a mistake? (No, God still loved him)
  3. Whose strength helps us make good choices? (God’s strength)
  4. Did Samson keep his promise to God? (No, he broke it)
  5. Does God forgive us when we make mistakes? (Yes, He does)

Life Application Questions:

  1. Was Delilah a good friend to Samson? (No, she was not)
  2. What should we do if a friend asks us to do something wrong? (Say no and tell a grown-up)
  3. What did Samson do when Delilah kept asking him for his secret? (He finally told her)
  4. What happened to Samson after he told Delilah his secret? (He was captured and lost his strength)
  5. What kind of friends should we choose? (Friends who love God and help us make good choices)