Samson Part IV: The Burned and Blinded

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. Samson's path was not one of heroism, but of destruction, a road paved with his unchecked passions and untempered pride. 00:00:14 Speaker 2: Ah, come beast, Let's see who is stronger. 00:00:21 Speaker 1: The Philistines froze, stunned into silence. Samson turned to them, his gaze alight with fury fit me. Wave after wave came, but the spirit of the Lord did not wane. Each swing of the jawbone was a judgment, each fallen soldier a testament to God's might. 00:00:44 Speaker 2: With the jawbone of a donkey, I have slain a thousand men heats upon its. 00:00:55 Speaker 1: Yet even in his ignorance and folly, the hand of God moved through him. He was not a savior, not a man of noble character or steadfast courage, but a tool sharp and brutal, used to tear down the oppressors of Israel. 00:01:21 Speaker 3: The tragedy of Samson to wield God's strength, yet to be ruled by his own desires. Shelloh, my friends, from here in the holy Land of Israel. I'm l extein with International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People. In today's episode, we witness a hero collapse, but can he really be called a hero? Samson was chosen, consecrated, and set apart to deliver Israel, but he's driven by impulse, by cravings that betray him time and again. In Judges sixteen, we find him captured, blinded and bound. His strength is gone, his purpose shattered. This is a tragic end of a life not totally given over to God. But there's a sliver of light breaking through this dark tail. Maybe Samson can be redeemed through one final act of sacrifice. 00:02:19 Speaker 1: This episode of The Chosen People with Yeile Exstein contains explicit content that may be triggering for some listeners and inappropriate for young children. Listener discretion is advised. The city of Gaza lay silent beneath a canopy of stars. The streets were dark save for the faint flicker of a solitary candle in a window overlooking the square. Inside the room was stifling, the air heavy with the scent of sweat and sin. Shadows danced upon the walls cast by the unsteady flame as Samson and the prostitute moved together. Fleeting passion for Samson, her body was not a source of love or comfort, but a sow for wounds he could not name. He was a man set apart by God and Nazarite, consecrated from birth, Yet he felt estranged from the very purpose that defined him. As the woman slept, her breath soft, and even Samson lay awake. The candle burned low beside him. He stared at it, watching the draft tease its flame, threatening to extinguish it entirely. He thought of his own conviction, his own fragile vows. They had been no stronger than that tiny flame, and just as easily snuffed out. The memory of the honey came unbidden, a moment of sweetness stolen from the carcass of the lion he had slain. He had broken his vow for that honey, for a taste of fleeting pleasure. Thought of his marriage, of his wife given to another, and of the prostitute lying beside him. Now, each time he had sacrificed his sacred purpose for the sake of earthly desires, each time he had traded the eternal for the ephemeral. He closed his eyes, willing sleep to come. But a sound stirred him from his restless thoughts. Voices hushed outside. Samson rose silently and pressed his ear to the wall. 00:04:32 Speaker 4: We will wait until he falls asleep, then we kill him. At midnight we strike. It cannot escape us. 00:04:42 Speaker 1: This time, Samson's lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. 00:04:49 Speaker 2: Let them try. 00:04:51 Speaker 1: Samson had faced death too many times to fear it now. God had delivered him from his enemies before, and Samson had no doubt he would do so again. He dressed quickly and slipped to the window. Samson climbed down the wall with the ease of a hunter, his hands finding holes in the rough wood and clay. His feet touched the ground soundlessly, and he moved through the narrow alleys like a phantom. The city walls loomed ahead. The main gate, massive and made of iron, was the only way out. The gates were formidable, six feet taller than Samson himself and bound with heavy chains. Their iron bars gleamed faintly in the torchlight, and the posts securing them were driven deep into the earth. The Philistines had believed this would be enough to contain him. They had miscalculated. Samson approached the gates, his hands brushing against the gold metal. 00:05:52 Speaker 2: Let's see how safe you're a cidy is without these. 00:05:58 Speaker 1: He gripped the gates tightly, his fingers digging into the iron bars, and began to push. His feet drove into the ground, muscle straining as he eaved with all his might. The air was filled with the groaning of metal and the cracking of wood as the gates resisted him, but Samson pressed on with a final thunderous effort. The gates tore free from their bursts dust, and bably rained down as Samson hoisted the massive gates above his head. The weight of the gates bore down on him, but he carried them with ease. He marched out of the city with the gates above his head. He climbed the hill across from hebron and planted the gates at its beak. 00:06:44 Speaker 2: Baha, take that philistine darts. 00:06:48 Speaker 1: When dawn broke, the men of Gaza awoke to find their city defenseless. They gathered at the entrance, staring in disbelief at the destruction. The gates were gone, their posts splintered, and foundations cracked. Only one man could have been responsible. Samson's name was on their lips, spoken with equal parts fear and rage, he had outmatched them once again, leaving them humiliated and vulnerable. Their city, once a fortress, now lay open to the world, and somewhere on that distant hill, Samson stood alone, gazing at the horizon. The gates he had carried were a symbol of his might, but they were also a reminder of his isolation. The man who could tear down walls was also a man who could not build bridges. He was feared, not loved. He was respected, but never understood. Samson strode on without a destination. The valley of Sorek stretched out before Samson, its rolling hills and jagged cliffs, caught between the lands of Dan and the dominion of the Philistines. The border lands were wild and no man's land, where raiders preyed on travelers and soldiers moved like shadows. Yet Samson walked the path with unshaken confidence, his broad shoulders rolling with each step. He feared no man, bandit, soldier or assassin. He feared nothing. No man could stand against him, no man could slay him, no man. He arrived in the market place of Sosurrek, its narrow streets alive with merchants, chatter, and the scent of freshly baked bread. The market place offered a strange sort of anonymity. Here he was not the judge of Israel. Here no one looked to him for deliverance or judgment. The Philistines despised him, but they also left him alone, to afraid to confront him outright among them, he could drown himself in indulgence, ignoring the weight of his destiny. He fed his hunger, quenched his thirst, and wandered aimlessly, a man adrift. It was then that he saw her. She was tending a small stall, selling jewelry of fine silver and polished stone. Her beauty was striking, full lips curved in a knowing smile, bright eyes, catching a light like a lure in dark waters. Samson stopped mid stride, captivated. She radiated a certain type of power, the power to enthrall, to entangle, to destroy, Like a moth to the flame. Samson approached her, leaning against the wall, his lips curling into a confident smile. 00:09:58 Speaker 5: What is your name? 00:10:00 Speaker 1: The woman looked him over, her gaze lingering on his powerful frame and the way his muscles shifted beneath his tunic. She knew who he was, how could she not? Yet the man before her was not the monster she had imagined. 00:10:16 Speaker 5: Delilah, Delilah, I am Samson. 00:10:20 Speaker 6: Oh, I know who you are. They call you the monster of Israel. 00:10:26 Speaker 5: Ha ha A monster to some perhaps, but to you, I am a maam. 00:10:35 Speaker 1: Delilah tilted her head, her smile never wavering. The two of them walked together through the market place, speaking in hush tones. Their connection was immediate and undeniable. But as they laughed and flirted, the eyes of the men of Zurik followed them. By the time the sun began its descent, Samson and Delilah found themselves strolling by the river. They exchange sweet nothings, their words dripping with flirtation and veiled promises. But beneath Delilah's coy smiles lay something sharp, something calculating. She pointed down the road. 00:11:15 Speaker 6: My home is just there on the corner. Wait for me there. I'll draw water and join you. Shortly. 00:11:22 Speaker 1: Samson nodded gidy as a boy and made his way to her house. Inside, he waited, stretching out comfortably, while Delilah lingered by the river, wiping her arms and legs with a damp cloth. The men of Zorek emerged from the shadows, their movements swift and silent. 00:11:41 Speaker 4: Delilah, you know who he is. 00:11:45 Speaker 2: He is the enemy of our people. I know. 00:11:49 Speaker 7: Then help us defeat him. Use your charm to learn the secret of his strength. If we can uncover his weakness, we can destroy him. 00:12:00 Speaker 6: Yes, and why would I risk myself for this? What's in it for me? 00:12:06 Speaker 4: Silver? One thousand, one hundred pieces from each of us, enough to set you above all others in sorec. 00:12:15 Speaker 6: Oh, oh, very well, wait outside my home. When I know is secret, I will come to you. 00:12:25 Speaker 1: Samson welcomed Delilah with open arms. When she returned, they kissed deeply, their passion consuming them, until both were left tangled and breathless. In the stillness that followed, Delilah lay on his chest, tracing circles on his skin with her fingertips. 00:12:44 Speaker 6: They say you are invincible, that no man can defeat you. Tell me, Samson, is that true? Can nothing make you weak? 00:12:55 Speaker 1: Samson chuckled, running a hand down her back. 00:13:01 Speaker 5: If I were bound with seven fresh bowstrings, I would become as weak as any other man. 00:13:11 Speaker 1: Delilah's eyes gleamed. She kissed his neck, then his chest. 00:13:18 Speaker 6: Then let's play a game. 00:13:20 Speaker 1: She slowly slipped away, hips swaying. As she exited the room, Delilah whispered her instructions to the men waiting outside. They returned with the bow strings, and she bound him while he lay half asleep. To him, it was a game, a game that was quickly interrupted when Delilah. 00:13:39 Speaker 6: Shouted, Samson, the Philistines are upon you. 00:13:43 Speaker 1: Samson tore through the bowstrings like thread, leaping from the bed with a roar, But as he scanned the room there were no men to be found, just Delilah. Feigning outrage, she pouted and berated him for his lies. Again and again she pressed him, coaxing false answers from his lips. Each time her attempts to subdue him failed, and each time her frustration grew. But Delilah was patient. She wept and accused, pleaded and cajoled until at last Samson relented. 00:14:20 Speaker 2: Ah, enough, woman, fine, I will tell you. It's my hair. 00:14:27 Speaker 5: It has never been cut. It is a symbol of my covenant with God. 00:14:32 Speaker 2: Shave it. My strength will leave me. 00:14:36 Speaker 1: Delilah's demeanor swiftly changed. She smiled and pressed her hand against his chest, Backing him into the bed, she climbed on top of him and kissed his ear. She began to hum, then transferred Samson's head onto her lap. 00:14:52 Speaker 6: That's a good boy. Now rest, you'll need that strength of yours in the morning. 00:14:58 Speaker 1: Samson lay create there in her embrace, her fingers gently stroking his hair. His eyes closed, and sleep claimed him. The Philistine men crept in their blades glinting in the candlelight. Delilah held Samson's locks aloft. As one man began to cut, the dreads fell to the floor like broken promises, each one a piece of Samson's strength, his identity, his devotion. When the last lock fell, Delilah called out her voice, sharp. 00:15:34 Speaker 6: Samson, wake up. The Philistines are upon you. 00:15:37 Speaker 1: Samson awoke, his body surging the instant. He swung to soldiers, but his strength was gone. They overpowered him with ease, pinning him to the ground. Through the haze of pain and disbelief, Samson saw Delilah smiling. She laughed as the silver was placed in her hands. 00:15:58 Speaker 6: Deliah, you did this, Oh, please don't hate me for it, Samson. I really did have a good time with you. 00:16:10 Speaker 1: Samson tried to break loose from the men, but to no avail. They struck him back onto the ground. He looked up, gazing into pulsating heat coming from a white hot iron. The Philistines took the scolding hot rod to Samson's eyes, robbing him of the light forever. His last vision was the flickering candle by the window, a feeble flame snuffed out. At last, the world had become darkness and pain. Samson's eyes were gone, seared from their sockets. His strength had been stripped from him, along with his dignity. He was no longer a judge of Israel, no longer a terror to the Philistine. Now he was a blind beast of burden, bound in bronze chains and dragged through the streets of Gaza like a trophy. The path to the Philistine prison was familiar. It led past the gate Samson had once torn from their foundations. He could hear the jeers of soldiers and nobles, their laughter echoing in his ears like a cruel refrain. At the prison, they fastened him to a grinding wheel, a crude device meant for beasts. The cold stone under his feet and the splintered wood against his hands bit into him. As the guards barked their orders push, Samson gritted his teeth, refusing to comply. Pain flared across his shoulders, and he fell to one. 00:17:51 Speaker 4: Knee, I said, puss. 00:17:54 Speaker 1: Weakened and humiliated, Samson rose slowly, his legs quiver beneath him, and his hands trembled as they gripped the wooden beam. He pushed the weight of the wheel, crushing his pride as much as his body. His strength had deserted him. Without it, he was no more than a hollow shell of a man. Day after day, Samson walked in circles the grinding wheel, his soul companion. Time blurred. Days became weeks, weeks became months. He had no concept of how long he had been there, only that he was utterly alone. But slowly, imperceptibly, something began to change. As his hands brushed over his scalp, he felt it, the coarse strands of his hair growing once more. He touched them tentatively, his fingers lingering over the fragile symbol of his consecration. His heart stirred, though he dared not hope. What difference could it make? He was blind, He was broken, and surely he would die here alone in the darkness. Yet as more time passed, he felt something else, something stirring deep within him, a flicker of purpose, faint but persistent, like a smoldering ember refusing to be extinguished. One day, the guards came for him. 00:19:33 Speaker 4: Get up your dogro Where are we going to a celebration in your honor? The nobles of Philistea are gathered to praise mighty Dagone for delivering you into our hands. 00:19:51 Speaker 1: Samson let the words wash over him. He felt no fear, only a heavy resignation. 00:19:59 Speaker 2: Ah, so be it. 00:20:02 Speaker 1: They led him to the temple of Dagon, its massive pillars looming even in his sightless world. The air was thick with the scent of roasting meat and spiced wine. Laughter and music filled the hole, and thousands of voices rose in drunken revelry. As he entered, a cheer erupted sam Sin. They cried, their voices dripping with mockery. They slapped his face, spat at him, and earled insults. Women danced around him, their movements mocking and cruel, while the nobles jeered and raised their goblets. They chained him between two massive pillars, and threw food at him. Plase Dagon, They shouted. 00:20:51 Speaker 7: Yes, sim Over, the monster of Israel. 00:20:54 Speaker 1: Samson stood amidst the chaos, the weight of his sins pressing down on him. These were the people he had aligned himself with, the very ones who now celebrated his downfall. Regret welled up in his chest, choking him. Tears streaked from his empty eye sockets, stinging his skin and dripping down his scarred face. 00:21:19 Speaker 5: Ooh, are. 00:21:22 Speaker 2: Ah, how far I have fallen. I have squandered the purpose you gave me, waste the gifts you stopped. I have no strength, but you have always been my strength. 00:21:48 Speaker 1: Even in his despair, he felt it the faint warmth of God's presence, steady and unwavering. The Lord had not abandoned him, even in the depths of his shame. Although Samson's eyes had been taken from him, he could see clearer now than ever before. A young servant knelt near him, sweeping shouds of pottery from the floor. Samson turned his head slightly. 00:22:19 Speaker 4: Boy. 00:22:21 Speaker 2: Over, here, place my hands on the pillows. Let me rest. I cannot see. 00:22:32 Speaker 1: The boy hesitated, then guided Samson's hands to the great stone columns that supported the temple. Samson's palms pressed against them, and he felt their cold solidity. They held up the weight of the entire structure, as unyielding as the Philistines who surrounded him. Samson bowed his head and prayed, his voice trembling, Sovereign Lord. 00:23:15 Speaker 2: He. 00:23:20 Speaker 4: Straighten, straightened me just once. 00:23:25 Speaker 5: More, so that I may fulfill the purpose for which I was born. 00:23:38 Speaker 1: Samson felt it the spirit of the Lord's search through him, fierce and unrelenting. His legs steadied, and his arms burned with renewed strength. Samson straightened his blind eyes, gazing upward as he raised his voice. 00:24:00 Speaker 5: Crawd we. 00:24:05 Speaker 1: His cry cut through the drunken revelry. He pushed against the pillars with all his might. The stone groaned and cracked beneath his hands. Above the ceiling began to tremble, looking stones falling amidst the crowd. The laughter turned to screams. The Philistine scrambled for the exits, but the temple was too crowded, the door was too narrow, panic consuming. As the roof came in, rushing the lobles beneath its weight. Fire erupted from the fallen braziers, engulfing the rubble. In a fiery tomb. Samson stood at the center of the destruction, roaring one final cry to the heavens we. 00:25:03 Speaker 2: The balast. 00:25:09 Speaker 1: The pillars gave way, and the temple collapsed entirely, burying Samson beneath the ruins. The dust settled, and the moon cast its pale light over the rubble. Thousands of Philistines lay entombed in stone and flame. Among them was Samson, the Judge of Israel, whose final act had accomplished what a lifetime of strength could not. In death, he had fulfilled his purpose. He had become the weapon God intended him to be, a vessel of divine judgment. Through his sacrifice, Israel was delivered and the yoke of the Philistines was broken. Yet since legacy was a somber one, a reminder of strength squandered, pride indulged, and the cost of redemption. He had died a miserable man, his life a mirror of his people, wayward, broken, yet held in the merciful hands of God. 00:26:28 Speaker 3: Heartbreaking. This is the story of a man with strength enough to shake the earth, but who spent it on his own desires until there was nothing left. He meets Delilah and it's like watching a candle flame bend towards the wind. Fragile and doomed. She presses him, entices him, and he gives in a man who has forgotten who he was meant to be. He reveals the secret of his strength, and in that instant it's gone. Captured, eyes gouge, shackled, Sam's in Israel's hero has fallen. He once held the strength of God in his hands, and now he's a prisoner of his own choices. This story, my friends, is more than the fall of a strong man. It's the story of an unyielding heart and a life built on gifts never guarded. In Jewish tradition, strength is bound to responsibility. Strength is a gift from God, but not meant to serve others, and here lies the tragedy. Strength is a gift from God, but not meant to only serve ourselves, and here lies the tragedy. Samson never understood that his strength was not his own. He was consecrated, Yes, he was set apart from birth, bound by a vow meant to keep him close to God. Yes, but a vow is nothing without a heart to hold it. Samson's strength was always a divine gift, yet he wielded it as if it were his to command. The Talma teaches, once a person has sinned and repeated this sin, it's as if it has become permitted. Samson did not guard his heart. He let his desires lead him, and in the end, those desires became the very chains that bound him. Delilah was only the last straw. His downfall was rooted in a life spent serving only himself, and here we see the result Israel's hero reduced to a blind captive, a man who once tore lions and gates apart, but now cannot even free himself. There's another lesson from Jewish tradition about Samson's tragic yet heroic story that I want to share with you. Here you see the Jewish sages point out that when Delilah betrayed the secret of his great physical strength to the Philistines, he really misunderstood what Samson had told her, which was that the secret of his strength was in his long, uncut hair. Samson did not cut his hair or drink wine, because those were the biblical attributes of a Nazarite, a person who wants to raise his level of holiness by separating himself from the temptations and luxuries and enjoyments of the physical world. But the Sagees asked, why doesn't everyone who takes these special vows receive such superhuman strength, Because we know not every Nazarite receives these strengths. The sage Is explained that the source of Samson's strength was actually his piety, which was symbolized by his uncut hair and his refusal to drink wine. But when Samson abandoned his piety, his vow meant nothing and his strength was lost. And that is the lesson that I want to share, that our our real strength is in our devotion to God and to his word. We may not be Samson with the strength to pull down an entire temple on the Philistines, but we can be godly people who show our strength through prayer, through our good deeds, and by studying God's word. That's what we do here with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. We show our strength by feeding the hungry, by clothing the naked, by sheltering the poor, by keeping God's word to help others, not just ourselves. That's what I pray each of us will be worthy for. That's how we will get our strength. Here's the silver light of breaking through Samson's dark story, the power of self sacrifice. Because of my work at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, I have the privilege of helping and getting to know countless of young men and women who serve in the Israel Defense Forces. They protect the borders of this holy land every single day from enemies that want. 00:31:09 Speaker 6: To destroy Israel. 00:31:11 Speaker 3: Every day they lay down their safety, their comforts, their conveniences for their nation, for the Chosen people. These heroic people sacrifices and the sacrifice of those who have perished on the battlefield inspire something in each of us. We're inspired to live not just for ourselves, but for others. We're inspired to lay down our comforts, our everyday conveniences, and our lofty ambitions to help others. Here in Israel, every single person, mostly men between the ages of eighteen and fifty, spend time every single year putting on their uniform and protecting Israel's borders in the most selfless way, simply to keep this holy land and the Chosen People safe and here at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, we're only able to do the good work that we do because of our millions of Christian friends who offer their prayers and give their donations to help those in need. That is the most selfless act of all. So we see. Samson may have lid for his own desires and passions his entire life, but in the end he chose to sacrifice himself, and through his final action, he was able to defeat the enemy of the Chosen People. Samson's story is a lesson for all of us. If we really want to step into our destiny and live out our calling, we must be willing to sacrifice and to do good deeds for others. 00:32:50 Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with the Isle Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the pray dot Com app today. This prey comp production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yiel Eckstein, edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu characters are voiced by Jonathan Gotten, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and leaver of your you