Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Analytical
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Tone of specific sentences
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*JUDGES 16:20*
#.
*THE PATTERN FOR VICTORY *
*1. **Samson *
*a. **Threat to Judah *
Samson is bound by the men of Judah: “/we are come to bind thee, that we may deliver thee/…” [15:13].
§ Samson is seen as a threat by his own people: “/what is this that you have done/…” [15:11].
*b. **The Key to Victory *
The Lord is /with/ Samson: “/Spirit of the Lord came upon him/…” [15:14].
§ Victory: “/slew a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass/” [15:16].
§ God’s agenda: “/sought an occasion against the Philistines/…” [14:4].
§ Samson is established: “/he judged Israel twenty years/” [15:20].
*c.
**Pattern of Deliverance~/Personal Crisis*
Dependence upon God: “/he…called upon the Lord/” [15:18].
§ ar'q.Y - “/called/” [15:18], qal imperfect, ‘cry out’; ‘call attention to oneself’;
*i. **Recognition of Role *
Samson recognised his God-given role: “/thou hast given this great deliverance…servant/” [15:18].
§ ^D>b.[
- “/your servant/” [15:18], ‘to work’; ‘to be a slave~/servant to’;
*ii.
**God’s Deliverance *
His acknowledgement of Yahweh’s deliverance: “/you have given this great deliverance/…” [15:18].
*iii.
**Personal Prayer ~/ Dependence upon God *
Samson’s dependence upon God:
§ Avert his own death: “/now shall I die of thirst/…” [15:18].
§ Avoid capture by the Philistines: “/fall into the hand/…” [15:18].
*2. **The Philistine Strategy 1 *
*a. **Strategy at Gaza *
The Philistines ongoing desire to conquer Samson: “/we shall kill him/” [16:3].
§ God’s agenda: “/sought an occasion against the Philistines/…” [14:4].
*b. **Samson Escapes *
Samson is delivered: “/he arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate/…” [16:3].
§ Remarkable feat given *(i)* that guardroom structure with its six guardrooms around the city gates (Block, 450), and *(ii)* there would be six groups of guards present.
§ “/If God be for us who can be against us/…” [Rom.8:31];
“/Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world/” [1Jn.4:4].
*c. **Ineffective Strategy *
The Philistines are unable to stop Samson: “/carried them up to the top/…” [16:3].
§ Samson has become a riddle to the Philistines: “/entice him, and see wherein/…” [16:5].
*Application*.
The pattern of victory for Israel: recognition of God-given role; dependence upon God in prayer; victory by God’s grace~/treatment of the enemy.
§ Just like the pattern of Israel’s life, Samson’s life is cyclical: involvement with the enemy; crisis; call to God; deliverance.
§ The riddle remains unsolved: “/what is sweeter than honey?
And what is stronger than a lion/?” [14:18].
#.
*the temptation *
*1. **Occasion *
The occasion arises once more through Samson’s disregard for the authority of God’s Word: “/he loved a woman/…” [16:4].
§ יֶּאֱהַ֥ב - “/loved/” [16:4], qal imperfect, ‘identify, choose, embrace, do everything for’;
§ Samson is still controlled by his sight: “every man did that which was right in his own eyes…” [17:5].
§ Unlike the references to his earlier affairs [cf.
14:1; 16:1], for the first time the text omits any reference to Samson “/seeing/” [14:1].
Whereas previously he had been driven by his senses, now womanising has become a fundamental aspect of his character.
*2. **The Strategy 2 *
The agenda is set by the Philistines: “/entice him, and see wherein/…” [16:5].
§ פַּתִּ֣י - “/entice/” [16:5], piel imperative, ‘to deceive’; ‘to persuade’; ‘to seduce’; ‘to open up, expose’;
*a. **The Focus*
The focus of the strategy is to discover where his strength lies: “/see wherein his great strength lies/…” [16:5].
§ רְאִי - “/see/” [16:5], qal imperative, ‘to discover or uncover’;
§ כֹּחֹ֣ו - “/strength/” [16:5],
*i. **Overpower*
To overpower him: “/prevail against him/…” [16:5].
§ נ֣וּכַל - “/prevail against/” [16:5], qal imperfect,
*ii.
**Bind*
To bind him up: “/we may bind him/…” [16:5].
§ אֲסַרְנֻ֖הוּ - “/bind him/” [16:5], ‘to tie up’; ‘to confine’; ‘to capture’;
*iii.
**Afflict *
To torture him: “/to afflict him/…” [16:5].
§ לְעַנֹּתֹ֑ו - “/afflict him/” [16:5], piel infinitive construct,
*3. **The Source of Temptation *
The source of temptation: “/the lords of the Philistines/…” [16:5].
§ The Philistines had five major cities each ruled by a tyrant [1Sam.6:4].
There are three important principles of temptation embodied in Delilah:
*a. **Moral Compromise *
Moral compromise always makes us vulnerable.
If Samson had not had a sinful relationship with Delilah he would never have been open to this temptation.
*b. **Temptation is Attractive *
Temptation comes to us in attractive packages.
Delilah was a beautiful, attractive woman and Samson wanted her very much.
*c. **Temptation & Wrong Company *
Temptation comes when we choose the wrong company.
Samson had an unfailing ability to choose the wrong girl.
*Application*.
The riddle comes back to the centre of the narrative: “/what is sweeter than honey?
And what is stronger than a lion/?” [14:18].
#.
*Implementation of the Plan – temptation *
*1. **His Allegiance to God *
The first request: “/please tell me wherein thy great strength lies/…” [16:6].
*a. **Samson’s First Answer *
Samson’s response: “/bind me with seven green withes/…” [16:7].
§ יַאַסְרֻ֗נִי - “/bind/” [16:7], qal imperfect, ‘to tie up’; ‘to confine’; ‘to capture’;
*i. **Details *
Seven tendons from an animal freshly slaughtered: “/seven green withes never dried/” [16:7].
§ יְתָרִ֥ים - “/withes/” [16:7], ‘bowstring’[Psa.11:2];
‘tent cord’ [Job 30:11]; ‘strings of fresh, moist sinews’;
§ לַחִ֖ים - “/green/” [16:7], ‘moist, fresh, new’; ‘probably of newly slaughtered cattle’;
§ חֹרָ֖בוּ - “/never dried/” [16:7], ‘dried up’; ‘contract and hold fast in drying’;
*b. **Significance – Allegiance to God *
Samson trivialises the Nazirite vow: “/eat not anything unclean/…” [13:4].
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