Samson didn’t just sin; he gave in to sin. He didn't just trip up he got tangled up in sin. He fell into a habit of sin. That is an important difference. None of us are perfect. Galatians 5:17 says, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." God knows that. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He just wants us to try and not give up trying. Samson gave in to sin and gave up on trying not to sin.
In just these few chapters from Judges 14-16 we find at least seven of Samson’s sins and can notice some disturbing patterns and habits. And those sinful habits started with a woman. Now wasn’t that Adam’s problem too? It’s easy to blame the women in Adam and Samson’s life but it isn’t their fault. No the men must take responsibility for their own actions as an individual and as spiritual leaders. In Judges 14:1-4 Samson falls in love at first sight with a Philistine. Now that went against the Jewish laws. Jews didn’t marry non-Jews. This was not a racial thing but a spiritual thing just as Christians shouldn’t date or marry non-Christians. You should marry someone who has the same priorities as you – someone who worships the same god as you and who will be walking in the same direction. This action resulted in a second sin as well for not only did he go against Jewish law, we see he also went against his parents. He dishonored them just as our bad actions dishonor our parents and reflects on them. One of the 10 commandments say we are to honor or respect our parents. He is going against their wishes and bringing them shame.
In Judges 14:5 we find him in the vineyards of Timnah. What was he doing there? By his vow he was to avoid fruit of the vine and here he is walking out in a field full of it. Here is another sin. In a later pass through that same vineyard he goes up to a dead lion in Judges 14:8,9 and reaches into the carcass. Remember by his vow to God he was to avoid all contact with the dead. He is breaking his vow again. A habit is forming. Judges 14:10 finds him at a feast. The Hebrew word there for feast is mishteh, a drinking party. He went to a typical bachelor party breaking the vow to God again. Maybe he figured that touching the fruit had done no harm so ingesting it couldn't hurt either. The habits are taking him further away.
Things don't work out with the first Philistine so Judges 16:1 finds him in the arms of another Philistine, a hooker in Gaza. He's gone from hanging with the wrong people to committing adultery with the wrong crowd. Having forsaken the rules of his unique Nazarite calling, his family, and his nation, Judges 16:4 finds him in the arms of a third Philistine woman. In Judges 16:4-15, Samson meets Delilah and falls in love. Three times she tries to uncover his weakness and three times she tries to exploit it.
Read Judges 16:15-21
Now that sin has become a habit and he has forsaken following the Lord he winds up with sins consequences. He discovers the cost of sin. We can’t turn to the world without turning our back on God. When he chased pleasure instead of God he discovered that sin has its price. He discovered the pain of sin's price
