Joël Muller - Samson and Delilah and Other Stories From the Bible: The Old Testament

This book is published by ditions Caramel.

Texts: Jol Muller

Artworks: Roger De Klerk

Edited by: Jean-Michel dOultremont et Galia Lami Dozo Van der Kar

Copyediting: Lela Bernard

Joshua had divided the Israelites into twelve tribes. Each tribe was named after one of Jacobs sons. They settled in the land of Canaan, each in a different part of the country. Most tribes chose to live in the mountain regions, as the people from Canaan mostly lived in plains. The living conditions of the Israelites were harsh and they often had to face attacks from others: Canaanite, Philistines, and Moabite Wars and disputes were commonplace and often very violent!

After Joshuas death, the people felt abandoned and lost, but God sent his judges: they were sort of bosses who only had authority on a few tribes, sometimes even only one. They tried to keep the Hebrews in Gods love and to protect the Ark of the Covenant. Indeed, with each war, the enemy tries to steal the Ark as it represents the heart of the faith of the Israelites. The Tables of the Law protect the people as they represent the living presence of God on earth.

These judges are perceived as true saviours. The most renowned are Gideon, Japheth, Samson and Deborah, a woman. Upon the death of each judge, the people started believing in false gods again, and resumed fighting.

God called Gideon to reaffirm to the people that God did not abandon them, even if during the era, many Israelites believed in the god Baal of foreign tribes. One night, Gideon demolished Baals statue belonging to his father and the sacred tree planted besides it. He also stole a seven-year-old bull from his father. He then built a splendid and robust altar on top of a hill in the honour of God. He took the bull, killed it and offered it as a sacrifice, burning it on the altar with the wood of the sacred tree. The following day, the people were horrified when they discovered that Baals shrine had been destroyed. Who could have done such a thing? They looked and asked around and found out it was Gideon!

The inhabitants wanted him to die. They asked their god Baal to take vengeance on Gideon, to punish and kill him as he had destroyed his shrine. But God protected Gideon and no one could harm him.

Gideon told God: If truly you want me to free Israel, let me place a fleece of wool on this spot. If the dew only falls onto this fleece while the rest of the ground remains completely dry, this will be a sign that you want to free the people and protect it through my hand, as you have said.

Gideon got up early the following day. He pressed the fleece as hard as he could and collected the dew in a cup. The ground was completely dry. Gideon said to God: Agree to give me another sign that will confirm that I must free Israel. That there shall be no dew on the fleece, that it should be completely dry and that dew should cover the ground around it! The day after next, Gideon came to see his fleece and the latter was dry whilst the ground was soaked in water.

Gideon took his decision. He left with the Israelites and entered the land of Madian. He won several battles. The people asked Gideon to be its King, but he refused and reaffirmed that God was their only ruler. Later, unfortunately, after Gideons death, the Israelites started believing in Baal and other gods from Canaan again, and once again forgot that God had delivered with his hand from all their surrounding enemies. Many other judges followed Gideon with the same intent of returning to the Lord.

One day, the Lords Angel came to see Manoah and his wife, who was barren, to announce the birth of a son. The angel appeared several times before Manoahs wife and told her: You have no child but will give birth to a son. Careful, do not drink wine, do not eat anything that is impure and never cut his hair! This child is devoted to God. She spoke to Manoah upon his return. Manoah then asked God to show them the way to best raise the child and offered a goat and long prayers to thank God.

The woman gave birth to a little boy she called Samson. The child grew and God blessed him each day. Later, Samson noticed a girl. She was a Philistine, the enemy people. He decided to marry her. He went to ask for her hand in marriage. On the road, a lion attacked him. Samson was very strong and tore the lion in two. He continued his journey to meet his future wife. A little while later, as he came back to marry her, he found the dead lion and found a beehive filled with honey in its mouth. He offered some honey to her parents but did not tell them where the honey came from. Samson celebrated his marriage and hosted a feast. Many Philistines were invited. Samson put an enigma to his guests: From the eater the food came out, from the strong came the sweet. If you find an answer to this enigma during the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty tunics and thirty dresses. If you cannot solve the puzzle, you will give me thirty tunics and dresses. Unable to find the answer, the Philistines demanded that the betrothed should get the answer out of her promised. At the end of the seventh day, Samson, harassed by his wife, told her the answer, which she immediately gave to the Philistine guests.

Samson had been betrayed! Furious, he went back to his parents.

A few months later, he came back to see his wife but his father-in-law refused to let him in: You left angry, so I gave my daughter to another man. Samson was decided to take his revenge. He captured three hundred jackals, and put a torch on their tails. He lit the torches and let the jackals go in the Philistines harvests. He set fire to the wheat fields, the vines and the olive trees! The Philistines were very angry when they learned that Samson was behind this disaster. They killed his promised and her father. Increasingly angry, Samson killed their assassins. The Philistines went to war against the Israelites. The latter were scared and decided to give Samson to the masters of the country. They tied him with new ropes and handed him over to the Philistines. The Spirit of God melted the ropes and delivered Samson. Samson took an ass jaw and hit one thousand Philistines with it. Samson then said: I have killed with an ass jaw, ten thousand men! The Philistine understood that Samson enjoyed Gods protection and fled. Samson became a judge in Israel for twenty years.

One day, Samson went to the city of Gaza and spent the night there. When the inhabitants learned his coming, they organised watches and looked out for him all night to stop him coming out. Lets wait, they said, until dawn and we shall kill him. But Samson stayed there until midnight.