April 5: Judges 16:1 – Judges 18:31

Samson and Delilah – Judges 16

• Samson goes to Gaza, and there he sees and prostitute and goes in to her. When the Gazites learn he is there, they set up an ambush at the gate of the city and plan to kill him in the morning. At midnight he arises, takes hold of the city gates and two posts, and carries themto the top of the hill in front of Hebron.
• After this, Samson falls in love with Delilah, and the Philistine lords tell her to seduce him and see where his great strength lies. If she does, they will give her 1,000 pieces of silver. 
• She asks Samson where his strength lies, and he tells her that if he is bound by seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, he will be only as strong as other men. She has the lords get her the bowstrings and then binds Samson while the lords prepare to ambush him outside. When she tells Samson that the Philistine lords are upon him, he breaks the bowstrings.
• She tells him he has mocked her and again asks where his strength lies. He tells her that if she binds him with new ropes that have never been used, he will be only as strong as any other man. Again he breaks off the ropes. They do this again, and this time he tells her that if she weaves the seven locks of his head with the web and fastens it tight with the pin, he will be only as strong as other men.
• This doesn't work either, and Delilah again presses him for an answer. This time, he tells her about his being a Nazirite and how if his head is shaved, he will become weak. She calls upon the Philistine lords to lay in wait, then has Samson fall asleep on her knees and calls in a man two cut off the seven locks of his head. His strength leaves him and he is caught by the Philistines, who gouge out his eyes and take him to Gaza. While he is in prison, his hair begins to grow back.

The Death of Samson

• The lords of the Philistines gather to worship their god Dagon and rejoice that he has given Samson into their hands. They bring Samson out of prison to entertain them, and they have him stand between two pillars. He asks the man with him to place his hands on the pillars so he can lean on them, then calls out to God to remember him and strengthen him so he can avenge the Philistines. He says, "Let me die with the Philistines," and pulls down the pillars holding the house up. The house collapses, killing himself and the 3,000 men and women inside.
• Samson's family comes down to retrieve his body, then buries it in the tomb of Manoah, his father.

Micah and the Levite – Judges 17

• In the country of Ephraim there lives a man named Micah. His mother has 1,100 pieces of silver that he steals from herr, and he takes it back and gives it to her. She takes 200 pieces of silver to the silversmith and has a carved image made, which Micah uses as a shrine (there is no king, and the Israelites do what is right in their own eyes).
• A young man from Judah (a Levite) stops at the house of Micah while on a journey. Micah asks him to stay with him and be a father and priest to him in return for 10 pieces of silver a year, clothing, and shelter. The Levite dwells with Micah, and becomes like a son to him. Micah believes God will prosper him since he now has a Levite priest.

Danites Take the Levite and the Idol – Judges 18

• Israel is not ruled by a king, and the Danites (who have received no inheritance among the tribes) go in search of an inheritance to dwell in. The Danites send out five men to explore the land, and they end up staying in the house of Micah. They question the Levite why he is there, and he explains that Micah has employed him as his priest. They ask the Levite to inquire of God whether their journey will succeed, and the Levite assures them that their journey is under the eye of the Lord.
• They then travel on and come to Laish, where they find people living well. The return to their leaders and tell them of the place they have found, then 600 men are sent out with weapons of war. The five men tell the others about Micah's ephod, household gods, carved image, and metal image, and they all go to his house and the five take the items. The Levite asks them what they're doing, and they tell him to come with them and be a priest to their entire tribe. He agrees.
• Micah chases after them with his own men, but when he addresses them, he knows that he won't be able to overtake them. He returns home, and the Danites move on to Laish, where they kill the people and burn their city. They rebuild the city, naming it Dan, and live there. They set up the carved images for themselves, and Jonathan (son of Gershom, son of Moses) and his sons become their priests.