Notes

On Mother’s Day, Chicago Bulls player Derrick Rose donated a new car to his mother’s favorite charity—just one example of his selflessness. He is just the opposite of Samson, whom we read about in the book of Judges. For years, Samson’s mother could not have children. Then one day, an angel told her she would bear a son. His mission would be to deliver his people from their enemies. The Philistines had oppressed Israel for forty years. God let them do it because Israel kept violating His moral laws. Finally, God responded to their prayer by sending them a deliverer. The angel said Samson should never cut his hair, drink alcohol, or touch anything dead. As he grew, he developed unusual strength. One day he picked up the jawbone of a donkey and killed 3,000 men. Once he burned up the entire Philistine grain crop. He did it by tying in pairs the tails of 300 foxes and turning them loose into the fields. A young Philistine woman caught his eye and he demanded that his parents arrange for him to marry her. In many ways, he violated his vow. He fell in love with many strange women. One of them, Delilah, persuaded him to reveal the secret of his strength–his uncut hair. Then while he slept, the Philistines cut his hair, put out his eyes, and subdued him. Even though he won some victories, he never became a great leader because he was so self-centered.