Sunday School Lesson – The Strength of Samson (Judges 14 & 15)

Use this free children’s sermon and Sunday School Bible lesson for kids when teaching about Samson (Judges 14:5-7; 15:4-8, 14-17). Don’t miss the related Bible craft ideas on this Bible story.

Taming the Wild Things Biblical Beasts: Samson the Strong Man

Main Objective: The story of Samson is quite an interesting one. It’s easy to focus on the incredible strength of Samson, but it’s important to emphasize that his was God-given power. When he disobeyed God’s rules and turned away from relying on the Lord, he lost his strength. Feats of muscle and battles with beasts aside, Samson teaches us to remember that our power, physical or spiritual, comes from God. 

Law/Gospel Theme: Samson’s life is a powerful reminder for us that strength comes from keeping our eyes and hearts fixed on God. He is the one who provides us with all that we have, including talents and abilities. When we fall sway to temptations or rely on our own power for strength, danger and destruction can ensue. The remarkable accounts that we see in the book of Judges also remind us of our need for a Savior. The judges led Israel for a time, but all had their human flaws and could only really do so much. Jesus is the great and final judge and leader, who was not only perfect, but gave His life for us.

Note: This lesson is the second in a series on “Biblical Beasts,” remarkable stories of animals that God used in various ways. Samson is not the animal, but there are several other animal references in the account.  

Optional Materials: Things that would increase strength (weights/workout equipment, protein shakes, etc.); pictures of or toys representing foxes, lions, or donkeys (optional).

Bible Passage: Judges 14:5-7; 15:4-8, 14-17 (or other selected verses, depending on emphasis and need)

Message: Note: As with most messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and should cater to timing as well as to your audience and student needs. 

Greet children, and talk about strength…

Hello, children of God!
What do you think makes someone strong? If you wanted to get stronger, what should you do? Hold up items as you describe methods or have students describe. You could go to the gym and work out, lifting weights or doing exercises. Or maybe you take special vitamins, or eat certain kinds of foods, or drink protein shakes to be stronger. Those measures might all help in becoming physically strong. But there are other kinds of strength, too. We can be mentally and emotionally tough, and most importantly, we can be spiritually strong. And with any and all of those, strength does not just depend on us as individuals. All strength and ability that we have in life comes from the Lord, and it’s important to remember that He enables us to do things. Whatever our gifts, God gives them to us so that we can use them for Him. 

In the Bible, we read about a man who had great physical strength, but who made some pretty serious mistakes in the things he did and the way that he lived. His name was Samson. You can read about his life in the book of Judges, which tells about a time that the people of God (Israel) didn’t always recognize God’s authority and did what was right in their own eyes. Samson was special. Even before he was born, the Lord told Samson’s parents that he was to be set apart for God’s work. He was not supposed to cut his hair, or drink alcohol, or touch dead animals. That was part of the vow that dedicated him to God. Samson did some pretty incredible things during his life. He helped the Israelites against a group called the Philistines, who went against God’s people.  There was one time when Samuel was upset, and he gathered 300 foxes and tied their tails together! Hold up toy or picture, if desired. Then he put torches between them, and set them off running through a field. That was where the Philistines had their grain and crops, so all of their food supply was destroyed. Another time there was a lion charging toward Samson. With only his bare hands to defend himself, Samson killed the lion! He just tore it apart. There was another time when the Philistines had tied Samson up and tried to take him prisoner. He tore right out of his bonds, grabbed a donkey jawbone (interesting choice of weapon), and struck down a thousand people– just with that jawbone! 

Samson was strong because the Lord had given him special ability. But he didn’t always obey and honor God. He forgot that it was God who gave him all he had. Samson also had a weakness for women. He went after the wrong types of women, and that got him into trouble. There was one woman he loved named Delilah. The Philistines decided to use Delilah, and offered her money if she could find the secret of Samson’s strength. Delilah asked again and again, and at first Samson made up stories and told her things that weren’t true. Finally, though, she got so upset that Samson told her. He said if his hair was cut, he would lose his great strength. So Delilah came to him while he was asleep, and cut his hair. When he woke up, his strength was God. The Philistines captured him and took him away! But his strength wasn’t in his hair. His hair was only the last part of that vow he had already broken. God told him not to drink alcohol, touch dead things, or cut his hair. He’d disobeyed the other rules, and that was the last straw. Samson was acting against God’s wishes and demonstrating that he didn’t love God more than anything else (certainly not more than women!). He lost his strength because he forgot that the Holy Spirit had bestowed it on him to begin with. 

It’s important for us to remember where strength comes from, too. Sure, it’s fine to work out and have physical abilities. But sometimes we think that we are doing things on our own or by our power. That isn’t true. We depend on God for everything. And just as we can increase our muscle tone by working out, we can work our spiritual muscles through prayer, church attendance, and reading God’s word. It will tell us all we need to be spiritually fit, and keep us strong by the Lord’s power! 

Let’s pray now and ask God to help us remember our source of strength and honor Him.

Prayer: 
(Have kids repeat each line)
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us strength and ability.
Help us to remember that all we have comes from you.
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen! 

Bible Verses/story to Reference:
Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring.Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.  Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson’s eyes.

So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails.  And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards. Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.  And Samson said to them, “If this is what you do, I swear I will be avenged on you, and after that I will quit.” And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow, and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.  And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men. And Samson said,

“With the jawbone of a donkey,
    heaps upon heaps,
with the jawbone of a donkey
    have I struck down a thousand men.”

 As soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand. And that place was called Ramath-lehi.

And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies.”  And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death.  And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.”

 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.  And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.  And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.  But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

 -Judges 14:5-7; 15:4-8, 14-17; 16:15-22

Biblical Beasts: Strong Man Samson
Sunday School Lesson on Trusting God for Strength

This lesson looks at the story of Samson, a man known for his incredible physical strength, but also for his weakness in valuing women over trust in God. Despite his incredible strength, Samson is not a Biblical figure we should look up to or strive to live like. Rather, we can learn from his mistakes and consider how God gifts us with all that we have. 

This lesson is the second in a series on Biblical beasts, animals that God used as part of His special plans for His people. While animals are not the “heroes” of Samson’s story, they are featured in several parts of his life.

Passage: Judges 13-16 (selected passages)

Target Audience: Kindergarten-6^th grade (Modify as needed for varied ages)

Materials Needed: Yarn or string, objects of varying size and weight; workout equipment; pictures of foods.

Lesson Opening: This lesson topic lends itself to great activities and elements of discussion. Here are some openers to get kids thinking (select the best ones for your audience and age group): 

• Talent Show: Samson was gifted with incredible strength. We all have God-given talents, too. Invite students to showcase their special God-given gifts with a talent show. Have them pick a unique ability that can be displayed for others to enjoy and celebrate.
• How heavy? Present several objects and have children guess which ones might be the heaviest or the lightest. Be sure to include some items that might be somewhat deceiving, such as large items that don’t weigh a lot (pillows, etc.) or small things that do weigh a lot (bricks, etc.).
• Get in Shape: Go through a series of simple exercises with kids, especially strength-training themed elements. Look at pictures of various foods and discuss which things are healthier to eat for strength. Talk about what it means to get and be strong, but also what it means to be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually strong. 
• Haircut Day: Give students paper dolls or puppets, and yarn or string. Have the kids develop hairstyles for their puppets, snipping and trimming the string to represent hair and style it.
• Riddles: Part of the Samson story involves a riddle. Have students come up with or answer various riddles or jokes. 

Explain to students that today’s lesson is about trusting God and recognizing that He is our source of strength and ability.

Bible Lesson:
Explain that this story took place when God’s people, the Israelites, were without a king and were governed by leaders called judges. People did what they thought was right, rather than looking to God for guidance. Samson was one of the judges of Israel.
This is a great story to act out, or act with puppets.
Note: Select which passages you’d like to focus on, or paraphrase highlights of the whole story. There are, of course, some elements that are not as appropriate or harder to understand for younger audiences. 

Ask: Who is the strongest person you can think of? How can someone get really strong?

Provide some background information for students. Samson was a special man, chosen by God to lead the people of Israel and go against the Philistines. Even before his birth, Samson was called. An angel of the Lord had announced his birth to his parents, and told them to raise him as a “Nazirite.” That meant he was to live differently than other people. Samson was not supposed to drink alcohol, touch dead things, or cut his hair. Throughout his life, the spirit of the Lord came upon him to do remarkable things. Samson was blessed with the gift of great strength. Sometimes he used it in unusual ways. 

Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.  Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson’s eyes. -Judges 14:5-7

This episode in Samson’s life is an impressive demonstration of his God-given physical abilities. He didn’t have any weapons to use against the lion, but was able to tear it to pieces like nothing! It’s also worth noting here a couple of other details. Why didn’t Samson tell his mother and father what he had done? Well, he wasn’t supposed to touch anything that was dead. He killed the lion, and later touched the carcass. Also, this passage says that the woman (Timnite) was “right in Samson’s eyes.” This doesn’t mean she was God’s chosen partner for Samson, but he wanted to be with her.
The next part of Samson’s story is a little odd. (Feel free to omit the specifics of Samson’s anger). Samson got angry and wanted to bring harm to the Philistines. So he got 300 foxes (from somewhere…) and tied their tails together!

So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails.  And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards. Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.  And Samson said to them, “If this is what you do, I swear I will be avenged on you, and after that I will quit.” And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow, and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam.-Judges 15:4-8

After tying the foxes together, Samson put torches between their tails, and let them loose to run through the fields of the Philistines. They burned up the grain and the olive orchards, destroying them. This is not a typical reaction to things that don’t go our way, of course, and seems a little overboard, but with Samson’s strength, he was able to work against the Philistines. 

Ask: Have you ever wanted to get revenge on someone? Why is it important to let God do that work? 

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.  And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men. And Samson said,

“With the jawbone of a donkey,
    heaps upon heaps,
with the jawbone of a donkey
    have I struck down a thousand men.”

 As soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand. And that place was called Ramath-lehi. -Judges 15:14-17

The Philistines wanted to capture Samson, but that wasn’t God’s plan just yet. The Spirit of the Lord was with him, and the ropes binding him melted away. Samson struck down a thousand Philistines, and guess what his weapon was? A donkey jawbone! Yep, just the bone of a donkey, and he defeated an army of 1,000. Again, Samson’s abilities were present because God was with him. Unfortunately, though, Samson didn’t always rely on that presence. He fell sway to the temptations of lust, and ultimately let a woman lead him astray. He loved someone named Delilah, who made a deal to find out what Samson’s secret was, and tell the Philistines, so they could capture him. At first, Samson tricked Delilah and wouldn’t tell her the truth. But she finally wore him down…

And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies.”  And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death. ¹And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.”  When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.  And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.  And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.  But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. -Judges 16:15-22

We might think that Samson’s strength was in his hair, but that’s not quite true. There were three parts to the Nazirite vow which had separated Samson from birth. He had already broken the other two elements, and cutting off his hair was only the final straw that led to his downfall. More importantly, Samson had gone astray from trusting and relying on God. By loving and being with women who were not of God’s people, he showed that those emotions were more powerful and important than his loyalty to God. He relied on himself for power, rather than God’s strength, and God’s strength left him as a result.
If appropriate, follow up with the final scene of Samson’s life, which included bringing the temple walls down on 3,000 Philistines (and himself) in one final show of strength.

Ask: What was Samson’s big mistake? How can we avoid making that mistake?

Strength is much more than just physical power. We have strength spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, and that comes from knowing and relying on the Lord our God for all that we have and all of who we are. We can never forget that our power relies on what God gives us. There are times we might be tempted to go our own way, or to pay more attention to others than to God. But the Lord will provide when we depend on Him. 

Review questions about the lesson: 

• Why did Samson have such great strength?
• What was it that caused Samson to lose his abilities?
• What special abilities has God given you? How can you make sure to value them as gifts from God? 

Close with prayer, asking God to help us trust and rely on Him for strength.