What It Might Have Been Like If...

...Delilah Had Been a Godly Wife to Samson

I, Delilah, live in the Valley of Sorek.

One day I met a man named Samson, and found myself falling quickly in love with him. The poor man had made a great many dreadful mistakes in his lifetime, one including the involvement of telling a riddle on his wedding day. On that special day, set aside to celebrate his marriage to a philistine woman, he had told all thirty of his companions that if they could answer the riddle correctly, he would give them thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes; and if not, they would have to give him the garments and clothes. For days and days the men could not figure it out, and in desperation, they coaxed Samson’s wife into getting her husband to tell her the riddle, that she might secretly reveal it to them. She did this, and Samson later was very angry when he found out, and did awful things to those philistines. Her Father, assuming that Sampon now hated his wife, then gave her to Samson’s friend. When Samson discovered this, he took revenge on the Philistines once again. In return, the Philistines went and burned Samson’s wife and her father to death! I am still horrified at the thought of these things as Samson had explained to me with such brokenness in his heart. Samson would not give up, though, and continued his vengefulness upon the Philistines. Again and again he killed men as they kept trying to kill him. I won’t lie, I am sickened by the realization that Samson has killed so many men, and still has a difficult time stopping. Though I myself am a philistine, I hear God telling me that I must be a comfort to this man in such a past and present mind, and to do him good. So I shall. Of course, he does not hate me for being a Philistine woman; He loves me as I love him.

One day we married and began a beautiful life together. We were faithful to one another and I began to notice that Samson grew softer each day he spent with me; I heard less talk about revenge and war, and more about how we could use such trials in life for God’s glory. I believe the Lord used my Christian character to help influence his thinking quite heavily, and that he began to close his mind from self-vengeance, and open his heart to God’s will and plan, realizing that God really did have a special story for him.

As we grew stronger as husband and wife, I tried harder than ever to bring good and not harm to Samson; but it was not always easy…

Once, when Samson had gone from our home on business somewhere or other, the rulers of the Philistines paid me a disturbing visit. They implored me to seek from my husband the answer for his unusual strength. Everyone around us knew that Samson was no ordinary man with strength like every other man in the land; and everyone desired to know why. Why these men asked me to stray to disloyalty with my husband, I could not clearly comprehend, but when they offered me eleven hundred shekels of silver, I knew it was bribery with every kind of evil intention. The story of what happened with Samson’s first wife was brought to my mind in a rush of panic, and I became painfully nervous. Surely I could do nothing of the sort.

I left the leaders with no sure answer, and when Samson returned, I explained the visit to him. I did not plead for him to reveal his secret, but rather enhanced his knowledge of the slyness of those around us. Seeing that I would never ruin or harm him, Samson told me his secret. Neither of us had any doubt of the other; I knew he trusted me, and he knew I could be trusted. His secret then, though I cannot tell you exactly what it was, is truly a gift from God, and will forever be safe with me.

No one, then, will be able to discover the secret, unless Samson or I reveal it; and that we mustn’t do. If anyone did find out, Samson could easily be destroyed and deprived of his gift. I have listened to God, and will forever be faithful to my husband. No amount of money or anything else of any worth could bring me to forsake the trust that Samson has in me. I am always to do good, rewarding, godly things that will make my husband proud of me; and one thing I must do, is forever honor and respect his desire to keep his special gift a hidden treasure. I know God does not want him destroyed yet; He has so much more in mind for him.

 

I hope you were amused by this random story! I wrote it a year or two ago... and I remember finding it really interesting to note how different things could have been, had Delilah been a godly and loyal wife to Samson. It was a joy to write! Very fun and interesting to look at things from a completely different perspective.

 

Cheers!! And Happy May to you!!!!

Your friend, Hannah :)