Samson in Gaza

Samson had been chosen to be one of the judges of the Hebrew people. It was not a position that he relished. He had no desire to perform the task. After all, who was he to judge other people? The Judges of Israel were traditionally military leaders, called upon during conflicts with the other inhabitants of the land of Canaan, to lead the people in battle. Samson had no taste for this. He was a loner. Yes, he loved to fight and enjoyed immensely besting an enemy, but he liked to do it on his own and not with other people helping him. This allowed him greater pride in the victory when it inevitably came. Now, he made regular forays into the land of the Philistines. He was not looking for ways to torment them. He just craved adventure. He hungered for the thrill of new things. His father Manoah had cautioned him about this and told him that always wanting something new would lead him into trouble. Manoah was a hard working and industrious man. He had labored at building up his business so that he could give Samson all that his heart desired. Perhaps that was a weakness in him. Samson didn’t think so.

Samson yawned, and smiling, he looked down over the land spread out beneath him. From this vantage point, he could see a vast expanse of Philistine territory. He felt that he was the master of it all! He began to make his way along the narrow path that meandered out of the hills. He wanted another adventure!