The Story of Samson

The Story

Read (or retell) the story in Judges 13 and 14

The Story of Samson (for ages 7-14)
Retells the first part of the story of Samson.

Read more about this story:

• “Samson and the Lion” by Harold C. Cranch (for ages 7-14)
  The Lord can help us fight evils that may seem strong like a lion just as He gave Samson strength.
• What Samson Represents by Harold C. Cranch
  Samson had power because he represents the Lord’s Word, but he only had that power when he obeyed the Lord.
• “The Story of Samson and Our Spiritual Rebirth” by Louis B. King (ages 18 and up)
  Samson’s riddle to the Philistines contains in summary the whole meaning of his dramatic life and how it pictures each person’s journey of spiritual rebirth or regeneration.

Ideas for Discussion

1. Who was Samson? (The Lord raised up Samson to be a leader who could help the Israelites against the Philistines.)
2. Who told Samson’s mother that she would have a child? (an angel of the Lord)
3. Who were the Philistines? (They were people who controlled part of the land of Israel and were making life difficult for the Children of Israel.)
4. Why and how did Samson kill a lion? (It rushed at him, and the Lord gave him the strength to kill the lion with his bare hands.)
5. What did he find in the carcass of the lion later? (A swarm of bees and honey)
6. Samson symbolizes the strength that we can have from the Lord’s Word. The truths in the Word can help us resist when we are tempted to do what is wrong. This is like Samson killing the lion. The peace we experience after fighting against feelings of anger or selfishness are the like the sweet honey that Samson found in the carcass of the lion later.
7. The book of Judges ends with these words: “In those days there was no king in Israel: everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Who should be our king?

Projects and Activities for All Ages

• The Angel of the Lord Appears to Samson’s Parents by Donald Moorhead
  Shows an angel telling Manoah and his wife that they would have a baby.
• Samson Collage (ages 4-8)
  Picture Samson using a variety of materials. Give Samson a good head of hair using yarn or synthetic hair.
• Samson and the Lion
  Make a picture of Samson fighting the lion or color the picture provided.
• Samson and the Young Lion Coloring Page by Robert Glenn
  Shows Samson fighting the lion and a portion of the story from Judges 14.
• Sequence the Story of Samson with Pictures (ages 5-9)
  Arrange the picture cards in the order these events happened in Samson’s life.
• The Life of Samson Storyline (ages 8-14)
  A storyline graphs the ups and downs of events. Which do you think would picture the story of Samson’s life better—a straight line or a jagged line?
• Compare the Life of the Lord and Samson (ages 12 and up)
  Compare similarities and differences between the life of the Lord and the life of Samson.
• Strength in the Word Spiritual Task by David Roth (teens and up)
  Consider the story of Samson to learn why it is essential for us to read the Word each day.

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