Delilah: lessons about temptations, sin and its consequences

A person’s greatest achievement may be helping others. Some people may prevent others from achieving great things. The story of Samson and Delilah is a well known one. Delilah is the harlot of an unknown nationality who used her beauty to betray Samson, her lover, and played the fool three times as she tried to find the secret to Samson’s strength, until she ultimately achieved her goal. She played a minor role in Samson’s story; but her minor role had devastating results. Motivated by greed, Delilah used Samson’s infatuation with her to her advantage. Blinded by his love and possibly his pride, Samson was weakened to the warning signs. Their story is told in Judges 16:4-22. Who was Delilah? What is the theme and warning of their story? What lessons can we learn from the story of Delilah and Samson? 

The five Philistine kings hated Samson, the long-haired strongman, who had set their fields on fire (Judges15:4-5) and slain a thousand men (Judges 15:8). Each offered a lot of money to Delilah to find the secret to Samson’s strength. She had her beauty and skills as a prostitute to weaken him, she knew Samson would tell her and eventually he did. Three times, she asked him the secret, and three times he told her lie after lie, until she had enough. She pouted and proclaimed if he really loved her, he would tell her the truth. Her nagging finally wore him down and he told her the truth: his hair. When he fell asleep, she cut his hair and woke him up as the Philistines attacked. He woke up to fight back as he always had but he was unable to subdue them and he was easily overtaken. They gouged his eyes out and imprisoned him. The Bible doesn’t mention Delilah again. But it’s not the end of Samson’s story. He would eventually gain his strength and kill more Philistines with his death than he did in life. 

One main theme in Delilah’s story is temptation and the dangers of an unhealthy relationship. An interesting note: the meaning of her name seems to mean, “night” from the Hebrew word, layla, as Samson’s name, Shimshon, means “sun.” “As night overcomes the mighty sun, so Delilah overcomes the apparently invincible strongman, Samson” (Exum). A clue to the dangers of their relationship? Judges 16:4 states that Samson loved Delilah, but not that she loved him back. Perhaps, a hint that she truly did not care for him and had no qualms about betraying him (Exum). She makes no pretense of her intentions to find out Samson’s secret. Three times she asks and three times there is an attempt to overcome him. So why did he finally reveal the truth? The story of Samson and Delilah is a warning about being careful of the company you keep. As 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” Delilah was a bad influence who wore Samson down to reveal his story, despite all the signs, all the red flags (Bolinger, 2020). 

There are many lessons in her story. First, be careful with temptations, especially sexual temptations. Sex creates a “two-becoming-one” bond (Genesis 2:24) which is very difficult and painful to separate (Bolinger, 2020). Second, we need to be careful who we place our trust. We need to make sure that a person is trustworthy. It is a lesson we continually learn throughout our lifetime. We cannot let our guard down. Samson let his guard down and let Delilah impair his judgment to eventually reveal his greatest weakness (Bolinger, 2020). Third, sins have consequences, even forgiven sins. Samson suffered the consequences for his lapse in judgment. According to John Piper (1991), there are many goals for God-sent consequences for forgiven sins, one being the consequences are to humble and sanctify the sinner. As Hebrews 12:6 says, “Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” When we come to the Lord to confess sins and seek forgiveness, he promises to no longer remember our sins (Isaiah 43:25). We must remember that consequences from sin are not an indication that God is angry.” (Stanley, 2015).

In conclusion, the story of Delilah and Samson is an example to be careful about the people we trust and the relationships we engage in. Not all people have our best interests at heart and not all relationships are good for us. Their story is also another example that God loves us and will not abandon us even when we make mistakes, even when we sin. Delilah was motivated by greed and used her sexual hold on Samson to gain the information she needed. Samson was blinded to the warnings and red flags before his ultimate downfall. While he was physically blinded, he sought his strength one more time, for God to remember him (Judges 16:28). God can help us turn a bad situation to good for his glory. All we need to do is turn to him and seek his guidance. 

References

Bolinger, Hope (January 6, 2020). Who Was Delilah in the Bible?. Christianity.com. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/who-was-delilah-in-the-bible.html. Retrieved March 24, 2021. 

Exum, J. Cheryl (no date). Delilah: Bible. Jewish’s Women Archive. https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/delilah-bible. Retrieved March 24, 2021. 

Piper, John (August 26, 1991). Consequences of Forgiven Sin. Desiring God. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/consequences-of-forgiven-sin. Retrieved March 24, 2021. 

Stanley, Charles J. (January 16, 2015). Forgiveness and Consequences. In Touch Ministries. https://www.intouch.org/read/forgiveness-and-consequences. Retrieved March 24, 2021. 

Barefoot Summer: one summer can change everything

Barefoot Summer is the first book in the Chapel Springs Romance series by Denise Hunter. Madison McKinley has closed her heart for years, ever since the untimely death of her twin brother, Michael. She has struggled to put it behind her and despite the support of her tight-knit family and her satisfying job as a veterinarian in their small riverside town, the loss of her brother still haunts her. In an attempt to finally find closure, she sets out to fulfill her brother’s dream of winning the town’s annual regatta. There’s one small problem...she needs to learn to sail and fast. Beckett O’Reilly knows Madison is out of his league. Madison is reluctant to work with the infamous Beckett but she knows it's her only chance to meet her goal. Even though she denies it, the chemistry between them undeniable and as the summer wanes, her feelings for him grow. But Beckett harbors a secret that will test the limits of their new romance. Can their new relationship survive the summer’s challenges? Will achieving her brother’s dream give Madison the peace she desperately needs? 

Barefoot Summer is a sweet story of love, summer’s promise and the letting go of the grief which keeps us from living life to its fullest. I love small town stories and the characters who live there. Beckett is the son of the town drunk and Madison, the daughter of The Family of Chapel Springs. At one point, her father, Thomas, is described as the “Charles Ingalls of Chapel Springs.” It also deals with faith, God and coming to terms with unfathomable events. I liked how Ms. Hunter deals with these subjects by not oversimplifying them or being too complex; but presents it with real human questions, reactions and emotions. I also enjoyed how she presents the subject of alcoholism, the effects it has on the individual and his or her family and the misunderstanding and judgment of those who do not understand. I enjoyed every moment of Barefoot Summer and look forward to reading the rest of the series. I recommend Barefoot Summer. It is a fun read with real characters and real questions. 

Barefoot Summer is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

From a Distant Star: an adventure story filled with lesson on life, love, and relationships

From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion is a Young Adult book about loyalty and the power of love. Lucas Walker is near death, according to his doctors, it’s only a matter of time. One night a shooting light is seen falling near Lucas’ home. The next day, he miraculously recovers from terminal cancer, everyone is astonished. Everyone that is but Emma, his girlfriend, who never gave up hope. As his family and friends celebrate, Emma is concerned. Lucas has changed. Something is different, off. He speaks haltingly, can’t recall past events and even his dog, Mack, doesn’t recognize him. What happened to the Lucas she knows and loves? Is his strange behavior connected to the light seen the night before? Soon, the two set off on a road trip in search of the truth, the journey filled with unknown enemies and help from unlikely allies and a  desperate race against time.

From a Distant Star is a mixture of love, adventure, and the extraterrestrial. It is sweet, adorable, filled with young love and the fight to be together. While it is tagged as a Young Adult novel, it has great insight on humanity from the perspective of an outsider and the complexity of human relationships. I feel that adults and teens can enjoy this story and gain new insights on life, love and relationships. I enjoyed all the characters and their interactions ranged from the breezy banter to deep conversations. The ending had me smiling and I closed with the book, satisfied with a great story. It was not overly complicated and the action flowed very well which made reading it enjoyable. It is a great mixture of science fiction, romance and wonder. A great book for troubling times. I highly recommend From a Distant Star. 

From a Distant Star is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Color of Heaven: a journey about love, loss and learning to live again

The Color of Heaven is the first book in Julianne MacLean’s The Color of Heaven series. Sophie Whitman is a successful columnist when her world falls apart. First, her daughter, Megan’s unexpected illness spins their perfect life off its axis. The next three years involve doctor’s visits, tests, painful procedures just for the hope of Megan’s survival. And just when Sophie couldn’t take anymore devastation, her husband, Michael, announces that he has fallen in love with someone else. She decides to get away from it all when her car skids off an icy road and plunges into a frozen lake. There, in the depths of the cold, dark lake, she begins a journey which will unlock surprising secrets from her family’s past and reveal to her what it means to truly live and love.

The Color of Heaven is my second book by Julianne MacLean and I started this book with hesitation as I was less than impressed with the previous book. However, The Color of Heaven is an emotional roller coaster of grief, life’s surprising twists and turns and learning to live again after a devastating loss. From the opening chapter to the closing epilogue, Sophie’s journey will grip you. You will cry with her. You will gasp at the secrets and you will smile and sigh at the great moments of life and love. It is a book that will keep you guessing and just when you think you’ve figured it out, another twist. I look forward to reading the rest of this series. As I finished this book, I received a notification that the second book was a free eBook. Fate? I don’t know but I eagerly downloaded it. I highly recommend The Color of Heaven. 

The Color of Heaven is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Depth of Beauty: not as good as the first book in the Golden City series

The Depth of Beauty is the second book in A.B. Michaels’ The Golden City series. It is 1903, San Francisco and Chinatown is teeming with a vice just blocks away from the city’s elties. But Will Firestone sees the district as a potential business market for his shipping enterprise. Dazzled by the exotic young widow from Canton, Will is drawn into the area with a decision that will rock his foundation and lead him down a treacherous path. Country girl, Maddy Culpepper is only fifteen when she’s orphaned and becomes a ward of the Firestone family. Grateful for her new privilege status, she is determined to give back. She decides to help the Chinese immigrant girls in jeopardy, even if it means her own safety and puts her at odds with her guardians and other elites. The tensions are rising between the city's powerful and the evil foreigners but an horrifying disease will bring them together in ways no one imagined and thrust them together for a fight for their very lives. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Golden City, The Art of Love, and I looked forward to continuing the series. However, The Depth of Beauty did not have the same impact as the first book. It was slow and dragged the tensions between the city elites and the Chinese immigrants for far too long. The epidemic which plagues the city seems to be an afterthought, although historical, and wasn’t fully flushed out. It was hard to get invested in any of the characters and I was intrigued that the book would focus on San Francisco’s growing Chinese immigrant population, but I felt I wasn’t truly getting a picture of the widespread racism and discriminations against the Chinese immigrants at the time. The relationship between Will and Maddy seemed forced and far-fetched, although the age difference would have been common for the time. There was so much potential that the book presents but couldn’t fulfill all of it. The Depth of Beauty was a disappointment after The Art of Love. I do not recommend The Depth of Beauty. 

The Depth of Beauty is available in paperback and eBook. 

The Memory Collectors: an intriguing premise but emotionally draining story

The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville is the story of two women. Evelyn “Ev” has a mysterious ability, one she views as more as a curse than a gift. She can feel the emotions, good and bad, left behind on objects. She believes that she must handle them very carefully otherwise she will be affected by the emotions or “stains.” The harmless objects she sells at Vancouver’s Chinatown Night Market to scrape together a living. On the other side of town, Harriet hoards thousands of “treasures” and it is starting to make her neighbors sick as the emotions attached to these objects are overpowering and seeping through the walls. From the moment they meet, Harriet knows that Ev is the only person who can help her make something safe and spectacular for her collection. As they fear the dark effects of these objects have on them, together they help each other develop and control their gift. Soon it becomes apparent that there is another with their dangerous gift, the events surrounding this person will drag them all down a path that destroyed Ev’s family many years ago and threatens to destroy what little family she has left. 

I was intrigued by The Memory Collectors as it was advertised as “Perfect for fans of The Scent Keeper” which I loved. It was a story of two women haunted by their past, buried secrets, both figuratively and literally, and bound together by a shared ability and the power to change each other’s lives for better or for worse. However, the Memory Collectors does not stand up with The Scent Keeper. The story wasn’t bad but I wasn’t wowed by it. It had a unique premise that these hoarders and trash collectors are simply hiding a secret ability in which they feel the history in an object. There was too much description with not enough character development or action until the very end and by then it felt rushed. It is an emotionally draining book. I struggled to finish it as the story moved along in a slow and moody pace. I think with the right reader, this book would be magical and inspirational. Unfortunately, for me, it fell short. I liked the idea that objects have a record of their history attached to them and there are people who can feel that history. If you are intrigued by the premise, I recommend giving it a try. 

The Memory Collectors is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

Harbored Secrets: when family secrets are revealed

Harbored Secrets by Marie F. Martin is a story of family secrets on the Montana plains. Blanche “Blinny” Platt’s life has been one filled with longings, loss and betrayal. Losing her mother and newborn baby brother in a tragic house fire, Blinny heard the whispers and gossip but didn’t think of anything about her grief and taking care of her younger sister, Odette, as the family strives to rebuild their home. As the years pass and family members pass away, Blinny is finally compelled to buy her own land and build the house she always wanted. As she builds her house, she finds moments to reflect on her life since her mother’s death and the secrets revealed to her, only to find out there are still more secrets waiting to be revealed. Her sister, Odette, lives in a psychiatric home, has been begging to see her, to talk to her, and Blinny hesitates. Will Blinny see Odette? Will she hear her sister out and discover the final secret and the reasons why the family fractured long before the fire? 

Harbored Secrets is filled with descriptions. The imagery of the Montana plains and mountains are so vivid that it was easy to picture the landscape. Other descriptions left me shocked and wondering if I really read what I thought I did. It is a story of family drama, secrets, half truths and lies which affects the Platt family through the generations. As I read the book, I wasn’t sure what type of book it was trying to be. Was it a psychological thriller? Was it a family drama? I didn’t care for any of the characters. Blinny, as a child, was hard to understand and the hardened older woman she becomes is more understandable by the end as the secrets are revealed. I ended the book with the feeling of “Oh my god! What did I just read!?!” It wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t what I expected. I’ve read psychological thrillers before and Harbored Secrets fell short. I would say it is a multi-generational family drama. I liked it but I find it hard to recommend it. 

Harbored Secrets is available in paperback and eBook. 

Seeds of the Word: an insightful and interesting look into finding God in the world around us

Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture by Bishop Robert Barron is a look into films, books, politics and society and culture as we see evidence of God and the human longing for God. Christians have searched for “seeds of the Word” in their lives and the surrounding culture. Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries which includes a YouTube channel and a documentary on the Catholic faith, Catholicism. According to Barron, no matter how charred or distorted, the seeds of the Gospel are all around us, especially in the most unusual places. Seeds of the Word is a collection of essays in which Bishop Barron finds those seeds in today’s most popular arenas like superheroes, sports and social commentary. Barron also confronts the growing anti-Catholic sentiment and where atheists and the secular world get faith and God wrong. 

Seeds of the Word was given to me by cousins of mine and while I am not a practicing Catholic, my Christian faith has its roots in the Catholic Church as I was baptized as a baby and have my first communion. I have read many books which make similar assertions of finding God in the world around us, I was curious about Bishop Barron’s claims. From the opening article, Bishop Barron is clear, concise and uses evidence from each film, book and social commentary to support his claims as well as his counter arguments. I found Bishop Barron to be very insightful and interesting. From philosophy to Scripture and historical records, Bishop Barron presents the information very clearly and makes sound arguments for his theses. I highly recommend Seeds of the Word for Bishop Barron’s insights and honesty. 

Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture is available in paperback and eBook

Before He Kills: a great mystery with interesting characters

Before He Kills is the first book in the Mackenzie White series by Blake Pierce. A woman is found murdered in a cornfield of Nebraska. Strung up on a pole, the victim of a deranged killer. It doesn’t take long to realize that a serial killer is on the loose. Detective Mackenzie White is a young, tough, smarter than the aging, chauvinistic men on her local force. She finds herself called in to help solve it. As much as the other officers would hate to admit it but they need her. As she begins, she realizes that this case could be an impossible riddle, a riddle that she or the police force has ever seen. As the case heats up, Mackenzie finds herself battling her own demons as the hunt for this sadistic killer takes her to the darkest places of her mind and memories. Will she find the killer before he strikes again? Or will the psychological warfare inside her head be her downfall? 

Once again, Blake Pierce did not disappoint. Before He Kills is my third book by Pierce and it was a fast-paced, hold on to your seat mystery with a great leading lady. From the get-go, Mackenzie is a strong, intelligent detective but underneath her bravado is a flawed and broken woman who is haunted by the memories of her father’s murder. She is determined to find the killer before he kills again, even risking her career and her life to stop the madman in his tracks. The story is filled with other great characters like her reluctant partner, Walter Porter, to the police chief, Clark Nelson, who hate what Mackenzie represents but can’t help but admire her skills and tenacity. At the center is a great mystery that didn’t drag on with too many twists and false leads. If you love murder mysteries and need a weekend read, I highly recommend Before He Kills. 

Before He Kills is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

Into the Blue: the emotional journey of healing and coming to terms with the past

 Into the Blue is the third and final book in Kay Bratt’s By The Sea series. Jules Monroe is a woman who isn’t afraid of hard work and, with dedication, has built a life for herself and her family. Now in her late fifties, she continues to give selflessly to her husband, her kids, her grandchildren as well as their family owned business and community. But everything comes to a halt when her body seemingly tells her enough and she must allow her mind and body the rest it desperately needs. Her oldest son, Jonah, is a veteran who continues to be haunted by a childhood tragedy in which the family lost their beloved Nama. When his sister, Kira, goes missing, Jonah must rely on the kindness of strangers to help find her. A beautiful paradise, Maui is also a place where ancient superstitions threaten to rob the Monroe family yet again of their happiness and their future. Will they be able to finally put the island spirits to rest and repair the damage done? 

The By The Sea series has been an emotional journey and Into the Blue is the final emotional battle before we say goodbye to the Monroe family and their community on the beautiful Maui. It is a beautiful story of healing. Healing from the physical, the spiritual and the emotional scars of the past and present. It is a story of family and coming together in good times and in emergencies. It was great to see all the characters from the first two books and see how they have come together as family and friends. I loved that Jules discovers to find the miracles out the tragedies. To see the renewal and growth after the hardships and heartache. It is hard to say goodbye to the Monroe family and the magical paradise where they live. But Into the Blue is a fitting and satisfying ending to a wonderful series. I highly recommend Into the Blue as well as the first two books of the series, True to Me and No Place Too Far. 

Into the Blue will be available in paperback and eBook on March 19, 2021

True to Me and No Place Too Far are available now in paperback and eBook

The Kindest Lie: when moving forward means confronting the past

The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson is the story of the past and a lie told to protect interferes with the present. The story opens on Election Night 2008 and Barack Obama has just been elected the new president of the United States, As his coming inauguration brings the promise of new hope for the future, Ruth Tuttle Shaw, an Ivy-League Black engineer, seemingly has it all, a successful career, a kind and successful husband, Xavier. Xavier is eager to start a family but Ruth is uncertain. She has never forgotten the baby she gave birth to at 17. She was forced to leave him behind to attend college. She promised her grandmother, the woman who raised her and she called Mama, that she would never look back. Ruth realizes that to move forward, she must make peace with the past. She returns home to the Indiana factory town where she finds the town plagued by unemployment, racism and despair. As she begins her search into the past, she befriends a young boy, Patrick aka “Midnight.” Midnight is a young white boy who desperately wants a place to belong. As Ruth begins to follow the clues to uncover the secrets surrounding her baby boy, secrets her family is desperate to leave in the past, an incident occurs which adds fuel to the town’s racial tensions. Can Ruth discover the truth? Will the truth upend the lives of all involved? 

The Kindest Lie is a powerful and revealing look into the divide between Black and White communities. Even with the election of the first Black president, many Black residents of the town were skeptical that things would change. The book is also an unwavering look of motherhood in contemporary America and the search for the American Dream. Ruth is a woman who is caught between two worlds. She doesn’t seem to belong among those she grew up with in the small town but she also seems lost in the world of the big city. As she digs into the past, she discovers more about her grandparents, her absent mother and the desire for her to become more than just a statistic in their small town. It is a story of the complicated and messy aspects of love. It is a story of how small lies can grow into bigger lies, “a lifetime of doing wrong for the right reasons. A lifetime of lies that started small, like a nick in the windshield, then eventually shattered the glass.” It is a story of the realization that there are no perfect mothers, just perfectly flawed ones who do what they can in the moment and pray it all works out. I highly recommend The Kindest Lie. It is a powerful, heartbreaking look into the lives of Americans. Black, white, poor, successful and everyone in between, we are all searching for the same things: a place to belong, a family to love and a better future than the struggles of the past. 

The Kindest Lie is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

Hello, Love: a funny, heartwarming love story

 Hello, Love by Karen McQuestion is the story of moving forward. A year after the death of his beloved wife, Christine, Dan is barely holding on. The only thing that gets him through the long and lonely nights is their cherished dog, Anni. One night, Anni is stolen from his front yard, Dan and his teenage daughter, Lindsay, are devastated and do everything they can to find her and bring her home. Meanwhile, in another part of town, Andrea Keller is recovering from the heartbreak of a messy divorce. While servicing a notice to tenants, she recuses a defenseless dog and her life changes in ways she never could have imagined. Providence causes Dan and Andrea to cross paths again and again and slowly they are drawn to each together but unable to make that final connection. Will Anni find her way home? Will Dan and Andrea find a second chance at happiness? 

Hello, Love is a heartwarming story of finding love a second time. It was an easy book to get lost in and devour in a day. I could not put it down as I waited to see if Anni would make it home and if Dan and Andrea would truly end up together. I loved the growing tension as each potential meet brings Dan and Andrea closer together. There are moments of laughter and moments of shock and tears. Dan and Andrea’s lives are filled with wonderful, colorful characters which help push them outside of their comfort zones and closer to each other. It’s not an overly complicated story and it's not a book that takes itself too seriously. It is simply a “feel-good, read in an afternoon” kind of book. If you are ready to set back and read a heartwarming, feel good story, I recommend Hello, Love. 

Hello, Love is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook.