them.
The boys tried to remember, looking at some of the other men, who made faces as if they could not remember either.
“God used a weapon to humble the pride of the Philistines—something that would show them and Samson that the Most High is not bound by the strategies or ways of men. He used the jawbone of a donkey! He killed a thousand men that day with the jawbone of a donkey!”
The men watched in amusement as the two boys jumped up pretending to be Samson, smashing in the skulls of invisible Philistine soldiers with a log that had become a makeshift jawbone. When they sat down again, Eli continued talking.
“Samson seemed unstoppable,” he said. “And the lords of the Philistines were determined to discover the secret of his strength so they could destroy him…”
Gaza, 1074 B.C.
Since its occupation, Gaza had become one of the main centers of commerce and faith among the Philistines. It had always been a crossroad of the empire in the region; now it had developed into one of the chief centers for the manufacture of the weapons with which the Philistines had subdued their enemies. And with the newly completed temple of Dagon, Gaza had also taken its place among the other cities as a premier place of religious expression. Today, however, the streets seemed abandoned, as most of the people were either in the temple on the end of town, or standing outside its walls selling food and drink to the adherents who had gathered for a great celebration to Dagon.
Three figures, unseen by human eyes, strolled casually down the streets of Gaza. They too were in something of a celebrative mood, drinking in the success that they had enjoyed of late in keeping the people of God under the Philistine heel.
“I am something of an expert when it comes to the weakness of humans,” said Lucifer. “All of them have their price—their point of compromise. Samson was no different.”
He was strolling with Kara and Pellecus on a street near the edge of the city. From the temple went up a roar that could be heard throughout the city. They observed a drunken man stumbling his way toward the temple.
“Happy worship!” called out Lucifer, laughing at the man. The other two angels laughed as well. “The fool!”
“Look at these simple people,” Kara said. “Happily content in their folly. That is the way of men.”
“You know,” said Lucifer, “of all the passions we stir among men, it is their need for religion which has proven most useful to us. What better way to get a human mind away from the Most High than to train it upon a god that we manufacture.”
“Shawa was certainly grateful when you awarded him Dagon,” said Pellecus. “He has done a fabulous job developing the cult around himself. Although I must admit Dagon is a bit crude.”
“So are the Philistines,” said Lucifer.
They walked down a street in front of a smaller temple that had been dedicated to Dagon years before the great temple had been built. Since assuming the deity, Shawa had seen to it that the priests of Dagon had heard from the god and constructed the temple in which the people were now worshiping.
“Of course Shawa deserved the honor,” said Kara, who always felt it necessary to defend an angel who was under his authority. “It was, after all, his work through Delilah that delivered Samson into the hands of the Philistines.”
“She had some help,” said Pellecus. “Don’t forget that it was Samson’s own failures that placed himself in Delilah’s hands.”
“Agreed,” said Kara. “Nevertheless, Shawa inspired Delilah to compel Samson to tell her the secret of his strength those 20 years ago.”
“What a glorious triumph that was!” said Lucifer, clapping his hands together. “Remember the day after he had betrayed himself that he rose up to fight the Philistines in the Spirit of God—only to find that the Spirit of God was no longer with him!”
They all laughed.
“What a look of realization was upon him,”
The boys tried to remember, looking at some of the other men, who made faces as if they could not remember either.
“God used a weapon to humble the pride of the Philistines—something that would show them and Samson that the Most High is not bound by the strategies or ways of men. He used the jawbone of a donkey! He killed a thousand men that day with the jawbone of a donkey!”
The men watched in amusement as the two boys jumped up pretending to be Samson, smashing in the skulls of invisible Philistine soldiers with a log that had become a makeshift jawbone. When they sat down again, Eli continued talking.
“Samson seemed unstoppable,” he said. “And the lords of the Philistines were determined to discover the secret of his strength so they could destroy him…”
Gaza, 1074 B.C.
Since its occupation, Gaza had become one of the main centers of commerce and faith among the Philistines. It had always been a crossroad of the empire in the region; now it had developed into one of the chief centers for the manufacture of the weapons with which the Philistines had subdued their enemies. And with the newly completed temple of Dagon, Gaza had also taken its place among the other cities as a premier place of religious expression. Today, however, the streets seemed abandoned, as most of the people were either in the temple on the end of town, or standing outside its walls selling food and drink to the adherents who had gathered for a great celebration to Dagon.
Three figures, unseen by human eyes, strolled casually down the streets of Gaza. They too were in something of a celebrative mood, drinking in the success that they had enjoyed of late in keeping the people of God under the Philistine heel.
“I am something of an expert when it comes to the weakness of humans,” said Lucifer. “All of them have their price—their point of compromise. Samson was no different.”
He was strolling with Kara and Pellecus on a street near the edge of the city. From the temple went up a roar that could be heard throughout the city. They observed a drunken man stumbling his way toward the temple.
“Happy worship!” called out Lucifer, laughing at the man. The other two angels laughed as well. “The fool!”
“Look at these simple people,” Kara said. “Happily content in their folly. That is the way of men.”
“You know,” said Lucifer, “of all the passions we stir among men, it is their need for religion which has proven most useful to us. What better way to get a human mind away from the Most High than to train it upon a god that we manufacture.”
“Shawa was certainly grateful when you awarded him Dagon,” said Pellecus. “He has done a fabulous job developing the cult around himself. Although I must admit Dagon is a bit crude.”
“So are the Philistines,” said Lucifer.
They walked down a street in front of a smaller temple that had been dedicated to Dagon years before the great temple had been built. Since assuming the deity, Shawa had seen to it that the priests of Dagon had heard from the god and constructed the temple in which the people were now worshiping.
“Of course Shawa deserved the honor,” said Kara, who always felt it necessary to defend an angel who was under his authority. “It was, after all, his work through Delilah that delivered Samson into the hands of the Philistines.”
“She had some help,” said Pellecus. “Don’t forget that it was Samson’s own failures that placed himself in Delilah’s hands.”
“Agreed,” said Kara. “Nevertheless, Shawa inspired Delilah to compel Samson to tell her the secret of his strength those 20 years ago.”
“What a glorious triumph that was!” said Lucifer, clapping his hands together. “Remember the day after he had betrayed himself that he rose up to fight the Philistines in the Spirit of God—only to find that the Spirit of God was no longer with him!”
They all laughed.
“What a look of realization was upon him,”
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