Judges 16:4-5 // Lover of Money

Based on Judges 16:4-5

Now for a third time Samson finds a Philistine woman to desire. Maybe there were many more instances, but we only have records of three.
We are told that Samson loved Delilah. But it is certain that Delilah did not love him very much. The woman Samson married in his youth cheated him out of some money because of death threats. Delilah was content to cheat Samson of his life for money.
It was certainly an offer of a lot of money. There were five lords of the Philistines, and each promised 1,100 pieces of silver. Delilah would certainly have been wondering what was going on when first the foreigner Samson and then every ruler of her people started paying her attentions.

Delilah is named, perhaps because she is the only one of the three Philistine women who can actually be considered a villain. The other two were more like victims of their circumstances. Delilah was not threatened, she was bribed. The lords of the Philistines had to resort to a large bribe, maybe she was from a powerful family. She had the choice to be loyal to her lover, but chose to betray him for money.

In a similar way, Jesus' church has often betrayed him throughout history. That is, by not protecting his faithful followers under her care, but persecuting them instead. The love of gain and success has been a trap for the church in the past. Temptation must be overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the Lamb's people must be protected.