So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Judges 16:17-19

At birth, Samson’s mom made a vow to raise him as a Nazirite. This was unusual because people took vows for periods of their lives (maybe months or years), but Samson’s mom promised to raise him this way his entire life.

A Nazirite didn’t cut his hair, stayed away from grape products (wine, juice, raisins, whole fruit) and did not touch dead bodies (animal, person).

By the time Samson found himself in the room with Delilah, he had killed people and certainly defiled himself with wine and grapes (it never says he did, but c’mon, this guy has to be a partier, plus the action puts him in vineyards a couple times). That’s two strikes.

The last unbroken vow for Samson was cutting his hair. Once he revealed that, he was doomed.

The vow was his strength. His power came from the Lord and his Nazirite promise, as loosely as he held on to it, kept him under God’s protection. Three strikes and Samson’s out.

God used the third strike to bring Samson back up to bat when Samson realized his failure and God used him one more time in his plan to destroy the Philistines.

We may stammer and falter, but along the way, we need to return to God and dedicate ourselves over and over to his calling for us.