Samson Series

October 15, 2022

We have now gone several rounds in the spin cycle with Israel.

• They abandon Yahweh

• They are given into the hands of an enemy nation

• They cry

• Yahweh sends them a deliverer

Which brings us to Samson – Judges 13:1–16:31.

Israel NEEDED a hero and God chose Samson, “to begin the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines.”

Right from the beginning Samson was set aside by God. He was to be a Nazarite all his life {see Numbers 6:1-21}.

Samson was unique, distinctive, special and the Israelites adored him. He came to believe that he could do whatever he wanted without consequence. Here is his story.

Judges 14-15 tells us of Samson’s first interaction with the Philistines. He saw a beautiful Philistine girl and told his parents to get her for him as his wife, because “she pleases me.”

The SDA Bible Commentary makes this interesting observation: “Even in this unfortunate marriage God was overruling the course of events for the furtherance of His own designs.” – namely, the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines. God ordained that Samson would begin the deliverance of Israel – that was His overarching will. He did not, however, ordain the sins Samson committed, the way he went about doing things, or his willful, selfish, and prideful acts – those, God allowed because free choice is so important to Him. God used Samson’s faulty character and deliberate bad choices to accomplish HIS goals.

As Samson and his parents made their way to Timnah, he encountered a young lion in a vineyard. Samson tore the lion apart with his bare hands. Task completed, he met the young woman and sometime later married her. On the way, to the marriage feast, Samson came across the carcass of the lion and discovered that bees had set up house and were producing honey. He scooped some honey out of the carcass and continued on his way – enjoying the honey as he went – Ewww!

At the wedding feast Samson told this riddle:

“From the eater came out food, From the strong came out sweet.”

And then made a bet with 30 young Philistine wedding guests that they wouldn’t be able to figure out the riddle. He gave them 7 days. The bet was 30 everyday garments and 30 fancy garments.

For 3 days the young men pondered the riddle, but without success, so on the 4th day they went to Samson’s new wife and threatened her, “Entice your husband and tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire…..”

For the next 3 days Samson’s new wife wept. She accused him of not loving her because if he did, he would tell her the answer to the riddle. Nearly nagged to death, Samson finally explained the riddle ---- and she told the 30 young men. As the sun went down on the 7th day, the men of the city said to Samson:

“What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?”

Samson accused them of cheating. To vent his anger, he went to Ashkelon, killed 30 men and took their belongings to pay off the bet, then he went home. His new wife was given to his best man.

Sometime later, during wheat harvest, Samson returned to Timnah because he wanted to sleep with his wife. Her father met him at the door, “I thought you hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Her younger sister is more beautiful than she is, why not take her instead.”

Less than happy, Samson responded, “Listen, whatever evil I do to the Philistines from now on, I am not to blame.”

Samson captured 300 foxes, turned them tail to tail, put a torch between them, lit the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain – destroying everything – clear up to the vineyards and olive groves.

Upon finding out who was responsible for the disaster, the Philistines went to Timnah and burned Samson’s wife and her father to death.

Samson: If that is how you are going to be, I will not rest until I have taken revenge on you.

He gave them a thorough beating then went and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

The Philistines took their revenge out on Judah, so, 3000 men from Judah went to see Samson at Etam,

Men of Judah: Don’t you know that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?

Samson: I just did to them what they did to me

Men of Judah: We have come to bind you and hand you over to the Philistines.

Samson: Swear to me that you will not attack me yourselves.

Men of Judah: We will only bind you and hand you over to them - we will not kill you.