Samson-His Wedding Day Blues Series

(Based on a message preached 2-19-23 at First Baptist Church, Chamois, MO; not an exact transcription.

(Full disclosure: Sermon Central accepted and posted an earlier message of mine on this text called “Trouble in Timnath” but this message is not the same thing, nor a simple edit.)

Introduction: We’re still in February, the month of love, and we’re looking at another couple, sort of, that didn’t make it. They didn’t even get past the ceremony! What happened? It’s a bit of a long story, but it’s important, so let’s take a look.

The text comes from Judges 14, beginning at verse 1:

Text: Judges 14:1-11, New American Standard Bible (NASV): 1 Then Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; so now, get her for me as a wife.” 3 But his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” Yet Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she is right for me.” 4 However, his father and mother did not know that this was of the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. And at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

5 Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him. 6 And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, so that he tore it apart as one tears apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. 7 So he went down and talked to the woman; and she looked pleasing to Samson. 8 When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. 9 So he took out the honey on his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had took the honey out of the body of the lion. 10 Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson held a feast there, for the young men customarily did this. 11 When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

1 Just one look was all it took

Some of us remember the “Frasier” show on TV, where at each change of scene, an introductory slide or screen or something that would give a hint of what was going to happen. I couldn’t resist the chance to do something like that here! Hey, it could work, no?

Now, years ago there was a song called “Just One Look”, and it was used for various commercials. You couldn’t miss that ‘Just one look!” jingle, encouraging those who saw and heard the commercial to open their eyes, ears, and wallets to buy whatever it was for sale. I think it was used for cars, but back then, I had trouble affording model cars or Hot Wheel ™ cars, let alone thinking of buying a real one!

Samson clearly didn’t know that song, but he did know when a certain Philistine girl of marriageable age came around Timnath (there are alternate spellings). Timanth was only a few miles from Samson’s home town, but why he went down there is anybody’s guess. It _could_ be that the Philistines had built a garrison of some kind, making Timnath not only a border town but maybe a kind of Fort Jackson or Fort Knox or Philistine base Timnath, some kind of town like that as some might say.

Well, no matter what Samson was doing around Timanth, he surely noticed that one particular young lady. How often he saw her, and how many times, we’re not told, but it’s likely that just one look was all he needed. By the way, his request of his parents, “I like the way she looks, so please get her to be my wife” seems to me to prove he was a spoiled brat! His parents said something like, “Why do you want to marry a pagan? Aren’t there any Hebrew girls who catch your eye? Besides, these Philistines are not circumcised (like us), so why go looking among them for a wife?”

Samson, though, insisted, “I like the way she looks, and that’s good enough for me.” You know, I’ve wondered why it is that during various periods, American men (and I guess it’s true for other nations, too) would tack pictures of various beauties (“pin-up” girls) on their bedroom walls or wherever they could. Oddly, a number of these ladies were known as having, “beautiful legs!” True, legs are important, kinda hard to get anywhere without them, no? Even so, I’ve never met anyone who wants to kiss a pair of legs, especially when these legs are covered with dresses or pants or something like that! No, I think Samson saw a gal with a pretty face—and for him, that was enough. Just one look was all he needed, or so he thought.