World Fighting Federation Series

A hot country and a fierce battle were enough to dehydrate any man, and Samson was no exception. He needed water. But there was a petulance here that suggested that he felt that God owed him something for what he had done, which goes along with his careless attitude to the jawbone. We sense here the beginning of his slide downwards. The thirst should have reminded him that without God he was nothing. All his strength depended on God’s continual supply. Instead it made him feel ill-treated. How do we respond when God puts us to the test? That is the test of what we are.

19 So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out, and he drank; and his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore he called its name En Hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day.

En-hakkore means ‘the spring of him who called’. From a hollow place in Lehi God by some means caused a spring to flow out, and Samson was thus able to drink and revive himself.

It was ‘God’ not Yahweh who responded. In today’s world no one gets too upset if you just use the term, ‘God’. As you know, if you use the Name of The Lord Jesus Christ in an honorable way, then watch the daggers come out.

Is it possible here that the use of God not Yahweh means something. I think so. Was this because he had broken his vow by using the jawbone of a dead ass? In Israel’s eyes and the writer’s eyes that would be no light thing. Or was it due to his petulant attitude? Or was the writer signaling that a new chapter was beginning in Samson’s life? His love of women would prove his downfall and the writer traces it back to this moment. From now on he would go continually downwards. Possibly all were true. He had perhaps begun to see himself as able to do anything he wanted. And that is always dangerous for a man.

20 And he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

Had Samson’s life ended here he might well have been judged differently. Whether he drank wine or not to break his vow is a matter of pure conjecture. There is no evidence for it. There is also no evidence that he actually touched the dead carcass of the lion, and the killing of the enemy would be seen as a justifiable and not as defiling. So as far as we can know his vow appeared intact until this last incident of touching the jaw bone. And even then there was always a way back if he was willing to take it.

Like the opinions regarding George Armstrong Custer, commentators take up many different opinions on Samson. Some see him as a wild, uncontrolled, loveable man who achieved little. Others recognize in him a man who was fulfilling his destiny, revealing a total devotion to Yahweh and achieving what would stand Israel in good stead, until in his latter days he faltered. In truth, our view does not matter. What does matter is The Holy Spirit’s opinion and He give Samson a good report as recorded in the book of Hebrews chapter 11, “30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again.”