Judges 14:1-20
So, Samson was born as promised and he grew up and God blessed him and began moving in him. One day he made his way to Timnah and found a Philistine woman that caught his eye. He returned home and told his parents about her and asked them to get her for him as a wife. They objected because she was Philistine and they would have preferred that he marry an Israelite woman, which makes sense given their culture and tradition.
But God was in the mix and he was working on his plan against the Philistines since they were ruling over his people at the time. He just didn't tell Samson's parents that. I can relate; God is constantly allowing me to go through situations that really put me through my paces and test me in order to do some greater work that may not have anything to do with me directly. I'm okay with that, especially since I know he will never abandon me in whatever the situation is.
So, Samson insisted on having this woman for his wife, so his parents went about getting her for him. While they were on their way back to Timnah, apparently Samson wandered off and was attacked by a young lion. That would have been the end of the story for most people, but remember, Samson was a Nazirite. So, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he just ripped the lions jaws apart with his bare hands; no sweat.
Amazing, crisis averted, again except for the whole Nazirite issue. That part about avoiding contact with corpses, kind of out the window there (and again as we'll see later). So he didn't tell his parents about it, but he just went along like nothing had happened. They went to Timnah, met with the woman and was still pleased to take her for his wife. On the way back, though, Samson stopped back by his lion carcass and saw that some bees had made honey inside of it. A good Nazirite would have kept it moving, not even gone that way to start with; but not Samson. Oh, no. He took some of the honey and ate it, even shared it with his parents without telling them where he got it. Doesn't that just sound like a set-up? Doing wrong, knowingly, and thinking you got away with it since nothing bad happened immediately. Of course God's justice wouldn't let that happen.
Samson threw an engagement party in Timnah while his father finalized the arrangements; this was customary. And his in-laws-to-be found 30 groomsmen for him. Now the guilt of what he'd done must have been getting to him because he felt the need to confess, just not outright to avoid trouble. So he told his groomsmen what happened in the form of a riddle. But before he told them, he made a little wager with them about it. Thirty fine linen robes and sets of festive clothing for them if they could solve it; for him if they could not.
Of course they could not, but they were not in a position to just come up with and hand over the agreed bounty, so they cheated. They told Samson's betrothed to get him to tell her the answer and then come and tell them, else they would burn her father's house down with her in it. So she did. It took her a whole week of whining and crying and nagging to get him to tell her, but she finally got it out of him. So, just before the wage term was up, by the end of the celebration, the men came to him with the answer they had swindled out of his future wife - and he knew that's how they got the answer.
Obviously, this was very upsetting for him. Now he had to go and kill some innocent rich folks and take their stuff to give to these cheating men. Well, I'm sure there was a better way, but he was very upset. In fact, he was so upset that he went back home to live with his parents again. I guess he felt betrayed; but in the meantime, the bride's family gave her to his best man. They had already made all these preparations, somebody was getting married.
So there are a few things to take away from this story. Be obedient to God - we will be held accountable for our deviance. Know who to trust - just because someone looks or seems nice doesn't mean they're for you. Own up to your mistakes - hiding or running away from them only leads to more calamity.
Lord, please help us to be obedient and do what you want us to do. Give us a spirit of repentance when we stray or stumble. Help us to remember that you always have a greater plan and purpose for our lives than what we can see or imagine. Continue to lead us and guide us on the right path. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
So, Samson was born as promised and he grew up and God blessed him and began moving in him. One day he made his way to Timnah and found a Philistine woman that caught his eye. He returned home and told his parents about her and asked them to get her for him as a wife. They objected because she was Philistine and they would have preferred that he marry an Israelite woman, which makes sense given their culture and tradition.
But God was in the mix and he was working on his plan against the Philistines since they were ruling over his people at the time. He just didn't tell Samson's parents that. I can relate; God is constantly allowing me to go through situations that really put me through my paces and test me in order to do some greater work that may not have anything to do with me directly. I'm okay with that, especially since I know he will never abandon me in whatever the situation is.
So, Samson insisted on having this woman for his wife, so his parents went about getting her for him. While they were on their way back to Timnah, apparently Samson wandered off and was attacked by a young lion. That would have been the end of the story for most people, but remember, Samson was a Nazirite. So, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he just ripped the lions jaws apart with his bare hands; no sweat.
Amazing, crisis averted, again except for the whole Nazirite issue. That part about avoiding contact with corpses, kind of out the window there (and again as we'll see later). So he didn't tell his parents about it, but he just went along like nothing had happened. They went to Timnah, met with the woman and was still pleased to take her for his wife. On the way back, though, Samson stopped back by his lion carcass and saw that some bees had made honey inside of it. A good Nazirite would have kept it moving, not even gone that way to start with; but not Samson. Oh, no. He took some of the honey and ate it, even shared it with his parents without telling them where he got it. Doesn't that just sound like a set-up? Doing wrong, knowingly, and thinking you got away with it since nothing bad happened immediately. Of course God's justice wouldn't let that happen.
Samson threw an engagement party in Timnah while his father finalized the arrangements; this was customary. And his in-laws-to-be found 30 groomsmen for him. Now the guilt of what he'd done must have been getting to him because he felt the need to confess, just not outright to avoid trouble. So he told his groomsmen what happened in the form of a riddle. But before he told them, he made a little wager with them about it. Thirty fine linen robes and sets of festive clothing for them if they could solve it; for him if they could not.
Of course they could not, but they were not in a position to just come up with and hand over the agreed bounty, so they cheated. They told Samson's betrothed to get him to tell her the answer and then come and tell them, else they would burn her father's house down with her in it. So she did. It took her a whole week of whining and crying and nagging to get him to tell her, but she finally got it out of him. So, just before the wage term was up, by the end of the celebration, the men came to him with the answer they had swindled out of his future wife - and he knew that's how they got the answer.
Obviously, this was very upsetting for him. Now he had to go and kill some innocent rich folks and take their stuff to give to these cheating men. Well, I'm sure there was a better way, but he was very upset. In fact, he was so upset that he went back home to live with his parents again. I guess he felt betrayed; but in the meantime, the bride's family gave her to his best man. They had already made all these preparations, somebody was getting married.
So there are a few things to take away from this story. Be obedient to God - we will be held accountable for our deviance. Know who to trust - just because someone looks or seems nice doesn't mean they're for you. Own up to your mistakes - hiding or running away from them only leads to more calamity.
Lord, please help us to be obedient and do what you want us to do. Give us a spirit of repentance when we stray or stumble. Help us to remember that you always have a greater plan and purpose for our lives than what we can see or imagine. Continue to lead us and guide us on the right path. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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