THEY DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS OF THE LORD … – Judges 13:25-14:20

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on September 9, 2015 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group; September 9, 2015 from Judges 13:25-14:20

Theme: The apparent ups and downs of life, without our knowing it, accomplish the purposes of God.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

We come now to the story of the beginning of Samson’s adult life—and to the beginning of his role as ‘judge’ of Israel. In fact, when we come to the end of the first series of events of his life story, we’re told, “And he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines” (15:20). This is also the story of the first two manifestations of his great strength (see vv. 6 and 19); and in both cases, it was because “the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him”. But it also happens to be the first of his failed romantic exploits. Samson was strong—but he also had an obvious weakness for pretty pagans.

And yet, it is in just this very fact that we discover a marvelous way in which the sovereign God works to accomplish His will. We find the clue to it in verse 4—that in the midst of the frustratingly bad choices that Samson seemed to make, we’re told, “it was of the LORD”. The story of this chapter is divided up into five sections; each involving a separate trip by Samson, and each identified by the statement that someone “went down” to the place of action (14:1, 5, 7, 10, 19).

Looking through this story; we see how God accomplished His will for His people through . . .

TRIP #1: WOOING A WIFE (13:25-14:4).

A. After telling us the story of Samson’s remarkable birth (13:1-24)–without any of the details of his childhood and growing up—we’re told, “And the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon Him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Esthtaol” (13:25). This is important to note; because the whole point of the story of Chapter 13 was to show that Samson was called from before birth to be the deliverer of His people (13:5). So; in keeping with his call, the Spirit of God began working in him.

B. But what a strange man it was in whom the Spirit worked! He was to deliver his people from the Philistines; and yet, his first official act was to have his head turned by a Philistine woman in Timnah—some four miles or so from Zorah. He told his father and mother, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me” (v. 2). This must have come as a deep disappointment to his parents. After all, they kept him as a Nazirite from before he was born. The would have had higher hopes for him than to marry a pagan woman in violation of God’s commands (see Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Yet again, note verse 4: “But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines.” Even a foolish move on the part of their wayward son was in God’s sovereign plan for good.

TRIP #2: RIPPING A LION (14:5-6).

A. So; his father and mother went with him to the town of the object of his affections. And in the course of things, they went into the vineyards. Somewhere apart from them—perhaps while they were in the vineyards and he a short way off—“to his surprise a young lion came roaring against him” (v. 5). He’s not different than any of us in that respect. We’d be surprised too.

B. This would have had to have happened at a time when his parents—and in fact, everyone else—could not see him; because much of the event was kept a secret by him. And lest we think that any of it was out of God’s control, we’re told clearly, “And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have tore apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done” (v. 6). His secrecy about it might have been because he was a Nazirite from birth; and his parents would have been distressed that he had contacted a dead body (even though he made the body that way). It may too be that God allowed him this experience to show that the strength was not his, but from God—and that it would be sufficient to perform the task God gave him.

TRIP #3: SCOOPING SOME HONEY (14:7-9).

A. After tearing a lion in half (!), he went and sweet-talked the woman into becoming his wife; and “she pleased Samson well” (v. 7). And in the course of time, he went back to her to get her—and along the way, he passed the carcass of the lion. It was now dried out; and a swarm of bees had taken up inside the lion. (Someone in one of our Bible studies referred to it as ‘honey-baked lion jerky’.) He scooped some of the honey and ate it—once again contacting a defiling dead body.

B. He also brought some of the honey to his parents and gave some to them. But note that “he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion” (v. 9). This means that absolutely no one could have known about the lion or the honey. This is important because—as we remember—it was part of the occasion the Lord was seeking against the Philistines. It also kept the riddle that was coming up a true riddle to everyone.

TRIP #4: RIDDLING A RIDDLE (14:10-18).

A. Samson’s father went down to Timnah to the woman to make arrangements for this wedding (a wedding that he, as a father, didn’t approve). There’s lots of coming and going it seems; but it’s good to remember that the distance was not great. And in preparation for the day, thirty Philistine companions were appointed to be with Samson—perhaps as something like groomsmen. (It may be that it was thought that it would take that many companions to keep Samson a virtuous man.)

B. The spirits were high (and probably also a bit liquid!); and along the way, Samson posed a challenge to his companions in the form of a riddle. If they solved it within the seven days of the feast, he would give them “thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing” (v. 12). (As one commentator put it, translate this in modern terms to thirty changes of underwear and thirty suits—a high prize in that day!). If they couldn’t solve it, then they would owe the prize to him. The riddle, of course, was about his experience with the lion: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet” (v. 14). But they worked on it and couldn’t solve it.

C. Apparently, they had no particular sense of commitment to the bride to be. In fact, they even accused her of being in cooperation with Samson in order to plunder them of these promised garments. So; they threatened her to find out the answer to Samson’s riddle or they would burn her and her father’s house down with fire (v. 15). And so, she did as they demanded. She turned on the tears with Samson, and pressured him to give her the answer. (This seems to be a particular weakness with Samson! See also Delilah’s tactics in Chapter 16!) He had kept it a closely guarded secret—even toward his parents. But we’re told that she “wept on him the seven days” (v. 17), and she finally caved in and told her. And she told the thirty men; and the thirty men told Samson (v. 18). That’s when he knew he’d been deceived. “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!” (v. 18). (How she felt about being compared with a heifer we’ll never know.)

TRIP #5: NABBING SOME GARMENTS (14:19-20).

A. And so, he now had to pay them the enormous price of thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. So, he went some twenty-four miles away to Ashkelon—a Philistine town—and killed thirty men and took their apparel. He paid his part of the bet, and went back to his father’s house without his intended bride (v. 19). She as it turns out—and without Samson’s knowledge—was given to be the wife of his best man (v. 20). But that comes up later in the beginning of Chapter 15.

B. But note how, when Samson when to kill the men of Ashkelon for their garments, we’re told again that “the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily” (v. 19). In spite of the moral detours along the way, God was still working His will for “an occasion against the Philistines”. We should keep that in mind whenever we think we’re in the midst of a situation—or people—that God cannot use. Very often, we look upon our dismal and seemingly-hopeless situation and “not know that it was of the LORD”.