mrwil65
Active member
Judges 14:1-18 {NASB}
(please note: these ideas about Samson came from the 1949 Motion Picture "Samson & Delilah" + the Bible)
By: Andy Wilson
Yesterday, I sent my friends a riddle that had a lot of them stumped. The riddle was, "There's this father and his son, and they're driving along in a car, and the car crashes, and the father is killed, and the little boy is badly injured, so they rush him into the Hospital, take him into the operating room, the surgeon walks in and says, 'I can't operate on this boy, he's my son.'" How come? The answer was, The surgeon couldn't operate on his own son, but not because the surgeon was the boys father, the surgeon was the boys mother. I heard this from a clip taken from the sitcom "All in the Family". Gloria told the riddle to Archie, Michael, and Edith. It took all 3 of them to figure it out, just like they had to figure out the riddle as well. However, Edith had the correct answer. When I think about riddles such as this, I think about the countless times I've read Judges Chapters 13-16. The familiar story of Samson And Delilah, Now as a child growing up, I'm sure many of you had favorite Bible stories, as I have. Samson is still my favorite "Bible Story" to this day. I also love watching the 1949 version starring Victor Mature as Samson, and Hedy Lamarr as Delilah. I really would like to speak about Judges 14:1-18 in the NASB. It reads, "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 [a]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 [c]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 [d]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 [e]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 [f]the honey on his [g]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.
Samson’s Riddle
12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me now propose a riddle for you; if you actually tell me [h]the answer within the seven days of the feast, and solve it, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty outfits of clothes. 13 But if you are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen wraps and thirty outfits of clothes.” And they said to him, “Propose your riddle, so that we may hear it.” 14 So he said to them,
“Out of the eater came something to eat,
And out of the strong came something sweet.”
But they could not tell the answer to the riddle in three days.
15 Then it came about on the fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so?” 16 So Samson’s wife wept in front of him and said, “You only hate me, and you do not love me; you have proposed a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told it to me.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told it to my father or mother; so should I tell you?” 17 However she wept before him for seven days while their feast lasted. And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard. She then told the riddle to the sons of her people. 18 So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down,
“What is sweeter than honey?
And what is stronger than a lion?”
And he said to them,
“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
You would not have found out my riddle."
Footnotes:
Judges 14:2 Lit up
Judges 14:2 Lit mother, and said,
Judges 14:3 Lit my
Judges 14:3 Lit in my eyes
Judges 14:7 Lit was right in Samson’s eyes
Judges 14:9 Lit it
Judges 14:9 Lit palms
Judges 14:12 Lit it
Judges 14:15 As in some ancient versions; MT seventh
Samson’s quick wit and prankish nature unexpectedly yield a gem of stunning insight. It is a masterpiece of encouragement and hope for times when life gets crazy, seemingly out of control; when one is fighting to survive and the big question is: Why? Many miss it because it is couched in his carefully crafted riddle. He intended to confuse, puzzle and mystify. It worked too. It worked so well that the 30 young men who played Samson’s game of "guess my riddle" were so desperate by week’s end they resorted to menacing measures to get the answer. Under the duress of death from her Philistine countrymen Samson’s fiancee feigned such emotional agony until he reluctantly gave her the solution, which she quickly passed along. This occurs within the setting of a gala week-long celebration in anticipation of the marriage between Samson and a young woman in the Philistine village of Timnath. Recently he had experienced success in overcoming a deadly adversary. He turned that event into an opportunity to challenge the 30 young men, who were appointed to be his groomsmen, to pit their wit against his. The game required them to find a solution to his cleverly concocted riddle. They agreed to his rules and asked him to recite his riddle. Samson said, "Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came someting sweet"
(Judges 14:14 NKJV).
The encouragement and hope found in the riddle can best be appreciated when seen as the centerpiece of its large-as-life setting. Consider these things:
I. SAMSON’S RIDDLE WAS BORN OUT OF HIS LIFE EXPERIENCE.
It was born out of his confrontation and clash with a powerful opponent. He struggled against a strong foe that challenged his person and purpose. It was born out of threat to his physical life--born out of pain and distress.
He stared hatred in the face. He saw eyes burning with fierce anger. He heard the roar of a raw beastly nature that, had it been words, would have sent a blistering message intended to incite a sense of worthlessness and depression. He wrestled with this beast. Smelled its foul breath. Experienced the pain from tooth and claw.
Scripture teaches us to, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pt. 5:8 KJV). We must never forget that we are in a spiritual war--with an enemy who is looking for weaknesses. We should never give him a foothold. Regardless of how well things may seem to be going for us, we must always keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ--obedient to his commands and faithful to His purposes.
Troubles, trials, disappointments, heartaches, physical and mental infirmities -- all may present themselves as "roaring lions." We are reminded of Paul’s exhortation that we, "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12 KJV). James tells us: "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (Ja. 4:7 KJV). The enemy loves to tempt Christians to be prideful - to believe that they are responsible for their own success rather than God. We can resist the devil's terrible influence by submitting ourselves to Christ. This means we accept God's wisdom and will, we trust His power and love, and we obey His commands. Nothing disarms the enemy faster than maintaining a humble heart before the Lord.
II. SAMSON WAS DOING GOD’S WILL WHEN THE ATTACK OCCURRED.
His mother and father were dismayed that he desired a Philistine woman for a wife. "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. For at this time the Philistines had dominion over Israel" (Judges 14:4 NKJV). Whether rational or irrational to anyone else (ourselves included), the day Samson set his foot on the path toward Timnath he was walking a road ordained by the Lord. He was in God’s will. Samson's desire for a Philistine wife clearly transgressed God's law, yet God used even his disobedience for the good of His people. Note, however, that Samson himself never received a blessing for his rebellious choice and regretted it.
"In God’s will" does not guarantee freedom from assault by the adversary nor secures a painless passage through this life. It does not insulate or make us immune to "the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11). It is extremely important for us to understand that we are involved in a real battle and the enemy's goal is our destruction. The devil does everything he can to undermine our faith and impede our progress in God's will by putting harmful, hidden obstacles and snares in our path. But we can resist his subtle tactics and triumph over his schemes by trusting God, arming ourselves with His protection, and obeying Him in every area of our lives. Because one struggles with pain, sorrow, disappointment and affliction does not necessarily indicate that one has missed God’s will.
(please note: these ideas about Samson came from the 1949 Motion Picture "Samson & Delilah" + the Bible)
By: Andy Wilson
Yesterday, I sent my friends a riddle that had a lot of them stumped. The riddle was, "There's this father and his son, and they're driving along in a car, and the car crashes, and the father is killed, and the little boy is badly injured, so they rush him into the Hospital, take him into the operating room, the surgeon walks in and says, 'I can't operate on this boy, he's my son.'" How come? The answer was, The surgeon couldn't operate on his own son, but not because the surgeon was the boys father, the surgeon was the boys mother. I heard this from a clip taken from the sitcom "All in the Family". Gloria told the riddle to Archie, Michael, and Edith. It took all 3 of them to figure it out, just like they had to figure out the riddle as well. However, Edith had the correct answer. When I think about riddles such as this, I think about the countless times I've read Judges Chapters 13-16. The familiar story of Samson And Delilah, Now as a child growing up, I'm sure many of you had favorite Bible stories, as I have. Samson is still my favorite "Bible Story" to this day. I also love watching the 1949 version starring Victor Mature as Samson, and Hedy Lamarr as Delilah. I really would like to speak about Judges 14:1-18 in the NASB. It reads, "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 [a]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 [c]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 [d]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 [e]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 [f]the honey on his [g]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.
Samson’s Riddle
12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me now propose a riddle for you; if you actually tell me [h]the answer within the seven days of the feast, and solve it, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty outfits of clothes. 13 But if you are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen wraps and thirty outfits of clothes.” And they said to him, “Propose your riddle, so that we may hear it.” 14 So he said to them,
“Out of the eater came something to eat,
And out of the strong came something sweet.”
But they could not tell the answer to the riddle in three days.
15 Then it came about on the fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so?” 16 So Samson’s wife wept in front of him and said, “You only hate me, and you do not love me; you have proposed a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told it to me.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told it to my father or mother; so should I tell you?” 17 However she wept before him for seven days while their feast lasted. And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard. She then told the riddle to the sons of her people. 18 So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down,
“What is sweeter than honey?
And what is stronger than a lion?”
And he said to them,
“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
You would not have found out my riddle."
Footnotes:
Judges 14:2 Lit up
Judges 14:2 Lit mother, and said,
Judges 14:3 Lit my
Judges 14:3 Lit in my eyes
Judges 14:7 Lit was right in Samson’s eyes
Judges 14:9 Lit it
Judges 14:9 Lit palms
Judges 14:12 Lit it
Judges 14:15 As in some ancient versions; MT seventh
Samson’s quick wit and prankish nature unexpectedly yield a gem of stunning insight. It is a masterpiece of encouragement and hope for times when life gets crazy, seemingly out of control; when one is fighting to survive and the big question is: Why? Many miss it because it is couched in his carefully crafted riddle. He intended to confuse, puzzle and mystify. It worked too. It worked so well that the 30 young men who played Samson’s game of "guess my riddle" were so desperate by week’s end they resorted to menacing measures to get the answer. Under the duress of death from her Philistine countrymen Samson’s fiancee feigned such emotional agony until he reluctantly gave her the solution, which she quickly passed along. This occurs within the setting of a gala week-long celebration in anticipation of the marriage between Samson and a young woman in the Philistine village of Timnath. Recently he had experienced success in overcoming a deadly adversary. He turned that event into an opportunity to challenge the 30 young men, who were appointed to be his groomsmen, to pit their wit against his. The game required them to find a solution to his cleverly concocted riddle. They agreed to his rules and asked him to recite his riddle. Samson said, "Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came someting sweet"
(Judges 14:14 NKJV).
The encouragement and hope found in the riddle can best be appreciated when seen as the centerpiece of its large-as-life setting. Consider these things:
I. SAMSON’S RIDDLE WAS BORN OUT OF HIS LIFE EXPERIENCE.
It was born out of his confrontation and clash with a powerful opponent. He struggled against a strong foe that challenged his person and purpose. It was born out of threat to his physical life--born out of pain and distress.
He stared hatred in the face. He saw eyes burning with fierce anger. He heard the roar of a raw beastly nature that, had it been words, would have sent a blistering message intended to incite a sense of worthlessness and depression. He wrestled with this beast. Smelled its foul breath. Experienced the pain from tooth and claw.
Scripture teaches us to, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pt. 5:8 KJV). We must never forget that we are in a spiritual war--with an enemy who is looking for weaknesses. We should never give him a foothold. Regardless of how well things may seem to be going for us, we must always keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ--obedient to his commands and faithful to His purposes.
Troubles, trials, disappointments, heartaches, physical and mental infirmities -- all may present themselves as "roaring lions." We are reminded of Paul’s exhortation that we, "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12 KJV). James tells us: "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (Ja. 4:7 KJV). The enemy loves to tempt Christians to be prideful - to believe that they are responsible for their own success rather than God. We can resist the devil's terrible influence by submitting ourselves to Christ. This means we accept God's wisdom and will, we trust His power and love, and we obey His commands. Nothing disarms the enemy faster than maintaining a humble heart before the Lord.
II. SAMSON WAS DOING GOD’S WILL WHEN THE ATTACK OCCURRED.
His mother and father were dismayed that he desired a Philistine woman for a wife. "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. For at this time the Philistines had dominion over Israel" (Judges 14:4 NKJV). Whether rational or irrational to anyone else (ourselves included), the day Samson set his foot on the path toward Timnath he was walking a road ordained by the Lord. He was in God’s will. Samson's desire for a Philistine wife clearly transgressed God's law, yet God used even his disobedience for the good of His people. Note, however, that Samson himself never received a blessing for his rebellious choice and regretted it.
"In God’s will" does not guarantee freedom from assault by the adversary nor secures a painless passage through this life. It does not insulate or make us immune to "the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11). It is extremely important for us to understand that we are involved in a real battle and the enemy's goal is our destruction. The devil does everything he can to undermine our faith and impede our progress in God's will by putting harmful, hidden obstacles and snares in our path. But we can resist his subtle tactics and triumph over his schemes by trusting God, arming ourselves with His protection, and obeying Him in every area of our lives. Because one struggles with pain, sorrow, disappointment and affliction does not necessarily indicate that one has missed God’s will.