Judges 14:1-4
Samson is a young man now. His life started by the Lord's hand and was set apart for the Lord's purpose. He had to have known this growing up; but he may have known it to his detriment, believing he could do no wrong. Samson's life seems to be characterized by descent; the word translated to 'went down' shows up 7 times in chapters fourteen and fifteen. The testimony of his actions is certainly a spiritual descent of a selfish man.
- Samson went down – verse 1
Timnah was about five and a half miles west of Samson's home in Zorah. It is likely that anything west of Samson's home was Philistine territory. Samson had no business going down to the Philistines, nor should he have been looking for a wife among the Philistines. He saw this woman that he described in verse three as pleasing to his eyes; or right in his eyes. God had instructed His people not to marry among these other nations. He knew it would go bad for them. While we don't know Samson's age, it sure seems like a youthful decision that disregards God's instruction as well as His parents' desires and direction.
Parent normally had a lot of input about matching their son with a wife. At times, they made the arrangement and expected their son to honor them by marrying that person. Marriages were a handled as a kind of business transaction between two clans who could be bonded by this marriage. They would become a kind of partnership through the marriage. Samson is way out of bounds of the norm. These were not covenant people and his father and mother attempt to guide this decision.
It's as if Samson turned from talking to his father and mother and focused just on his father. His demand sounds like a petulant child that would throw a tantrum if he didn't get his way. This is hardly the action or demeaner we'd expect by a man called by God, living the life consecrated to God's service.
Samson was acting out the fallenness of his heart. Yet, God could use his waywardness and sin for His glory. The Lord would use him against the Philistines. Already, we see him making a connection with them. The Philistines were God's judgment on them for their idolatry. Now, with Israel under Philistine dominion, the Lord would deliver them.
Judges 14:5-6
- Samson went down – verse 5
The descent to sin and rebellion seem to get easier and more frequent in the story and in our lives. In this, we can see the Israelite's willingness to accept and coexist with the Philistines. Samson descended to the Philistine city again came to the vineyards. God didn't make Samson pursue this evil. Samson had free will to do as he desired, but God used his him in spite of his poor decisions. This gives each of us hope that God can still use us.
It appears Samson was separated from his parents at the vineyard. A vineyard is a strange place for a man who isn't supposed to have anything to do with grapes. There, he was surprised by a young lion. Previously, the Spirit of the Lord came upon the judges as they were bringing judgment on the oppressors. In this case, the Spirit came on Samson when he was under threat. He tore the lion apart with his bare hands. Samson kept this encounter from his parents. The presumption is that the carcass was a violation of his vow.
As a Nazirite, Samson wasn't to eat any grapes or drink any wine. In addition, he was not to become unclean by a dead body. Some believe this would only cause a problem if it were a human body. Samson went to the vineyards. There was nothing there for a Nazirite but trouble. He was inviting it and it and trouble came to him in an unexpected way.
Samson's vow was different from most; his had no time limit – it was for life. If, for some reason a Nazirite vow was defiled before completing his vow, there was a procedure to atone and start all over. If a one-year vow was given and on the three hundred and sixty fourth day the vow was broken, the year started all over again. In Samson's case, he was vowed to be a Nazirite from birth, for life. It is unclear how this would work for him since he could not start his life over.
We see Samson's flippant attitude and disregard for the things of God. He doesn't seem to take his life's calling seriously.
Judges 14:7-9
- Samson went down – verse 7
Verse seven seems to present the solution to why Samson kept it a secret. He seems to be ruled by lust. We see the second occurrence of 'she pleased him well.'
Some time had passed when he went down again to get her.
- He returned to land of his oppressor
- He returned to the woman
- He returned to the secret carcass
He then touched the carcass voluntarily and took of the honey. He didn't tall his parents where the honey came from. Whatever the lie he told, it came as the second to support the first. Compound lying will require a scorebook or a really good memory. Regardless, you will always lose this game. He kept this secret from his parents because he knew he had messed up. But it wasn't hidden from God. In spite of Samson's actions, God still had a call and purpose for his life. Just think what he could have accomplished in faithfulness and obedience.
Judges 14:10-11
- Samson's father went down – verse 10
No one descends into sin, selfishness and rebellion against God alone. No matter how hard we might try or as private as we think we sin, those around us and those we love are always affected. Samson's father went down and completed the transaction prior to the feast,
The feast is the second phase of this marriage. It was normally seven days of celebration and feasting; also, normally ad the young man's home. In this case, it was at the bride's home. This was further irritation and distancing from God's ways.
The thirty companions are not Samson's companions. They may be young men of the town offering security for the bride to assure she was treated right by this outsider.
Judges 14:12-14
A riddle is a saying that has two levels of meaning. Figuring out the meaning that was not so obvious was the fun. Samson wanted to entertain the crowd with a riddle. The fun was removed in that the second level seems as though it had no chance of being figured out by others. However, there is some indication that this idea of bees building a hive in a carcass wasn't unknown. It still seems like an extreme longshot. This selfish and seemingly insignificant act was the first domino to fall in a serious of events that cost life and livelihood. Samson made a game out of his sin. But sin is never just personal and private; and while it may be fun, its only fun for a time – but the bill will come due.
The wager was new clothes for the thirty companions of the bride if they could figure it out. These weren't just clothes; these were fine garments – we might think of this as a 3-piece suit with a nice dress shirt. If they lost, the thirty would bring the same to Samson. Most folks at that time only owned a couple sets of clothes. This was a costly wager and with the odds stacked for Samson, he stood to gain great wealth. The thirty accepted the wager and urged Samson to give him the riddle. They had seven days to delivery, after three days, they had gotten nowhere and probably realized they'd been setup.
This is a continued display of Samson's total disregard for the vow. He made a game of the failing of his Nazirite vow.
Judges 14:15-17
The 'seventh day' in the Hebrew text doesn't seem to make sense. It might possibly have been the 7th day of the week but the 4th day of the 7 day marriage feast. The Septuagint says the fourth day. The companions realized they couldn't win this bet without cheating. Their integrity matches Samson's as they decide to work on his wife. The next domino falls and the stakes get higher. They threaten to burn her father's house down if she doesn't bring the answer to them.
While the change of clothes are not insignificant, you get the sense that these Philistine men were more concerned with not losing this wager to one of those they oppressed. They imply they were only invited to be taken advantage of.
The weakness of the marriage is visible in the you don't love me if you don't give me what I want rule. Samson's wife seems to be loyal to her countrymen more than her own husband. She manipulates him to find favor with them. Samson reveals that she is below his parents trust and prominence in his life. In time, he broke down and told her the riddle. She ran to the men and gave them the answer.
Judges 14:18
The men answer the riddle with a riddle of their own. The answer to their riddle would reveal the source of their information. Honey and lion answer Samson's riddle.
- The lion is the eater and the strong of the two lines.
- The honey is something to eat and something sweet that came from it.
What is sweeter than honey and stronger than a lion?
- The enticement of a woman or wife. She overcame the will of Samson where the lion could not. Is this the will of the woman or the weakness of Samson?
Samson displayed his skill at solving riddles by resolving this right away. Plowing with someone's heifer is likened to walking in someone's shoes, or in this case, meddling with his wife. It is an interesting proverb that Samson uses. A heifer wasn't used to plow and maybe that was the point of the proverb; a wife shouldn't be used to manipulate and hound a husband that way. However, the truth is, Samson could kill lions and break ropes, but the tears of a woman owned him.
Judges 14:19-20
- Samson went down – v. 19
The next domino falls and things escalate again. Previously, the Spirit of the Lord came upon judges when they were judging. Samson's life has been different. Samson became a murderer of the men of Ashkelon. This was a city 40 miles away and one of the five major Philistine cities. This may be the Lord moving against Philistines but it is done for Samson's personal gain. He took the clothing of these thirty men, further defiling his vow and demeaning himself in stripping corpses of their clothing. The words used to describe the garments are more indicative of battle gear than fine cloths indicated in the wager. Delivering thirty sets of battle dress to these men would send a message; don't mess with a dude that could kill 30 soldiers singlehandedly.
Samson was angry regarding the betrayal of his wife and unfair use of his wife by these men. The marriage was never completed and Samson left mad. This comes as no surprise to us. We get the picture of samson being a child that held his breath till he got his way. Now as an adult, he can't cope with interference to his plans. He went home to mom and dad. I wonder if they said, "We told you so!" Even if they didn't Samson knew they were right.
The role of the thirty companions was the success and happiness of the wife. When Samson abandoned her at the altar, it was the role for one of them to step into this place. She married one of the thirty.
The last domino had not fallen though.
It's fascinating that Samson is listed in the hall of faith in Hebrews. But this shows us that he wasn't always a man of faith. "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8).
© 2015, 2022 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater
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