Judges 14

Judges 14:1

SAMSON IS PROMISED A WIFEIt is amazing that the Spirit of God would come upon a man like this. But it is obvious that God moved through him. I feel that he was a sissy in every department of his life, and in chapter 14 we begin to see it. I submit to you that only a sissy would do a thing like that! Why didn’t he go and talk to the woman and tell her that he loved her and wanted to marry her? Why didn’t he go and talk to her father? In those days some sort of a business arrangement was always made when it came to marriage. Why didn’t he take care of that himself? Well, he is a sissy, and mamma and papa had to arrange the marriage for him. This is Samson.

Judges 14:3

Samson is going to use his marriage as a ruse in order that he might deliver Israel from the Philistines. He starts off well.

Judges 14:5

SAMSON SLAYS A LION AND GIVES A RIDDLEWe have been told that a Nazarite was to keep away from the grapes, but not Samson.

Judges 14:6

On his way to Timnath with his parents, Samson was attacked by a lion. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him during this time of emergency and he killed the lion with his bare hands. During another trip Samson went to look at the carcass of the lion and discovered a swarm of bees and honey in it. He scooped the honey out with his hands and ate it. He also gave some to his parents, but he did not tell them where he got it. Remember that having contact with a carcass was a violation of the Nazarite law.

Judges 14:10

As was the custom, Samson put on a marriage feast. The feast was held at the bride’s home. And all of the guests were Philistines. Riddles were a form of entertainment in those days, and Samson gave the guests a riddle. He gave them seven days in which to find the answer. If they guessed the riddle, then Samson would give them thirty linen garments and thirty cloaks. If they failed to guess the answer to his riddle, then they would have to give him thirty linen garments and thirty cloaks. Without knowing about the slain lion and the hive of bees in the carcass, there was no way the thirty guests could solve Samson’s riddle.

Judges 14:15

SAMSON IS DECEIVED AND SLAYS THIRTY PHILISTINESThe Philistines appealed to Samson’s wife to help them find out the answer to the riddle. If she did not find out what his secret was, they threatened to burn down her father’s house with her in it. Now the strongest weapon that a woman has is her tears, and Samson’s wife turned hers on for seven days. I want to tell you that a woman who weeps for seven straight days, and at every meal, gets a little tiresome. Finally he had to give in and tell her the answer to the riddle. He was good at making wisecracks, too. He knew where these men got the answer to the riddle. Samson said, “If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.” In other words, “You got the answer from my wife.”

Judges 14:19

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and he went down south to AshkelonAshkelon is way down in the south. There he killed thirty men in order to get thirty changes of raiment that he needed to pay off his wager. Samson left in a pout. Notice that he doesn’t take his wife with him. He is angry with her for giving away his riddle.

Judges 14:20

So the father of the girl gives her to the best man at the wedding!