There were many judges during these years in Israel, but none kept the Israelites from idols. Over and over, Israel and its judges disappointed God by not being able to control or not trying to control the adoration of idols by the people. There was a repeated cycle of sin, judgment, and repentance that occurred throughout the years of the judges even though with each new judge there was new hope.
After a long period of evil, the Lord delivered the Israelites into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. But there were always some who carried hope that God would intervene. A certain man named Manoah from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and childless. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said,"You will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazarite, set apart for God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines." After she told her husband, Manoah said, "O Lord, I beg of you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born." God heard Manoah and the angel of God came again to the woman, and the woman's husband was called to her side. They were again assured that no food or drink with liquor was to be eaten or drunk during the boy's lifetime.
Now, according the Study, after the boy child was born they "named him Samson and the spirit of the Lord began to stir in him as he grew. Samson was from the tribe of Dan which had continued to wander in their inherited land. Samson grew up with his warlike tribe's yearnings for a permanent and settled territory. Thus his visits to the tribal army camp stirred his heart, and God's Spirit began preparing him for his role as judge and leader against the Philistines. Samson had tremendous potential. Not many people have started life with credentials like his. Born as a result of God's plan, he was given enormous physical strength. However, Samson seemed to enjoy jokes, with a real cleverness for getting out of trouble. And, his other weakness was his love for women."
When Samson went down to Timnah, he met a young Philistine woman. He wanted her as his wife and requested this of his parents. They were aghast, and asked, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your own people. Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson insisted, "Get her for me!" (Her parents did not know that this was part of God's plan for Samson to confront the Philistines.) They gave in, and the three went down to Timnah.
While they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson in power, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands. But he said nothing to his father and mother, as they had seen nothing. When he met the woman, he liked her and the marriage was arranged.
When he returned to go down the same road for the ceremony, he turned aside to look at the lion's carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey, which he scooped out with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion carcass.
Samson made a feast in Timnah, for it was a custom for the bridegroom. While there, he was given thirty companions, perhaps as groomsmen, and gave the men a riddle to entertain. "If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes. If you can't tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes." And they answered, "Tell us your riddle. Let's hear it!"
He replied, "Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong something sweet."
For three days they could not give an answer, so they went to their sister and begged her to intervene. She threw herself on Samson, sobbing, "You hate me! You don't really love me! You've given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer!" But he answered, "Why should I tell you the answer? Even my parents don't know!" But she cried the entire time of the feast, seven days. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. And she turned and explained the riddle to her people.
And Samson said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle," as he was angry that they had manipulated one of his own. And just then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house. And Samson's wife was given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding.
This is how Samson began his adult life! Not a pretty picture! He was a servant of the Lord, yet he had not learned to be attentive to the Lord and His teachings. But, Samson had much more to learn, and much more to do to help his people who were in servanthood to the Philistines. More on Samson tomorrow.
An imperfect man who serves the Lord! Not really unusual. God can use each one of us when we give ourselves to His service.
Imperfect but loving Him!
Jo INMN
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