Book of Judges

SAMSON Part 2 (Judges 14)

We have noted the similarity between the story of Samson and the story of Jesus. The birth and infancy narrative of Samson parallels that of Jesus. So too does the fact that Scripture is silent on the intervening years. The promise of Samson's delivering Israel from the Philistines awaits the time of God's appointing.

Yet at the beginning of Judges 14, the story takes an unexpected and sad turn. Samson is raised by God to deliver the Philistines, yet establishes a relationship with them through marriage. Little wonder his parents are distressed. Yet even our failings and weaknesses work out the purposes of God. That is one of the great lessons of this chapter.

Before we look at the main emphases of the chapter, we can note the fact that the chapter is structured by the verb to go down -- in 14:1, Samson 'went down' to Timnah; in 14:5 he 'went down' to Timnah with his parents; in 14:7 Samson 'went down' and talked with the woman; in 14:10 Manoah 'went down' to talk with the woman; and in 14:19 Samson 'went down' to Ashkelon. This is not merely stylistic. There is a descent, a going down in this chapter, morally and physically. Yet even in our going down, God is at work.

God's Sovereignty

The first lesson we learn here is about God's sovereignty in our lives. Samson's choice was not a good one. He opted to marry outside of the covenant community. This broke his parents' heart. They tried to dissuade him, but he persisted in his action.

In 14:3, Samson is reported to have said that 'she is right in my eyes'. Interestingly, that is the phrase used in 21:25 to summarise the spirit of the age of the judges. It was a spirit which Samson had imbibed, so that now what mattered was simply what pleased himself.

What a warning there is here for today's Christian! When we live, and think, and act the way the world around us lives, and thinks, and acts, we are on shaky ground. We compromise our position as those who have been dedicated to the Lord. Jesus asks us for a dedication and devotion to him, which can only be jeopardised by worldliness in our thinking and in our living. After all, 'friendship with the world is enmity with God' (James 4:4).

So here is a strong-willed Samson ignoring the advice and plea of his parents. He was in the wrong, both in his dalliance with the Philistines and in dishonouring his parents. Yet we know a secret which none of them knew: 'it was from the Lord' (verse 4).

What does verse 4 say? It reminds us that God was not silent or unaware of what was happening. In fact, this turmoil within the family home of Samson was part of God's sovereign plan.

The interpretation of verse 4 is a bit dubious. Who was 'seeking an opportunity against the Philistines'? The older commentators -- such as Matthew Henry and Andrew Fausett -- take the view that the marriage was a good plan on the part of Samson because he was the one who was plotting to take the Philistines down by such a scheme. In fact, Henry says that 'It was not a thing evil in itself for [Samson] to marry a Philistine'.

But this can hardly be right. The action of Samson cannot be justified. The natural subject of the verb seems to be 'the Lord'. This was God overruling the compromise of Samson to open a door against the Philistines, who 'ruled over Israel' (verse 4) at the time.

So God sovereignly allowed these events to take place. His secret will, known only to himself, hidden even from pious Manoah and his wife, was working out a sovereign purpose of salvation even through events that were contrary to his revealed will.

This is a mysterious and wonderful subject; it is also supremely important. When we sin, are we doing God's will? The answer to that question is 'No' and 'Yes'. No we are not fulfilling God's will when we sin, because God's revealed will in Scripture must always be the standard of our obedience. Yes we are fulfilling God's will when we sin, because God uses even our wrong choices to work out his greater purposes of grace and salvation in the world.

However, we must never use God's secret, decretive will as an excuse for going against his revealed will. Nothing justifies our sinful actions, not even the good that God can bring out of them. So when J.G. Vos asks 'How can it be that God foreordains and controls the sinful acts of men, and yet is not responsible for the sin?' he can only answer: 'this is a mystery which we cannot wholly understand. However, the Bible plainly teaches that it is so' (Commentary on the Larger Catechism, p47).

But what a comfort this is to the child of God. To know that there is a sovereign God in Heaven over-ruling all that takes place in our lives, whether good or bad, is faith's ultimate consolation and the Christian's greatest hope.

God's Spirit

Secondly, we learn about God's Spirit in this chapter. On a visit to Timnah with his parents, a lion was in the way. Samson was able to slay the lion by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, as with Daniel, God shuts the mouths of lions (Daniel 6:22); but other times require the lions to be faced and fought.

This was no mean task -- it required superhuman and supernatural strength and effort. What was too much for mere man, however, was not impossible with God.

What is interesting here is the repetition of the phrase 'the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him' in verse 19. Overcoming the lion was a major feat at the time; but it was only a preparation for a greater task. Facing the lions of Ashkelon was a greater trial than facing the lion of Timnah; but courage for the later task arose out of the earlier. All our trials may be overcome; and to know the power and grace of God at work in one area is to be encouraged for another.

God's Servant

In all of this, however, we are reminded of the weaknesses and sins of Samson. He is no exemplar of obedience and faith; indeed, his conduct is reprehensible. Yet God uses him. Indeed, that is one of the major themes of the Book of Judges: the use God can make of unprofitable and compromised servants.

But we learn the nature of sin here. Samson's first act of compromise leads to others. We find Samson scraping honey from the dead lion in verse 9, and throwing a drinking party for his friends in verse 10. Yet he was under the Nazirite vow, which, we recall, forbade him to cut his hair, drink alcohol or have contact with a dead body.

Is it not the case that if one act of victory leads to greater ones, so one alliance with sin leads to greater ones also? We travel upwards with God step by step, or we travel downwards with sin step by step. The downward pull is easier to follow. Like a plane taking off into the sky, it needs great power to overcome the downward drag. We need to stand firm with God.

But God not only uses unprofitable servants; he also favours unworthy servants. He is able to fight the lion on the road, even if he does not overcome the lion of passion within. The heart is much more difficult to control; the lion is much easier to overcome. Yet God grants him the blessing of victory.

And God also favours him by enabling him to taste the sweetness of the victory. There was a swarm of bees, and there was honey in the carcass of the lion. Out of the strong lion came something sweet. Canaan had been promised to God's people as a land flowing with milk and honey; yet who would have though that the honey might be found in such strange places.

Can we not say the same of God? In spite of our sin, has he not blessed us in ways beyond our imagining? As Matthew Henry says, 'Honey is honey still, though in a dead lion'. And no matter where we find God's good gifts, let us thank him for the covenant favours with which he remembers us in spite of our sin.

But we also see here that God humbles undisciplined servants. Through the woman who has stolen Samson's heart, God steals Samson's reputation, and makes him look foolish in the eyes of the Philistines. This scene will be echoed later with Delilah; Samson's wife entices him and passes on the information -- he tells her and she tells her people (verse 17). The Philistines have sown the seeds of victory over him by ploughing with his heifer; Matthew Henry makes the telling point that 'Satan, in his temptations, could not do us the mischief he does if he did not plough with the heifer of our own corrupt nature'.

So Samson is humbled and emptied. But perhaps that is how it ought to be. For now the Spirit rushes on him again.

God's Salvation

Samson's defeat is turned into victory. He has been defeated morally -- lust leads him to the Philistines; he has been defeated personally -- the Philistines have made him a laughing stock. But now God will use him to begin the victory. At Ashkelon he struck down thirty men, and his wife was given to his best man.

He lost her; but he gained more. He 'went up' to his father's house (verse 19), and was able to start again. That is the essence of the Christian life -- regenerated once; converted often.