Judges 14 - Samson's Marriage

Similar to how we’ve seen Samson can be interpreted one of two ways:

A violent brute who God uses to fight the Philistines in spite of his complete disregard for the Nazirite vow his parents took on his behalf

OR

A faithful servant of the Lord who is protected by the Spirit of the Lord and is used to fight against the Philistines

So as we read through Samson’s story, we need to assess his commitment to the Nazarite Vow

Numbers 6

No drinking wine

No cutting of hair

No eating of anything unclean

Also we have to consider the complexity of Samson’s relationships described throughout his story…there is particularly a lot going on in chapter 14...

With the Lord

Spirit of the Lord stirred him when he was growing up (Judges 13:25 “25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.” )

Spirit of the Lord RUSHES on him THREE times throughout his battles

With his parents

With the Timnite woman & her family

With the Philistines

(and later) with men of Judah

Judges 14:1–4 ESV

1 Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.” 3 But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” 4 His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.

1-3 - Samson chooses a wife from the Philistines

3 - she is “right” in my eyes

4 - This desire in Samson was from the Lord

** we don’t use this as an excuse for not pursuing holiness **

** there wasn’t actually anything un-holy about Samson taking a Philistine wife **

Judges 14:5–7 ESV

5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. 6 Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson’s eyes.

5-6 - Samson tears apart the Lion in the vineyards of Timnah in the Spirit of the Lord

7 - Then went to talk to the woman

Judges 14:8–9 ESV

8 After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.

8-9 - AFTER SOME DAYS…he comes back to take her as his wife

Judges 14:10–11 ESV

10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do. 11 As soon as the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

10 - Samson prepares the feast

11 - As soon as the people (of Timnah) saw him, they brought 30 companions (or guards) to be with him

Judges 14:12–14 ESV

12 And Samson said to them, “Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can tell me what it is, within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes, 13 but if you cannot tell me what it is, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Put your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14 And he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” And in three days they could not solve the riddle.

12a - Samson gave them a riddle

12b-13 - Wager: 30 garments & changes of clothes (wallets)

14 - Riddle: “Out of the eater came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet”

He killed the lion in Timnah

Three days, they could not solve it

Judges 14:15 ESV

15 On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?”

15 - Threaten his fiance to get the answer from Samson

Judges 14:16–17 ESV

16 And Samson’s wife wept over him and said, “You only hate me; you do not love me. You have put a riddle to my people, and you have not told me what it is.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?” 17 She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. Then she told the riddle to her people.

16 - Samson would not tell the riddle to her

17a - He caves on the 7th day

17b - She tells her people

Judges 14:18 ESV

18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? 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.”

18a - The men of tell Samson the answer

18b - Samson calls them out

Judges 14:19 ESV

19 And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house.

19a - Spirit of the Lord rushed on him...

19b - He went to Ashkelon

Struck down 30 men of the town

took their spoil/garments and gave them to the men in Timnah

19c - Left in hot anger to his father’s house

Judges 14:20 ESV

20 And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.

20 - Samson’s fiance given to his “best man”

GO WITH THIS...

Holiness / Nazarite

Spirit of the Lord - confidence in the Lord