The Eyes Have It
Samson's story takes off like a jet plane. Right away he heads to the Philistines and spies out a girl to his liking.
Judges 14:3 (ESV) 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.”
Notice that Samson is reflecting the attitude of his day. He will do what is "right in his own eyes" just as his countrymen. Here it begins with a woman from the very people he is meant to overcome on behalf of Israel.
But the next verse is not what you expect:
Judges 14:4 (ESV) 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.
Samson's desire for a foreign woman is from the Lord? Yes. God is going to use the very thing Israel was doing against Him for His ultimate plan to redeem them from their enemies.
The next verse:
Judges 14:5 (ESV) 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.
What is a Nazarite going to the vineyards for? There's only one thing there and it was a "no no" for those under the Nazarite vow. Numbers tells us:
Numbers 6:4 (ESV) All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.
It is on the way to this vineyard a lion will attack, the Spirit of God will come upon Samson and tear it apart. Note the theme: While he is on the way to a place he should not go, the Spirit of God will empower him to kill the lion. But its not yet over.
After the lion is dead for a while, Samson returns and takes some honey from the carcass to enjoy - another thing Samson is not allowed to do according to the Nazarite Vow:
Numbers 6:6 (ESV) “All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body.
Later, he will use the scene of the lion's carcass and honey to instigate his groomsmen with a riddle which they solve by threatening his future wife's family. This will enrage Samson and he will take 30 garments from the men of Ashkelon.
From the start of Samson's judge-ship, it's hard to find a moral. But we aren't supposed to be looking for one. We are asked to see what God is doing and what He is like. The lesson from the first few images of Samson is that Israel's God will use whatever He needs to accomplish His purpose of saving His people from their sin.
The Israelites were supposed to attack and cast out the foreign nations of the land like the Philistines. They hedged their bet and grew apathetic and comfortable with a quasi accomplishment of obtaining God's Promised Land. Their apathy led to a mixed nation full of compromises with paganism.
This was evidenced in Samson's father.
So what does God do? He comes down to get the job done Himself for His people. Remember Samson is a Nazarite not by choice but by Sovereign design. He is then used as God's tool through his own selfish actions to ignite opposition toward the occupying Philistine forces.
It's not hard to see how this points to Calvary. We could not defeat sin. We just embrace it and make compromises. God and God alone delivers us from the powers of sin. Jesus comes to us and through the self-centered actions of His people against Him, God accomplishes the ultimate deliverance for mankind. Even the sin of their rejecting Jesus paved the way for our receiving Him! What a God we have!
Don't ever doubt God's commitment to His purpose. He will make it happen. What might you be wishing wasn't going on in your life but God is now using to bring you further into obedience and faith? It could even be some of your foolish decisions. No, don't stay there and there's no excuse for them. But the comfort of God's grace is how He will use them to bring you closer to Himself.
Judges 14:3 (ESV) 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.”
Notice that Samson is reflecting the attitude of his day. He will do what is "right in his own eyes" just as his countrymen. Here it begins with a woman from the very people he is meant to overcome on behalf of Israel.
But the next verse is not what you expect:
Judges 14:4 (ESV) 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.
Samson's desire for a foreign woman is from the Lord? Yes. God is going to use the very thing Israel was doing against Him for His ultimate plan to redeem them from their enemies.
The next verse:
Judges 14:5 (ESV) 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.
What is a Nazarite going to the vineyards for? There's only one thing there and it was a "no no" for those under the Nazarite vow. Numbers tells us:
Numbers 6:4 (ESV) All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.
It is on the way to this vineyard a lion will attack, the Spirit of God will come upon Samson and tear it apart. Note the theme: While he is on the way to a place he should not go, the Spirit of God will empower him to kill the lion. But its not yet over.
After the lion is dead for a while, Samson returns and takes some honey from the carcass to enjoy - another thing Samson is not allowed to do according to the Nazarite Vow:
Numbers 6:6 (ESV) “All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body.
Later, he will use the scene of the lion's carcass and honey to instigate his groomsmen with a riddle which they solve by threatening his future wife's family. This will enrage Samson and he will take 30 garments from the men of Ashkelon.
From the start of Samson's judge-ship, it's hard to find a moral. But we aren't supposed to be looking for one. We are asked to see what God is doing and what He is like. The lesson from the first few images of Samson is that Israel's God will use whatever He needs to accomplish His purpose of saving His people from their sin.
The Israelites were supposed to attack and cast out the foreign nations of the land like the Philistines. They hedged their bet and grew apathetic and comfortable with a quasi accomplishment of obtaining God's Promised Land. Their apathy led to a mixed nation full of compromises with paganism.
This was evidenced in Samson's father.
So what does God do? He comes down to get the job done Himself for His people. Remember Samson is a Nazarite not by choice but by Sovereign design. He is then used as God's tool through his own selfish actions to ignite opposition toward the occupying Philistine forces.
It's not hard to see how this points to Calvary. We could not defeat sin. We just embrace it and make compromises. God and God alone delivers us from the powers of sin. Jesus comes to us and through the self-centered actions of His people against Him, God accomplishes the ultimate deliverance for mankind. Even the sin of their rejecting Jesus paved the way for our receiving Him! What a God we have!
Don't ever doubt God's commitment to His purpose. He will make it happen. What might you be wishing wasn't going on in your life but God is now using to bring you further into obedience and faith? It could even be some of your foolish decisions. No, don't stay there and there's no excuse for them. But the comfort of God's grace is how He will use them to bring you closer to Himself.
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