Judges 14:9b-15:13
“And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber.
But her father would not suffer him to go in. And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.” (Judges 14:19b-15:2)
Angry that his wife had told his secret, Samson stomped out on the wedding day and stayed gone for a couple of months. He completely ignored the fact that she had been told she and her entire family would be murdered if she didn’t.
Emotionally even the threat of having one’s mate walk out is almost as devastating as finding out they are having an affair because it says you really don’t matter to them. For fifteen years after she first threatened to leave me, I was afraid to do anything that might make my wife mad for fear she’d leave. I can only imagine how shattered Samson’s wife was when he actually left. When he didn’t come back, her family decided he wasn’t going to, she became the best man’s wife instead. After all, the entire community knew she’d gotten married, and the fact that her husband had walked out on her would cause a lot of gossip. Even today, it is often assumed that a person must be a pretty unpleasant person for their mate to just walk out on them. The decision for her to marry the other guy seemed a logical choice.
When he decided to come back, Samson just walked back in as if nothing had happened. When her father told him she was no longer his wife, but was married to someone else Samson got really angry. It was a typical response for a thoroughly selfish person.
A man I know had an affair and divorced his wife for another woman. About a year later he divorced the second wife and decided to go back to the first one. When she refused to let him move in immediately. he became very angry, accusing her of not being much of a Christian because she wouldn’t forgive him. Like Samson, he expected her to drop everything she had done while he was away and go back to where they were before. He couldn’t accept the fact that the entire world did not revolve around him.
“And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.” (Judges 15:3-5)
Refusing to consider that what had happened was the result of his own actions, Samson decided to take revenge, lashing out at the entire Philistine nation rather than just her family. Tying foxes together with a torch attached to their tails and setting them loose in the wheatfields just as the wheat was ripe ensured huge wildfires that would destroy much of the Philistines crops as well as homes, orchards and vineyards.
“Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.” (Judges 15:6)
Believing Samson was holding the entire nation accountable and hoping to prevent further violence, the Philistines executed the woman and her family in an effort to mollify Samson.
“And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.” (Judges 15:7-8)
Selfishly refusing to accept their efforts to straighten things out, Samson attacked and killed a great many other Philistines. The rejection of their overtures of peach and unprovoked attack made the Philistines angry.
“Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us?
And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.
Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us?
And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.” (Judges 15:9-11)
Recognizing the might of the Philistine army, the tribe of Judah was panicked bu the invasion of the Philistine army. Learning they were only after Samson for what he had done to them, they went him to ask his surrender in hopes of avoiding a war. When asked why he done this, he responded, “they started it,” in typical selfish fashion. Samson’s entire conflict with the Philistines was totally selfish. There was no patriotism or moral consideration, he was just mad that things didn’t go his way. He was not concerned at all about the effect his actions might have on his family or friends and neighbors.
“And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines.
And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.
And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.” (Judges 15:12-13)
When three thousand Jews asked him to surrender to the Philistines, Samson bowed to public opinion, agreeing to surrender if they would promise they wouldn’t kill him first. They had no interest in killing him, they just wanted the Philistines to leave them alone. He still made no attempt to enlist their support or offer to fight for them.
They tied him with two new ropes, taking no chances on his escaping, and took him to the Philistines in show of goodwill.
“And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber.
But her father would not suffer him to go in. And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.” (Judges 14:19b-15:2)
Angry that his wife had told his secret, Samson stomped out on the wedding day and stayed gone for a couple of months. He completely ignored the fact that she had been told she and her entire family would be murdered if she didn’t.
Emotionally even the threat of having one’s mate walk out is almost as devastating as finding out they are having an affair because it says you really don’t matter to them. For fifteen years after she first threatened to leave me, I was afraid to do anything that might make my wife mad for fear she’d leave. I can only imagine how shattered Samson’s wife was when he actually left. When he didn’t come back, her family decided he wasn’t going to, she became the best man’s wife instead. After all, the entire community knew she’d gotten married, and the fact that her husband had walked out on her would cause a lot of gossip. Even today, it is often assumed that a person must be a pretty unpleasant person for their mate to just walk out on them. The decision for her to marry the other guy seemed a logical choice.
When he decided to come back, Samson just walked back in as if nothing had happened. When her father told him she was no longer his wife, but was married to someone else Samson got really angry. It was a typical response for a thoroughly selfish person.
A man I know had an affair and divorced his wife for another woman. About a year later he divorced the second wife and decided to go back to the first one. When she refused to let him move in immediately. he became very angry, accusing her of not being much of a Christian because she wouldn’t forgive him. Like Samson, he expected her to drop everything she had done while he was away and go back to where they were before. He couldn’t accept the fact that the entire world did not revolve around him.
“And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.” (Judges 15:3-5)
Refusing to consider that what had happened was the result of his own actions, Samson decided to take revenge, lashing out at the entire Philistine nation rather than just her family. Tying foxes together with a torch attached to their tails and setting them loose in the wheatfields just as the wheat was ripe ensured huge wildfires that would destroy much of the Philistines crops as well as homes, orchards and vineyards.
“Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.” (Judges 15:6)
Believing Samson was holding the entire nation accountable and hoping to prevent further violence, the Philistines executed the woman and her family in an effort to mollify Samson.
“And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.” (Judges 15:7-8)
Selfishly refusing to accept their efforts to straighten things out, Samson attacked and killed a great many other Philistines. The rejection of their overtures of peach and unprovoked attack made the Philistines angry.
“Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us?
And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.
Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us?
And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.” (Judges 15:9-11)
Recognizing the might of the Philistine army, the tribe of Judah was panicked bu the invasion of the Philistine army. Learning they were only after Samson for what he had done to them, they went him to ask his surrender in hopes of avoiding a war. When asked why he done this, he responded, “they started it,” in typical selfish fashion. Samson’s entire conflict with the Philistines was totally selfish. There was no patriotism or moral consideration, he was just mad that things didn’t go his way. He was not concerned at all about the effect his actions might have on his family or friends and neighbors.
“And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines.
And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.
And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.” (Judges 15:12-13)
When three thousand Jews asked him to surrender to the Philistines, Samson bowed to public opinion, agreeing to surrender if they would promise they wouldn’t kill him first. They had no interest in killing him, they just wanted the Philistines to leave them alone. He still made no attempt to enlist their support or offer to fight for them.
They tied him with two new ropes, taking no chances on his escaping, and took him to the Philistines in show of goodwill.
But wasn't God acting through a very fallible man against oppressors of his people? All is in His control.
ReplyDeleteIt is true God was acting through Samson. Unfortunately, because Samson wouldn't put God first, God had to work through his sin rather than through his obedience. Either way, God would have his way, but Samson missed out by refusing to obey.
ReplyDeleteThe death of Samson's bride-to-be was horrible, and Samson just seemed to delight in goading the Philistines further. I understand that God was using Samson to liberate Israel from their control, but Samson's conduct was often unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteIt really reminds us how far even a man of God can go from what is right if he gets caught up in selfish pursuits.
ReplyDelete