One Final Warning

 Like many people, Pharaoh assumed that God had tried to negotiate because he didn’t want it bad enough to go all in to get his way.   By issuing an ultimatum, he had made it clear he was no longer willing to consider God’s position.    God did noyt just give in when he threatened to Kill them if Noses and Aaron came back, as Exodus 11:1 tells us.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.”  When God got done, Pharaoh would not just allow them to go, he would insist on their leaving.

 

For four hundred years, the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt.  Now it was time for them to be paid for their work.  While there was no way of making things right with previous generations, they could at least pay the ones who were slaves in that day, and the Egyptians could understand the justice of such payments.  Exodus 11:2-3 describes their response.  “Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.  And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.”  While Pharaoh would not acknowledge Moses, the Egyptian people respected him greatly. 

 

Moses did announce what was going to happen next, in Exodus 11:4-8.  “And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.  And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.  But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.  And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.”

 

God was going to make a distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians so they could see the difference between worshipping God and worshipping the Egyptian gods.  Even after all the things God had done, Pharaoh clung to his old religion and refused to acknowledge God, as Exodus 11:9-10 tells us.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.  And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.”

 

While Pharaoh’s decision seems illogical and we may wonder why the people let him remain in power, we need to understand the final authority belongs to God.  Pharaoh was determined not to worship God, and God enabled him to cling to that attitude so that people could see God’s power, as Romans 9:17-23 explains.  “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

 

Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?  What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,”

 

God created the world and established the laws or rules by which it is to function.   As the creator, he has every right to set whatever rules he wants, just as I have the right to destroy something I have made if it is not satisfactory, and use something else.  Part of living by faith is recognizing God has this authority and not insisting things have to be done our way.  When we insist on having our way, our attitude is almost the same as Pharaoh’s.  While God often gives people numerous chances to do what is right, there is a limit to how far he will let us go, as Genesis 6:3 tells us.  “ And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”    Originally mankind were intended to live forever, but as a result of their rebellion  the human life span was limited to about a hundred twenty years.  Most people never get to be that old because God takes them out before that.  This was Pharaoh’s final warning, and he would not get another chance.      

 

 

Pharaoh Delivers An Ultimatum

 The people’s complaints got Pharaoh’s attention, as Exodus 10:8-11 describes.  “And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?

 

And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.

 

And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.  Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.” 

 

A true sociopath, maintaining and growing his power was Pharaoh’s primary concern, and he refused to even let them do as much as he had promised before, so god directed Moses to bring up the locusts, in Exodus 10:12-15.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.  And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.  And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.  For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.”

 

The locusts ate everything that grew, leaving the Egyptians facing famine and starvation.  Pharaoh finally admitted he had been wrong this time and asked Moses not to kill them all, in Exodus 10:16-19.  “Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.  Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only. And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD.  And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.” 

 

As soon as the threat disappeared, Pharaoh reverted to his old attitude, refusing to let the people go, so God sent a plague of darkness over the land, in Exodus 10:20-23.  “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.  And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

 

With all their crops and gardens destroyed, the people would need to forage for food, and the darkness made that nearly impossible.  After three days, Pharaoh realized he had to do something and called for Moses, offering to let them go and worship but refusing to allow them to take their livestock to use for sacrifices as described in Exodus 10:24.  “And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.”

 

The object of going was to offer sacrifices to God, and they couldn’t do that if they left their livestock behind.  It was very much like politicians today forbidding the churches to meet in person or to sing during worship services.  Moses pointed out that there was no point in going without the sacrifices, in Exodus 10:25-26.  “And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.  Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.”

 

Pharaoh’s policies had bankrupted Egypt, but he refused to give up any of his control, and God enabled him to overlook what his actions were doing to the people.  Instead of allowing them to leave ha gave Moses and Aaron an ultimatum, in Exodus 10:27-29.  “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.  And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.  And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.”  If they even suggested him giving them freedom again they would be killed.  Moses promised they wouldn’t bother him again. 

 

When a person presents an ultimatum, they have said they will not give any more consideration to the other side’s concerns.  They either have to give in completely, or call his bluff because her has refused to negotiate any more.    

God Doesn’t Bluff

 God did not immediately deliver Israel because he wanted the Egyptians to believe in him as well as the Israelites.  As part of that effort, he had made a distinction between those who believed in him, the the Israelites, and those who didn’t, the Egyptians when he sent the flies.  Next he sent a disease among their livestock, and again he distinguished between those who served them and those who did not, in Exodus 9:1-7.  “Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.  For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.  And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel.  And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.

 

And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.  And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.”   The disease killed large numbers of every type of livestock, but none of those of the Israelites, costing Pharaoh and the Egyptians a great deal.   Pharaoh responded as if God were just some human adversary trying to coerce him into doing what he wanted and decided to call God’s bluff.

 

The only problem was, God wasn’t bluffing as we see in Exodus 9:8-11.  “And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.  And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.  And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.  And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.”

 

The boils were so painful even magicians ran away to try to find something to alleviate the pain.  Instead of acknowledging God’s power, Pharaoh got mad and God used his anger to make him more determined not to give in, so god upped the ante, in Exodus 9:12-19.  “And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.  And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.  For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.  For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.  

 

And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.  As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?  Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.  Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.”

 

God warned that he was prepared to cause still worse things if Pharaoh did not let the people go.  He informed Pharaoh that God had put him in place as king specifically so that the Egyptian people would know that God was the only God, and that before everything was finished Pharaoh himself would die. 

 

After having seen the previous plagues, some of the people listened and believed God, making an effort to save the rest of their cattle from the hail.   Others stuck with Pharaoh, refusing to admit he was making poor decisions, as Exodus 9:20-21 describes.   “He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.”  They were no different than many people today, clinging to a political party and philosophy even though it is clearly compounding the problems, while others look at what is happening and make changes.   

 

God had decimated their herds with the disease, but the hail wiped out any cattle those who ignored the warning had left, as Exodus 9:22-26 describes.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.  And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.  So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.  And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.  Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.”

 

The description sounds almost like a storm cell such as produces tornadoes, with extreme winds, huge hailstones and torrential rain, and ground lightening igniting fires all around.  Trees lost branches, cattle were killed by the hailstones, and mature crops were destroyed as a result.  If they continued, Pharaoh might lose everything he owned.  Desperate to end the storms, he called for Moses in Exodus 9:27-28.  “And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.  Entreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.”  He swallowed his pride and admitted he had been wrong to refuse to let the people go. 

 

Moses agreed to ask God to stop the storm, to make it very clear it was God who had caused the storm, and not just some fluke of the weather, in Exodus 9:29-30.  “And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord's.  But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.”  Although he would pray for an end to the Storm, Moses realized Pharaoh and his people were not yet willing to give up the status quo or believe in God, despite the evidence of his power.  Exodus 9:31-32 describes the extent of the damage.  “And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.  But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.”  The early crops were nearly ripe and the hail destroyed them.  The wheat and rye were only beginning to grow and were able to recover. 

 

As soon as the storm was over, Pharaoh changed his mind and refused to let the people go, according to Exodus 9:33-35.  “And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.  And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.  And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.”  Like most narcissists or sociopaths, Pharaoh would promise almost anything to get his way, but he had no intention of honoring the promises if he could keep from it.   

Political Leaders Are Not Gods

 John 1:18 and I John 4:12 tell us, “No man hath seen God at any time.  God had commanded Pharaoh to set Israel free, but because Pharaoh could not see God or his kingdom, he considered him unimportant.   God sent Moses to represent God to him.  Pharaoh was considered a god by his people, so God started by showing he could out do Pharaoh’s magicians.  It is helpful to understand that what we call magic is the application of scientific principles in ways we don’t understand.  The magicians were the scientists of their day, observing what happened and trying to explain why it happened.   As a result, they were able to do things that appeared miraculous to other people.  Pharaoh used those abilities to convince people that he had special powers.  When God changed the stick into a snake, then changed it back, it clearly demonstrated that God was a little more powerful than Pharaoh. 

 

The Egyptians, including Pharaoh worshipped the Nile River.  When God changed the water to blood, he demonstrated himself to be more powerful than the River, and when he brought out the frogs, and the magicians had to ask him to get rid of them it demonstrated he had powers they couldn’t match, and could use even the river against them.  Refusing to admit God had greater power, Pharaoh refused to allow the people freedom to worship.  God stepped up the pressure in Exodus 8:16-17, so that the people could realize Pharaoh’s limitations.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.  And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.”

 

God literally turned the dust into living insects.  Pharaoh ordered his magicians to do the same thing, but there was nothing in science that enabled them to bring inanimate things to life, as Exodus 8:18-19 tells us,  “And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.  Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.”  The scientists recognized that only God can make life, but Pharaoh refused to accept their statements. 

 

The lice were miserable on the people, constantly biting, but in his pride and determination not to listen Pharaoh ignored the impact of his decision on his people, just as our politicians have ignored the effect of the decisions on people during the Corona virus “Pandemic”.  He didn’t even ask the Lord to take them away.  The people would have to deal with them themselves. 

 

Next, God sent swarms of flies into the Egyptian delta region.  While they are small, even one house fly can be annoying so imagine having thousands of them.  Many kinds of flies have painful bites as well, making them even more annoying,   To top it off, they walk constantly lay their eggs in exposed flesh or fruit, producing millions of larva that eat the fruit and flesh, and cause spoilage, even on living animals.  Exodus 8:20-24 describes what happened.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.  Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.  And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.  And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.  And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.”

 

Even the Israelites had been affected by the water turning to blood, the frogs, and the lice.  Because we live in the world, many times Christians deal with the same problems the world faces, but sometimes, he works differently in our lives to drive home the differences in our beliefs and lifestyles.   While the flies were corrupting everything along the river, they did not come into the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived.    

 

Even Pharaoh was not able to escape the infestation of flies, and offered to let the people go, but insisted on them doing things the way he wanted.  Moses told him it would have to be done the way God wanted, and desperate to end the frustration, Pharaoh agreed, in Exodus 8:25-28.  “And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.  And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?  We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.

And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: entreat for me.” 

 

Like many of the politicians during the “Pandemic”, Pharaoh was unwilling to give up control and let people do what they felt was right.  While Moses agreed to ask God to take away the flies, but he didn’t trust Pharaoh not to reverse his decision once he had what he wanted.  Exodus 28:29-describes what happened.  “And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.  And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD.  And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.”

 

One thing we learn from history is that once politicians gain power they will not give it up voluntarily.  Exodus 8:32 tells us, “And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.”  This was Pharaoh’s own stubbornness and hunger for power.  God did not harden his heart this time.  He was just like the politicians who promised to lift the restrictions when certain conditions were met, but are now insisting they must maintain them to prevent a second wave.  They are still ignoring God’s authority and power, unwilling to admit they are not gods and cannot control people’s life and health.    

God is Not Willing That Any Should Perish

 God had stated that part of his purpose was to make the Egyptians realize who God is.  The Egyptians had been using a trick to convince the people of their godlike powers.  God actually did what they had been pretending to do.  Unlike the Magician’s snakes, Aaron’s snake turned back into a stick when he picked it up, but Pharaoh ignored the difference.

 

The Egyptians worshipped the Nile river because it not only supplied the water to irrigate their crops but washed in fresh rich soil every spring, and provided a steady supply of fish and drinking water all year.  Wanting the Egyptians to realize he is more powerful than the Nile, God demonstrated his power over the river next, as Exodus 7:14-21 describes.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.  Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.  And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.  Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.  And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river.

 

And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.  And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.  And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”

 

Using the same walking stick that had turned into a snake, Aaron stretched it out over the river and the water turned to blood, killing the fish in the water, both in the river itself and in the irrigation canals and ponds.  The magicians were able to do something that looked much the same, putting die or paint into a container of water, as Exodus 7:22-23 tells us.  “And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.  And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.”  Once again, Pharaoh blew it off, as being the same thing his magicians had done. 

 

It wasn’t nearly as easy for the common people to blow it off, as Exodus 7;24-25 tells us.  “And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.  And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.”  It took a full week for the river to wash away all the pollutants.  During that time the people had to dig holes alongside the river and let the water filter through the soil into the holes where they could dip it out.  Since the Jews lived in Goshen and did not eat as much fish, they were less affected than the Egyptians by the pollution in the river than the Egyptians. 

 

Since amphibians such as frogs do not breathe through gills, the blood in the river did not affect them very much.  God would cause something to affect them next, causing them to leave the rivers in swarms.  Needing protection from the sun, they would invade the house along the river, as described in Exodus 8:1-6.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.  And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs: And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

 

And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.  And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

 

The magicians were able to put something in the water that drove out even more of the frogs, convincing Pharaoh they still had similar powers.  Knowing that it would take several days for the pollution to wash away, and that the magicians could do nothing to speed it up, Pharaoh asked Moses to have God get rid of the frogs, promising to let them go and worship God, in Exodus 8:7-8.  “And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.  Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.”

 

Pharaoh had servants to get fresh water and to sweep frogs out of his house so these were just minor annoyances to him, just as the Covid-19 have been for most of our political figures.  When asked when he wanted the infestation to end, Pharaoh said it could wait until tomorrow, in Exodus 8:9-11.  “And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?  And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.  And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.”

 

Like many political figures, Pharaoh had little understanding of the possible effects of their decisions.  When Moses prayed, the frogs started dying immediately, right where they were, as Exodus 8:12-14 tells us.  “And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.  And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.  And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.”  It would be weeks before they could get rid of all the rotting frogs, and they would have to live with the smell.  As soon as Pharaoh thought the problem was over, the changed his mind, breaking his promise to let the people go, as Exodus 8:15 tells us.  “But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.”

 

While God could have easily wiped out the Egyptians or killed Pharaoh, he chose not to do it that way because as II Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  Living by faith requires us to understand that God has not broken his promise if things don’t go as we think they should, but that he is also concerned what is best for other people as well.  God was giving the Egyptians a chance to turn to him.  In the process, the Israelites would have to put up with some of the same inconveniences as the Egyptians. 

God’s Ways Are Greater Than Ours.

 The first time Moses went to ask Pharaoh to let Israel go, Things got a great deal worse, and the people blamed Moses.  While he believed God, even Moses was a little hesitant to go back, as we see in Exodus 6:28-30.  “And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt, That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.  And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?”   Moses was not representing some powerful and well known group who Pharaoh would recognize as a threat, so why would he listen? 

 

God realized Pharaoh would feel that way, and planned to make Pharaoh realize he was not the only person with power.  Since the Egyptians considered their Pharaoh as a god, God would make Moses appear as a god to Pharaoh, as Exodus 7:1-2 describes.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.  Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.”

 

God warned that before he would give in, like most political leaders, Pharaoh would have to be convinced that Moses had enough more power than he did that he couldn’t successfully stand against him.  Only when he and the Egyptians realized he was only a man but God was truly a god would he allow the people to go, as Exodus 7:3-5 tells us.  “And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.  But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.  And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”

 

Although they were hesitant, Moses and Aaron had seen God’s power throughout their lives, and believing God, acted on his command believed God.  As Exodus 7:6-7 explains.  “And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.  And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.”

 

To maintain his appearance as a god to the Egyptians, Pharaoh had a group of magicians who would do “magic” tricks to convince the people of his miraculous powers.  When Moses claimed to represent God, Pharaoh would expect him to do similar tricks to show his power.  If Pharaoh’s magicians could do a similar trick, he could pass it off as nothing his own magicians couldn’t do.  God told Moses and Aaron what to do first, in Exodus 7:8-10.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.   And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.”

 

Because of people’s instinctive fear of snakes, throughout history religious groups have used snakes to prove their religious power, including snake charmers in India, the Hopi Indians in Arizona and some charismatic churches in the southern United States.  Pharaoh’s magicians had developed a system where by the snakes would lie absolutely stiff, looking like some kind of cane or stick until dropped on the ground.   Aaron had used his walking stick for years, and knew it was just a stick,   It was a miracle when it turned into a snake, but the magicians throwing their hypnotized snakes on the ground appeared to be the same trick, as Exodus 7:11-12 tells us.   “Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.  For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.” 

 

Aaron’s rod quickly demonstrated it had more power than the Magicians snakes, but Pharaoh didn’t take that into account, as Exodus 7:13 advises.  “And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.”  Since his magicians could do something similar, Pharaoh just became more stubborn, determined not to give in.  Notice the scripture says God hardened his heart. God caused him to react that way because God’s plan went beyond just getting Israel out of captivity. 

 

Unfortunately we tend to get caught up in our immediate goal and not look any further.  As a result we get frustrated when things don’t go our way immediately.   God may have some far greater purpose in delay than we understand.  We need to remember what God says in Isaiah 55:8-9.  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.   For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

 

Intellectual Belief Is Not Faith

 

God had called Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, and like Gideon, Moses asked for a sign that it was really God directing him before he began.  Once he was sure, he returned to Egypt and met with the Israelites, in Exodus 4:29-31.  “And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.  And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.”

 

The people readily believed Moses words, when he promised they would be delivered, but it was just an intellectual belief.  When Moses’ approach to Pharaoh made things worse, they accused them of lying to them in an effort to destroy them as Exodus 5:19-22 describes.  “And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.  And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.” 

 

Hebrews 11:6 defines faith as “…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  To the Israelites at this point, the promises to deliver them were something they hoped were true, but there was no awareness of, or commitment to what would be involved for it to happen, much like most people who hope to make a million dollars someday.   When it didn’t happen immediately they gave up. 

 

Even Moses was stunned by the results of his meeting with Pharaoh, as Exodus 5:22-23 states.  “And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?  For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.”  He felt like maybe he had made a mistake in thinking this was what God wanted.  Sometimes even the most devoted Christians struggle with a sense of failure. 

 

God explained that he wanted Israel to see his power.  Egypt was at the time, the most powerful nation in that part of the world, and by showing how much greater his power was, they could begin to trust him when other problems arose.  He reminds them of their history, and his past promises, in Exodus 6:1-4.  “Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.  And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.  And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.” 

 

Their captivity was just as much a part of the prophecy to Abraham as the promises to give them the land of Canaan.  Now it was time for the next part, when God would give them the land.  He was aware of their suffering, and was going to keep his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as he explained in Exodus 6:5-8.  “And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.  Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.  And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.”

 

Moses believed God, but the people were so caught up in their discouragement and suffering they wouldn’t listen to him, according to Exodus 6:9.  “And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.”  Moses and Aaron would be forced to act alone the next time they went to Pharaoh because the people didn’t believe it would really happen.  Real leaders act on their faith and set the example, showing others the way even when no one is willing to follow, trusting God to do what he promised even if no one follows.   Israel’s escape from Egypt is more a testimony to Moses’ faith, than to that of the people. 

 

Acting By Faith With The Wrong Motivation

 Like most people, Samson’s problems were primarily the result of his own decisions.  He had chosen to ignore God’s law time after time.  His efforts to rip off the wedding guests had resulted in his murdering thirty Philistines, and his walking out on the wedding ended up in his bride marrying someone else.  Angry about that, he killed over a thousand people, resulting in the Philistines seeking to kill him.  His infatuation with Delilah led to his imprisonment and subsequent slavery.   In spite of all that, God had not forgotten Samson.  When a person violated their Nazarite vow, they were to shave their heads and start it over.  Samson was to be a Nazarite from birth, but he had broken his vow several times.  When the Philistines shaved his head, he effectively started again.  Judges 16:22 tells us, “Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.”

 

For twenty years, Samson had led the resistance against the Philistine overlords.  He had personally killed more than a thousand of them.  His arrest and imprisonment was as exciting to them as the killing of Osama Bin Laden was to the Americans.   A few weeks later, the leaders sponsored a celebration of his arrest, praising their gods for his arrest, in Judges 16:23-25.  “Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.   And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.  And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.”

 

When the Spirit of the Lord departed from him Samson was no different than anyone else, and had been easily overcome.  The Philistines had then blinded him to prevent his being able to do much harm.  Now they publicly humiliated him, confident he could not cause any serious problems.  Part of the humiliation was that because he couldn’t see, he was forced to go where a little boy led him.  Samson asked the little boy to lead him over to the support pillard so that he could lean on them and be sure he wouldn’t fall down, in Judges 16:26.   “And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.”   I’m sure the Philistines thought it hilarious that the man they once feared had to hold on to something to keep from falling down.    

 

What they didn’t realize was that Samson’s sufferings had forced him to trust in rather than his own strength.  They were holding their celebration in huge building and the roof was supported on huge pillars, providing a second level where people could stand to observe their leaders.  Samson had seen the building and knew how it was constructed.  He deliberately asked the boy to show him where those pillars were.  As Judges 16:27 tells us, there were about three thousand people on the upper level.  “Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.”  There were probably twice that many inside the building at ground level. 

 

Although Samson had been forced to recognize his had to depend on God, his underlying attitude had not changed.  He asked God to give him his strength again, so that he could get even with them for putting out his eyes.  He also asked that he could die with them so he didn’t have to live without his eyesight, as Judges 16:28 describes.  “And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”

 

Knowing god had chosen him to destroy the Philistine’s power and that he would answer his prayer, Samson pushed the two main pillars apart, causing the building to collapse, as Judges 16:29-30 tells us.  “And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.  And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”

 

Samson was one of the most gifted men in the Bible, with one of the greatest opportunities to deliver Israel, but because he insisted on doing things his own way, his gifts accomplished little.  By pulling down the building, Samson disrupted the Philistine government for a while but they had recovered and took over Israel by the end of Eli’s term as judge, ruling for twenty years before being defeated in I Samuel 7.  By comparison, Gideon, a much less gifted man, defeated a much larger Midianite army, and they never recovered.   Only God knows what would have happened if Samson had been trying to please Him instead of getting his own way.   By faith Samson took action and God used his selfishness to accomplish his will, even though he wasn’t trying to accomplish God’s purpose.  We need to understand God isn’t limited by our motivations or those of others. 

 

Samson died as relatively young man, after only twenty years as judge.  Judges 16;31 tells us.  “Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.”

Captured By The Philistines

 

God had chosen Samson to deliver Israel from the Philistines, but Samson wanted to hang around with them instead.  Sexual promiscuity was forbidden under the Law, as described in Deuteronomy 22, but he had little concern for God’s commands or his Nazarite vow, as was apparent in his marriage to the girl from Timnath.   He only took action against the Philistines when he was angry about something, but like many selfish people he was quick to take offense, and reluctant to forgive those who offended him.  

 

After the fiasco over his marriage, Samson went to a Philistine prostitute,  again ignoring God’s command, as described in Judges 16:1-3.  “Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.  And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.  And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.”

 

After he killed a thousand Philistines with the donkey’s jawbone, the Philistines left him alone, but they had not forgotten that or the thirty philistines he murdered and robbed.  They also remembered how many farms had burned as a result of his setting fires to their fields.  When they heard he was involved with the prostitute, they locked the gates as normal, and posted guards to warn them when he tried to go home, hoping to catch him by surprise.  When Samson found the Gates shut, he didn’t waste any time , simply taking the huge gates, including the locks and gate posts and carrying them about a half mile.  It would take several men to bring back the gates and reinstall them and the men of Gath were probably relieved he had gotten away before they could engage him. 

 

Confident in his own strength, Samson learned nothing from the incident.  He continued to hang around the Philistines, and fell in love with another woman in Judges 16:4.  “And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.”   The Philistines recognized Samson as a serious threat, sought Delilah’s help in getting rid of him, in Judges 16:5.  “And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.”

 

Delilah was far more interested in the reward money than she was in Samson, so she agreed to betray him, by getting him to tell why he was so strong and what could make him weak.  Not fully trusting her, Samson initially lied to her, in Judges 16:6-9.  “And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

 

And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

 

Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.   Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.”  When the limber vines fell off his arms like a piece of twine  burned by fire, the Philistines stayed hidden and Samson never knew about her betrayal. 

 

When she asked him again, he told another lie, in Judges 16;10-12.  “And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

 

And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.   Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.”

 

The ropes just broke off his arms, when she shouted at him, and the Philistines stayed hidden.  Now Delilah accused him of lying to her, and to to placate her, Samson told a story that was closely related to the truth, in Judges 16:13-14.  “And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound.

 

And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.  And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.”  This time when Samson jumped up, he took the entire loom with him, and it was obvious he was still strong. 

 

Determined to get the reward money, Delilah accuse Samson of not telling her because he didn’t love her.  Anxious to convince her he did, he finally told her the truth, in Judges 16:15-18.  “And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

 

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

 

Fearing she wouldn’t stay if he didn’t tell her the truth, Samson ignored the fact that three times before she had acted on his statements in an effort to weaken him, he opened up to her completely, even though he should have known she probably would act on what he told her.  There is an old saying, that “love is blind.”  I Corinthians 13:6 tells us love “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.”  Real love accepts the person as they are, instead of maintaining some imaginary view of them.  Samson was infatuated and ignored the truth. 

 

Convinced He had told her the truth, Dlilah had the Philistine s come in and arrest him, in Judges 16:18-20.  “And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.  And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.  And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.”

 

The scariest part of this whole story is that Samson had become so confident in the power God gave him he didn’t notice that the Lord was no longer with him.  He was no longer trusting God to do what was best, but was depending on his own judgment and strength.  As a result, he was captured and imprisoned, according to Judges 16:21.  “But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.”  Like Samson, many times we get caught up in our own ideas and desires and ignore God, and are stunned when he is no longer with us. 

God Can Use Even An Ungodly Person

 Mad about what had happened, Samson left before the wedding was over.  Not knowing whether he would get over it or not, they finished the wedding with the best man taking Samson’s place as groom, according to Judges 14:19b-20.  “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.”   

 

A month or so later, Samson finally cooled off a little and decided he wanted to get back together with his wife.  He took a goat for a barbecue to help smooth things over, as Judges 15:1-2 describes.  “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.” 

 

The Philistines had taken Samson’s walking out on the wedding as meaning he didn’t love his bride.  Since the wedding was already paid for, they had let the best man marry her.  His coming back as if nothing had happened created a whole bunch of problems.   If he would settle for her younger sister those problems could be eliminated, and if all Samson cared about was sex, her sister was prettier. 

 

Unwilling to negotiate admit he had been wrong in trying to rip off the wedding guests, Samson decided to get even, as described in Judges 15:3-5.  “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. “

 

It was during the wheat harvest, and the plants had dried out and would burn quickly, destroying the grain.  Three hundred foxes fleeing fire tied to their tails would spread the fire very quickly over a wide area, burning thousands of acres of wheat and other crops, spreading to orchards and outbuildings and possibly resulting in many deaths.  Needless to say, the Philistines were quite upset about the fires, as Judges 15:6 tells us.  “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.”

 

The Philistines took much the same attitude many people have taken towards the current riots, blaming other people rather than punishing those guilty of committing the crimes.  Like the looters and rioters, Samson was not mollified by their actions against those he blamed, as Judges 15:7-8 describes.  “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.”

 

Like the present day protesters, Samson began indiscriminately attacking everyone around, killing numerous innocent bystanders.  When he got done, he left Philistine territory and went back to Jewish land.  Like many present day protesters, he had no real connections with the land and people he destroyed.  As some people say, he had no skin in the game and was not directly affected by his actions. 

 

By this time, Samson’s crimes were so bad they could no longer be ignored, and Philistines went into Judah to arrest him.  Fearing Philistine retaliation, the leaders of Judah asked him to surrender, In Judges 15:9-13.   “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.

 

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.”

 

Insisting he was not at fault, but assured that they would not kill him, Samson surrendered to the Jewish leaders and was turned over to the Philistines authorities.  Angered by the Philistines accusations and threats. Samson felt the powere of God come upon him, and attacked them with just a donkey jawbone for a weapon, in Judges 15:14-17.  “And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.  And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.  And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.  And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.”

 

Although it was the power of God that had given him the victory, Samson bragged about what he had accomplished.  A few minutes later, when he realized he was thirsty and couldn’t see any water, he accused God of leaving him to die, as Judges 15:18 describes.  “And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?”  Unfortunately we see this same attitude in carnal Christians today.  When everything goes the way they want, they take all the credit, but if something isn’t the way they want it, they blame God. 

 

God had called Samson to deliver Israel, and his job wasn’t yet done.  He would not allow him to die until his part was finished. Judges 15:19-20 tells us, “But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.  And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.”

 

For twenty years, God used Samson to lead Israel despite his unspiritual attitude and ungodly lifestyle.  Although he expected him to do great things, Samson never really believed God loved him, and never developed a personal relationship, continuing to go his own way instead.   He was like a great many Christians today, never trusting God enough to surrender fully to him.   God used his rebellious selfishness to accomplish his purpose.  

Faith Is Not About Getting Our Way

 God had chosen Samson to deliver Israel.  He had designated him to be a Nazarite from birth, and Samson’s parents did their best to see that he was raised according to the Nazarite vow.   As a result, God blessed him, working in his life as we see in Judges 13:24-25.  “And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.  And the spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.”   God has given us the ability to choose our own paths, and unfortunately, some choose the wrong way, no matter how carefully they have been raised. 

 

When Samson grew up, he decided to marry a Philistine girl against his parent wishes, as we see in Judges 14:1-3.  “And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.”

 

While Samson’s approach to his parents was somewhat disrespectful, there was another problem as well.  In Exodus 34:12-16, God had warned the Jews not to marry into the tribes around them because there would be a tendency to adopt their religious beliefs and practices as well.  “Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.”  As a Nazarite, Samson was obligated to follow that command, as well as the command to respect his parents. 

 

His parents were upset that he was ignoring God’s command, and their comments indicate this was not the first time he had chased after non Jewish girls.  Fortunately God knew what Samson was like, and that he enjoyed associating with the Philistine overlords.  He was going to use Samson’s attitude to cause him to do what God intended, as Judges 14:4 tells us.  “But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.”

 

On the way to make the wedding arrangement, God caused and unusual event that should have made Samson stop and think, in Judges 14:5-6.  “Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.  And the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.”  Because of the power of God, Samson disposed of the lion easily.  Because he won so easily, he never gave it another thought, just continuing on his way in Judges 14:7.  “And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.”

 

The lion’s carcass dried out and some of the flesh rotted away, leaving openings into the ribcage area, and a swarm of bees moved in filling the carcass with honey.  On his way to the wedding, Samson remembered the attack and stopped to see what had happened to the body, in Judges 14:8-9.  “And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.  And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.”  The Jews were not to eat anything that had come into contact with spoiled meat and possible carried infectious diseases, and as a Nazarite, Somson was not to touch a dead body, so he didn’t tell his parents where the honey came from, and they ate it without question, never knowing they were breaking God’s command.   

 

Samson’s wedding was to be at her family’s home, and since it was in Philistine land, most of the guests were philistines, although Samson was footing the bill.  To defray the cost and make a little profit, Samson made a bet with the Philistines, in Judges 14:10-14.  “So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.  And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.  And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments: But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments.

 

And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

 

And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.”

 

Since they weren’t really his friends any way Samson didn’t feel bad taking advantage of the fact there was no possible way for them to guess what he was talking about.  Not wanting to lose to a Jew, the Philistines  did everything they could to learn the answer, finally even threatening tokill his wifes family if shee didn’t find out the answer, in Judges 14:15.  “And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?”

 

Terrified by their threats. Samson’s wife inveigled Samson into telling her the riddle, which she then told the Philistines, in Judges 14:16-18a.  “And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?  And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.  And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion?

 

Samson accused them of cheating, and grew quite angry.  Just as when attacked by the lion, the spirit of God empowered him, and he killed and robbed thirty Philistines to pay off his debt, according to Judges 4:18b-19a.  “And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.  And the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle.

 

Notice that Samson’s actions were just murder and robbery.  He was not fighting to set the people free or please God.  He was just paying off a gambling debt.  Like many Christians today, he had gotten used to God blessing him and never thought about what God wanted.  He was not acting out of faith, but out of selfish pride, and it had little more effect on the Philistines than thirty people being murdered has on Chicago.  He just assumed God would give him the power he needed to get his way.