Samuel becomes Judge

For twenty years after Eli’s death Israel had no real leader or sense of God’s power, and although they knew Samuel was a prophet of God, he was too young to officiate as priest.  Finally he reached the minimum age and began take the lead, encouraging them to follow God’s law, as we see in I Samuel 7:3-6.  “And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.  Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.  And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.  And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.”  T5he Israelites repented of the their sin and officially made Samuel their leader.

 

After the debacle resulting from their capture of the Ark, the Philistines had largely left Israel alone, but when Samuel became the leader, they decided they needed to prevent Israel from getting too strong and attacked, terrifying the Israelites as we see in I Samuel 7:7-8. “And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.  And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”

 

When the people asked him to pray for them, Samuel did so, offering sacrifices, and God heard him, as I Samuel 7:9-11 describes.  “And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him.  And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.  And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar.” 

 

If one has ever been in a thunder storm in the mountains when Lightening is striking things all around you, they can understand how unnerving such a storm can be.  The fear was compounded by the knowledge of how God had intervened on Israel’s behalf in the past, leaving the Philistines totally unnerved.  When the Israelites attacked, they fled for their lives.  The Israelites chased them until they came to an area where they were not as exposed to the lightening. 

 

Samuel set up a large stone monument to remind them how God had helped the, calling it Ebenezer.  It would be more than sixty years before the Philistines attacked Israel again, when Saul began losing control of Israel, as we see in I Samuel 7:12-17.  “Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.  So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.  And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

 

And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.  And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.  And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.”

 

Though Samuel judged Israel his entire life, he would never move the Ark back into the Tabernacle, leaving it in at Kirjathjearim, in the house of Abinadab, where it remained until after David became king of all Israel.  With the ark and the Tabernacle separated it was not possible to keep the Levitical law completely, so Samuel established three places of Judgment, with the main center at Ramah, where he built an altar to worship God.   Not being High priest, Samuel had no authority to move the Ark or the Tabernacle.   

  

The Ark Is Taken To Kirjathjearim

 When the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines, the Israelites felt like they had lost their God.  They were overjoyed when they saw the Ark returning on a cart with no one driving it, as we see in I Samuel 6:13-15.  “And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.  And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.  And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.”

 

Levites from the local Levite settlement were called in to handle the Ark and offer burnt offerings for its safe return.  By this time the Philistine leaders were convinced it was God who had caused the plague and who had directed the milk cows where to go, and they returned home leaving their golden offerings behind, as we see in I Samuel 6:16-18.  “And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.  And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.”   The rulers were so convinced it would be twenty years before the Philistines dared attack Israel again.

 

God had given specific instructions as to how the Ark was to be handled, in Numbers 4:15.  “And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.”  In their excitement over the return of the Ark and fearing the Philistines might have taken something out of it, the Levites forgot about God’s warning and opened it, as I Samuel 6:19 describes.  “And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.”  Apparently it never occurred to them that if God could cause the Philistines to send back the Ark, he could be trusted to protect what was inside of it.  

 

Still thinking of the Ark as God, the people of Bethshemesh were terrified by the death of over fifty thousand people.  They contacted the people in Kirjathjearim to take responsibility for it, in I Samuel 6:20-7:2.  “And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?  And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.  And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.  And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.”  

 

According to Numbers 4, a man could not serve as a priest until he was at least thirty years old.  Since Samuel was not old enough and was no High Priest to take responsibility for taking the Ark back to the Tabernacle in Shiloh, it remained in Kirjathjearim for twenty years. As a result, they were not able to keep all the sacrifices God had commanded, and the nation suffered spiritually as a result, much as many Christians have suffered as a result of the restrictions on church attendance and worship.  .    

The Philistines Return The Ark

When they lost the Ark to the Philistines, the Israelites thought they had lost God, and the Philistines thought they had captured him.  They decided to add him to their stable of gods, temporarily placing the Ark in the temple of Dagon at Ashdod. It quickly became apparent that God was more powerful than Dagon, as we see in I Samuel 5:1-5.  “And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.  When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.  And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.  And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.  Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.”

 

To the people of Ashdod it was clear Dagon was not in the same category as God, and they stopped worshipping him, but God wasn’t through yet, as we see in I Samuel 5:7.  “But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.  And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.”  It is unclear why so many have translated the Hebrew word here as Emrods or hemorrhoids.  The word actually refers to the bubos or swollen glands from which we get the name for bubonic plague.   

 

In an effort to end the plague, the leaders at Ashdod consulted with the other Philistine rulers, who suggested they move the Ark to Gath and be sure the plague was the result of God’s action rather than mere coincidence, as we see in I Samuel 5:8-9.  “They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.  And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.” 

 

When the plague developed in Gath, they started to move the Ark to Ekron, but the Ekronites refused to accept it.  After further discussion, they decided to sent the Ark back to Israel, as we see in I Samuel 5:10-12.  “Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.  So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.  And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.”

 

After keeping the Ark for seven months, the Philistines were convinced God was more powerful than any of their gods, and that they would have to return the Ark if they were to survive.  With an epidemic already raging, they did not want further conflict with Israel and sought for a way to return it safely.  The religious leaders suggested a way of returning it while at the sametime verifying that it was in fact God who had caused the epidemic, in I Samuel 6:1-9.  “And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.  And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.

 

And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.  Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.  Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

 

Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?  Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.  And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.”

 

Bubonic plague is usually spread by fleas from infected rodents, and it is obvious the Philistines were aware of the connection of the plague to the mice.  They advised sending gold replicas of a mouse and the bubos or swollen glands from each Philistine city as an offering showing their recognition of God’s power.  For the untrained milk cows to follow the road without stopping to graze or trying to find their calves would be a clear indication God was overcoming their natural instincts. 

 

The Philistine rulers followed their religious leaders advice, and it was soon apparent that it was infact God behind what had happened, as I Samuel 6;10-12 makes very clear.  “And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.  And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.”  Although they protested the whole way, the cows made no effort to find their calves.  It was one more proof to the Philistines that the plague was from God.  

Israel Defeated By The Philistines

Samson had not taken God’s commands seriously, doing pretty much as he pleased and the people had followed his example.  While Eli had personally been much more inclined to follow God’s commands, he had allowed his sons to abuse their priesthood, causing people to despise God’s requirements and turn away from God.   While he had destroyed the Philistine leadership, Samson had not completely destroyed the Philistines like other Judges had destroyed other groups.   During Eli’s forty year administration, they had rebuilt, and as Israel turned away from God, they began to raid them. 

 

In an attempt to stop the raids, Israel attacked the Philistines and were defeated, as I Samuel 4:1b-2 describes.  “Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.  And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.”

 

Shocked by their defeat, and remembering that it was God who had given them the victory in the past, the leadership decided they needed his help again and called for the Ark of the Covenant to be brought, convinced it would give them the victory, as described in I Samuel 4:3-%.  “And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.  So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.  And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.”

 

Knowing how God had fought for Israel in the past, the Philistines were terrified and determined to fight their hardest.  As a result they defeated Israel, as I Samuel 4:6-11 tells us.  “And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.  And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.  Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.  Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.  And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.  And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

 

Convinced that the Ark of the Covenant would give them victory, Israel was devastated by an even worse defeat, and especially when the Ark was seized by the Philistines.  They fed, sending a messenger to Shiloh to tell Eli what had happened, in I Samuel 4:12-18.  “And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.  And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult?

 

And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.  Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.  And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army.

 

And he said, What is there done, my son?

 

And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.  And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.”

 

The deaths of Hophni and Phineas were exactly what both the prophet and Samuel had warned about, but Eli had not expected the loss of the Ark of the Covenant.  Hearing that, he fell back in shock, tumbling off the wall and breaking his neck.  The shock caused Phineas’ wife to go into premature labor, and just before she died, she expressed the common feelings of the people, in I Samuel 4:19-22.  “And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.  And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast borne a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.  And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.  And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.” Because the Ark had been taken, the Israelites feared God had left them. 

 

Unfortunately a lot of people make similar mistakes today.  The Ark contained the tablets of stone that the law was written on, and was designed to remind them of God and his power.  The people had begun to worship the Ark itself, rather than God.  In itself, the ark had no power to save them.  Many people today have made the mistake of worshipping the Bible, a church or some pastor or religious creed rather than God himself.  Those things are intended to teach and remind us who God is, but they are not to be worshipped.  When we begin to worship them, God may take them away for a time to remind us that those things are not to be worshipped.   We are not to worship anything other than God himself.

Samuel Learns To Listen To God

 God had sent a prophet to warn Eli about what his sons were doing, but he had not acted effectively to stop them, so he sent a second warning through Samuel, who was probably less than ten years old at the time.  God had given specific directions in Deuteronomy 18 detailing how they were to identify prophets and execute false ones, so few were claiming to have special visions.  As a result, when someone received a special revelation from God it was taken very seriously, I Samuel 3:1 tells us.  “And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.”

 

Samuel was just a child, and there was a lot he didn’t know, but he was sincere about serving the Lord.  When he was first called, he didn’t distinguish between God’s voice and Eli’s, as we see in I Samuel 3:2-8.  “And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.  And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.  And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.  Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.  And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.”

 

Finally, Eli realized it was God speaking to Samuel and told him to listen to what he said, in I Samuel 3:9.  “Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”   Unfortunately, many find it easy to brush children off and never realize that God may be speaking to them. 

 

When Samuel listened, God had a very important Message for Eli, as I Samuel 3:10-14 describes.  “And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.  And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.   In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.  For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.  And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.” 

 

It was essentially the same message the prophet had shared with Eli earlier.  Samuel was concerned that it would make Eli mad, but Eli insisted on hearing it, as I Samuel 3:15-18 describes.  “And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.  Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.  And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.  And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.”

 

Eli still made no effort to stop his sons, perhaps convinced they wouldn’t listen anyway, but he did accept it as God’s will and did not get angry at Samuel.  Having learned to relate to God himself, Samuel’s relationship grew rapidly, and people began to realize God had called him, as I Samuel 3:18-21 tells us.  “And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.  And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.  And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.”

 

God had stopped appearing to Eli because of his sin, but he began appearing to Samuel, although under the Law, a person could not serve as priest until he was thirty years old.  It would be more than twenty years before Samuel was old enough.   Unfortunately, many people never learn to listen for God’s still small voice. 

 

Eli Warned About His Sons’ Sins

 While Eli’s sons were using the priesthood for their own benefit, Samuel was ministering before the Lord, even though he was just a child.  Although he was separated from his family, his mother parents maintained a close connection, earning Eli’s respect and God’s blessing, as we see in I Samuel 2:18-21.  “But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.  Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.  And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.  And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.”

 

As the High Priest, Eli was responsible for overseeing the other priests, with the authority to remove any who were not doing things properly.  When he learned what his sons were doing, he warned them that what they were doing was wrong, in I Samuel 2:22-25.  “Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.  Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress.  If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.”

 

Sure their father would not put them out of the priesthood, Eli’s sons hardened thir hearts and ignored the warnings, because as I Samuel 2:12 tells us, “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.”  God intended to kill them because their actions as priests were causing people to despise God and his laws, as I Samuel 2:17 tells us.  “Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.”   Though he was just a child, Samuel was not influenced by the corruption of the priests, continuing to follow the Lord, according to I Samuel 2:26.  “And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.”

 

God sent a prophet to warn Eli that by not stopping his sons, he was effectively placing his approval on what they were doing and placing them ahead of God and portraying God’s service as irrelevant and using it to enrich themselves, as I Samuel 2:27-29 explains.  “And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?  And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?  Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?”

 

Because Eli was allowing this sin, his entire family would be removed from the priesthood,  and as a sign that the prophecy was true, Eli’s sons would be killed in a single day, as I Samuel 2:30-34 tells us.  “Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.  Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.  And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.  And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.  And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.”

 

God was not going to turn away from his people, even though he removed the leadership.  I Samuel 2:35-36 promised that he would replace them with a priest who would be faithful and obedient, but that none of Eli’s family would ever again hold that position.  “And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.  And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.”

 

When God calls a man to lead his people, he holds that person responsible for seeing that the job is done properly.  God’s commands must take precedence over any personal agendas or relationships.  

Samuel Begins His Ministry

 Hannah had prayed for a son, promising to give him to the Lord as a Nazarite.  After her prayer, she was at peace, and they returned home, where she soon became pregnant and had a son she called Samuel, as I Samuel 1:19-20 describes.  “And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.  Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.”

 

The following year, Samuel was just an infant, and Hannah decided no tto take him to the temple until he was old enough to eat by himself, as I Samuel 1:21-23 tells us.  “And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.  But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.  And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.”

 

When Samuel was old enough to eat by himself, Hannah took him to Eli, dedicating him to the Lord as a Nazarite, in I Samuel 1:24-28.  “And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.  And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.  And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.  For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.”

 

Hannah then spent time in prayer and praise, thanking god for giving her a son, and recounting how he blesses his people, in I Samuel 2:1-10.  “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.  There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.  Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

 

The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.  They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.  The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.  The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.  He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

 

Samuel was left with Eli, who would begin teaching him to serve God immediately, as I Samuel 2:11 tells us.  “Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.”

 

Eli’s own sons were serving as priests, but they were abusing the office, ripping off people’s sacrifices, as I Samuel 2:12-16 describes.  “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.  And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh, unto all the Israelites that came thither.  Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.  And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.”  

 

In addition to ripping off people’s offerings, I Samuel 2:22 tells us they were also sexually abusing women who came to the temple to worship.  “Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.”  Though they were priests, the scripture s very clear, “they knew not the LORD”.  As I Samuel 2:17 tells us, “…the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.”  They were driving people away from God. 

 

Unfortunately financial improprieties and sexual abuse by ungodly pastors and religious leaders still drive people away from God today.  As we will see in the next few  chapters, God does not ignore such behavior. 

Hannah’s Prayer

 Although Samson had been chosen by God to judge Israel, he had not taken God’s law seriously, leading to a severe moral and spiritual decline, as we see in Judges 17-21.  After a civil war resulted in almost destroying the tribe of Benjamin, a high priest by the name of Eli assumed the role of judge, encouraging the people to follow God.  He would retain that position for forty years.  Near the end of his administration, a woman by the name of Hannah was praying for a son, as described in I

Samuel 1:1-7.  “Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:  And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.  And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.  And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.  And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.  And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.  Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?”

 

There was conflict between Elkanah’s wives.  Peninah was jealous of his love for Hannah, and constantly disparaged her because she had no children.  Each year when they went to Shiloh to offer the sacrifices and met with others who were there Hannah came away really discouraged, and nothing Elkanah could say took away her hurt.  Like a lot of Christians today, she probably wondered why God seemed to bless others who didn’t really care about him and didn’t bless her.  Her feelings were undoubtedly compounded by seeing Eli’s two sons serving as priests, when they were known to abuse their office, having sex with the women who came to worship and ripping off people’s sacrifices, as described in I Samuel 2:12-22.   

 

Desperate, Hannah went to the tabernacle to pray for a son, in I Samuel 1:9-11.  “So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.  And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.  And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”  She promised to dedicate him as a Nazarite just as Samson had been. 

 

Many groups seem to think their gods are hard of hearing and only hears long loud prayers, and from time to time the Jews adopted the attitudes of those around them.  Eli had gotten used to people shouting their prayers at God, and assumed Hannah was just some drunk because she wasn’t shouting out her prayer, as I Samuel 1:12-16.  “And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.  Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.  And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.  Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.”

 

Unfortunately it is very easy for us to get used to a certain way of doing things and assume those who do things differently are wrong.  After talking to her, Eli realized the truth and encouraged her to believe God would answer.  She went home comforted in the faith that God would answer her prayer, as I Samuel 1:17-18 describes.  “Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.  And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.”

Samson’s Final Actions

Samson had been a real threat to the Philistines, and it seemed a real coup to capture and humiliate him.  Blinding him and treating him as a beast of burden struggling to turn a mill wheel when they had been so afraid of him gave them a sense of power, knowing he could no longer protect Israel from them.   They knew he had lost his power when his hair was shaved, marking the breaking of his Nazarite vow, but they didn’t realize that when a Nazarite broke his vow, he had to start the entire process again, letting his hair grow and making appropriate sacrifices.  As Judges 16:22 tells us, Samson’s hair began to grow again, but the Philistines were not worried about it.  “Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.”

 

They decided to celebrate his capture, crediting the god Dagon with defeating him.  For entertainment, they decided to humiliate Samson even more, possibly tripping him or causing thim to run into things and making fun of him and his lost power, as Judges 16:23-25 describes.  “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.”

 

To emphasize his weakness and dependence, they had appointed little boy to lead him around.  Feigning weakness, Samson asked the boy to let him rest for a moment leaning against one of the pillars that supported the roof.  Believing he was no stronger than anyone else, the Philistines ignored where he was standing, but Samson knew how the building was constructed and had chosen that place for a reason.  Between the crowd inside and those on the roof, there were about three thousand people at the celebration.  The guests included all the leaders of all of the Philistines cities and many of their wives, as Judges 16:26-27 describes.  “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.  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.”

 

Determined to get even for being humiliated, Samson prayed that God would let him get even with them for having put out his eyes, and that he would die so he couldn’t be embarrassed any more.  He then pulled out the two main supports and the building collapsed, as Judges 16:28-30 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.  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 leaders Israel ever had, and was definitely chosen of God, but his focus was on satisfying his own lusts, and his victories were always about him getting even with the Philistines for some slight to himself, never for what they were doing to Israel of for going against God.  He even committed suicide to get even with them.    As a result, his impact was nothing like that of other judges such as Gideon or Jephthah, despite twenty years of his leadership, as Judges 16;312 reminds 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.”

 

Israel followed the Lord for years after other Judges led them, but there was no long period of serving the Lord after Samson’s death.   Samson had not taken God’s law seriously, and people began worshipping other gods almost immediately, as we see in the story of tribe of Dan stealing Micah’s idols in Judges 17 and 18.  He had set a poor moral example, and the standards dropped dramatically, as we see in Judges 19-21, leading to civil war and the near annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin.  With no judge to teach and no king to establish laws, people were left to follow their own conscience.  That would not be corrected until Eli became both high priest and judge.  The Philistines would recover and again attack Israel, in I Samuel 4. 

Samson’s Sin Results In Losing His Reputation

As Judge, Samson was responsible for enforcement of God’s laws.  As the leader, his attitude toward the Law would set the example for the entire nation, and he did not set a very good example, as Judges 16:1 tells us.  “Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.”  He had to go to a Philistine prostitute because prostitution was forbidden among the Israelites, as Deuteronomy 23:17 tells us.  “There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.”   Samson was ignoring that restriction, just as he had ignored the restrictions on marrying those who did not worship God and the rules for Nazarites. 

 

People often think they can keep people from finding out what they are doing.  The Philistines learned that Samson had gone to the prostitute’s house, and plotted to capture him in the morning when they could see who they were fighting and he would be off guard, as Judges 16;2 describes.  “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.”

 

At midnight, Samson woke up and decided to go home.  Finding himself locked in, he broke out and went home, as Judges 16:3 describes.  “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.”  The gates were designed to stop and army and were extremely heavy, hanging from massive gateposts.  Samson pulled the gateposts out of the ground, and carried the entire assembly, weighing several hundred pounds for miles before dumping them just outside Hebron.  Undoubtedly the people of Gaza were just as glad he didn’t hang around to fight after seeing what he had done.  They would have to new timbers and  rebuild the entire section of wall. 

 

Confident in his ability to defeat any trap, Samson paid no more attention to the effort to trap him than he had paid to the lion’s attack.  He again disobeyed God, chasing after another Philistine woman as Judges 16:4tells us.  “And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.”  Desperate to get rid of him. the Philistine leaders decided to take advantage of his infatuation with her, 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 prestige and money she got from dating different men than in Samson.  She eagerly acquiesced to the rulers offer, and began trying to discover the secret to Samson’s strength.  Though he was infatuated, Samson was hesitant to tell her what it would take to destroy him, as Judges 16:6-9 describes.  “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.

Jud 16:8 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.”

 

There had been Philistines hiding with the intention of capturing him if he lost his strength, but when he broke the restraints as easily as if they were being burned in two, they stayed hidden.  Delilah accused him o fnot trusting her and lying and demanded he tell her the truth, 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.”

 

Twice, Delilah had done exactly what he said would make him weak.  It should have been obvious she is not seeking his best interests, but in his infatuation and pride he doesn’t think anything could go wrong.  It is the same attitude that led to his bet with his wedding party.  Once again he listened to her pleas, as Judges 16:13-124 describes.  “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.”

 

Each time Delilah tried to take his strength away, she made it clear she didn’t love him, but she insisted that if he loved her he would tell her how to destroy him.  Each time, Samson had gotten a little closer to telling her the truth, and this time he would bare his soul to her, as Judges 16:15-17 tells us.  “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.”  Though she had repeatedly tried to destroy his power, Samson still didn’t think she would betray him.   

 

Delilah was only concerned about what she could get, and realizing Samson had told her everything, she made arrangements for the Philistines to capture him, in Judges 16:18-19.  “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.”

Each time before when she yelled that the Philistines were coming, Samson had leaped to his feet ready to defeat them. and he responded the same way this time, in Judges 16:20-21.  “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.  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.”

 

Samson felt no differently than he had felt the other times, but the Spirit had departed.  He had become so used to having God’s power, that he didn’t even notice when God was no longer empowering him.   Sadly, a lot of Christians, including Christian leaders get so caught up in getting what they want they turn away from God, never realizing he is no longer guiding or empowering them.   Like Samson, they lose the reputation and respect they once had.  Instead of leading Israel, Samson was performing a job usually reserved for a donkey. 

God Empowers Samson

After forty years of ruling over Israel, the Philistines could not afford to ignore Samson’s having killed so many Philistine people.  They invaded Israel in an effort to capture him, terrifying the people of Judah, as Judges 15:9-10 describes.  “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.”

 

In an effort to placate the Philistines so they didn’t attack them, the Men of Judah tried to get Samson to surrender, in Judges 15:11-13.  “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.’

 

When the men of Judah promised they would not attack, Samson agreed to surrender.  When the Philistines began cheering at his capture, Samson broke off the ropes he was bound with and grabbed the first thing he found to use as 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.”

 

It was the power of the Spirit that enabled Samson to destroy a thousand Philistines, but instead of thanking God for his power, Samson bragged about what he had done.  A few minutes later, realizing he was thirsty, He was blaming God for letting him die of thirst or be captured by the Philistines, in Judges 15:18.  “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?” Samson obviously understood that his victory came from God, but he was carnal and did not really appreciate what God had done.  As a result, when something was not just the way he wanted it, his guilty conscience led him to assume God was punishing him.  It is a common reaction among carnal Christians.    

 

Samson’s attitude was blasphemous, accusing God of not caring about him.  As Judges 15:19-20 makes very clear, God did care about him, miraculously supplying water from the jawbone.  “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.”

 

While Samson did not completely free Israel from Philistine domination, they would hesitate to push too hard for the next twenty years.  Though he never wholly followed the Lord, God continued to use him.  

Samson’s First Conflict With The Philistines

 God had given specific instructions that Samson was to be raised as a Nazarite, a person dedicated to God from his birth, and from time to time, he experienced God’s power.  Unfortunately, like a lot of people raised in Christian homes, he knew all the correct behaviors and rituals, but had a bad attitude toward God’s commands, as we see in Judges 14:1-4.  “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.  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.”

 

Almost five hundred years before, in Exodus 34:12-16, God had forbidden Israel to  get involved with people who worshipped other Gods.  “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.”   One of the Ten Commandments was “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee,” in Exodus 20:12.”

 

Samson was ignoring both of these commands, insisting on marrying a Philistine woman, bossing his parents around, and ignoring their concerns. Apparently this was not the first time he had insisted on hanging out with Philistine girls, and his parents were concerned that he was disobeying God.  They didn’t understand that since Samson wouldn’t do what he was supposed to do because of God’s command, God would use his rebellious attitude to accomplish his purposes. 

 

Knowing that God had chosen Samson to lead his people, his parents unwillingly went along with his demands, going to Timnath to make the wedding arrangements.  On their way, God sent a young lion to warn Samson that he shouldn’t do what he was doing, in Judges 14:5-7.  “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.  And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.”  Samson easily killed the lion, so he didn’t take the warning to heart.   

 

A short time later, Samson returned to Timnath as arranged to marry the woman.  On his way, he stopped to look at the dead lion’s carcass, as Judges 14:8-9 tells us.  “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.” 

 

Finding that some bees had built a hive in the carcass, took some of the honey, and gave some to his parents without telling them where it came from, knowing they probably would not eat it if he told them it had been taken from a dead body since anything that touched a dead body was to be considered unclean according to Leviticus 11.  By touching the carcass, Samson was breaking his Nazarite vow, according to Numbers 6:6.  “All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.”   Clearly, Samson did not take God’s commands or his vow very seriously. 

 

Following the Philistine customs, Samson paid for the wedding.  To make it more exciting, Samson bet the Philistines could not guess his riddle, 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.”

 

It was quite a significant bet, as everything was hand made from hand woven cloth, and in todays money would be like buying designer suits.  Samson was sure he couldn’t lose as there was no way they could know about him killing the lion and taking honey out of its carcass. Realizing they had no hope of guessing and unwilling to suffer a loss, the wedding guests threatened to kill his wife’s family if she didn’t tell them the answer to the riddle, in Judges 14:15-18.  “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?

 

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? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.”

 

Angry that they had cheated, Samson went to Ashkelon, another Philistine city, and killed thirty Philistines, taking their clothing to pay his gambling debt, according to Judges 14:19.  “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. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.” Angry at her betrayal, Samson went home for a couple of months, refusing to speak to his wife.

 

Convinced Samson would not want her anymore, her parents married his wife off to the best man.  When Samson finally decided to forgive her and went back to get her, her father was really upset, offering to let him take her younger sister instead, as we see in Judges 14:20-15:2.  “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.”

 

Samson got mad again, and decided to take revenge, 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.”

 

In an effort to mollify Samson, the Philistines executed the entire family, in Judges 15:6.  “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.” 

 

Still unsatisfied, Samson killed a lot of Philistines, as we see in Judges 15:7-8.  “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.”  When he was finished, Samson went to the top of the rock Etam where he could be alone.  He was far more concerned with his own feelings than with the job of leading Israel. 

 

Samson Chosen To Lead Israel

 After Jephthah’s defeat of the Ammonites, Israel followed the Lord as long as they had a Judge to lead them, but when Abdon and the older people who remembered what it had been like under the Amonites died, they turned away again.  For forty years they were under Philistine domination as Judges 13:1 describes. “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.”

 

God knew that eventually Israel would begin to turn back to him, so during that forty years, he started preparing a man to Judge Israel again.  The man, Samson was to be a Nazarite from his birth, a man dedicated to God, as the angel who foretold his birth told his mother, in Judges 13:2-5.  “And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.  Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

 

When Samson’s mother told her husband what the angel had said, Manoah prayed, asking God to send the angel again to tell them what they needed to do to raise the child as God wanted them to, in Judges 13:6-9 describes.  “Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:  But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.  Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.”

 

God honored Manoah’s request sending the angel to instruct them, as Judges 13:9-14 describes.  “And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.  And the woman made haste, and ran, and showed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.  And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.

 

And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?  And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.  She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe. “  Because Samson was to be a Nazarite from birth, his mother would have to live as if she had taken the Nazarite vow herself, as the angel explained. 

 

Thinking the angel was just a prophet, Manoah asked his to eat with them, as was customary.  He also asked the angel’s name so they could tell others about his prophecy, in Judges 13:15-18.  “And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.  And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.   And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?  And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?”

 

The angel said his name was a secret, and that the food would have to be offered to God rather than to himself.  When Manoah offered the food as a sacrifice to God, the angel miraculously burned it up, and ascended toward heaven in the smoke, making it clear he was an angel, as Judges 13:19-21 tells us.  “So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.  For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.  But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.”

 

Manoah was terrified at having seen the angel, thinking it might be God himself.  His wife calmed him down, pointing out that if God intended to kill them, he would not have wasted the time telling them that they would have a son and how they should raise him, as Judges 13:22-23 explains.  “And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.  But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.”  It is important to remember that God would not promise such things if he did not intend to keep them.

 

Manoah and his wife followed God’s instructions, and Samson was born just as promised, as Judges 13:24-25 describes.  “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 blessed Samson,  sometimes leading him to do amazing things in the local area.