Introduction – Samson is one of
the strangest stories in the book of Judges.
He is surprising in his actions and in his strength. At first it doesn’t seem that Samson is
acting as a judge. Rather, it seems as
though he is just doing his own thing.
But we are told that the Lord raised up Samson to begin to deliver
First
– Samson’s association with Philistine women.
Second –
Samson’s Nazirite vow.
Third
– Samson’s ministry of stirring up a sleeping Israel and his work of beginning
a deliverance from the Philistines.
And, as with
each judge, we look for the typology of Christ and the story of our Greater
Judge in many of the details of these stories.
An Overview – of Chapter 14.
Samson’s
Desires (vv1-4) – Instead of getting ready for war,
Samson is in the mood for a wedding.
Against his parent’s desires, he finds a woman among the Philistines. We find ourselves easily siding with the
parents on this one. We must note,
however, that we then find ourselves siding against the Lord, who is intending
to do something about the dominion of the Philistines over Israel. Samson knows what his parents do not know -
that his desires are the Lord’s desires.
Samson’s
Surprising Might (vv5-9) – The Nazirite finds himself in
the vineyards of Timnah, where the fruit of the vine
is to be enjoyed in this glorious land given to Israel by the Lord. But it has been taken from them. A lion (an unclean beast) attacks Samson, but
the Spirit of the Lord comes mightily upon him and he tears the lion apart with
his bare hands. Later, Samson comes back
and finds honey in the carcass, scrapes some out and eats it, and then gives
some to his parents. But he keeps these
strange events to himself.
Samson’s Riddle
(vv10-18a) – His father provides a wedding for the son and a seven-day feast
ensues. During this time, the occasion
comes to move against the Philistines – with a riddle. Samson really wins because the Philistines
have to coerce his wife through fear to squeeze the information out of
Samson. The point is not Samson’s
weakness, but his wife’s unfaithfulness.
Samson’s
Vengeance (vv18b-20) – “If you hadn’t plowed with my
heifer”, that is, if you hadn’t stolen my wife, you would not have solved
the riddle. Like the lion, they have
attacked Samson in the contest of the riddle, and the Spirit of the Lord comes
mightily upon Samson again. This isn’t a
fit of rage – this is the Lord’s administration of justice upon the
Philistines. Afterwards, Samson’s anger
is roused (towards his wife) and he leaves her, going back up to his father’s
house.
Typology – We cannot look at
Samson’s life as a pattern for our behavior (i.e. seeking an unbelieving
wife). As we view the life of Samson as
a type of our Savior, other things come into focus.
Courting Pagans
– Samson courts an alliance with the Philistines as Christ came “in the
likeness of sinful flesh” in order to “condemn sin in the flesh” (Rom 8:3, 2
Cor 5:21). Jesus said that He did not
come to court the righteous, but sinners (Mark 2:17).
Samson’s
Marriage – This marriage was “of the Lord” regardless of
how strange it seems to us. And how
strange is the marriage of Christ to His Bride (Ps 40:7-8, Gal 1:4, Eph
5:25-27, 32)?
Association
With Vineyards – As a Nazirite, unable to enjoy the fruit of
rest, so Israel could not enjoy the fruit of these vineyards. Our greater Nazirite has completed His
deliverance and we are able now to enjoy the fruit of His finished work (Heb
4).
Defeating the
Roaring Lion – David would later encounter a lion before
taking on the strong Philistine giant (1 Sam 17:34-37). Christ began by defeating the lion who prowls
as an earnest of His final crushing (Matt 4:10-11).
Touching the
Unclean – As a Nazirite, Samson should not have touched
the unclean carcass. But he enjoyed and
shared a token of what was promised by his deliverance in that the land would
again be a land of milk and honey for God’s people. Jesus also reverses the curse. Rather than becoming unclean when He touched
lepers, Jesus makes those things unclean become clean (Matt 8:3).
The Unfaithful
Bride – The bride was to forget her own people (Ps
45:10), come out and be made one with her husband. How often Christ’s bride, the church, forgets
or betrays her husband?
Who Are We in the Story? – Putting all
of this together for the church today, we can see that we are to learn to
identify ourselves with Samson, and with the bride of the judge.
We are Christ’s
Body – At Pentecost, the Spirit of the Lord came
upon the body of Christ. And we see the
Spirit at work being poured out upon the church in times of refreshment,
reformation and revival. When God’s
Spirit comes mightily upon the church, there is no foe that can stop her. As Samson was able, so God empowers us to be
a people of strength, seeking to bring the Light of Christ to this dark
world.
We are Christ’s
Bride – The world often tempts us, threatens us,
tries to woo us back, or makes us afraid.
A faithful bride runs to her husband for protection, security, and
calling. We must not fear those who
can only kill us (Matt 10:28). We are to
remain in the simplicity that is in Christ, not moved by worldliness, nor the
devil himself (2 Cor 11:2-3).