Judges Part 3: SamsonSample

Samson’s Riddle

In the story of Samson, the “Spirit of the LORD’’ supernaturally empowered him to become a bit like a modern-day superhero. Without any weapon, he killed a young lion with his bare hands and tore it into pieces. He then ate, out of the dead animal, honey made by a swarm of bees, which violated his Nazirite vow not to touch anything dead. He then gave some to his parents without telling them of its origin, which also defiled them. Samson later prepared a party with the demonic Philistines, replete with eating and excessive drinking, which again violated his Nazirite vow.

At the party, Samson poses a riddle to 30 Philistine men, with a bet on the line that if they can answer it, he will give them new clothes as a reward, and if they fail, he will receive 30 new wardrobes in return. Yes, the “man of God” has basically turned into a casino operator. Losing the bet, the Philistine men threaten Samson’s new wife with murder and the burning down of her father’s house unless she coaxes the answer from Samson. With his wife begging him through tears to share the answer, he breaks down and tells her the meaning of his riddle. She then shares that answer with the men who are threatening her and her father, and they relent from murder and arson. Curiously, Samson says and does nothing to protect her or her father. Instead, needing to give 30 outfits to the men who correctly answered the riddle, “the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house. And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.” (Judges 14:19-20)

Early in his life, we see that Samson is powerful, emotional, and unstable. If he were green, he could be brothers with the Hulk. He never exudes joy or peace, and his only emotions seem to be asleep or “hot anger.”

If there were any hopes of Samson entering manhood to be a godly example to the nation of loving your wife and raising your kids to serve the Lord, that hope is quickly dashed. Samson is much like younger generations in our own day, not committed to marriage or parenting but fond of indulgence, sex, selfishness, and making bad decisions rather than planning for a godly legacy. We are living in the days of the Judges.

Read Malachi 2:13-16 to learn what God says about marriage and family in terms of generational legacy.