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Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to Judges chapter 14. Judges 14, we're taking the summer 
months off from our study in the Gospel of Matthew and we 
have focused on two of the better known judges in this particular 
book. We looked at Gideon and we are 
currently looking at Samson. Last Sunday morning we considered 
the birth and call of Samson in Judges 13. This morning, Judges 
14, we'll pick up beginning in verse 1, and then we'll seek 
to learn some lessons from the sacred text. Judges 14, beginning 
in verse 1. Now Samson went down to Timnah, 
and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 
So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, I have seen 
a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore, 
get her for me as a wife. Then his father and mother said 
to him, Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, 
or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from 
the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, 
get her for me, for she pleases me well. But his father and mother 
did not know that it was of the Lord, that he was seeking an 
occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time 
the Philistines had dominion over Israel. So Samson went down 
to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards 
of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young 
lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came 
mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have 
torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But 
he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 
Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased 
Samson well. After some time, when he returned 
to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. 
And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of 
the lion. He took some of it in his hands and went along eating. 
When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, 
and they also ate. But he did not tell them that 
he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion. So his 
father went down to the woman, and Samson gave a feast there, 
for young men used to do so. And it happened when they saw 
him that they brought 30 companions to be with him. Then Samson said 
to them, let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly 
solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, 
then I will give you 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothing. But if you cannot explain it 
to me, then you shall give me 30 linen garments and 30 changes 
of clothing." And they said to him, "'Pose your riddle that 
we may hear it.' So he said to them, "'Out of the eater came 
something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet. Now for three days they could 
not explain the riddle, but it came to pass on the seventh day 
that they said to Samson's wife, entice your husband that he may 
explain the riddle to us or else we will burn you and your father's 
house with fire. Have you invited us in order 
to take what is ours? Is that not so? Then Samson's 
wife wept on him and said, you only hate me, you do not love 
me, you have posed a riddle to the sons of my people but you 
have not explained it to me. And he said to her, look, I have 
not explained it to my father or my mother, so should I explain 
it to you? Now she had wept on him the seven 
days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh 
day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then 
she explained the riddle to the sons of her people. So the men 
of the city said to 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 to them, if you had not plowed with my heifer, you 
would not have solved my riddle. Then the spirit of the Lord came 
upon him mightily and he went down to Ashkelon and killed 30 
of their men, took their apparel and gave the changes of clothing 
to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, 
and he went back up to his father's house. And Samson's wife was 
given to his companion, who had been his best man. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for the written word of God, and we pray 
that even now the Spirit of God would minister among us, that 
you would take these things and apply them in our hearts and 
in our minds. We ask as we approach Scripture 
that you would forgive us for all of our sins and transgressions, 
We acknowledge its darkening influence over our minds and 
hearts. We ask God that you would wash us and cleanse us and purify 
us and enable us to receive with gladness the word of the living 
and true God. We pray for any and all who have 
come here this morning that are outside of Christ. We pray that 
today would be the day of salvation. We know that you saved your people 
from their sins by your son, the Lord Jesus. We pray that 
even today that grace would be manifest, that power would be 
executed, that sinners would be brought out of darkness into 
marvelous light, so they may proclaim your excellencies, that 
they may proclaim your praises. We pray that for our gathering 
here this morning. We ask God that wherever the 
gospel is preached, your word would run swiftly and be glorified, 
that it would accomplish the purpose for which you sent it. 
And our Father, we just thank you for the power and the efficacy 
of Holy Scripture. And again, we pray for the aid 
of the Holy Spirit as we approach Scripture now. And we ask these 
things through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, 
the two judges that we're looking at, not to suggest that the others 
are unimportant, but Gideon and Samson are probably the men we 
most are familiar with in terms of the book of Judges. I want 
to look at this chapter, chapter 14, under three considerations. First, the divine design behind 
Samson's marriage. in verses 1 to 4. Secondly, the 
spiritual empowerment of God's deliverer in verses 5 to 9. And then thirdly, the small beginnings 
of God's deliverance in verses 10 to 20. So basically, what 
we have is a birth and call narrative in Judges 13. Judges 14 and 15, 
we see Samson in Timnah. And then in chapter 16, Samson 
goes to Gaza. And remember the specific situation 
that Israel finds herself in at the time. She is under oppression. Israel has sinned against the 
living and true God. And in accordance with His curses 
promised in Deuteronomy 28, God raises up the Philistines and 
uses them to bring chastisement and judgment upon his erring 
people. And when the people of Israel 
cry out, God in kindness and in grace raises up a deliverer 
to send to them to free them from the oppression. We did notice, 
however, last week in Judges 13 that this particular cycle 
there's no cry of distress whatsoever. The children of Israel had made 
peace with being under the Philistines. We'll see that very, very clearly 
next week in chapter 15 when the Judahites go along with the 
Philistines to deliver Samson into their godless hands. So 
we see that it's a time of great declension. It's a time of great 
distress. It's a time of great sin and 
waywardness among the children of Israel. So that manifests 
or underscores or highlights God's great grace. In the midst 
of this situation, He raises up Samson, and it's Samson who 
will begin to deliver his people from their oppression. And isn't 
this God's way? Most of us, all of us, were not 
seeking after the Lord. There was no cry of distress 
from us. There was no repentance from 
us. There was no meeting God halfway. God sought us. God found us. God rescued us. God poured out 
His grace upon us. The same consistency is seen 
here in the book of Judges. So let's look first at the divine 
design behind Samson's marriage, verses 1 to 4. Samson went down 
to Timnah, and he sees a woman in Timnah of the daughters of 
the Philistines. He sees the woman. She pleases 
him well. The marginal reading says, she 
is right in my own eyes. That's a phrase that will come 
out later in the book of Judges. Everyone did what was right in 
their own eyes. This was a time in Israel's history 
when they didn't act in accordance with the revealed will of God, 
but rather they did what was pleasing to themselves. this 
woman and he tells his parents very specifically in verse 2, 
I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 
Now therefore get her for me as a wife. Now notice that he 
is reproved by his parents. One wonders what did Samson think 
at this particular time. Oh that's great Samson. Why don't 
you marry one of the daughters of those who are oppressing us?" 
This would be akin to a woman or to a man in occupied Holland, 
for instance, saying, yeah, I found a woman, her father happens to 
be the commander of an SS unit or a detachment. You'd say, I 
don't want you to marry her. What's the matter with you? That's 
the enemy, that's the oppressor, that's the one who's keeping 
us down. Now the Philistines were not those seven nations 
condemned in Deuteronomy chapter 7. They were not the ones that 
God said to go in and utterly decimate and destroy and dispossess 
from the land. However, the same rules apply, 
because the Philistines were Dagon-worshipping idolaters. They had rejected the God of 
heaven and earth, they had rejected the God of Israel, and they bowed 
to Dagon. We see this consistently all 
the way into 1 Samuel. So when Samson says, I have seen 
a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines, now therefore 
get her for me as a wife, I think all of us as parents understand 
their response in verse 3, don't we? What did they say? Then his 
father and mother said to him, is there no woman among the daughters 
of your brethren or among all my people that you must go and 
get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? Isn't there a nice 
Hebrew girl? Isn't there a nice young lady 
from within the covenant community? Is there not one who pleases 
you? Is there not one among your brethren 
that you can bring home to daddy and mommy? Do we have to anticipate 
those days when our grandchildren will be sort of a mix of covenant 
community and pagan? Do we anticipate that day when 
our grandchildren will either A. be dedicated under Yahweh 
or B. dedicated under Dagon? The response 
of the parents is absolutely legit. They caution Samson. They are alerted to this reality. They do not want him taking a 
daughter of the Philistines to marry as his wife. Notice Samson's 
determination in 3B. Samson says to his father, get 
her for me for she pleases me well. Parents, you're not the 
first ones that have ever had your children rebel against that. 
Let me just remind you of that. Have you ever responded, I can't 
believe you're actually rebelling against me. We should express 
that sentiment to be sure But there is a long pedigree of disobedience 
among young people to their parents. And this is precisely what Samson 
is doing. Now, I take a very positive and 
favorable view of Samson. Some of his commentators don't 
do that. I think he's a hero. I think he's a champion. I think 
he's a godly man. He's a man of faith according 
to Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 32. But he's not a sinless man. He's not a perfect man. He is a type pointing us forward 
to the perfect and to the sinless man, Jesus Christ, who doesn't 
begin to save his people from oppression, but actually saves 
to the uttermost all who draw nigh to God through him. But 
in this instance you need to understand what's going on. Samson 
says, I want what I want and I'm going to have it. His parents 
exercise some godly reproof. His parents exercise some godly 
rebuke. His parents seek to restrain 
this in their wayward son. Now note the theological comment 
in verse 4. The parents, Manoah and Missus, 
didn't know this. This is given to us, the reader, 
so that we understand what Yahweh, or God, is doing behind the scenes. Notice in verse 4, But his father 
and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, that He was 
seeking, that He there is God. It's not Samson. Some have said 
Samson calculated this particular plan simply to bring down the 
Philistines. No, God orchestrated this particular 
plan to bring down the Philistines. So God is the proper subject 
identified in that latter clause. So let's read it again. But his 
father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord that 
God was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. 
For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. Now 
there's a couple of things we ought to observe here. God has 
a plan, doesn't He? God has a purpose, most certainly. God will execute His decree. 
God even uses the sinful choices of people to serve that large 
decree. We see it in the case of Joseph. 
What happened with Joseph? His brothers hated him, didn't 
they? Yes? Everybody with me? Everybody 
alive? Everybody awake? Everybody alert? 
We're here for an hour. Please, give attention to the 
Word of the Living God, because there's nothing more important 
than this Word. Joseph's brothers despised him. They wanted to murder him. Reuben 
intervenes and says, let's not murder him. Let's rather throw 
him into this pit. Boy, that's a gracious plan of 
action. Instead of cutting my throat, 
let me starve to death in the bottom of this pit. If any of 
you ever want to choose to deal with me in a particular way, 
end it quick. Don't throw me into a pit and let it be prolonged. 
Actually, maybe I can dig my way out of the pit. I don't know. 
Just don't do that at all. How about that? So they sold 
him to the Ishmaelites. What does Joseph say to his brothers? You meant this for evil, but 
God overruled it for good. Samson is acting as a wayward 
young man. Samson wants to take a daughter 
of the Philistines instead of a covenant daughter. Samson goes 
against his parents' best wishes and their desires and their knowledge, 
and yet God overrules it for good. Now we need to understand, 
my beloved brothers and sisters, we do not commit sin, we do not 
engage in folly with the thought that, well, God's going to overrule 
this for good. You don't do that. Theologians 
speak of the decretive will and the preceptive will of God. Just 
pay attention with me. Decretive has to do with the 
decree. The secret things. God has purposed 
all things that transpire. The fact that Joseph would be 
elevated in Egypt and be a means of the salvation of Israel. That's 
God's purpose and plan. That's His decree. That is the 
secret things. Samson's marriage to this particular 
woman. Though it be sinful, it was according 
to the plan of God, so that he could bring about some confrontation 
between Israel and the Philistines. Theologians speak of the preceptive 
will, or precept, or we might call it the revealed will. What 
do you think you're supposed to pattern your life after? The 
preceptive. You do what God says in His Word. Yes, graciously, kindly, mercifully, 
and wondrously. He overrules a lot of stupidity 
on the part of His people. He overrules a lot of sin on 
the part of His people. He overrules a lot of folly on 
the part of His people. But we don't reason this way. 
Well, I didn't use a seat belt for 150 days, so therefore... 
It's because God has spared you in your folly doesn't mean you 
ought to resist what the preceptive or revealed will of God is. Put your seatbelt on. In this instance, we ought not 
to conclude, young people, well, God took this sinful marriage 
that Samson wanted and he overruled it for good. Well, as we move 
through the chapter, you have to ask the question, does Mrs. Samson think that it was overruled 
for good? No. Does Samson think that it 
was overruled for good? No, not necessarily. You see, 
God at His purpose, Israel had grown accustomed to Philistine 
oppression to the point that they were not distressed, they 
were not wanting to get rid of it, so God actually has to do 
something to this extent to cause there to be a stir and a rumble 
between these two parties. But as well, parents, listen 
to the wise counsel of Dr. Davis with reference to verse 
4. I find this to be such a ball. 
We give our instructions, we give our warnings, we give our 
reproof, we rebuke, we pray, we cry, we fast, we plead. Listen to what Davis says. Many 
Christian parents have stood in the sandals of Manoah and 
his wife. They have, though realizing their 
own sinful inadequacies, faithfully taught, prayed for, disciplined, 
and loved a son or a daughter, only to see that child willfully 
turn from the way of the Lord. No one can deny it is anything 
but devastating. Yet no one should forget verse 
4, but his father and his mother did not realize it was from Yahweh. Davis says, what we don't know 
may yet prove to be our deepest comfort. So at this particular 
juncture, we need to make this observation. May I specifically 
highlight the young people. Do what your parents say. Don't 
take this passage and say, well, Samson got blessed. Israel got 
blessed. Take another instance of the 
decretive and preceptive will of God. It was God's predetermined 
plan that his son be crucified on the cross. Do we argue and 
say, well, the Jews and the Romans that were involved in that, they 
just did what was right. No, they violated God's preceptive 
will. They committed murder. The Apostle 
Peter tells us in Acts 2 that though it is the predetermined 
plan of God, you crucified Him by lawless hands. The summary 
lesson for each and every one of us is not to try to peer in 
to the decree of God. It's not to try to peer in behind 
the scenes. It's not to try and look behind 
the curtain. We do what God commands. Is everybody with me on that? 
People have a faulty understanding of this. Well, look at how I 
turned out. So therefore, that's not how 
we measure ethics. We measure ethics based on God's 
Word. It's what does He command, it's 
what does He instruct, it's what does He tell, and it's what does 
He forbid. If we profess saving faith in 
the Lord Jesus Christ, these are our marching orders. Not 
my feelings, not my desires, not my emotions, not what everybody 
else is doing, but what saith the Word of the living and true 
God. You see, at a certain point, my brothers and my sisters, this 
will give us away. Are we governed by passions? 
Are we governed by emotions? Are we governed by circumstances? 
Or are we governed by the Word of God? You see, the people of 
God who take seriously the Word and do what God says every day 
is what we need to be. There's nothing glamorous in 
that, is there? But I want to do so much more. 
Just get up out of bed, read your Bible, pray, and be a faithful 
worker. But I want to make an impact 
that lasts into eternity. You'll do it by getting up out 
of bed, reading your Bible, praying, and being faithful in your workplace. 
I just want to change society. Be faithful to govern your own 
heart. I just want to be such a blessing 
to everybody around me. Do what God says then. Why do 
we just have this propensity for the glamorous? We don't want 
the humdrum. We don't want the mundane. Do 
you know that 85 or 95 or I don't know whatever the percent of 
the Bible is, is humdrum? Just get up, do what you're supposed 
to do under God and do it for His glory and honor. That's it. There's no mystery involved in 
all of this. God says, don't do certain things. And if He has graciously given 
you parents that enforce that particular law, do not reject 
their counsel, do not be upset with their counsel, do not despise 
their counsel, but rather welcome it as a gift from the living 
God. Now notice what happens in verse 4. God was seeking an occasion to 
move against the Philistines. God is seeking ground for opening 
a quarrel. You see, because Israel had grown 
content in this arrangement, because Israel didn't despise 
this oppression, because Israel will identify with the Philistines 
in the coming chapter, God the Lord uses this occasion of Samson's 
marriage to open a quarrel between the two parties. And he begins 
small in chapter 14, it gets much larger in chapter 15, and 
then in his death in chapter 16, Samson brings a blow to the 
Philistine nation. Now let's look secondly at the 
spiritual empowerment of God's deliverer. Verses 5 to 9. Notice, 
Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came 
to the vineyards of Timnah. Now in this next section, this 
is where I would suggest that Samson is less than a perfect 
man. Remember the Nazarite vow. You would have nothing to do 
with things grown on the grapevine. Walking among the vineyards is 
probably not the best idea. Right? It's probably not the wisest 
thing to do. Remember another specification 
with reference to the Nazirite law. You are to have no touch, 
no contact with a carcass. So scooping honey out of a dead 
lion, again, probably not the best thing. Some suggest that 
he may have used a stick, he may have done that. The text 
is a bit ambiguous, but perhaps the author is telling us that 
though a godly man, though a righteous man, though a faithful man, though 
a heroic man, the only perfect man is coming in your future. 
Now note what happens. We can't suppose that his parents 
are still with him at the end of verse 5. Now to his surprise, 
a young lion came roaring against him. Don't you love the way Judges 
is written? It's one of the things we noted 
on our Wednesday night studies. It's fun. It's exciting. Of course 
this is surprising. Wouldn't you be surprised if 
a young lion came upon you? You would shout, you'd scream, 
you'd do whatever it is that you would do. A young lion comes 
upon him. Now notice, the young lion rages 
against him, but the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him. 
This is preparation for Samson. Later on, in his combat with 
the Philistines, they rage against him, they rush at him, and then 
it says the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. And so already 
God is giving Samson a down payment. He's already giving him tutelage. 
He is teaching him. He is preparing him. He is showing 
him that when he needs the power of God, that power of God is 
going to be there. Look at what Samson does to this 
young lion. Verse 6, The Spirit of the Lord 
came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart, as one would 
have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his 
hand. Isn't that amazing? I think it'd be tough to tear 
apart a young goat. Maybe that's because I'm a baby 
and I don't want to do that sort of thing. But I guess if I was 
starving to death and I had to tear apart the young goat, I 
would do it. But I'd probably look away. But is it easy to 
tear through skin? He tears apart a young lion and 
it's common parlance as if he was tearing through a young goat. 
The original audience would say, oh, we know what it is to tear 
a young goat. This audience knows what it is to not even eat goat 
because it tastes like feet. Or this audience doesn't know 
what it's like to tear apart a goat because they buy food 
at Costco or they do Price Mart or whatever. You see, the original 
audience would have said, wow, Samson's powerful. The Spirit 
of the Lord did come upon him mightily. The fact that he tore 
this lion in two. And let's just debunk some of 
this myth about this big, bumbling, egotistical man. He doesn't even 
tell his parents what had happened. What if Samson lived in the 21st 
century? I kid you not, the first thing 
he would do when he entered into his home, he'd wash lion blood 
off of him and then he'd Twitter. Facebook status update, I just 
ripped apart a lion. This is not an egotistical man 
governed by his emotions, bouncing from event to event, just doing 
whatever it is that he pleases. The Spirit of the Lord comes 
upon him, gives him strength so that he can destroy this lion. 
It's interesting, there's another man that God gave strength to 
destroy a lion prior to his meeting with a Philistine enemy. David, 
remember? David's preparation for battle 
was that he was able to stop the bear and to stop the lion. 
And it's intriguing. It says when the animal, the 
lamb, was in the mouth. Is it even more dangerous? I can't imagine a bear or a lion 
would be happy with you trying to take their prey at any time 
during the transaction. But when they've begun to eat, 
If you take something off my plate, I'll probably be a little 
distressed. If you yank it out of my mouth while I'm masticating 
it, I will certainly have a problem with you. I might bite your finger." 
And yet this is when David did what God equipped him to do. 
Listen to what Davis says again. He says, the mangled lion is 
meant as God's sign to Samson. It shows him that Yahweh can 
and will, or what Yahweh can and will do through him. It should 
show him that the God who makes him able to tear up lions can 
also empower him to terrorize Philistines. And again, Put on 
your judges cap. We are living in a time, according 
to the book of Judges, when the Philistines are oppressing the 
Israelites. So for Samson to terrorize Philistines 
is the work of God Most High to free his people from that 
oppression. Davis says, here is a preview 
of what Yahweh can do through Samson. It's part of his preparation. God's teaching him. And you know, 
it's interesting, all along the way with Samson, it's the Spirit 
of the Lord that comes upon him. When he goes to kill the 30 men 
in Ashkelon, that's not his temper, it's the Spirit's power. We've 
got to read the Bible the way God calls us to read the Bible, 
not as some sensitive, delicate people that have never known 
battle or warfare and say, wow, that seems odd. God's people 
are being oppressed. God raises up a deliverer in 
the person of Samson. God fills this man with the Spirit 
so that he can rip lions apart and understand that he will then 
have the equipment necessary to deal with the Philistine threat 
and to neutralize it. That's what's happening in Judges 
13. And again, Davis pulls out a good lesson with reference 
to this lion as a precursor to the Philistine threat. He says, 
no, You needn't expect lions to come roaring out of vineyards, 
but you should notice this pattern in God's ways. He will, by some 
smaller episode of deliverance or provision, show you how adequate 
He is so that you will be encouraged to rely on Him in upcoming and 
possibly more demanding circumstances. That's gold. If you're alive 
and alert and awake and in Jesus, you need to understand this. 
What is Davis saying? The Spirit serves as a proof 
of God's power, of God's majesty, of God's protection. It is that 
which causes Samson to go forward into this Philistine threat, 
because he's able to reason thus now, God delivered me from the 
lion, certainly He can deliver me from the Philistines. David 
would conclude the very same thing. He says that God gave 
me the ability to deliver these lambs from the mouth of the bear 
and the mouth of the lion. Who is this uncircumcised Philistine? I gotta tell you, I agree with 
one of my brothers here, that if you face a lion and a bear 
in close combat, there's probably not a lot of threat that men 
can produce at that particular time. I have come face to face 
with paws and teeth and a ruthless nest that just wants to eat me. 
That's why David has this adage, I don't need the armor, I just 
need my sling and five smooth stones. I will deal with this 
Philistine giant. You see, the people who have 
tried and proven their God walk accordingly. The people who can 
look back in history and say, you know, we were hurting there, 
we were destitute there, we were troubled there, and the Lord 
sustained us. The Lord brought us out of it. The Lord has kept 
us. The Lord has preserved us. Those 
are the people who face the future with confidence because they 
know that the Lord God Almighty is their strength. He is their 
shield. He is their defender. He is what 
Genesis 15 says when God says to Abraham, I am your shield. I am your exceedingly great reward. Every small victory in the Christian 
life is the manifestation, the proof, the evidence that God 
has the power to keep you. God has the ability to watch 
over you. God can strengthen you. And the 
same flow in the narrative is found in this particular passage. Again, verses 7 to 9. Samson 
is walking through the vineyard. They're walking alongside here. 
He went down. He talks with the woman. She pleased Samson well. 
After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to 
see the carcass of the lion. Behold, a swarm of bees and honey 
were in the carcass of the lion. He most likely had contact with 
that carcass." Again, if he used a long spoon, the text doesn't 
specify. He most likely violates this 
Nazirite vow. He doesn't tell his parents where 
the honey came from. Probably so that they could just 
eat and be happy with the honey. Now notice thirdly and finally, 
the small beginnings. of God's deliverance, verses 
10 to 20. It's wedding time. Weddings are fun, aren't they? 
Please don't go. Your husband or your wife is 
going to give you one of these shots. What do you mean? No, it was 
the funnest day of my life. Yes, that's right, honey, it 
was. This is a wedding in Timna. A little bit different than what 
we're used to, but this is what's going on. It's a celebration. 
It's a seven-day feast. It's a time to rejoice. A time to praise. A time to celebrate. A time for 
the couple to appreciate one another. If ever there was a 
miserable wedding day, I would suggest it happened with SAMHSA. 
Samson poses a riddle to the young men that are in attendance. 
Probably these 30 men that are on him are probably something 
like bodyguards. Perhaps at this particular time, 
the Philistines were already alert to the reality that Samson 
was a bit different than the rank and file of Israelites. 
So they post these 30 men upon Samson. Samson makes a deal with 
them. Samson says in verse 12, let 
me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and 
explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will 
give you 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothing, 30 pairs 
of underwear and 30 new suits. It's a lot of money. It's a lot 
of riches. This is a big wager, isn't it? 
Again, Sampson's a real fun-loving sort of guy, isn't he? I mean, 
who does that? I got a riddle. I'm going to 
tell you the riddle. If you solve the riddle, I'll 
give you 30 garments. If you don't solve my riddle, 
then you can give me 30 garments. I just don't operate that way. 
There's a sense where this man loves life. He is, in a sense, 
not just bouncing around governed by his emotions, but he is a 
man Who is fun? Let's put something interesting 
upon this particular arrangement. But if you cannot explain it 
to me, then you shall give me 30 linen garments and 30 changes 
of clothing. They said to him, pose your riddle 
that we may hear it. So he said to them, out of the eater came 
something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet. I just love this brother. Great 
riddle, isn't it? There's no way these guys are 
going to get this. There is no possible way they 
are going to get this. We know the answer. We've seen 
him wander through the vineyard. We know that he's ripped a lion 
in two. We know that he saw a swarm of bees in the carcass. We know 
that he scooped out some of that honey. We know that it's dripped 
down his face. We know that he's handed it to 
his parents. They don't have a clue about 
this. This is a riddle in many respects designed to gain him 
30 changes of underwear and 30 new suits. Out of the eater came 
something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet." 
We see the inability of the men to figure it out. 14b. They're puzzled over it. They're 
scratching their chins. They're musing on it. It's a 
real conundrum. It's a real melon scratcher. 
It's something that stopped them for three days. Now remember, 
do you have 30 suits? This is a lot of money. They 
don't want to lose. Nobody enters into a contest 
to lose. I mean, that's somewhat the way 
that society is going today. It doesn't matter whether you 
win or lose just so long as you participate. No, it matters whether 
you win or lose. You either win or you lose. Paul 
didn't say, I run in such a way just to show that I participated. 
No, I run in such a way to win. Nothing wrong with a little healthy 
competition. These men want to know this particular 
riddle. So what do they do? They pray 
on the weak link. They pressure his wife, his new 
bride. She should be enjoying the festivities, 
delighting in the reality that she's now married to Samson from 
Israel. Look at what these men do in 
verse 15. It came to pass on the seventh day that they said 
to Samson's wife, Entice your husband that he may explain the 
riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father's house 
with fire. Before you get this pro-Philistine 
ideal, before you start to think that perhaps God is dealing a 
bit severely with these nice Philistines through Samson, these 
are the kinds of men that for 30 suits and 30 changes of underwear 
will burn a woman in her father's house down and kill them. These 
aren't nice people. These aren't innocent victims. These aren't just hapless souls 
living in Timna, the victim of some cruel cosmic joke. These 
are wicked men. They pressure the woman. So what 
does she do? She pressures him. This gives 
us a bit of foretaste about 16. What's Samson's downfall? It 
isn't a thousand Philistines. It isn't the lion. It isn't thirty 
men in Ashkelon. It's the ways of a woman. It's the nagging of a woman. This is what the text suggests. Because she pressed him so much. 1616 uses the same language concerning 
Delilah. You see why God calls us to enter 
into a relationship that is equally yucked? Because our spouses exercise 
such influence over us. When your wife is unhappy and 
exudes pressure upon you, If you have a bit of Samson-like 
blood in you, you may eventually throw up your hands and say, 
OK, already, we shall do this or that. If your husband is pressuring 
you, your husband is manipulating you, your husband is punishing 
you with words or with thoughts or with whatever, it is easy 
to succumb. In this particular instance, 
it would cost 30 changes of underwear and 30 suits. But imagine entering 
into the marriage covenant with a Philistine and she exercises 
this kind of influence for you to attend Dagon worship with 
her. Think about that. What are you 
going to say? What are you going to do? You're 
going to say, no, I'm a covenant child. I love Yahweh, the living 
and true God. But day in and day out, day in 
and day out, day in and day out, she pressures, she presses. Perhaps 
you don't get dinner anymore. Perhaps the garments that you 
do have don't get washed anymore. She is going to get you to bow 
to Dagon. God is very clear on this reality, 
that covenant children marry covenant children. She exercises 
this undue influence over him and he caves. He caves with Delilah. Samson, don't tell her the secret. Samson, don't indicate. What's 
the reality? Samson, don't give away the whole 
card. We read this on the sidelines, 
Judges 16 especially, and we're yelling at the text, don't Samson, 
don't Samson, don't. The influence that people can 
exercise over us is great. It's severe. She's threatened 
with death. So she in turn pressures her 
husband. Samson, tell me the riddle. Note 
the tactics that she employs. Verse 16. Then Samson's wife wept on him. It's hard to see a wife cry, 
isn't it? It's hard to see a woman cry. 
You want to fix it, don't you? I think most men are like that. 
We want to fix our wives. We want to help them. We don't 
want them to cry. What if she's crying because 
she wants us to go worship Dagon with her? You know, it's interesting. We just read a section of Guernal's 
Christian in Complete Armor last night, and he makes this statement 
concerning faithfulness in the Christian life. And he mentions 
faithfulness, or commitment rather, to the sinner, those who have 
yet to enter the Christian life. He says to those who are thinking 
about the things of God, those who are considering the gospel 
of God, He says, sinner, be especially wary of carnal friends and relatives 
when you decide to follow Christ. He says, resolve that if your 
own children grab you by the ankles and try to hold you back 
from Him, you will drive them away. See, this is the kind of Christianity 
that the Bible teaches. We've got a much more gentler, 
kinder, comfortable version. He goes on to say, and if your 
father and mother throw themselves in front of you, you will step 
over their backs, if you must, to get to Christ. Let those who 
will mock and scorn your faith. What is heaven worth if you cannot 
bear a little shame? If they spit on your face, Christ 
will wipe it off. They may laugh at you now, but 
not later. The final outcome has already 
been declared, and you have sided with the victor." You see, Samson 
entered into an arrangement, and herein, he succumbs to her 
pressure. Verse 17, she wept on him the 
seven days while their feast lasted, and it happened on the 
seventh day that he told her. because she pressed him so much. Daniel Bloch says, from the narrator's 
perspective, despite Samson's great physical strength and the 
force of his Nazarite vow, he is completely helpless when confronted 
with the love of women. From Yahweh's perspective, the 
amorous or loving desires of this man provide the occasions 
for the beginning of conflicts between Samson and the Philistines. As soon as she learns the riddle, 
she tells the riddle to these men. They come, they declare 
it, and then Samson makes this statement in verse 18. He said to them, if you had not 
plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle. Again, Bloch says, in other words, 
you cheated. You cheated. You didn't figure 
this out. You didn't understand. You plowed 
with my heifer." Again, Block says, his reference to his wife 
as his heifer is as disparaging in the Hebrew as it is in English. Davis says, Samson is no dummy. He knows sweet honey and strong 
lions come from talking heifers. They cheated him. So what happens 
now? The small beginnings of God's 
deliverance. Verses 19 and 20. Then the Spirit 
of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon 
and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave 
the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. 
So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father's 
house. Note the conspicuous order. He 
didn't go to Ashkelon in a rage. He went to Ashkelon because the 
Spirit of the Lord came upon him. What is Samson's job? What is his calling? What is 
his role? What is his title? He is a deliverer 
or a judge of Israel. And it is he that will begin 
to save his people from their oppression. He will break the 
back of Philistine oppression. This is what verse 19 indicates. 
the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him, he goes to Ashkelon, 
another Philistine place, and he kills 30 of them, he takes 
their garments, he brings them back, he pays the debt that he 
owes, and then his anger is aroused, and he goes to his father's house 
to get his wife... his father's house in this particular 
instance. Again, listen to Davis, we're 
coming to an end. He says, the text is clear. What 
we are dealing with is not Samson's temper, but the Spirit's power. So I think we misread these Old 
Testament narratives because we're humanistic instead of theocentric. Oh, that just seems offensive. 
God's glory is at stake, the covenant people is at stake, 
and remember back in this instance the covenant people have to be 
held together because it's from this people that Messiah Christ 
will come. What we are dealing with is not 
Samson's temper, but the Spirit's power. He says, if this seems 
brutal, we must simply live with it. We have already seen that 
when God delivers His people, He does not always dip His saving 
acts in Clorox and sprinkle them with perfume. To be delivered 
from evil will frequently be messy. Think about Golgotha. We've romanticized it. But do you know what occurred 
at Golgotha? A bloody, pierced man. Thorns embedded into his head 
such that blood streamed down on his body. Spikes driven through 
his hands. Spikes driven through his feet. 
A little block of wood that he could stand upon to keep from 
asphyxiation. This isn't some romantic ideal 
that we are supposed to relate to in some emotive way. It is God sending His Son to 
the cross to take the wrath that is due to us. What David says 
is true. Salvation is oftentimes messy. It's messy. When we go to 15 and Samson is 
standing there with the jawbone of an ass killing Philistines 
in close combat, we'll see some more messy. And before we as 
21st century North American Christians go, eww, this is God's man, filled 
with God's spirit, delivering God's people in accordance with 
God's promise. We ought to rejoice in the victory 
of Samson over these men. We ought to celebrate and praise 
the God of grace and mercy. We ought to praise Him that He 
is true to His word, that He does save His people, and that 
Samson points us to a greater than Samson, who in a way that 
is somewhat messier, does His work on our behalf. The 30 Philistines destroyed 
at Ashkelon was only the beginning. In the next chapter we'll see 
the betrayal of Samson by his wife and her father, which will 
set the stage for a greater deliverance over the Philistine oppressor. 
In summary, or in conclusion, let us revisit that thought concerning 
the hidden purpose of God. The Lord works through Samson's 
choice. The Lord has a plan. The Lord 
is working it out. God overrules the evil actions 
of men vis-a-vis Joseph's brothers, vis-a-vis Samson's choice of 
a bride, vis-a-vis the Jews and the Romans crucifying our Lord 
Jesus Christ. We as Christians, we as those 
who profess saving faith in our Lord Jesus are called to obey 
the written word of God. We are not to take passages. 
We are not to conclude from the Joseph narrative. You know, it's 
okay that I hate my brother. It's okay that I throw him into 
a ditch. It's okay that I sell him into slavery. Because after 
all, God's going to overrule it for my good. You say, well, 
that's an outlandish example, Pastor Butler. Well, let's bring 
it close to home. What do we find in Judges 14? 
Well, if I marry this guy or I marry this girl, well, the 
Lord will overrule it for good because He's so gracious and 
so merciful. God does do those things. But 
we don't make decisions based on what He might do. We make 
decisions based on what He has commanded. Please. Please get your head in the game. Not just with marriage, but a 
thousand other decisions. Well, you know, I cheated on 
my taxes for 15 years and I never got caught, and it only benefited 
me. So therefore, NO! I've committed adultery 15 times. 
I have, and I'm just suggesting that this is the way some people 
think. And I never got caught. And I felt a connection with 
those people. And I often witnessed it. No! You do not make decisions 
based on experience. You make decisions based on the 
revealed will of God. Take the young couple that is 
courting, the young couple that is on their way to marriage, 
the young professing Christians that love each other, and they 
just want to show that love for one another. Do what God says 
in His Word. That's it. That's always it. What is your calling as a believer? 
To do what God says. What is the will of God for you 
in your life? To do what He says in the Scriptures 
of both the Old and the New Testaments. Do what the Lord says. Did I 
mention this morning that you ought to do what the Lord says? 
Did I mention that we ought to operate according to the revealed 
will or the preceptive will or the written word of the living 
God? If you didn't get that, please come and see me and Pastor 
Cam afterward. If you ask, what should I do? 
Do what God says. Secondly, we ought to appreciate 
the sovereignty of God in this chapter. I mean, in some respects, 
Judges 14 almost reads like a reality show. We have a marriage. We have a feast and a celebration. We have a riddle. We have a wager 
of sorts. We even have a lion in the sea. It really is an amazing chapter 
that God overrules and weaves together to accomplish the purpose 
of saving Israelites. Sovereignty. Thirdly, we ought 
to see the faithfulness of God to his word. Those thirty men 
in Ashkelon ought not to cause us to say, those poor chaps, 
minding their own business, several miles even away from Timna. No, 
13.5 specifies what God is going to do with this man, Samson. 
For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son, and no razor 
shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite 
to God from the womb. And he shall begin to deliver 
Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. That is precisely 
what these 30 men evidence in Judges 14.19. And then finally, 
and I have alluded to this throughout, but I'll press it home again, 
Samson points us to Jesus. 13.5 reads very similarly to 
Matthew 1.21. When the angel instructs Joseph, 
he says, you shall call his name Jesus. For it is he who will 
save his people from their sins. We have a birth narrative. We 
have instructions given. We have specification made, and 
we have the purpose for which these particular men come on 
the scene. Samson did fulfill God's plan. He began to save Israel from 
their oppression. This would continue into 1 Samuel. 
It would be David that ultimately broke the back of Philistine 
oppression. But it does point us to one, 
the Lord Jesus Christ, who if you do not know this morning, 
you are in your sins. You are liable to God's judgment. You are under wrath. John 3.36 
tells us that everyone who believes the Son has everlasting life. Isn't that great? If you believe 
the Son, currently, right now, you possess everlasting life. That is a promise to the people 
of God Most High. If you are in Christ right now 
and you're having a miserable day, or you've had a miserable 
week, or you prophesy that this is going to be a miserable week, 
consider this reality. You believe the Son, so you have 
everlasting life. No one can take it from you. 
You don't leave from this place and get gunned down and they 
strip it away from you. That is your possession. God 
has given it to you. But the text in John 3.36 goes 
on. He who does not believe the Son 
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. There are certain chemicals or 
certain gases that if you spray into the air and then you take 
a paint can, you know those old paint cans that had the little 
clicker in it to stir up the can. I'm sure you had that in 
Canada. I don't think we only painted 
our bikes when I was a kid. You shake up that can. Well, 
if you spray that gas, you'll see it. You'll see the particles 
of that gas. Just imagine if we could take 
a spray can today and spray it over the heads of everybody in 
this place. Some would have everlasting life. I don't want to begin to imagine 
what color that might be, your favorite color probably. But 
he that does not believe the sun shall not see life, but Same 
thing, present tense, present possession, the wrath of God 
abides presently upon him. So there's only two colors, if 
you will. You're either in Christ and have 
everlasting life, or you're outside of Christ and are a possessor 
of the wrath of God. You've not received the full 
weight of it. You've not received all the curses 
involved with it. But there is a day coming when 
each and every one of us shall stand before the just judge of 
all the earth, and each and every one of us will give an account 
of deeds done in the body, whether good or evil. Each one of us 
will either A. be able to confess Jesus Christ 
as our Lord and our Savior to our entrance in to the kingdom 
of heaven. Or B, having rejected Him, being rejected by Him on 
that day. And the wrath of God is no joke. People joke about it on this 
side of it. People say stupid things like, 
yeah, I'm going to go to hell, that's where all my friends are. 
I'm going to go to hell because that's where the parties are. 
I'm going to go to hell because that's where all the heavy metal 
bands are. That's not what hell is all about. Hell is not a place of partying. Hell is not a place of celebration. Hell is a place excluded from 
the presence of God in the good sense. the kindness, the mercy, 
the goodness of God. Be assured God is present. It 
is God who makes hell, hell. It is God who punishes the impenitent 
forever and ever. Now I realize that on this Sunday, 
these are not the thoughts that go fondly with our hearts. We 
don't like to think about wrath and hell, eternal punishment. Couldn't you just give us five 
principles on how to be a better boy or girl? No. You're either 
in Christ or you're not. You see, the good news is that 
if you're not, you should come. You should not tarry. You should 
not wait. You should, in the language of 
the hymn writer, venture on Him, venture wholly. You should believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved of your sins. You may not remember everything 
about sweet things coming out of the eater. You may not remember 
everything about the riddle posed by Samson. You may not remember 
everything about the Ashkelonites or anything like that, but this 
thing take with you. That if, by the grace of God, 
I look unto Jesus Christ, I believe in Him, I shall have everlasting 
life. It is on that most blessed note 
we ought to close now and may I encourage you to get alone 
somewhere today because the devil actively seeks to snatch up seeds 
lest you hear, believe, and be saved. You need to think through 
these things. You need to contemplate these 
things. You need to realize that John 3.36 is a reality. I'm either 
an inheritor of eternal life or an inheritor of the wrath 
of God. Believe and you shall be saved. 
Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank 
you for your word and we thank you for your glory and your majesty. 
We thank you for your grace and your mercy. God, as readers of 
this book of Judges, so much of it does seem odd to us, so 
much of the warfare and the bloodshed. God, we know that behind the 
scenes you are working your purposes out to display your mercy, to 
display your grace, to display your kindness upon the children 
that you have loved. As well, God, when we get to 
the New Covenant, we see our Savior, a man of sorrows and 
acquainted with grief, a man rejected, a man despised, a man 
ultimately delivered up to be crucified. We know that you are 
working out your purposes to satisfy divine justice and to 
demonstrate grace and mercy and love and kindness. God, help 
us to read the Bible in a way that brings glory to you. Help 
us to read the Bible in a way that brings comfort and encouragement 
to us. And we know, God, we need the 
Holy Spirit. We need to be taught by Him. 
And we ask that You would now go with us. We ask that You would 
create faith in the hearts where there is none, and God strengthen 
faith in the hearts where there is faith. Give us all grace, 
Father, to see Your power manifested in Holy Scripture. And we ask 
through Christ our Lord. Amen.