Humans opened the door to sin through eyesight and the imagination.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate (Genesis 3:6).
John pictured the role of the eyes when he warned his readers to not love the things of the world’s system.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world;
For all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:15-16).
Samson’s downfall began with his eyes, where he saw a woman and decided that the prohibitions against intermarriage didn’t apply to him.
Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.
When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife” (Judges 14:1-2).
Samson was guilty of all three of the sinful attitudes that John described.
- His sinful nature (the flesh) was active upon seeing the Philistine woman.
- He was unwilling to deny the desire of his eyes and told his parents to get the woman for him.
- A prideful human always believes that God’s commands don’t apply to them. Samson was no exception.
Why did God permit this?
Samson was God’s instrument, but why did God permit his appointed judge to act like this? The author of Judges explains it in a parenthetical remark in the telling of the story.
(His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.) (Judges 14:4).
Samson’s parents likely believed that this marriage wouldn’t be blessed by God. Only the demands of a powerful and spoiled child could sway them. Little did they know, God was at work.
This makes us reconsider things we are so sure about. We haven’t truly understood what should happen until we’ve heard from God. Let’s remember that.
Samson and the Lion
On his way to meet his future Philistine wife, Samson encountered a lion. With the power of the Holy Spirit within him, he tore the lion apart and continued on to meet his bride.
Later on, Samson will encounter the dead lion where honey bees had made their home. He ate the honey and continued to the land of the Philistines.
The Lion and the Philistine Men
The second time Samson visited Philistine territory to see his wife, he gave a riddle to 30 men from the wedding party.
Now his father went down to see the woman. And there Samson held a feast, as was customary for young men. When the people saw him, they chose thirty men to be his companions.
“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
If you can’t tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.” “Tell us your riddle,” they said. “Let’s hear it.”
He replied, “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.” For three days they could not give the answer (Judges 14:10-14).
The Israelites and Philistines didn’t get along, and these men were likely upset that a Philistine woman was about to marry an Israelite man.
Samson’s riddle confounded them, so they threatened her. They said if she didn’t find out the answer from him, they would burn her and her family alive.
Samson was swayed by his future wife’s pleas and revealed the riddle to her. She then shared it with the Philistine men.
When they solved the riddle, Samson lost the bet he had made with them. To settle the bet, he went to a nearby city, killed 30 men, and brought back their clothes.
Meanwhile, his wife was given to one of the men who attended the feast.
Reflections
Preachers often joke with each other, saying, “I’d like you to be part of my sermon. Sit on the platform with me so I can point at you and say, ‘This is what happens when people are overcome by the ravages of sin.'”
Samson is one of those examples. We can look at his story and think, “Don’t be like him.”
The best way to avoid being one of these horrible examples of Christian service is to give our lives fully to the Lord and serve Him with simple trust and obedience.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this part of Samson’s story today on YouTube.
Real Voices 