Judges 14:1-20

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God used Samson’s fleshly desires as an occasion to provoke the Philistines. 

     Samson appears as one who desires to satisfy his flesh with women (Judg. 14:1-4; cf. 16:1, 4), food (vss. 14:8-9), games (vs. 14:12), and clothing (vs. 14:13).  He sought to marry an unbelieving Philistine woman (Judg. 14:3), and this was contrary to Scripture (Deut. 7:1-4; cf. 2 Cor. 6:14-16).  Samson was a strong-willed child who pushed to get his way, little did he know his new Philistine wife would prove pushy too (Judg. 14:16-17).  God used Samson’s strong will and sinful choices as an occasion to cause disruption between the Philistines and Israelites (Judg. 13:4-5; 14:6, 19).  Samson probably felt emboldened when the Spirit of God gave him superhuman strength to kill a lion that attacked him at a vineyard (Judg. 14:5-6).  It is possible Samson broke two parts of his Nazarite vow by touching a dead carcass and drinking wine (Judg. 14:8-10).  Scripture reveals it was the cutting his hair that caused the Spirit of the Lord to depart from him (Judg. 16:17-20; cf. 13:5).  At the wedding feast Samson gave a riddle and promised a payment of clothes to thirty of his wedding guests (Judg. 14:12-14).  When the guests could not answer the riddle, they threatened Samson’s wife and family (Judg. 14:15).  Rather than go to her new husband about the problem, she sought to handle it herself, believing the threat of her countrymen was greater than Samson’s ability to protect.  Samson’s wife wore him down through repeated weeping and accusations of hating her (Judg. 14:16-17).  Samson broke and gave her the answer to his riddle, which she then revealed to her people, who demanded payment (Judg. 14:18).  Samson—in anger—killed thirty Philistines in the city of Ashkelon in order to pay his debt (Judg. 14:19).  Samson lost his wife when he left Timnah and returned home to his family (Judg. 14:20). 

     God desires we walk with Him and obey His will (Prov. 3:5-6); however, His sovereign plans are never threatened or defeated by human failures, as He can providentially include sinful actions to accomplish His plans (see Acts 2:22-24; 4:27-28).  Human desires are not wrong, as long as we don’t become like beasts which live only by their desires (Ps. 32:8-9; 73:21-22).