Year 7, Day 275: Judges 14

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I believe that we should be careful to distinguish between God using people voluntarily and God using people’s desires involuntarily.  In the last chapter, we see that God used Manoah and his wife voluntarily.  The wanted to be obedient.  They were humble.  They sought out the will of the Lord.

With Samson, God uses him involuntarily.  Samson isn’t coming to God to seek His will.  Samson isn’t obediently putting aside his desires to follow those of His Lord.  Verse 7 sums it all up rather well.  When Samson is looking for a wife, he looks for someone who is right in his own eyes.  His father and mother counsel Samson to find a Hebrew girl.  He wants a girl who is pleasing to his eyes.  God will use him and his desires involuntarily if He has to.

This moves us to his feast.  Samson’s father comes to visit and Samson throws a feast.  Samson’s wives’ people come to the feast and Samson thinks himself to be quick of wit.  He gives them an impossible riddle, convinced that he can use it to make himself rich.  Delilah’s own people get her to work against her husband – her loyalties are clear – and she tells them the answer.  The people foil Samson riddle.

Naturally, Samson isn’t dumb.  He can readily figure out where they got their answer. Rather than admit defeat, though, he solves his problems rashly.  He goes out, slaughters 30 innocent people, and gives their clothes to the people who had figured out his riddle.  He then turns around and gives his wife away, for the time being, to his best man.

Samson is once more solving problems according to what is right in his own eyes.  God will use the enmity Samson is building between himself and the Philistines, but that doesn’t mean that Samson is acting in a very godly manner.

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