Samson Defeats the Philistines

 

Judges 15:1-8

 

Samson Defeats the Philistines

After some days, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife with a young goat. And he said, “I will go into my wife's chamber.” But her father would not allow him to go in.  And her father said, “I really thought that you utterly hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead.”   And Samson said to them, “This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines when I do them harm.”   So, Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails.   And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards.   Then law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.   And Samson said to them, “If this is what you do, I swear I will be avenged on you, and after that, I will quit.”   And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow, and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

 

Can you imagine the surprise of the girl's dad when Samson shows up, and he has to tell him, she no longer your wife but the best man.  And were you a little shocked that Samson came back.  We are not told but it seems that after some thought and reflection Samson had forgiven his wife and was going to take her home.  

 

But this was just a little too much and Samson took it out on the people who ruled over Judah, the people of his wife's nation.  He gave no thought to the effect of his actions, he just wants to get even with someone, but it was the Lord’s purpose as we read in chapter 14, for these events to take place.  Once more we should look at Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

 

We as a people of 2021, living in the USA, many of us are troubled over what the new president in title only, will do, we wonder who is pulling the strings, but that is not a good place to be.  We should take comfort in Proverbs 19:21, and in Jeremiah 29:11,  ^“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice