Bible Lesson: Parables Of The Old
Testament: Samson's Parable Of Strength And Sweetness.
Bible Location: Timnath.
Bible Text:
Judges 14:1-20 KJV
1 And Samson went down to Timnath,
and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 And he came up, and told his
father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of
the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to
wife.
3 Then his father and his mother
said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy
brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of
the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get
her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
4 But
his father and his mother knew not that it was of The Lord, that He
sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the
Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5 Then went Samson down, and his
father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of
Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
6 And The Spirit Of The Lord came
mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid (young
goat), and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or
his mother what he had done.
7 And he went down, and talked with
the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8 And after a time he returned to
take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and,
behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the
lion.
9 And he took thereof in his hands,
and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave
them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the
honey out of the carcase of the lion.
10 So his father went down unto the
woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to
do.
11 And it came to pass, when they
saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 And Samson said unto them, I will
now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare
it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I
will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
13 But if ye cannot declare it me,
then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments.
And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14 And he said unto them, Out of
the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth
sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
15 And it came to pass on the
seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband,
that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and
thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have?
is it not so?
16 And Samson's wife wept before
him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast
put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast
not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my
father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
17 And she wept before him the seven
days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh
day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told
the riddle to the children of her people.
18 And the men of the city said unto
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 unto them, If ye had not
plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
19 And The Spirit Of The Lord came
upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them,
and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which
expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went
up to his father's house.
20 But Samson's wife was given to
his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
This chapter speaks
volumes of information concerning choosing one's mate, and marriage,
but our concern here is Samson's riddle.
Ever ask yourself
in life, why has this happened to me?
A Christian has no
right, ever to ask such a question, for to ask it, is to renounce his
belief in the sovereignty of Almighty God, The Living God to whom
which he has pledged himself.
The beautiful young
Philistine girl, and the lion of Timnath, both were planned by the
hand of God!
Judges 14:4 KJV
But
his father and his mother knew not that it was of The Lord, that He
sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the
Philistines had dominion over Israel.
Our Way Is
Guided By The Lord:
Job 31:4 KJV
Doth not He see my ways, and count
all my steps?
Psalm 32:8 KJV
I will instruct thee and teach thee
in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.
Psalm 37:23 KJV
The steps of a good man are ordered
by The Lord: and He delighteth in his way.
Psalm 48:14 KJV
For this God is our God for ever and
ever: He will be our guide even unto death.
Psalm 73:24 KJV
Thou shalt guide me with thy
counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Proverbs 16:9
KJV
A man's heart deviseth his way: but
The Lord directeth his steps.
Proverbs 20:24
NLT
The Lord directs our steps, so why
try to understand everything along the way?
Romans 8:28 KJV
And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to His purpose.
God's people had
been subservient to the Philistines, and the reason was, the people's
rebellion to God.
Judges 13:1 KJV
And the children of Israel did evil
again in the sight of The Lord; and The Lord delivered them
into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
The time came when
God sought to free His people, and judge their enemy..
Yes, to everything,
there is a plan.
Samson's riddle:
Judges 14:14 KJV
And he said unto them, Out of the
eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.
The Philistines
said that they knew the answer, (after they had threatened and
coerced Samson's wife to tell them his riddle).
18 And the men of the city said unto
him on the seventh day before the sun went down,
What is sweeter than honey? And
what is stronger than a lion?
Samson's wife had
betrayed him.
In his anger
Judges 14:19 KJV
And The Spirit Of The Lord came upon
him, and he went down to Ashkelon (A Philistine city), and slew
thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments
unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and
he went up to his father's house.
Judges chapters 15
and 16, go on to tell how time after time he routed the Philistines,
in just one occurrence, he slew 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone
of an ass (Judges 15:16).
One interpretation
of Samson's lion encounter is as follows:
The Lion is Satan
I Peter 5:8 KJV
Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom
he may devour:
But a greater
deliverer than Samson is with God's people.
Matthew 28:18
KJV
And Jesus came and spake unto them,
saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.
I Corinthians
15:25,26 KJV
25 For He must reign, till He hath
put all enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be
destroyed is death.
II Thessalonians
2:8 KJV
And then shall that Wicked be
revealed, whom The Lord shall consume with The spirit Of His Mouth,
and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:
I John 3:8 KJV
"...For this purpose The Son Of
God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
I John 4:4 KJV
Ye are of God, little children, and
have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he
that is in the world.
Revelation 1:18
KJV
I am He that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell
and of death.
Revelation 17:14
KJV
These shall make war with The Lamb,
and The Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are
with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
The honey, the good
things of God:
Psalm 34:8,10
NLT
8 Taste and see that The Lord is
good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!
10 "...those who trust in The
Lord will lack no good thing.
Acts 10:38 KJV
"...God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with The Holy Ghost and with power: who
went about doing good, and healing all that were
oppressed of the devil.
Conclusion:
John 10:10 KJV
The thief cometh not, but for to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have
Life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 3:16,17 KJV
16 For God so loved the world, that
He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not His Son into the
world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be
saved.
