Judges 13 - 15 (4th April) - Sylvia

Judges 13

The Israelites continued to do evil and were unholy in the eyes of the Lord so He gave them to the Philistines for forty years.

Our god is merciful and gracious. He sent a leader who would grow upto deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. He blessed Manoah, who was sterile and childless with a son, Samson. In return, she had to ensure that during the term of her pregnancy, she could not drink wine or any fermented drink and not eat anything unclean (v 4). When he was born, no razor could be used on his head as he was to be a Nazirite, consecrated and set apart from God.

As Samsom grew up, God blessed him and he began to be filled with the Spirit of the Lord. Samson was blessed with the gifts of strength and ability in physical battle.

The term Nazirite is described as "being holy unto the Lord"

Judges 14

Samson grows up and is of age to marry. Whilst on the streets, he sees a young Philistine woman from Timnah and wants to marry her. (Little do they know that it was actually an opportunity created by the Lord to confront the Philistines.)

As Samson and his father approaches Timnah, a young lion came roaring towards him and Samson was filled with the Spirit so powerfully that he just tore the lion apart with his bare hands. Can you imagine yourself tearing a live lion with your bare hands? Its not by our might or power, but by the strength of the Lord.

Few days later, as Samson goes back to marry the Philistine woman, he saw the lion's carcass and saw honey inside, which he scooped out and ate. He then used it as a riddle to the thirty Philistines. (his companions)

When they were unable find an answer, they got his wife to get the answer from him. After days of her tantrums and pressurising him, Samson finally told her the answer on the seventh day of the feast. When the other Philistines were able to answer his riddle, Samson knew that it was because his wife had told them and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he 'struck down thirty of their men', taking their belongings and giving their clothes to the men who had explained the riddle. His wife was given to the friend who had attended to him at the wedding.

All these were part of God's plan for Samson to go against the Philistines and battle with them.

Judges 15

Samson gets even with the Philistines and takes revenge.
He provokes them by burning up their shocks and standing grain, and vineyards and olive groves. After they retaliate by brning his wife and father to death, he takes revenge by attacking them viciously and slaughtering them.

When the Philistines tried to capture him, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he used a mere jawbone of a donkey and killed a thousand men.

Our God is Almighty indeed. Amen.