This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the
books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS to the address above.
JUDGES
CHAPTER 15
1 But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.
2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.
3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
After Samson spent an appropriate time at his father's home getting over his anger, he returned to claim his bride. Any time we become angry, it is best to spend time "in the Father's house" in prayer nad solitude. This will give us peace and strength to better confront the circumstances.
4 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails.
5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.
6 Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.
7 And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.
8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
The firebrands tied to the tails of foxes caused a catastrophic damage to the crops of the Philistines (corn, olive trees, vineyards). They became VERY angry. And when they found out it was Samson, they went and burned down the house of Samson's bride-to-be and the father-in-law and all his family were in it!!
9 Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
10 And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.
Now the Philistines retaliate against the whole of Judah. Samson took refuge in a place called Etam, which probably was a little Southwest of Bethlehem. Samson is not of the tribe of Judah, but went to this place because it was easy to see forces coming against him from any direction.
11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.
13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.
The men of Judah chastized Samson with words for "picking a fight" with the Philistines. And Samson allowed them to bind him with ropes. These were NEW ropes which were strong and rough.
14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
The Philistines began to yell with glee. They thought they had ole Samson!
16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.
18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
19 But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.
20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.
Now Samson had a "crisis of belief," as Henry Blackaby would put it. He had accomplished a great miracle under the guidance and power of God's Spirit. But he was so thirsty, he felt as though he would die.
Please continue to follow along with us in Bible Study.
It is best, when we have a strained relationship with someone (especially family members), that we seek reconciliation. Samson had in mind reconciliation, even after his bride had been treacherous in her relationship with him. But when Samson returned, the father of the bride had already given her away.
The manner of the bride's father was even more treacherous than she! Samson had tried to make peace in an awful situation, but now he had been treated awfully! And he reacted awfully!
In verse 3, Samson thought he would be "blameless" by doing the Philistines a harm. But it will bring many problems, as we shall see.
Even though we are treated despitefully in this world, we should not react in vengeance nor retaliation. Those actions only bring more problems.
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:19)
"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:18)
What the groomsmen promised would happen DID happen. God used their own destruction upon them.
Anger, uncurtailed by the Spirit of the Lord, leads to destruction.
And when the righteous take vengeance upon the unrighteous, God is praised (Psalm 76:10). The thought of the Philistines was to "avenge" Samson so that he would no longer be angry with them.
But Samson felt a personal afront because they killed the woman he'd wanted for his wife. So he said, (verse 7) "..I will be avenged of YOU.." In other words, he would take vengeance upon them for killing his wife. But Samson also promised he would STOP after this: "..after that I will cease."(verse 7)
According to verse 8, Samson took many lives (how many we are not told).
The Philistines responded by encamping with an army against the town of Lehi (not far from Etam). When questioned as to the reason of their presence, they said they only wanted Samson. So the Israelites (Judahites) sent a delegation to Samson (3,000 armed men).
And Samson allowed them to bring him to the Philistines in that manner.
Jesus allowed man to bind Him and deliver Him to the crucifiction too. He had plenty of strength to free Himself, but He didn't.
But Samson broke loose from the ropes, and killed 1,000 of them! And all he needed for a weapon was "the jawbone of an ass." Truly "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.." (1Corinthians 1:27).
HOW? How could Samson accomplish such a feat? Verse 14 tells us: "...the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him..."
The people of the tribe of Judah delivered Samson to the Philistines not caring if he died. But God delivered Samson out of the hands of the enemy.
God ALWAYS CARES!
Jesus was delivered by the Israelites and they even called for His crucifiction. But He was delivered! He AROSE!!
Sometimes, immediately following involvement in a great work for God, we are faced with a "crisis of belief."
Notice that Samson cried out to God. That is what WE should do also. Proclaim your faith by calling out to God in times of crisis. God would not have us fall into the "hands of the uncircumcised" (or the devil).
God answered Samson's need for water. God will answer OUR need for water. JESUS is the LIVING WATER!!
The place where judah had delivered Samson was called Lehi, which literally means "Jawbone." Notice vers 19. God opened a fountain of water, or a well, there in that rocky hill.
And Samson gave the place a name: "En-hakkore," which means the well of him that cried.
God has opened a fountain of living waters in and through Jesus Christ. It was opened TO him that cried - JESUS.
It was opened FOR any who will cry out to God believing in Christ.