Judges Part 14b

D. vs. 10-20. 1. Samson went down to marry the Philistine woman and “...made there a feast; for so used the young men to do” (v. 10). a. “Though he was a Nazarite, he did not affect, in a thing of this nature, to be singular, but did as the young men used to do upon such occasions. It is no part of religion to go contrary to the innocent usages of the places where we live: nay, it is a reproach to religion when those who profess it give just occasion to others to call them covetous, sneaking, and morose. A good man should strive to make himself, in the best sense, a good companion.” (Matthew Henry) b. Innocent customs and usages are permissible, sometimes enjoyable or even advisable. Jesus attended a wedding feast where He made wine (JOH 2:1-11), did not flee Jerusalem at the civic festival of the dedication (JOH 10:22-23) and perfect Job’s family celebrated birthdays. JOB 1:4 c/w JOB 3:1-3. c. Customs that are open doors to sin or which glorify sin (e.g. gluttony and drunkenness) or customs that displace or corrupt true religion are where lines must be drawn. DEUT 12:29-32; JER 10:1-4; MAT 6:7. 2. For some reason (perhaps vanity), Samson ventured a wager with her countrymen. vs. 12-15. a. Samson had the most to lose in this wager, but his confidence in his own cleverness outran his good judgment. Have you ever plowed into some seemingly “goof-proof” venture which had hidden goofs, or made a zealous boast like Peter and the rest? JAM 4:13-16; MAT 26:33-35. b. If we are intent upon entering such an arrangement, we had better be prepared to render our dues. PSA 15:4. c. Samson's wager was more a contest of wits than of chance. This cannot be said of most casino-type games in an “industry” that exploits a foolish “get rich quickly” scheme against the odds and can be as addictive as heroin. d. The Philistines were not obligated to take Samson up on his challenge but their vanity was at least as strong as his and viewing this as an opportunity weighted in their favor (Samson had more to lose than each of them), they obviously agreed to the terms. It was a subtle snare by flattering the Philistines’ sense of their own intellectual prowess. PRO 29:5. 3. See how the wicked operate. When wit fails them, they resort to dirty tactics. v. 15 c/w ACT 6:9-15. a. Samson's wager is an example of foolishly assuming that dishonorable men are going to follow an honorable course. b. Be careful in alliances and contracts. Generalizations based upon pattern recognition must be used cautiously but can prevent destructive entanglements. TIT 1:10-12. 4. The woman yielded to their extortion. vs. 15-17. a. Unlike Jael, family ties, fear and pressure dictated this woman's action. Judges 6-26-25 Page 28  c/w JDG 4:2, 17-21. b. She did not have the faith to trust that the person who comes into the household of a man of God comes also under the superintendence and protection of God. RUT 2:12; PSA 56:4. c. Sinning to save one’s skin or station never prospers, especially when it involves betraying the righteous. c/w JDG 15:6; JOH 11:48; PRO 29:25. d. Appeal threats to God and do right. ACT 4:29. 5. Samson's wife resorted to tears and You don't love me. v. 16. a. There are times when these are legitimate entreaties (GEN 29:31-32) but not when used for manipulation. b. The general rule in marriage is openness and trust in all things, being “...heirs together of the grace of life...” (1PE 3:7). c. Exceptions to this rule may be necessary for the protection of the spouse or family but these exceptions dare not be made the rule. God has withheld information from His church but has otherwise been fully open to us. JOH 16:12; ACT 1:7 c/w 1CO 2:12. d. How oft, though, have we, like Samson's wife, questioned God’s love for us when He doesn't give us what we want? Look to Calvary, not circumstances or silence, to determine if God loves you. 1JO 4:9-10; 3:16. 6. Samson finally caved in under the pressure. v. 17 c/w PRO 27:15; LUK 18:5. a. Some have tried to find a contradiction in the text here, since v. 15 says that the Philistines threatened the woman on the seventh day and yet v. 17 seems to say that she had been on Samson's case for all seven days. b. v. 17 does not say, “for seven days” but “...the seven days, while their feast lasted...” That is, her entreaties occurred within the remainder of the seven days of the feast. c. Alternatively, what's to say that Samson's wife had not been troubling him for the entire seven days of the feast, but only turned up the heat after she had been threatened? 7. Samson lost the wager, but he figured out how that had happened. Wise too late. v. 18. a. To 'plow with one's heifer' denotes being yoked together with them in common cause, a collaboration. b. Could Samson have been accused of being a “conspiracy nut” because of his accusation which was a reasonable deduction? “ ‘To think no evil, where no evil seems,’ is the duty of a Christian; but to refuse to see it, where it most evidently appears, is an imposition on the understanding itself.” (Adam Clarke) c. Would the local chapter of POW (Philistine Organization of Women) have raised an immediate outcry, demanding that Samson be forced to donate to their cause and enroll in a sensitivity-training course? d. Sadly, we all too often let the devil plow with our old nature to the betrayal of our confession, faith and Savior. (1) Like Samson's wife, we need to realize that our allegiance is not to our former ways and allies, but to our Husband. ROM 7:4-6 c/w 1PE 4:3-4. (2) Like Samson's wife, who should have depended upon the protection of her new husband of faith, we also should realize that our old sins need not have their way with us. ROM 6:13-14. Judges 6-26-25 Page 29 8. In retaliation, the Spirit of the Lord moved Samson against other Philistines. v. 19. a. God was not unjust in exercising wrath upon the men of Ashkelon. b. Philistines were a people already slated for destruction and dispossession of their land because of their wickedness. JOS 13:1-3 c/w JDG 3:1-3. 9. Samson’s bride was plucked out of his hand (v. 20) but Christ destroys His bride’s enemies and insures she will never be plucked out of His hand. JOH 10:27-29.