Judges 16:1-3 – Make the time and effort to live right

So far, we have seen one aspect of Samson’s life. In Judges 14-15, we saw several occasions when the Spirit of God came upon him and endued him with great strength to do exploit. But when we come to Judges 16, we see another side of Samson. We are given the side of him without the enduement of power of the Spirit of God. This chapter will show us how his weakness for women ultimately spelt his doom.  But we will also see how God’s grace met him at the end of his life and granted one last victory over the Philistines before his life ended, and he was taken out of the scene.  

Judges 16:1 reveals that Samson went to Gaza, a Philistines city. There he met a prostitute and engaged her service. This is very telling. He had not changed despite all the experiences he went through with the lady he fell in love with at Timnah and finally married. At least that lady was not a harlot. But this time in Gaza, the word specifically said that he saw a harlot and went to her for service. This indicates to us that His life had deteriorated. He was on a downslope slide. All that he had experienced prior to this chapter had made no impact on his spirituality. He had regressed spiritually.

Verse 1 also tells us that the news of his presence with the prostitute came to the ears of the men of Gaza. A group of them then came and surrounded the house of the harlot. Their intention was to ambush and destroy him the first thing in daylight. Although we were not told how Samson came to know about it, he got wind of the impending ambush. He managed to slip out unnoticed to the city gates which were already shut tight for the night. Verse 3 says that he “…took hold of the doors of the city gate and the two posts and pulled them up along with the bars; then he put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain which is opposite Hebron.”

What Samson did shows us how defiant he was. He took for granted that the unusual strength he had was a divine endowment. He was oblivious of the danger he had placed himself in when he mindlessly displayed his power in such a reckless and defiant way. This couldn’t care-a-damn attitude would eventually lead to his tragic end. For us we must remember that pride always come before destruction. In the New Testament, we are told to be careful. We are encouraged to rightly appraise ourselves. The Apostle Paul constantly tells us not to think too highly of ourselves. A careless attitude can be dangerous to our spiritual and moral health. We must never allow the blessings and successes in life which God has granted us to cause us to develop a callous spirit. If we don’t take time to adjust and fine-tune our walk with God, we may find ourselves in such precarious hazard. Peter reminds us in his second letter to the early believers that God has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness. And that He has also … granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them we may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Let us not leave our life and moral unchecked. We must take time and make the effort to live right.  

Judges 15:17–20 – God, the source of our refreshing

The description of the battle Samson had engaged with the Philistines was brief. We are told that he managed to kill a thousand Philistines just with the new jaw bone of a donkey. Of course, he could only achieve such a victory because the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Doubtless, the battle must have drained his energy and taken a toll on him. For the first time in the account of his life, he expressed weakness. Who won’t after such a gruelling battle with the Philistines? He named the place when he had triumphed over the Philistines, Ramath-lehi, which meant the place of the jawbone. How appropriate!

Judges 15:18 records for us that Samson called on the Lord. And that was the first record of him praying to God. He prayed to Him saying, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” His prayer tells us that he recognized that it was God who had granted him the victory. And indeed, it was. But now he was thirsty and there was nowhere he could find water to drink and was in danger of dying from thirst. He did not want the Philistines to find him in his weakened condition for lack of water. He had no desire to fall into their hands now and had his body mutilated. As always, God will answer the desperate call of His people in their times of need. True to His character, God answered Samson’s prayer. So, we read in Judges 15:19 that “God split the hollow place that is in Lehi so that water came out of it.” Samson then drank of the water and was refreshed. He named the place En-hakkkore.

This scene in his life reminds us that we need the Lord to provide us with the fresh refreshing water of life ever so often. We are grateful for the Holy Spirit whom God has given to us. He is God’s refreshing stream for our journey in life. Remember what Jesus said in John 7:37-38? He said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” John explained in verse 39 that Jesus “…spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive….” Praise God for this wonderful provision of the Holy Spirit! This scene also reminds us that when we feel drained of energy and on the verge of giving up altogether, we can always turn to our dependable God.

Hear the refreshing words of Anne J. Flint from her hymn, “He giveth more grace,” which she had written. She said:

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

We can always count on God! Let’s draw near to Him confidently!

Judges 15:9-17 - We are better off working as team

Samson was the target of the Philistines who wanted him captured and dead. So, they launched an attack on the Israelites. Meanwhile, the people of Judah wanted to live peacefully. They had no wish to rile the Philistines who were their oppressors. Hence, they did not do anything to give the Philistines any reason to trouble them. Therefore, they were surprised that these oppressors would come up to them in Judah. Having checked with them the reason for their incursion, they agreed to collaborate with them to hand Samson over to them. Thus, three thousand men of Judah came to Samson in the cave of Etam, where Samson had hidden. They pointedly questioned him, “Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?”  

These questions reveal how fearful and wary of the Philistines the people of Judah were. They were almost blaming Samson for creating what they deemed as an untenable situation. This attitude of the people of Judah had made it difficult even if Samson had the wisdom to organize them into a fighting force. Samson was probably too self-absorbed to think out of the box. He insisted that he only did to the Philistines what they had done to him. His prime motive was to seek personal vengeance for what they had done to him. From his response, we surmise that he had not fully grasped his calling as a deliverer of Israel. Hence, he did not make any effort to motivate, challenge or garner the people of Judah to come against their oppressors. A wise leader would have done that.

Any wise leader would have realized that there is a limitation if he were to do the work all by himself. The situation that Samson and the people of Judah were in, made for a perfect moment to stir up the commitment of the people and get them involved in the battle. But Samson was too self-absorbed. He could only see his own hurt. And that had dulled his wisdom and he was unable see beyond his own hurt. Haven’t we all been in this situation before? We are too hurt and could only focus on ourselves rather than see the larger plan of God. Samson could possibly have accomplished much more if he had wisely motivated the people.         

The people of Judah were equally self-centred. They were only thinking of their safety and did not care what would happen to Samson, who was one of their own. They were willing to pay any price to be free from the harassment of the Philistines even at the expense of sacrificing one of their own people. Samson made them pledge not to kill him themselves before he allowed them to bind him and deliver him into the hand of the Philistines. To the people of Judah, Samson would face certain death but it didn’t bother them so long as they were spared. How selfish can they be? So they tied Samson up with new ropes and brought him from the cave in Etam and handed him to the Philistines.

When the Philistines saw Samson bound and led to the camp in Lehi they shouted triumphantly. But God had another plan for his people. Even though the people of Judah had Samson bound and led to the Philistines, verse 14 said that the Spirit of the LORD came upon Samson and he was endued with unusual power and strength. In an instant, he had the new ropes snapped as if they were just charred flax. He picked up a new jawbone of a donkey from the ground and with it he slaughtered a thousand Philistines. Triumphantly, Samson then celebrated his victory saying:

“With the jawbone of a donkey,
Heaps upon heaps,
With the jawbone of a donkey
I have killed a thousand men.”

Samson, as well as the people of Judah was too self-absorbed. They all had a common enemy but their self-absorption had caused them to miss the opportunity to co-labour together as a unit. If they had worked as a team, they would have certainly leveraged on each other’s strength. And this is what God wants His people to do. When we leverage on each other’s strength, we will advance the work of God more rapidly. We must collaborate for His glory. Unity is strength! 

Judges 15:1–8 – Let’s learn to serve God with honor

In Judges 14, we saw how Samson stormed off in anger when he realized that his wife had betrayed him and gave the answer to the wedding guests. In anger, Samson went and killed thirty Philistines stripped them off their garments and brought and gave them to the wedding guests who could answer his riddle. The last verse of Judges 14 said that his father-in-law had given his wife to his best man in marriage. This was carried out without the knowledge of Samson. With the passing of time, soon his anger subsided.

During wheat harvest, a time of celebration, he brought a goat to visit his wife in Timnah. He came seeking to be reconciled with her but was unaware that she was already given in marriage to his best man. At this time, his wife was still staying with her father. And as Samson sought to enter her room, his father-in-law prevented him and told him that when he stomped off in anger, he thought he hated her for betraying him. He presumed that Samson would not want to have anything to do with her. So, he had given Samson’s wife to his best man in marriage.

Obviously, Samson’s anger was rekindled. To placate him, the father-in-law offered his younger daughter in marriage. The father-in-law considered his younger daughter to be more beautiful than her sister. But Samson’s anger was unassuaged. He again stomped off the house in anger, warning them that now he had every right to seek vengeance. He said to them “This time I shall be blameless in regard to the Philistines when I do them harm.”  So, Samson went out and caught three hundred foxes. He then tied up the tails of the foxes by two, each pair with a burning torch. The terrified foxes with their torches then scurried off into the fields of the Philistines, destroying a great portion of their fields as well as the grains.

When the Philistines realized that it was Samson who had done this to their properties, and the reason why he did it, they came and torched his father-in-law and wife. Unwittingly, they had just provided Samson with another reason for attacking them. Not much detail was given as to how Samson dealt with them. Suffice to say that he struck them ruthlessly and a great slaughter happened. Samson then went and lived in the cleft of the rock of Etam.   

The Lord had allowed all these to take place. How do we know? Judges 14:4 tells us that “… it was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines.” Hence all that had taken place tell us that God will use human instrument to further His purpose despite their weaknesses. It points us to God’s faithfulness to advance His own agenda. We thank God that He will use anyone, even weak vessels. But this is not an excuse for us to live life flippantly. We must seek to live life rightly and be used to advance God’s purpose without sinning. And the Lord Jesus had shown us how we should live and serve God. Let’s follow Him! 

Judges 14: 19-20 – The trouble with being unequally yoked

Feeling cheated, Samson stormed out of the wedding feast. How could his wife, who should have stood by his side, betray him? But this was the way that God had begun to work out His plan through him. Had it not been the unfairness that was dished out to him by his wife and the wedding guests he would have remained passive concerning his calling as a deliverer of Israel. This betrayal stirred him to fulfil his destiny. It was clearly goaded by the Spirit of God for verse 19 tells us that the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him. Concerning ourselves, we can either choose to step into our calling minus the heartaches, or wait for a disappointing event to stir us into action. The choice is ours to make.    

Consumed with the Spirit of the Lord for the second time, Samson arose and went down to Ashkelon, still burning with anger and smothering with resentment. There his anger shot through him and he killed thirty Philistines and stripped them of their garments. Having done so he brought the garments to Timnah and give them to the wedding guests who had solved his riddle. The way Samson went about this deliverance was unusual. It was messy alright. Samson must have thought that when he had fulfilled his part of the bargain everything would return to normal. Apparently, it was not to be so. The plot thickened while he was away gathering the garments for losing his challenge with the Philistines. His parents-in-law unconscionably gave his wife to his best man while he was away. It was a huge slap on his face. This was another trigger point that would soon get him on his second round of thrashing the Philistines.

How could they do that to him? That was unconscionable. It was more than what Samson had bargained for. But then what could one expect when dealing with people whose conscience is sheared? In life, we must learn not to raise our expectation and hope too high when dealing with people who are not in the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 6:14-15, Paul cautioned us about dealing with such people. He said, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?” Remember that we are bought with a price, whether it be business or marriage we must heed the word of God and act cautiously. This will save us untold sorrow. Be wise. It is better to be safe rather than sorry. God’s word will always come to pass!

Judges 14:12-18 – Beware of the danger of being prideful

The weeklong celebration began with the wedding guests whom the bride’s family invited. At the feast, Samson sought to impress those guests. He issued a challenge to them. Samson proposed that they solve a riddle which he would give them. And to the one who could solve his riddle, he promised to give thirty changes of garments including the underwear. However, if in seven days they could not solve his riddle, they must give him similar changes of garments in return. It appears that the guest did not think very highly of Samson. For without hesitation they accepted his challenge. Samson then issued the riddle based on what he had experienced while coming to arrange the marriage. He reckoned that none would be able to solve the riddle for till now he had not told a single person about his feat of killing the young lion. Neither did he tell anyone that he had eaten the honey from the carcass of the lion. He was so cocksure that none of the guests would be able to guess the riddle. So, he said:   

“Out of the eater came something to eat,

And out of the strong came something sweet.”

By the middle of the week, they still could not figure out the answer to Samson’s riddle. Thus, they approached his bride on the fourth day and threatened to burn her and her parents’ house if she did not help them to find the answer from Samson by the deadline. They were bent on winning the challenge. They were not willing to lose to Samson and ended up giving in to his demands. So they pressured his wife. Thus she came to Samson with tears and accused him of not truly loving her. In fact, she accused him of hating her and not trusting her with the secret to the riddle which he challenged the guests to solve. Samson’s initial response was why should he tell her the answer when he had kept it from his parents. In his mind, he reasoned thus: why should he tell her when he had hardly known her and he had not told even his parents whom he had known all his life? But his wife was not ready to give up so easily. She continued to plead with him and soon his persistence wore thin and he caved in to her pressure. And on the seventh day, he revealed the answer to her. And she quickly relayed it to the wedding guests.  

Before sunset on the seventh day of the challenge, the guests came and answered his riddle with two questions. They asked him, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” Straightaway, Samson knew that his wife had given them the answer. He stormed out of the place saying that “If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.” Proverbs 16:18 reminds us that, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” It will do us well to remember this. Samson was too careless and he allowed arrogance and pride to mark his life. As a result, he had to pay dearly. We must guard our life at all times. For one unguarded moment can affect our life adversely. So, we must be watchful and circumspect in our conduct!

Judges 14:8-11 – Keeping our cutting edge intact

On the day that Samson tore the lion, he did expect to see a swarm of bees that would build a hive and produce honey within the carcass of that dead animal. So, on his third trip to Timnah to claim his bride, he came across the carcass of the lion that he had earlier tore with his bare hands. And he found honey in its carcass. Impulsively, he scooped up the honey with those bare hands that he had killed the lion with and ate the honey and he walked on. When he caught up with his parents, he also gave some to them and they ate it as well. Unfortunately, Samson did not tell his parents about it. He kept the secret of where he had obtained the honey from them.

Why go through these details? Well, it’s because in so doing Samson had just broken a Nazirite vow required of him to keep. One of the three Nazirite vows said that he should not touch or eat anything unclean. In touching the carcass of the lion and eating the honey he had just violated the Nazirite vow. It states that he should not eat anything unclean. We supposed his parents must have told him of the circumstances surrounding his birth and about the Nazirite vows he was to keep. Unfortunately, Samson did not take the pain to observe them.

Verse 10 tells us that Manoah was the one who went to that Philistine beauty whom Samson was so besotted with to arrange the marriage. Meanwhile, this verse also suggests that Samson would soon break another of the Nazirite vows. He threw a bachelors’ party as it was customary for young people to do so. The bride’s family brought together thirty companions to be with him for this weeklong celebration. It was a last bash to celebrate the coming end of his singlehood. And in this celebration, a drinking binge where wine would flow excessively. In indulging in this party, Samson would have broken another Nazirite vow for he must have consumed wine excessively.

     

The fact that he did not take care to observe the vows required of him just goes to show that he had either taken the things of God lightly or that he just couldn't care about what the Lord has stipulated. Whatever his attitude might be, they just revealed his nonchalance. People who want to be used of the Lord cannot afford to be nonchalant about things required of them that will affect their effectiveness in the ministry. Let’s be sure to do whatever requires of us to keep the cutting edge in the ministry intact. Unlike Samson, we must do whatever is required of us to never take the anointing of God for granted. We must be sure to take care of little details that can hinder our effectiveness. Do be attentive to the little detail of life and be sure to keep our connection to God unhindered. This will do us well!   

Judges 14:5-7 – The power of the Holy Spirit and effective living

In Judges 14, we are told that Samson took several trips to the territory of the Philistines. In his first trip, he saw a Philistine beauty and fell in love with her at first sight, well sort of. Despite his parents’ dissuasion, he insisted on marrying her. He insisted that his parents should arrange for him to marry her. The parents then acceded and pandered to his unfettered desire. So, in verses 5-7, we see them taking a trip with Samson to the Philistine territory. This would be the second time Samson went to Timnah.  While we thank God for loving parents, but as parents, we need to discern what’s best for our children and bravely deny them from walking in the wrong path. Loving our children is one thing but loving doesn’t mean we must pander to all their desires, especially the wrong ones. Our children, when they are young, need to be taught and grounded in the godly foundation. To do so, we may need to restrict and not accede to their request even when they insist. Here perhaps is where Manoah and his wife had faltered. So, they went with Samson on his second trip to Timnah to negotiate his marriage.    

While on this trip, there was a moment where he and his parents separated. And verse 5 tells us that during this time, he encountered a young lion which attacked him. Samson found unusual power and killed the lion with his bare hands. The author made it clear that it was because the Spirit of the LORD came upon Him. In the Old Testament, the Spirit would only come upon a vessel to enable him to do a certain task. But in the New Testament, we thank God that Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to be in and with us. Praise God that on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent and since then all of us, the followers of Christ, have excess to the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. This same Spirit will empower us to do the work of God.

With the enabling of the Spirit, Samson was able to tear up the lion with little effort. Just imagine what we, the people of God, will be capable of too when we learn to rely on the power of the Spirit of God. However, this incident, we shall see, had set him up to break the Nazirite vows later. Having killed the lion, Samson kept what he had done a secret and did not even tell his parents about it. So, they proceeded with the marriage negotiation and verse 7 indicates that Samson was truly besotted with that Philistine beauty.  

We thank God that unlike Samson, the Holy Spirit of God is available to all of us today, the followers of Christ. Jesus said that He would be with us and will guide us into all truth. We need this Holy Spirit today more than ever. If we want to lay hold of the purpose of God in our life, we need Him. He will certainly help us to make a difference in our ministry. As Paul had exhorted the early Christians in Ephesians 5:18, let us also seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit daily. We need Him!  

Judges 14:1-4 – What kind of vessel are we?

Judges 13 concludes in verse 25 saying that the Spirit of the LORD began to stir Samson in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. Reading this verse would raise our expectation of meeting a very distinguished vessel that God had raised for great exploitations. We must not be mistaken. God’s choice of Samson as a vessel to deliver His people was undeniable. But the image we have of him as a clear thinker, a sensible vessel would be dashed. Having a great credential would certainly be an advantage if we want to serve God. But the vessel he uses need not necessarily be one with a great credential.  

Samson, as Charles Swindoll once described him, was a “he-man” but a “she-weakness.” He was a wilfully carnal man who was not only weak with women but also one with unrestrained anger. Samson was a very different person from what many minds would have conceived him to be. The story of his failing life only goes to point us to God’s faithfulness. The failings of man can never thwart the plan of our righteous, faithful God. Although we had wished that Samson was a very different person, yet it is clear that he was God’s design to deliver his people from the Philistine’s oppression. God uses Samson in spite of his moral failings. That is the wonders of God’s grace. Through this most unlikely servant, God accomplished His purpose of alleviating His people from oppression.  

Judges 14 describes for us the numbers of trips Samson made to the Philistine’s territory. Described in verses 1-4 was the first trip he made. Verse 1 said that “Then Samson went down to Timnah….” While he was there, he was attracted to a Philistine woman whom he saw. When he returned home, he insisted that his parents arrange for him to marry her. Marrying a foreigner would be a clear violation of the covenant agreement required of the Israelites. Manoah and his wife were unable to dissuade this wilful son. They reasoned with him asking “Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” His emotion had got the better of him. His attraction to the woman prevailed over the wisdom of his parents. So, he insisted. Here caution is in order. The lust of the flesh is more lethal than we know. It has been the downfall of many and will continue to be. It pays for us to be alert for lust can come knocking at our heart’s door anytime. Especially when we are unguarded and disappointed. We must take time to solidify our relationship with God so that we will not pander to lust when it comes calling.  

The heartening truth is found in verse 4. We are told that God’s providence was at work. Though Samson and his parents were unaware, God was looking to inflict the Philistines. The Israelites were greatly oppressed by them and they were too crushed and discouraged. God raised Samson to help them deal with the Philistines. The catalyst that had Samson going was the ill-treatment he had at the hand of the Philistines. The attraction to the Philistine's woman was the distasteful start of Samson’s journey as Israel’s deliverer.

Thankfully, God uses men despite their weakness. And nothing can frustrate His purpose. The truth is that God is faithful and gracious. It is this that should drive us to serve Him with our very best and not with our worst. With His help, we must seek to be at our very best so that His plan can be accomplished with greater honour and glory. Amen! 

Judges 13:21-25 – Being a vessel God can count on

The angel of the Lord disappeared with the flame that arose from the sacrifice which Manoah offered. Judges 12:21 said that he did not appear again to Manoah nor his wife. It was then that it dawned on Manoah that the angel was no ordinary being. He realized that the angel whom he had been conversing with, came to him representing Jehovah. It was then that his heart was seized with fear and he panicked. He thought he and his wife would be stricken since they had seen the Lord. However, we could see from this episode that though his wife was less spiritual than him, she was calmer and more rational. She reasoned that had God wanted to take their lives they would be long gone. Besides, the sacrifice offered was consumed by God. And there was also the word that was given to her that she would soon conceive and bear a son. What about the Nazirite vows she was to keep on her son’s behalf? What about the instruction that she herself was to abstain from wine and uncleaned things that her son was to keep? On several occasions in this book of the Judges, we have seen how God chose to use women as His instrument. Hence it should not surprise us to read of the calmness of Manoah’s wife. God is not a respecter of gender. He uses men and he will also use women. The issue is not in the gender of the person whom God uses, but the availability and sensitivity of that person whom He has chosen to use.  

When God speaks and gives a word, what He has said will always come to pass. So true to the word of the angel of Jehovah, Manoah’s wife conceived and gave birth to Samson. With the birth of this deliverer, there arose a new hope for the people of Israel. Nothing was said of Samson’s childhood here. But briefly verse 24 tells us that Samson grew and was blessed of the Lord. Then we are told of his empowerment in Mahaneh-dan that was located between Zorah and Eshtaol. The name of this place which was located in Judah simply means the camp of Dan. It was the Spirit of the Lord that came upon Samson and granted him the unusual strength to accomplish great exploits. The things we have heard about Samson would have probably coloured our thinking about him. Question about his suitability to be God’s instrument of deliverance must have crossed our mind. Yet we must not let our prior knowledge of Samson prevent us from learning what God wants to speak to us through his life. Before we dive in and discover more about Samson, let’s be reminded of one important lesson. Our calling is one thing, but being sure that we do not become a useless vessel is quite another. It is great to know that God has placed a calling upon our life to do His bidding, but it is far more important to stay ready and prepared. It is needful that we constantly develop our life and calling. We want to be in our best spiritual condition to be the conduit of His power when He comes calling upon us.     

Judges 13:15-20 – God wants our total trust

Manoah was still not aware that he was talking to the angel of the LORD. Even up to this point, he thought he was dealing with a prophet. This suggests to us that the angel took on a human form. No wonder the author of the book of Hebrews bits of advice to the early believers was for them to practice hospitality. For in so doing, they could unknowingly be entertaining angels. That also accounts for why Manoah could remain so calm. Had he known that he was dealing with an angel, his approach would be entirely different. Thinking that the angel was a prophet, Manoah wanted to show hospitality. So, he invited the angel to a meal. Verse 16 was how the angel responded: “Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.” He was gently pointing Manoah to Jehovah instead. That was a clue to him that he was not dealing with a man.

At this point, Manoah should have an inkling that he was dealing with more than a prophet. Since what he wanted was for Manoah to make an offering to Jehovah. But that hint totally missed him. So, he proceeded to ask for the name of the angel, who did not answer his question. The reason Manoah wanted to know the name of the angel was an indication that he still entertained some doubt in what he was told. Under the pretext that he wanted to honour the angel should what he had been foretold come to pass, he asked for his name. The angel’s reply was a gentle rebuke to him for his doubt. So, Manoah took the goat and some grain and sacrificed a burnt offering to the LORD on a rock as a makeshift altar. When the flame of the offering ascended, the angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame and disappeared before the eyes of Manoah and his wife. Immediately, they fell on their face in reverential awe and fear and were fully convinced.

The way the angel responded to the quiz of Manoah suggests to us that there are mysteries of God that we need time to understand. Even if we were told there and then it would be hard to comprehend. It pays to be careful but we must not let our cautiousness prevent us from exercising faith in following the revelation of God. He will often show us some initial steps, and only as we obey and take action on what had been instructed than more revelation will follow. In divine guidance, we have to exercise faith. We can afford to err in making a sincere attempt to obey God rather than remain faithless and err not acting at God’s initiation. God doesn’t reveal everything all at once. He takes us through life step by step. When we have obeyed than the next step we need to take will be revealed. Trust in God must be explicit!

Judges 13:8-14 –Collaborating with God

Manoah, Samson’s father believed his wife when she narrated to him about her encounter with the angel of the LORD. He, however, did not know that the person who spoke to his wife was an angel of the LORD. In his mind, he thought that he was a prophet whom God had sent. His response to what his wife told him suggests that he believed what his wife had said. He wanted to be sure to do the right thing for the boy whom the angel foretold would be born to him and his wife. So, he prayed to God saying, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born.” His prayer revealed what kind of a man he was. He was one who wanted to do what’s right. That’s a great attitude to have. We must always ensure that the plan God has given us is rightly executed. And there’s no better way than to seek to know it from the Lord Himself.

Here in Judges 13:8-14, we can also see that Manoah was a cautious man. He was probably one of the few who still held his faith in Jehovah God. In the context of a decaying society where most people were running after the native gods of the land, he had to be sure to do the right thing. He probably wanted to confirm for himself that what his wife had experienced was truly from God. This is what a husband must do. A husband must trust his wife but he must also take steps to affirm that both he and his wife would be working in sync in the plan of God.  

Verse 9 says God listened to the voice of Manoah. In other words, God heard his prayer. That speaks a lot. God wants to hear our prayer. We can be sure that when our heart is in the right place and our attitude’s right, He will hasten to hear our voice. So, in answer to his prayer, the same angel of the LORD came again to his wife while she was sitting alone in the field. She then quickly left and fetch Manoah who dropped everything and hurried with his wife to meet the angel. Notice that Manoah first verified that the angel was the same person who had appeared to his wife and told her of the son that she would soon bear. He wanted to know how the boy should live and what would be his role in God’s plan. The angel of the LORD’s response was that his wife must do all that was revealed to her earlier. She must begin to ensure that she herself should not take any wine or strong drink or to eat any unclean thing and to observe all that was told her. If God’s work is to be accomplished, obedience is critical. It is one thing to know what God wants to be done, but quite another to see it through. God wants to use us in His work. We need to know the part we must fit in. And once we know the role expected of us, we must stay true to the task to see it through. Remember, knowing God’s plan is just one part of the equation, seeing it through is just as important. So, be sure to see through a task. Do it wholeheartedly and obeying all the instructions.

Judges 13:1-7 – It is God who qualifies our call

The people of Israel not only faced the oppression of the Ammonites but they were also oppressed by the Philistines. Jephthah was able to deliver them from the Ammonites in the area west of Jordan, they still had the Philistines who were troubling them in the other areas. Verse 1 made it clear it was the Lord who had allowed the Philistines to trouble them. The nuisance they had from the Philistines was as long as forty years. That’s because God had to deal with their waywardness. Israel only had occasional reliefs from the oppression of the Philistines through the hand of Samson, who judged them for twenty years. Samson was unlike Gideon or Jephthah. He was not a military man, but he had great strength. It was through the unusual strength that he wreaked havoc in the camp of the enemy.

Samson was set apart for the work of a deliverer by God before he was born. His family came from the tribe of Dan. Hence, he was a Danite. He was the only deliverer of Israel that God took time to talk about his birth. His mother’s name was not given but we are told that his father was Manoah from Zorah. However, we know that his mother was barren and had no child. Hence her ability to conceive Samson was divinely ordained. It was the Lord who had opened his mother’s womb so that Samson could be conceived. Besides, his birth was also announced by the angel of the LORD. And in his mother’s womb, he was already consecrated for the service of the LORD. Samson was called to be a Nazirite who had to fulfil three vows. Firstly, he was not to drink any wine or strong drink. Secondly, he was not to touch any unclean thing. Thirdly, no razor should come upon his head. And Samson broke all three of them. For while he was a “he-man” unfortunately, he was a “she-weakness.” It was his weakness for women that spelt his downfall. He succumbed to his emotional desire for women far too easily. Very little is said about his closeness to the people of Israel. In fact, he socialized a lot more with the Philistines. The life of Samson tells us that God uses vessels in spite of their weakness. We should take courage, we need not be hindered by our past. For despite our pass, God can still use us. All we need is to consecrate ourselves to Him.

This was now close to one hundred years since the Lord appeared to Gideon. Samson’s mother had the privilege of an angelic visitation to announce Samson’s coming. While Samson’s father’s name was mentioned, his mother’s name was not given. This tells us that we need not be somebody great before God would use us. In fact, every person, no matter how ordinary he or she may be, that person is a potential candidate for God’s greatness. The ordinariness of Samson’s mother tells us that God can work through anonymity. In our weakness, He is our strength. The great news about serving God is that our calling is qualified by Him. It is God who qualifies our call and not our credential. And our most effective ministry is when we are totally yielded to Him.  

Judges 12:8-15 – Don’t lose sight of whose we are

The rule of Jephthah was short and he died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. After his departure, Judges 12:8-15 describe for us the reign of three relatively unknown judges. They were Ibzan, Elon and Abdon. Not much has been said of them but the things that are revealed about them are intended to show us how badly the office of the judge had worsened. Since Gideon had faded off the scene there was no mention of the God- given rest they enjoyed in the reign of the earlier judges. These three judges which we are about to deliberate probably were judging their respective tribes simultaneously. Meanwhile, we see that they were being harassed by the Philistines.

Verses 8-10 narrate for us the short reign of Ibzan of Bethlehem. He had thirty sons and also thirty daughters. This is an indication that he, like Jephthah, had many wives. He allowed his sons to marry women from outside of their community. He also gave his daughters in marriage to the people other than the Israelites. The intermarriages he allowed violated God’s instruction for them to remain separated from the people of Canaan. He had inevitably opened the way for ungodly influences to infiltrate the community. After serving the tribe of Zebulun for seven years, Ibzan died and was buried in his hometown.  

Elon’s rule as a judge is described in verses 11-12. All that is said about him was that he came from the tribe of Zebulun and he led for ten years. There was nothing much that he had accomplished. He was a leader who came to occupy the position and had a name but he had done no great exploit for the people. In verses 13-15, we learn about Addon, another lesser-known judge. He was referred to as the Pirathonite, meaning he hailed from the city known as Pirathon. Verse 15 tells us this city was located “…in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.” The blatant flaw in his life is suggested by verse 14 that describes him as having “forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys.” Since he was from Ephraim, his judgeship could be seen as restoring a little shine to his tribe. Remember how his tribe was humiliated by Jephthah and the people of Gilead. He only led for eight years and died.

The stories of these three judges tell us how needful it is for God’s leaders and His people to stay mindful of whose they are. When we lose sight of God, we tend to live life without considering Him. When that happens, we become insensitive to Him and live a life that's less than what He has intended for us to have. Let us never lose sight of whose we are and that we must live in ways that will honour God. 

Judges 12:1-7 – Don’t let pride come in the way

The Ephraimites were late in their response to the summon that Jephthah had made for assistance in the battle against the Ammonites. When they arrived, he had already gone ahead into battle and returned having secured the victory. So, the Ephraimites were upset and rebuked him for going ahead into the battle without them. They even threatened to burn his house because their pride was hurt. All of us need to learn to handle our bruised ego. If we don’t, they would cause us to engage in needless strife. The Ephraimites should have been more reasonable and understand that they were not side-lined. It was, in fact, their fault for not arriving on time. Furthermore, the matter at hand was urgent and needed to be attended to swiftly. If only they had refused to take offence, their conflict with Jephthah would have been avoided. 

Jephthah tried to explain to them the situation. He and the people who had already gathered for battle held on as long as they could for their arrival. The people who had arrived were already raring to go. The Ephraimites seemed to be delayed. Besides, Jephthah also misinterpreted the situation. He concluded that the Ephraimites were reluctant to help. Meanwhile, the situation demanded that they took immediate action. Hence, with whoever that he had already mustered, he went into battle with the Ammonites. And with the help of God, Jephthah and the Gileadites were able to secure the victory over the Ammonites. He did not have any intention to sideline the Ephraimites and he felt that they on their side shouldn’t have shown such hostility.

What was worst was the insult the Ephraimites threw at the Gileadites. They cast a slur saying that they had no right to go and fight the Ammonites without them. For they were such a small group of people in comparison with them. The Gileadites were a small group of people who were located between the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. So, how dare they went ahead without waiting for the arrival of the Ephraimites. Provoked by the insult, the people of Gilead willingly joined Jephthah and went against them. In the battle, Jephthah and the Gileadites captured the ford of the Jordan that was located just opposite where the tribe of Ephraim was. So, in order to prevent any Ephraimite from crossing over, a person crossing the ford was required to give a password. The word was “shibboleth” which the Ephraimites found it hard to pronounce. They couldn’t pronounce the sound of “Sh.” So, instead, of "Shibboleth" they would say “sibboleth.” Thus they would give away their identity and be captured and killed. In that conflict alone, verse 6 tells us that 42,000 Ephraimites were slaughtered in this needless civil war. In all, Jephthah only judged the people Israel for a short six years. He died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. 

Lessons to take away: firstly, we should learn not to take offence. When we are not included in any venture, it does not mean that we will not have the opportunity for a future project. Secondly, we must not operate with a bruised ego. When we operate with hurt pride, we tend to be irrational and read into a situation, intentions that were not there in the first place. Thirdly, we must learn to arrive on time for any project we are participating in. This is important to prevent needless misunderstanding. Being late will give the wrong signal that we are not interested in the venture. In God’s work, timing, understanding and humility are essential. Let’s be helpful participants and not be a stumbling block to the plan of advancing God’s Kingdom.

Judges 11:29-40 – Be careful in making vows

Although Jephthah was appointed a leader by the people, He was equipped by God to fulfil his role as a judge and deliver. In Judges 11:29, We are told that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. This suggests that God endorsed his appointment as a leader. Empowered by the Spirit, the first thing Jephthah did was to march through Gilead and Manasseh.  Perhaps he was trying to organize his forces. After the tour, he came to Mizpah. There he took the initiative and went out to face the Ammonites. Verses 30-31 narrate for us one hasty move which he made. He made a rash vow to the Lord. He said, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” 

The vow he made to the LORD was needless. The Lord did not require him to make that vow. But once a vow is made, he was snared by his own words. He had to fulfil them. What Jephthah did, help us to understand why Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes 5:2: He does not want us to make a hasty vow to God. Through Solomon God instructs us saying, “Do not be hasty in word or be impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore, let your words be few.” Why? Ecclesiastes 5:4, gives us the reason “When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!”

Judges 11:32-33 narrate for us the victory he secured for the people of Israel. The LORD Jehovah gave the Ammonites into his hand. He managed to make a huge slaughter and he was able to capture twenty cities from the Ammonites, who were subdued. Jephthah then returned home to Mizpah. As soon as he reached home, his only child, a daughter, came out to greet him with a tambourine and dancing, in celebration of his victory. He did not expect his daughter to be the first to come out and greet him. So, when he saw her dancing and greeting him, his heart must have sunk. From his face, his daughter must have seen how shocked and speechless he was. We can imagine his daughter asking him why was he so dumbfounded? Although Jephthah was a man with many flaws, he had integrity. He knew he had to keep the vow he had made to the Lord. Quickly, he then explained to his daughter saying: “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.”

Bravely, his daughter accepted everything the father did. She was prepared to help her father keep his words to the LORD. But she requested for two months to go to the mountain and mourn her virginity with her friends. Her father granted her the request. When she returned, we are told that she had no relation with a man. In other words, she lived the life of a celibate. The great question we ask is: was the vow Jephthah made meant that she had to be sacrificed as a burnt offering to the LORD? We know that the Bible had clearly condemned human sacrifice so it would be unlikely that Jephthah sacrificed her that way. Perhaps the clue could be found in these words in verse 39 that said, “… she had no relations with a man.” The fact that she kept herself a virgin and did not have any relationship with a man may be indicative that that was the fulfilment of the sacrifice Jephthah had made to the Lord. We are not certain. But the latter would be more acceptable. Nonetheless, the lesson for us to take away is that we must not make a hasty vow to the Lord. And that we are obliged to keep our vows. Concerning making vows, in Matthew 5:34-37, the Lord Jesus tells us what we ought and ought not to do. His words are: “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.”

Judges 11:12-28 – Taking hold of life with the help of God

When Jephthah took the lead, he first tried to approach the Ammonites through diplomatic negotiation. He sent representatives to check with the Ammonites wanting to know why they came up against the Israelites. The king of Amon accused the Israelites saying, “Because Israel took away my land when they came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan….” He then demanded that the land be returned to them peacefully.

Jephthah then sent a second group of representatives to them and explained to the king how the land became theirs. He first gave them the historical fact about how the land fell into their hands. When they came out of Egypt, they wanted to peacefully pass through the land of Edon. So they sought permission to pass through the land of Edom but was turned down the same took place at Moab. They also sought permission from the king of Moab to let them pass through their territory but was turned down again. So, they skirted both Edom and Moab and came and came to Arnon which was controlled by the Amorites.  They sought permission from the king of Sihon and the Amorites, who were in control of the land to let them pass through their territory. Again, they were turned down. And King Sihon went even further. He assembled his armies and came up against the people of Israel. It was then that the Jehovah the LORD gave Sihon and his people into the hand of the Israelites.  This was how Israel came to possess the land of the Amorites which the king Ammon now wanted them to return.

In verses 1 23-24, Jephthah went further by citing the theological reason from how the land became theirs. It was Jehovah the LORD who had driven the Amorites and given them the land how could they now not claim for themselves. If Chemosh, their god could give them the land, why then couldn’t Israel have the land that the LORD Jehovah gave to them.  In verses, 25-26 Jephthah cited the third reason. He said that even Barak the king of Moab never claimed the right to the land to the land in the days of Moses. Neither did the king of Ammon ever wrangled concerning Israel’s claim to the land in the 300 years they had lived there.   

As far as Jephthah was concerned, Israel did not sin against the Ammon. It must be left to Jehovah God to determine who should have the land. Since the king of the Ammonites could not accept and settle peacefully, a war was anticipated. It shows us here that though the Lord had given them the land, they needed to stake their ultimate claim. For the enemy would not give up the land so readily. Isn’t this the same as Christian life? God has given us the right to possess out being. Our life is God’s promised land to us. We still need to deal with the negative forces of life such as anger, lust, jealousy, rage and, etc. We need to incrementally control those areas with the help of God until we control our whole being for His glory.  

Judges 10:17-11:11 – Godly leaders needed

Leadership matters in the work of God. Good leadership will help to advance the purposes and plan of God. It will help to galvanize the people and unite them to fulfil a God-given goal and objective. Leadership is certainly needed if a group of people seek to advance in their mission. What sort of people should we have to lead in any ministry? The life of Jephthah shows us how important it is to select the right leader.

Israel was now in conflict within the Transjordanian area with the Ammonites. The enemy had a great host camped in Gilead. The Israelites tried to block their advance at Mizpah. Their resistance appeared to have delayed the attack of the Ammonites. But among the people of Gilead, they could not find a suitable person to help them in defending their land. They were wondering who would be qualified for the task. We see them in a quandary asking, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” They were prepared to make anyone who was prepared to fight. Unlike all the other leaders, their leader was appointed by themselves.

Jephthah, a Gileadite was chosen to lead them in the battle. Though he was described as a valiant man, his social credential was not so honourable. Jephthah’s mother was a prostitute. Out of concern for the family inheritance, his brothers drove him out of the family. He ran away from his brothers and came to the land of Tob. There he gained acceptance by a group of people described as “worthless fellows.” They were outcasts of society. Jephthah was virtually the leader of a group of fugitives and brigands.  

When the battle with the Ammonites heated up and the Israelites needed someone to lead them, they sought Jephthah out to lead them. The had to eat humble pie in this time of emergency. Jephthah made them uncomfortable by asking them two questions. “Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?”  He was able to make them offer him the leadership. So, they said to him, “For this reason, we have now returned to you, that you may go with us and fight with the sons of Ammon and become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” The elders then made a solemn oath at Mizpah and installed him as the leader. Jephthah then assumed leadership.

Jephthah’s appointment was haphazard. He was offered the lead in time of crisis. The fact that he was leading a bunch of outlaws could be suggesting to us his questionable conduct and tainted his credibility to lead. We all know that godly and right leaders are critical to the advancement of God’s purpose. Not every Tom, Dick or Harry can fit the role. Good leaders must be carefully selected. After being selected, they need time to be groomed and develop. We see this clearly in Jesus’ choice of the Apostles. He prayed the whole night before he called the Twelve to be with Him. It was only after they had been with Him for a duration before He sent them out to do the work. They were proven and tested before they were commissioned. We must not be hasty in appointing a leader. Be selective. We must get the right man for the leadership role if we want to advance the cause of God. 

Judges 10:6-16 – The danger of forgetting God

Israel had degenerated badly. They have sunk to a new low. Verse 6 says that they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him. Just put yourself in God’s position for a while and imagine the hurt it must have caused Him. Here they were, after all the mighty deliverance they had experienced at the hand of God, they left him to serve other gods. It was bad enough for them to serve Baal and Ashtaroth, Baal’s female companion. Now they were even chasing after “the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines.” What was the cause of their problem? Forgetfulness. They were suffering a state of spiritual amnesia. And this will lead to unfaithfulness. Forgetfulness always manifests itself in ingratitude. Such was the situation of the Israelites. They had forgotten what God had done for them in the many years before. They had forgotten how he had delivered them with timely intervention now and again. So that angered God and He allowed them to be crushed by the Philistines and the Ammonites. For 18 years they suffered at the hands of these two groups of people. We are told that Israel was greatly distressed. Who would not?   

In their distress, they cried out to God in desperation. Here they confessed to the fact that they had forsaken the LORD and they had turned to serve Baal. The way God responded tells us that He could have detected their insincerity. Repentance before God must always be accompanied by sincerity. God can detect our insincerity very quickly. Repentance is a matter of the heart. When the heart is not radically changed, God cannot be moved. To make them realize how far they had fallen, God responded by recounting what He had done for them since He delivered them from Egypt. God asked them a very probing question: “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines?” He reminded them of how He had also delivered them, “… when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hands.” Then God followed up with this very sad statement, “Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods….” God was telling them how gracious He had been with them. No matter how many times they had hurt Him in the past, He overlooked them and came to their rescue when they called upon Him. As if to dig at them, God asked them why they did not call on the gods they so willingly served to come to their rescue, and test them out to see if they could do a thing for them. Deep in the hearts of the Israelites, they knew none of the gods could do a thing for them. For it was those gods that had caused them to suffer the displeasure of the LORD. So, they confessed their sins and abandon themselves to Him by removing all the foreign gods from among them. God was moved and verse 16 tells us that “He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.” In other words, God could no longer bear to see them suffer so miserably. What a great God!

To be grateful people, we must constantly recall what God has done for us. In the sea of voices and human experiences, we can be led to a point where we forget whose we are. We must always put at the forefront of our mind that He had redeemed us with a great price. We are called to serve Him only. We must be single-minded about serving only Him, regardless of how attractive the enticement of the world may be. Make Jesus’ reign over our lives a priority. Always be grateful and stay focused!  

Judges 10:1-5 – Build a life that will stand the test of time

The account of the reign of Gideon ended with the death of Abimelech, the son he had with his wife from Shechem. Gideon’s life started so splendidly but was unfortunately marred by several wrong moves. The mistakes he made included making an ephod out of the gold the people contributed to him and marrying one wife too many. Besides, he showed his hypocrisy when he named his son, Abimelech which means “my father is king.” This name revealed his hypocrisy. While he wanted to live like a king, yet he pretended to be uninterested when the rulership was offered to him. The three mistakes he made came to haunt him. His life reminds us to be careful about how we make decisions and conduct our lives. After the death of Abimelech, his son, there was an emergence of two relatively unknown deliverers namely, Tola and Jair.

Little is said of Tola except that he is the son of Puah, the son of Dodo. He hailed from the tribe of Issachar but lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. Perhaps this is by way of saying that he succeeded Abimelech’s leadership. And he led Israel for 23 years. In those years there was stability.  The phrase, “he arose to save Israel” suggests that he was able to help Israel from the calamitous impact of Abimelech’s leadership. He did what he could to manage the negative impact left by Abimelech on the people.  

Nothing much is also given concerning Jair. He came from Gilead, an area located beyond the Jordan. So he was known as a Gileadite. This was the region where he exercised his leadership as a judge. Verse 4 tells us that he had 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys. They probably administered the 30 cities in the land of Gilead. To have that number of sons suggests that he probably had many wives. The fact that his sons were made to administer the cities seems to tell us that he practised nepotism. In all, we are given the impression that his family had an extravagant lifestyle. He led the people for 23 years and when he died, he was buried in the place called Kamon. We can surmise from Jair and his sons’ lifestyle that deterioration had slowly seeped into the community. Trouble was brewing on a slow boil.  

The two judges were relatively unknown because not much was said about their exploits. The context of how they came to the scene was not fully given. We are not told of any oppression nor any distressing call of the Israelites. The people of God were not going through great turmoil. It was as if they were having an uneventful period. It is during a time like this that people tend to be complacent. What we can take away from these five verses is that we must not allow complacency to settle into our spiritual walk. In time of peace, we need to build, prepare and strengthen our spiritual muscle. We need to continue to stay connected to God and build our relationship with Him. A strengthened life will prepare us for what’s ahead of us and enable us to live a resplendent life for His glory.