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!
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