Judges 15:1-20
“Un-enjoyable Victory”
- Intro.
- Vs. 1-8 You light up my life
- Vs. 9-17 As they have done, so I did
- Vs. 18-20 Praying a complaint
Intro
As many of you know I’m a football fan of a losing team the “Cowboys”. I was reading an article that was trying to sum up why they are 1 and 4. The sportswriter quoted a player (Spears) who had played both for their current coach Wade Phillips as well as their former coach Bill Parcells and he made an interesting observation when he said, “Parcells made victory un-enjoyable while Phillips makes losing tolerable”. I think Samson fits both coaches, the victories he wins are not enjoyable but his personal loses become tolerable because at least the enemy is being statistically defeated but, in the end, neither satisfies! No one could call Samson a coward as he was never reluctant to engage his enemies in battle despite the odds against his success. The problem was not cowardice but rather self-centeredness as every battle was always about him and his perceived miss treatment. In Judges 13:5 we were told that Samson’s calling and purpose was to “begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” And although this was accomplished through Samson, I’m convinced that it was never his intent to do so. Samson does not put God’s calling first nor does he put his countries honor first, what should have been a God- given mission was reduced only to personal vendetta’s. It is because of this that we never see Samson rallying the troops to march against the enemy for God and country. Instead, he is a one-man army, fighting only for his own perceived rights. Yet with that said he was the only one of his kind: “A man with fighting passionately for personal freedom in the midst of a society committed to compromise”. It is in these two truths about Samson that we understand how he could be so morally compromised and yet be so powerfully used. Samson simply did the right things for all the wrong reasons! He teaches us that it is far more important for Christians to be wise in their calling and purpose than just powerful in their gifting! How different the life of Samson would have been if he would have first conquered himself before he conquered his enemies.
Vs. 1-8 You light up my life
Vs. 1-2 In 14:16 for seven days Samson and his father-in-law heard Samson’s wife say, “You only hate me! You don’t love me!” It seems as though Samson’s words and actions led his father-in-law to believe that the feeling was mutual. Samson was a runaway groom after his angry outburst in response to his bride’s manipulation and betrayal. But after some time he cools down and heads back down to Timnah to patch things up and consummate his marriage.
Now folks I’ve got to tell you that I’ve never heard of patching things up with your wife by giving her a young goat but maybe in that culture it was equivalent to a box of Chocolates and a dozen roses. I’m just saying that if I brought a young goat to my wife I would have a much better chance of sleeping with the goat then I would her.
At any rate Samson seems to be extremely naïve to assume that after this much time and no contact along with the way in which he left he could bring a gift and carry on as if nothing ever happened. But Samson has a surprise waiting for him at the doorway of her home; he is no longer a married man as his ex-father-in-law had the marriage annulled and his former bride has been given to his best man along with a suit that he lost in the bet. Oh but all is not lost as his ex’s father offers Samson a younger prettier model. What a dad, to offer his younger daughter to the “butcher of Ashkelon” as a bargaining chip. Col. 3:19 says “husbands must love your wives and never treat them harshly”. Saints take it from me: Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, be quick to say you’re sorry and you were wrong for what you said and the way you said it. If you want to rekindle the romance in the bedroom you will first have to put out the flames of the hurtful words and actions!
Vs. 3-5 Samson was not interested in a substitute bride and if they thought he had anger issues before they were about to see in triplet. Samson takes his anger out on the Philistines who he saw as the real enemy not the father or his ex as they had blackmailed his bride into betraying him. But his attack was aimed at not at their lives but rather at their wallet and based upon the passage was well thought out and planned.
- First we are told that this took place at the time of the wheat harvest which would have been late May, thus it would have meant maximum loss of profits.
- Second to capture 300 jackal (the word can mean fox or jackal) even though they travel in packs unlike foxes would have taken some time to accomplish.
- Finally to prepare 150 pairs living accelerant and then light them would have in its self been quite a task. (Samson apparently didn’t have to deal with P.E.T.A.).
Samson’s fire blockade was a bigger success than he planned as we are told that not only did it take out 300 jackals and the grain fields but the vineyards and olive groves as well.
Vs. 6-8 His revenge was personal but was tantamount to a declaration of war as he says in verse 3 “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.” It seems that he has realized that perhaps his brutality and mass murder of the Philistines at Ashkelon might have been a bit excessive but he felt justified and hitting their pocket books as their threats cost him financially.
It doesn’t seem as though Samson had anticipated the response of the Philistines as when he had killed 30 of them nothing seems to have happened but wiping them out fiscally brings about a much more different response since they can’t get their hands on Samson they set fire to his ex’s house burning them all alive. The irony of this is that the threat of burning Samson’s bride and her home by way of the 30 Philistine “friends” was what set things in motion to begin with. Have you ever noticed that the EVEN in “getting even” depends on whose perspective? Samson says, “Hey, I only took my revenge out on your pocketbooks” but you have taken it out on those I use to care about.” So now he vows to take it out on them personally and the phrase “hip and thigh” is a Hebrew proverbial expression for a cruel, unsparing slaughter. After the massacre Samson goes down to Ethan for a little R&R to wait to see what his enemy will do next.
Vs. 9-17 As they have done, so I did
Vs. 9-12a The Philistines had treated Samson as single enemy but after the carnage they realized that they need to eliminate him completely as apparently Samson couldn’t be intimidated. They are on peaceful terms with the rest of the Israelites and solicit the tribe of Judah in Samson’s capture. Samson had killed a good number of Philistines and Judah comes out in an army 3000 to capture Samson. The Judeans were so passive that they couldn’t imagine that the Philistines had any problem and wondered why they had gathered at Lehi. Their intent is to do to Samson as he had done to them and so the 3,000 men who were not willing to fight their oppressors were willing to turn one of their own countrymen to his capture and certain death. Three things stand out about these Judeans that depicts their spiritual condition:
- Vs. 10 They had assimilated into the Philistine nation instead of maintaining their own nationality. By their lack of understanding we can see the degree of their compromise. The nation was so passive that they were no longer a threat to the Philistine world view.
- Vs. 11 They had become not only complacent but compliant (“don’t you realize the Philistines rule over us”). Samson refusal to submit to his captors authority was and embarrassment instead of seeing him as a hero they saw him as a villain threatening their way of life.
- Vs. 12a They had compromised to such a level that they were now doing their enemies work for them. They not only weren’t willing to fight their battles as Samson was they were more than willing to fight their enemies battles for them. They had a man willing to do what they weren’t and 3000 men gathered to gather for a fight and all they were interested in was getting the one man to stop.
Vs. 12b-17 Samson treats his compromised brethren with great respect as he doesn’t resist their wishes and makes them promise not to take action upon him personally so as to not have to kill his own people. Samson is a lot of things but at least he doesn’t make the mistake of making the wrong people his enemy even to the point of being treated with disgrace.
Bound by two knew ropes and surrounded by 3,000 of his own countrymen Samson is brought right into the enemies stronghold as the Philistines shout of vicious victory rang out they rushed him in mob violence everyone wanting piece of him. It was in this moment of desperate need that the “Spirit of the Lord” rushed upon Samson and he snapped the new ropes like burnt treads and picked up the new jawbone of an ass for a little whipping! And in the hand of Samson that jawbone “did all the talking” in the end 1,000 Philistines found themselves on the wrong end of an ass. The weapon used would have been under the ban of the Nazirite vow and like so much of Samson is a contradiction. A great victory through a compromised instrument!
Samson had a way with words as in the Hebrew the word for donkey is “hamor” and the word for heap is “homer” so in baseball terms Samson had a “hamor” “homer”! one translation renders this: “With the jawbone of an ass I have piled them in a mass!” Yet was the Lord who took up the donkey in Samson. When Deborah had won victory, she burst forth in praise to God in chapter 5 but here in verse 17 Samson breaks forth in a chant of self-praise “I have slain 1,000 men”. But Samson wasn’t content to just write a little song about his greatness he was think of building a subdivision naming it “Jawbone Hill”.
Vs. 18-20 Praying a complaint
Vs. 18-20 It appears that Samson’s victory gave Israel 20 years of stability even though the Philistines still dominated them Samson gave them a glimmer of what life could be like if they didn’t compromise. This is one of only two places we hear Samson pray (other just prior to his death). It is obvious that after such a physical feat he was spent and need of refreshment but even in this he is a mixture of faith and self-centeredness as he acknowledges (albeit late) that it was the Lord who gave the deliverance by his hand, Samson even recognizes that he is God’s servant. If only he had stopped there but he continues on to complain and treat god as if He was Samson’s servant.
Samson’s prayer turns into a complaint, A simple, “Lord, I’m thirsty, please help me!” would have been fine! Samson hadn’t sought God for one thing he had done and fire in the fields and the brutal revenge upon his bride and her family indicate this. Of further interest is the fact that when Samson came back to his father for a bride Manoah warned him about marrying an uncircumcised Philistine but Samson ignored the warning but now he sees that what his father had warned him about was true. Here we see the man who hadn’t sought God and walked into horde of bloodthirsty men now complains that God isn’t giving him enough to drink. Samson again memorializes God’s faithfulness by naming the well after himself “the spring of the CALLER”.
Yet with all of Samson’s self-centeredness God’s loving kindness towards him stands all the brighter. God gives Samson the water he badgered him for not only for Samson’s use but for future generations and secondly God established Samson’s leadership for 20 years. We have no mention of Samson’s work for 20 years as there is a gap between the 15th and 16th chapters. Yet I believe that Samuel who knew Samson and wrote these words about him had contact with Samson who chose these stories instead of ones that would have made him seem better.
This is a placeholder. Notes will be added