RETURN TO SYLLABUS
JUDGES 14:10-20 AND JUDGES 15:1-20
LESSON #16
SAMSON’S SYNCRETISTIC LIFE

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 25:9

• SAMSON’S REIGN AS A JUDGE IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN MOST OF THE OTHER JUDGES WE HAVE STUDIED. SAMSON DID NOT RAISE AN ARMY TO FIGHT AGAINST THE PHILISTINES. HE INTENDED THIS TO BE A ONE-MAN CAMPAIGN.

• READ JDG 14:10-20 SAMSON’S PHILISTINE MARRIAGE FEAST
• ACCORDING TO COMMON CUSTOM AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS AN EXTENUATED MARRIAGE FEAST (AT LEAST 7 DAYS) THAT INCLUDED THE COMMON PRACTICE OF DRINKING WINE, WAGERING AND RIDDLES FOR ENTERTAINMENT.
• REMEMBER THAT SAMSON, UNDER A NAZARITE VOW, IS NOT TO EAT OR DRINK ANY GRAPE PRODUCTS.
• SAMSON’S RIDDLE:
• SAMSON’S RIDDLE HAD TO DO WITH THE LION HE HAD KILLED AND THE HONEY HE OBTAINED FROM THE LION.
• NO ONE BUT SAMSON KNEW OF THE SLAIN LION.
• PRESSURE FROM THE PHILISTINES TO DISCOVER THE RIDDLE:
• THE PHILISTINES THREATENED SAMSON’S WIFE AND HER FAMILY.
• SAMSON FINALLY TOLD HIS WIFE, AND SHE DISCLOSED THE RIDDLE TO THE PHILISTINES.
• SAMSON’S REVENGE AND THE RESULT:
• SAMSON LEFT HIS WIFE AND WENT TO A NEIGHBORING PHILISTINE CITY AND KILLED 30 MEN IN ORDER TO GET THE 30 GARMENTS TO PAY OFF HIS DEBT.
• BECAUSE SAMSON DID NOT TAKE HIS WIFE WITH HIM, HER FATHER GAVE HIS DAUGHTER TO ANOTHER MAN, SAMSON’S PHILISTINE FRIEND, THE BEST MAN.
• HER FATHER THOUGHT SAMSON WAS ANGRY WITH HER AND DID NOT WANT HER AS HIS WIFE.
• IN VERSE 18, SAMSON CALLS HER A HEIFER, WHICH WAS A DEROGATORY STATEMENT.
• SAMSON DID NOT RETURN TO HIS WIFE AFTER THE 7^TH DAY OF THE FEAST TO CONSUMMATE THE MARRIAGE.
• NOTICE THAT THE SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON SAMSON WHEN HE KILLED THE 30 PHILISTINE MEN. (19)

• READ JDG 15:1-8 COMPOUNDED BETRAYAL AND COMPOUNDED REVENGE:
• LATER WHEN SAMSON WENT TO VISIT HIS WIFE, HER FATHER TOLD HIM THAT SHE WAS NO LONGER HIS.
• SAMSON AGAIN TAKES REVENGE ON THE PHILISTINES:
• HE CAPTURES 300 FOXES. THIS IS NO SMALL FEAT. HE SETS THEIR TAILS ON FIRE AND SENDS THEM TO RUN THROUGH THE CROPS OF THE PHILISTINES.
• THE FIRE DESTROYS THE THREE MAIN CROPS OF THE LAND, WHEAT, GRAPES, AND OLIVES.
• THE PHILISTINES TAKE REVENGE ON SAMSON’S WIFE AND FATHER-IN-LAW AND KILL THEM.
• SAMSON TAKES REVENGE ON THE PHILISTINES FOR KILLING HIS WIFE. HE KILLS MANY OF THE PHILISTINES.
• DISCUSSION:
• IN THE MATTER OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER, WHAT TRAITS ARE LACKING IN SAMSON’S CHARACTER?

• READ PSA 25:9
• READ PSA 37:11
• READ GAL 5:22-23
• SAMSON WAS A VERY SPOILED YOUNG MAN WITH A VIOLENT TEMPER. HE HAD NO SELF-CONTROL. BECAUSE OF THAT, THE HOLY SPIRIT COULD NOT CONTROL HIM AND USE HIM.
• IT COMES DOWN TO A LACK OF MEEKNESS. MEEKNESS MEANS TO BE UNDER GOD’S CONTROL.
• WHEN THERE IS NO SELF-CONTROL AND NO MEEKNESS, THERE IS NO PEACE AND LOVE IN ONE’S RELATIONSHIPS.
• SAMSON LED A SYNCRETISTIC LIFE. HIS LIFE WAS COMPROMISED BY WORLDLY LUSTS THAT DILUTED HIS SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT TO THE LORD.
• NOTICE THAT HE REFLECTS HIS SYNCRETISTIC SOCIETY INSTEAD OF RISING ABOVE IT.

• READ JDG 15:9-17 THE PHILISTINES SEARCH FOR SAMSON
• THE ROUND OF REVENGE CONTINUES WHEN THE PHILISTINES ACTIVELY SEARCH FOR SAMSON IN THE TERRITORY OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.
• THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH ARE UPSET WITH SAMSON BECAUSE HE HAS BROUGHT THE REPROACH OF THE PHILISTINES DOWN ON THEIR OWN HEADS.
• NOTICE THAT THERE IS NO UNITY OF SPIRIT OR UNITY OF PURPOSE AGAINST GOD’S ENEMIES AMONG THE ISRAELITES. EVERYONE DOES THAT WHICH THEY FELT WAS RIGHT IN THEIR OWN EYES.
• THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH BIND SAMSON AND TURN HIM OVER TO THE PHILISTINES.
• THIS IS THE FIRST UNSELFISH THING SAMSON DID. HE ALLOWED HIS PEOPLE TO TURN HIM OVER TO THE PHILISTINES TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH FROM THE PHILISTINES.
• IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERED HIM TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE PHILISTINES AND KILL A THOUSAND PHILISTINES WITH THE JAWBONE OF A DONKEY.
• THE NAME OF THE LOCATION IS, RAMATHLEHI, WHICH MEANS = THE HILL, OR HEIGHT, OF THE JAWBONE.
• PROBABLY THE OUTCROPPING OF ROCK RESEMBLED A JAWBONE.

• READ JDG 15:18-20 SAMSON’S THIRST
• THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE SEE SAMSON CALL OUT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER. (18)
• GOD GAVE SAMSON WATER FROM THE ROCK JUST AS HE DID FOR MOSES AND THE ISRAELITES IN THE WILDERNESS.
• SAMSON CALLED THE PLACE, ENHAKKORE, WHICH MEANS = THE SPRING OF THE CALLER.
• SAMSON JUDGED ISRAEL 20 YEARS.

• REVIEW AND APPLICATION:
• IN CONSIDERING THE STORY OF SAMSON’S LIFE, WE DISCOVER THAT HE FELL FAR SHORT OF HIS GOD-GIVEN POTENTIAL. HE WAS BORN UNDER A NAZARITE VOW WHICH MEANS THAT HIS LIFE WAS TO BE OF SERVICE TO GOD.
• CONSIDERING THE NAZARITE VOW:
• #1 = HE MUST NOT DRINK ANY FERMENTED DRINK (ALCOHOL) OR USE GRAPES IN ANY FORM BECAUSE GRAPES SYMBOLIZED EARTHLY JOY AND ONE’S JOY MUST BE A HEAVENLY JOY.(EPH 5:18)
• SAMSON VIOLATED THIS PART OF THE VOW ATTENDING THE WEDDING FEAST WHERE DRUNKENNESS WAS COMMON.

• #2 = HE MUST NEVER CUT HIS HAIR BECAUSE LONG HAIR IS A SHAME TO A MAN (1COR 11:14) AND HE MUST BE WILLING TO BEAR SHAME FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL.
• AS WE WILL YET OBSERVE, SAMSON PERMITS HIS HAIR TO BE CUT.
• #3 = HE MUST NEVER GO NEAR ANY DEAD BODY BECAUSE THERE MUST NOT BE ANY EARTHLY CLAIMS UPON HIM. HIS FAMILY MUST NOT COME BEFORE GOD. HIS PRIORITIES MUST BE SERVICE TO GOD FIRST. (MAT 8:21-22 LUK 14:26-27)
• WE SAW HIM TAKE HONEY FROM THE DEAD BODY OF A LION.

• SAMSON WAS ONLY PERIODICALLY OF SERVICE TO GOD. NOTICE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME UPON HIM PERIODICALLY AND ONLY WHEN HE WAS DIRECTLY DOING GOD’S WILL AND NOT SEEKING HIS OWN PERSONAL REVENGE.
• SAMSON IS A GOOD ILLUSTRATION OF A CARNAL CHRISTIAN WHO PERMITS HIS OWN DESIRES AND LUSTS TO GET IN THE WAY OF SERVING GOD.
• READ ROM 8:7-9
• READ PSA 78:8
• DISCUSSION:
• WHAT CAUSES A CHRISTIAN TO LIVE A CARNAL LIFE LIKE THAT OF SAMSON?

• APPLICATION OF JDG 14:10-20 AND JDG 15:1-20
• THE CHRISTIAN IS UNDER THE SAME NAZARITE VOW AS SAMSON. IT IS NOT A LEGALISTIC EXTERNAL VOW BUT AN INTERNAL SPIRITUAL VOW PLACED IN THE HEART WHEN A PERSON IS BORN AGAIN.
• THE BELIEVER IS CALLED TO BE OF SERVICE TO GOD. (GAL 2:20)
• THE BELIEVER IS CALLED TO HAVE HIS JOY IN THE LORD AND NOT IN THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD. (PSA 16:11)
• THE BELIEVER IS CALLED TO BE WILLING TO BEAR SHAME AND RIDICULE FOR CHRIST. (HEB 13:13)
• THE BELIEVER IS CALLED TO HAVE CHRIST AS HIS TOP PRIORITY. (MAT 6:33)
• HOW WELL ARE YOU FULFILLING YOUR SPIRITUAL "NAZARITE VOW" (OR GOD’S EXPECTATIONS)?
• IN WHICH AREAS DO YOU NEED TO STRENGTHEN OR SHARPEN IN YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE LORD? BE SPECIFIC!

• PREPARATION FOR JDG 16
• READ JDG 16:1-31
• WE ALL HAVE SPIRITUAL WEAKNESSES THAT LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION. WHAT WAS SAMSON’S GREATEST WEAKNESS?
• WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPORTANCE OF SAMSON’S HAIR AND EYES?
• IF SUICIDE IS WRONG, WHY DID GOD BLESS SAMSON FOR DOING IT?

• MEMORY VERSE: ROM 1:16