Bible Study April 4

April 4, 2023

We continue reading in chapter twelve about Jephthah and the tenth through the fifteenth judge of Israel, Samson,

Chapter 12 –

As we read before the men of Ephraim were upset, they had not been notified of a battle right away. This time the conflict resulted in Israel’s fighting each other where ultimately forty-two thousand were killed because of wounded pride. Jephthah ruled Israel for six years then he dies.

Verses eight through fifteen we see a list of additional judges but we come to sobering reality unless Christ comes first we’re all going to die.

Chapter 13 –

The Israelites again did evil in the sight of God and they are delivered over to the Philistines for forty years. An angel of the Lord appears to the wife of Manoah, the father of Samson telling her she would conceive a son but she was not to drink wine or eat anything unclean.

The promised boy was to save Israel once again. Other requirements were placed on this child that had not been done before. He was to be a Nazirite. This indicates that his vow was consecrated in her womb.

He would grow to save Israel. Manoah had been told by his wife of the visitation of an angel from the Lord but in fact the visitor was the Lord Himself that they did not realize until they sacrificed and was told the angel would not eat. In fact when the offering was made and fire consumed the offering the Lord also ascended into heaven. Manoah’s wife named her son Samson, God blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him.

Chapter 14 –

For a man set apart for God’s service since birth, Samson made some questionable life decisions. Samson went down to Timnah and saw a young Philistine there. He told his parents to arrange a wedding but they told him he should not marry who was not part of God’s people , they did not know this was God’s will for Samson. The Lord wanted the Philistines to provide an opportunity for confrontation.

On his way to Timnah he is confronted by a lion that he kills with his bare hands. A clear sign he was empowered by God. Later he took honey from the carcass, eating it and ignoring the law of Moses about eating unclean food.

He then poses a riddle at his engagement party but when they could not figure out the riddle they propose to kill his bride unless she can get him to give her the answer.

Chapter 15 –

Some time later Samson brought destruction on the Philistines. He wanted to visit his wife but her father would not let him enter her room. He had given his daughter to another man because he assumed Samson did not love her. Samson was furious over this and catches three-hundred foxes, lights their tails on fire and destroys their crops. In response the Philistines kill both the woman and her father.

While Samson hid in a cave the Philistines attacked Judah to pay Samson back. Three thousand men of Judah attempted to arrest him but he broke ropes, found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and killed one thousand men with it. This happened because the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on Samson. There can be no victory when battling against the Spirit of the Lord.

Chapter 16 –

Many of us are aware of the circumstances in this chapter. Samson made some poor choices going in with a prostitute compromising his life as the Israelites had done so many times in the past. He pulls the doors down of the town’s exit gate and proceeded to carry it to the top of the mountain overlooking Hebron. The scene serves as proof that though Samson was outside the will of God – God had not left him.

Delilah kept Samson on his downward spiral by trying to find the secret of his strength. Each time she asked him he gave her a false story of where his strength came from. Finally when she found the truth, she wasted no time having his head shaved and she like Judas was paid for her deceit. When he awoke from his sleep, he said, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. Delilah came before God.

He wasn’t done yet as his hair began to grow back his strength returned. God was in total control. The Philistines were in a good mood partying and they called Samson to amuse them and they had him stand between the pillars of the temple.

The temple was full of men and women about three thousand (people0 were on the roof. Samson, although failing in some of life’s issues is listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews eleven. He was not perfect but he believed God could use him.