Samson went to marry the Philistine woman, comes up with a riddle from the carcass of the lion he killed, and his wife discloses the answer.

Judges 14:8-20

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
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This post picks up where the previous post of Judges 14:1-7 left off. In the previous post, Samson desired to marry an uncircumcised Gentile Philistine woman and was on his way to meet with her. On the way, a roaring lion attacked him at a vineyard, which he killed with his bare hands. After, he met with the Gentile woman, and she was right in his eyes. This is part of the “scarlet cord” pointing to Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. Our Lord Jesus came to save the world, and the Gentile people/non-Jewish are who He desired to marry. A roaring lion attacked Him in the process, the lion being the Jewish leaders and Jewish culture. After getting pass the blockades of the laws of Judaism, He met the non-Jewish and we are right in His eyes to be called His bride.

Now begins the part about Samson’s experience with his Gentile Philistine wife.

• Samson has a second meeting with the Gentile woman to make her his wife.
• Samson prepares a wedding feast and poses a riddle to his companions.
• Samson explains the riddle to his Gentile Philistine wife.
• Samson’s Gentile wife explains the riddle to her people.

Samson has a second meeting with the Gentile woman to make her his wife.
“After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.” Judges 14:8-9

In the previous post, Samson had a first meeting with the Gentile/Philistine woman he wanted to marry. She was right in his eyes so sometime later he returned to marry her. Jesus Christ sees all of us non-Jewish people as being right in His eyes and He came to marry us through the Holy Spirit and calls us His bride. On His way to making us Gentiles His bride, our Lord Jesus had to put to death the laws of Judaism, which is the carcass of the lion, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

Within the carcass of the lion were a swarm of bees and honey, which is to say within the scriptures of the Old Testament was a manufacturing of honey. That manufacturing of honey is the “scarlet cord” of the Old Testament pointing to Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. That honey symbolizes the presence of the Holy Spirit working through the writers of the Old Testament and is the Holy Spirit working within everyone who lives for God through Jesus Christ. In a sense, the carcass of the lion symbolizes dying to beast of inherited sin within us to live in the Spirit, “…knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with…Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:6, 11.

Samson put some of the honey in his hands, eating it as he walked along, which symbolizes walking in the Holy Spirit. This was the life of Jesus Christ who fed on the word of God through the Spirit, Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

Samson gave his parents some of the honey, and they ate, but Samson did not make them aware that the honey was from the carcass of the lion. Jesus often did miracles by the Spirit, but the recipients of the miracle did not always know that they were being served a dose of the Spirit of God, as quoted, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” John 9:25 Jesus often advised those He healed [fed with the Spirit of God] not to brag about it, “Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.” Luke 8:55-56 Today, after the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit has been poured out, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5

Samson prepares a wedding feast and poses a riddle to his companions.
“So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so. And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. Then Samson said to them, “Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” And they said to him, “Pose your riddle, that we may hear it.” So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.” Judges 14:10-14

Our Lord Jesus invites us to His feast, to His wedding supper. In the Parable of the Wedding Supper, Jesus says, “‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’“ Matthew 22:4

Our Lord Jesus poses a riddle to us, and we who have ears to hear can correctly solve the mystery of the riddle. When knowing the answer to the mystery, we are given the clean linen of the Holy Spirit to be clothed with. That is our change of clothing from our old worldly way of life to living for God through Jesus Christ. Jesus reveals the mystery to us, “…the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:26-27 Our Lord Jesus speaks in the riddles of parables because He wants us to know within our heart, spirit, and soul that He is the Christ, “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 16:16-17

“[Jesus] answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21

If the riddle of the mystery found in Jesus Christ is not known, then the born-again experience, the change of worldly clothing for the clothing of the Holy Spirit will be forfeited. “And they were judged, each one according to his works.” Revelation 20:13

What is the parable/riddle/mystery that is posed to us? It is this, “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” We know the strong of this world are those who have an inner strength and character not to be carried away by the whims of inherited sin. We also know that the Holy Spirit gives us this strength by our faith in Jesus Christ. We are dead to sin and alive in the Spirit. To be able to serve something to eat we must be consuming something that causes us to be able to share nutritious food. When we are dead to inherited sin, we are not serving other people a diet of carnal desires and sin, but we are able to feed people from the Holy Spirit.

Samson explains the riddle to his Gentile Philistine wife.
“But it came to pass on the [fourth] day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?” Then Samson’s wife wept on him, and said, “You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me.” And he said to her, “Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?” Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much.” Judges 14:15-17

The Philistines/Gentiles were not able to solve the riddle/mystery after four days, so they threatened one of their own, Samson’s Philistine/Gentile wife. They threatened to burn her and her father’s house [everyone living in the house of the father] with fire unless she revealed the mystery to them. The Philistines feared that they would lose to Samson if they didn’t know the mystery that he posed to them. Likewise, the Jewish leaders feared that they would lose to Jesus Christ because of the mystery of the Kingdom of God that Jesus knew, and they didn’t. The Pharisees said, “If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” John 11:48

Jesus knew what the Pharisees would do to His Gentile “bride”, “They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.” John 16:2-4

The “sons of my people” is a phrase spoken by Samson’s Philistine wife referring to the Gentile Philistines, the people of her culture. We are also part of the Gentile non-Jewish people. Samson’s wife cried to Samson, saying he hated her and demanded that the mystery/parable/riddle be revealed to her. This is just like the Gentile woman from Canaan, hated by the Jewish people, who came crying to Jesus, as described, “Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Matthew 15:25-27

The parables and mystery of the Kingdom of God was not revealed to the Pharisees and the Jewish culture so how did the Gentile woman from Canaan expect Jesus to reveal it to her? Yet, by her faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, He brought a miracle to the woman, “Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” Matthew 15:28 For three days Samson’s wife wept to know the mystery of the riddle told by Samson, and after those three days, on the seventh day, Samson revealed the riddle to her. The mystery of the Kingdom of God was made known to us through Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, after three days in the grave.

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” Romans 16:25-27

Samson’s Gentile wife explains the riddle to her people.
“Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people. So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!” Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house.” Judges 14:17-19

After Samson revealed the riddle to his Gentile Philistine wife, she explained it to her Gentile Philistine culture. This is like the woman at the well to whom Jesus revealed secrets to, “The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.” John 4:28-30 This is what the Lord expects us to do when the mystery of the Kingdom of God is revealed to us, to make His Gospel known. The Gospel is written on our heart by our born-again experience.

The men of the Gentile city, who knew Samson’s riddle, went to him with the answer to the riddle, “What is  sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” As born-again Gentiles, we know the mystery of the parable found in Jesus Christ, and the answer is that belief in God through Jesus Christ fills our heart, mind, and soul with the Holy Spirit. What is sweeter than honey? The Holy Spirit living in us. What is stronger than a lion? Our Lord Jesus Christ who has victory over sin and death.

Samson knew that the Gentile Philistines knew the answer to his mystery because his Gentile Philistine wife revealed it to them, that is the meaning of this phrase, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!” Likewise, the only way we Gentiles know the mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is because other born-again Gentiles revealed His word to us, “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” Romans 10:14

The Spirit of God came upon Samson, and he went down to a city of Philistia [inside modern-day Gaza Strip]and killed thirty of their men. Notice that Samson did not kill the men who knew the mystery of his riddle, but killed those who did not know his mystery. Likewise, God brings judgment to Gentiles who do not believe His Son Jesus Christ but has grace and mercy towards us Gentiles who live by faith in Him. Samson took the clothing of the thirty men he killed and gave the clothing to the Philistines who knew the mystery of his riddle. Likewise, God takes the clothing of the Holy Spirit from unbelievers, and the clothing of the Spirit is given to everyone who believes in Him, “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” Matthew 13:12

 “And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.” Judges 14:20

From that verse alone, it would seem that Samson felt betrayed by his wife and gave her away. Actually, just the opposite is true. In the next post, in Judges 15:1-2, it is written that the father-in-law of Samson gave her away. Likewise, our Lord Jesus would never give His born-again Gentile children to unbelievers, especially not for revealing His Gospel.

Actually, Samson went to see his wife and brought her a gift of a young goat, a reconciliatory offering, the same as our Lord Jesus Christ came as the “Lamb of God” to reconcile us Gentiles to God. However, the unbelieving Gentile father-in-law of Samson would not allow Samson to see his wife. This is the same as the fathers of Judaism trying to prohibit Jesus from “visiting” his “bride”, us born-again Gentiles. Samson’s father-in law thought Samson hated his wife for revealing his riddle, but that was far, far from the truth.

As we see in the next post of Judges 15, Samson took vengeance against the unbelieving Gentile Philistines for robbing him of his wife. Likewise, God takes vengeance against this atheistic unbelieving world for robbing Him of all that belongs to Him, “For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them…” Zechariah 2:8-9

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1