If the Philistines in Judges 15 had post offices, you would have seen his picture inside each and every one of them with big, bold words reading “Wanted: Dead or Alive”! Samson was to the Philistine nation what Osama Bin Laden is to the United States. After burning the Philistine wheat fields and killing many in revenge of the death of his wife, Samson is now hiding in a cave up in the cliffs of Etam which was just above the city of Timnah, located just inside Jewish territory. The search for their #1 enemy had brought the Philistine army to these cliffs. Verse 9 calls this location “Lehi” which is the actual name given to this location after these events and which literally means “jawbone” which will become significant very soon.
The men of Judah become frightened by the presence of the Philistine army and inquire about the reason for their presence. The Philistines tell the Israelites of all that Samson had done. In order to try to avoid a potential skirmish with the Philistines, the Israelites go to talk with Samaon hoping to convince him to surrender. It is more than interesting to note that the Jews took 3,000 men to confront Samson showing their respect for his power and their uncertainty about his response. Samson answers their inquiry as to why he had done such acts by saying that he only did to them what they had done to him. The Israelites make an agreement with Samson not to kill him but to tie him up and deliver him to the Philistines. They keep their commitment and deliver him to the Philistines securely tied with new topes that had never before been used.
When Samson arrived in the Philistine camp there arose a great triumphant cry from the Philistines. However, the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Samson (again we see the real source of his strength) and he broke the brand new ropes as if they were burnt and barely hung together. Samson grabs a jawbone of a donkey for a weapon which was new or moist, meaning it was solid and not brittle. With this weapon Samson kills 1,000 Philistines without any help from the men of Judah. Verse 16 is a play on words as Samson basically says “with the jawbone of a donkey I have made donkeys of them.” He then names the place, “Hill of the Jawbone.”
After this victory that came from the Lord, Samson becomes thirsty and suggests that God is going to let him weaken from thirst and die at the hands of the Philistines. Lust was certainly not Samson’s only weakness. Self-pity was also a part of his character. God shows his grace to this pitiful and barely faithful servant and miraculously provides for Samson by causing water to come out from the ground which after he drinks it, refreshes him. As a result, Samson names the spot, “Well of the one who calls”
Judges 15:20 becomes the key verse in the entire story of Samson. In this one verse we see the next 20 years of Samson’s life as he judges Israel with no mention of his sensual lifestyle. It would be this 20 years of his life that undoubtedly put him in God’s hall of faith in Hebrews 11. That is the beauty of God. Even with all of our sins, failures and weaknesses, we can still be remembered in the end for our times of faithfulness to Him.
The men of Judah become frightened by the presence of the Philistine army and inquire about the reason for their presence. The Philistines tell the Israelites of all that Samson had done. In order to try to avoid a potential skirmish with the Philistines, the Israelites go to talk with Samaon hoping to convince him to surrender. It is more than interesting to note that the Jews took 3,000 men to confront Samson showing their respect for his power and their uncertainty about his response. Samson answers their inquiry as to why he had done such acts by saying that he only did to them what they had done to him. The Israelites make an agreement with Samson not to kill him but to tie him up and deliver him to the Philistines. They keep their commitment and deliver him to the Philistines securely tied with new topes that had never before been used.
When Samson arrived in the Philistine camp there arose a great triumphant cry from the Philistines. However, the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Samson (again we see the real source of his strength) and he broke the brand new ropes as if they were burnt and barely hung together. Samson grabs a jawbone of a donkey for a weapon which was new or moist, meaning it was solid and not brittle. With this weapon Samson kills 1,000 Philistines without any help from the men of Judah. Verse 16 is a play on words as Samson basically says “with the jawbone of a donkey I have made donkeys of them.” He then names the place, “Hill of the Jawbone.”
After this victory that came from the Lord, Samson becomes thirsty and suggests that God is going to let him weaken from thirst and die at the hands of the Philistines. Lust was certainly not Samson’s only weakness. Self-pity was also a part of his character. God shows his grace to this pitiful and barely faithful servant and miraculously provides for Samson by causing water to come out from the ground which after he drinks it, refreshes him. As a result, Samson names the spot, “Well of the one who calls”
Judges 15:20 becomes the key verse in the entire story of Samson. In this one verse we see the next 20 years of Samson’s life as he judges Israel with no mention of his sensual lifestyle. It would be this 20 years of his life that undoubtedly put him in God’s hall of faith in Hebrews 11. That is the beauty of God. Even with all of our sins, failures and weaknesses, we can still be remembered in the end for our times of faithfulness to Him.
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