Judges 14-15  Samson grew up in Zorah, near the border of Judah's territory. The Philistines were ruling over Israel at that time because of their sinfulness. Samson went to the city of Timnah and found a woman that "looked good" to him and asked his parents to arrange a marriage.  They did not want him to marry a Philistine woman, but he was determined, so they made the arrangements.  We are told that "it was of the Lord" for this to happen for "He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines." 

Samson and his parents went down to Timnah where Samson confronted a lion and killed it with his bare hands.  He didn't tell anyone, even his parents about the lion.  Later, he went back down again and found honey in the carcass of the lion, which he ate on the way to his wedding feast.  The Philistines brought 30 companions to be with Samson for his wedding.  He made a wager with them for 30 linen wraps and changes of clothes, if they could figure out his riddle. "Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet." 

Of course, the men could not answer the riddle, so they threatened Samson's new bride. She wept for the rest of the wedding feast.. 7 days!  Finally, he told her the answer and she told the men. Samson was angry!  He went down to another city, killed 30 men and brought back the spoil to give the 30 men their changes of clothes. Then, he left and went home.. without his wife. 

Later, Samson went back to Timnah to claim his bride, only to find out that her father had given her to his best man.  Samson was so angry that this time he took 300 foxes, tied them tail to tail in two's, set a flaming torch between them and let them all go into the vineyards and groves of the Philistines. Everything was destroyed. The Philistines found out that Samson had done this because of his wife's father.. so they went up and burned both Samson's wife and her father.  In retaliation, Samson slaughtered a great number of Philistines and left to go live in "the cleft of the rock of Etam." 

Trouble followed Samson.. the Philistines came to Etam and confronted the men of Judah who lived there. Judah responded, not by defending Samson, but by binding him with rope and giving him over to the Philisitnes.  But.. the Lord intervened once more.. "And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands, "  Samson took a jawbone of a donkey and killed a thousand men with it. 

Samson called upon the Lord who came to his rescue once again, giving him water from a "hollow place" so that he was revived. "So he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines." 

Samson is anything but a typical man, let alone a man who is wise or "godly" or anyone that we would choose to be a leader... but, God chose him.. in a really remarkable way.. and used him to inflict destruction upon the Philistines. The Lord was with Samson through it all. And.. through it all, Samson continued to call out to the Lord to remember him and help him. 

Father, You are the source of our strength and our hope. You will not forget us or forsake us when we call on You.  Help us to learn from the lives of the judges.. help us to never lose hope in You,  our God who does great wonders, who chooses us to do Your will throughout our lives.  We are not perfect, we make bad choices, we are weak, and we recognize our great need for the Savior. We bring our burdens and lay them at Your feet.. and we take up the yoke of Jesus Christ, relying fully on Your grace and mercy.  Have Your way, Lord, in us today we pray.  In Jesus' name. Amen.