Judges 14: Samson kills a lion and 30 people

Synopsis:

Samson falls for a Philistine girl and his parents aren’t happy about this. But he convinces them he wants to marry her. So they go down to Tinmath where she lives. On the way – he sees a lion and the “spirit of the lord” comes over him and he slays the lion with his bare hands, but his parents don’t notice this. As he returns with the girl he sees the carcas has honey in it. This he takes and gives to his parents to eat. Eventually they return to get the girl and they arrange a feast for 7 days. The girl’s family sends 30 men to be Samson’s companion for the feast. He tells them a riddle. They can’t figure it out – and convince his bride to get the answer for them. She hassles Samson for 7 days to get the answer, which he gives her. He then gets mad when the companions know the answer. The spirit of the lord enters him once again and he kills 30 men in Ashkelon to take their “spoils” so he can pay off the debt of losing the bet from the riddle. When he returns, he find his wife had been given to one of his friends.

In other words:

Samson falls in love, but the girl is given to someone else.

Favorite bit:

Judges 14:6 – the spirit of the lord comes over him and he kills a lion with his bare hands – as if it were nothing more than a goat. I’m guessing that this is a blind psychotic rage – he’s not in control of.

Least favorite bit:

That Samson’s wife is given to one of the companions. (Judges 14:20)

Bizarrest bit:

Judges 14: 8,9)  Bees in the carcass of the lion, and honey – which he eats and gives to his parents as well. And he doesn’t tell them where he got the honey.

Most annoying bit:

That Samson was not prepared to lose the bet. He had to go kill 30 people in order to make good on the bet. (Judges 14:19)

Moral Lesson Learned:

Don’t make bets you aren’t prepared to lose (Judges 14)