Who Cares About the Calling - Judges 13:25-14:20

Sermon Series: In Need of a Greater Rescue

Police officers have a very distinct calling – “to serve and protect” the individuals of the community in which they serve. We have been brought up with the understanding from our parents, educators, government leaders, and others that police officers are out in our communities to make life safer and better for us all. So it’s always very frustrating for us to hear the occasional reports of ‘dirty cops.’ We wonder how men and women who took and oath to serve and protect us can be involved in selling drugs, or working for mob bosses or gangs who are taking the law into their own hands and making our communities more dangerous places. We wonder, “Don’t these men and women have any regard for the service they have been called to?” “Isn’t there some sense of obligation to the oath they have taken, to serve and protect our communities?” “How can these men and women know their calling and live as if they don’t even care about it?” Those are great questions and they are justified reasons for frustration. If our communities are going to have the protection and service they need then we most certainly have a need for men and women to serve as police officers and who will be faithful to the oath that they take, “to serve and protect.”

Chapter 14 is a chapter that should probably produce mixed emotions in us, the readers. On the one hand the author and narrator has painted a brilliant picture of God’s sovereignty and ability to accomplish His plan. That should excite us and cause to stand in awe of who our God is and how He is able to work. On the other hand the author and narrator has also painted a picture of a God-appointed rescuer who seemed to have no real concern for the calling that God had given to him. That’s the part that will frustrate us as we examine this chapter – “How can one who was raised up by God and appointed by God to rescue His people live in such unbelievable disregard to the calling on his life?” These two forces, God’s sovereignty and man’s disregard, are interwoven into this chapter in such a way that ultimately highlights and magnifies the glory of God though, because what we walk away with is the understanding that nothing can stop God’s plan from moving forward. He can (and does) work even in spite of great disobedience in order to accomplish His plans and His purposes. So let’s jump into the text and see what God reveals to us in our study this week.

The better place for us to begin our examination of chapter 14 is actually 13:25, because there is an important piece of information there that is crucial for our understanding of chapter 14. “And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.” If you’ll remember back to last week’s text you’ll recall that the end of chapter 13 told us that “the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him” (13:24). A lot took place in that one verse – Samson was born and then several years transpired with the only thing being told to us was that he grew and the Lord blessed him. So understand that several years have passed by between the beginning of 13:24 and the time that we come to 13:25. In 13:25 Samson had grown into a man and the Spirit of the Lord had begun to stir within him to do something? What was the Spirit of the Lord stirring Samson to do? It appears the answer to that question is found in 14:1, “Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines.” The author and narrator of the book of Judges seemed to suggest that the Spirit of the Lord stirred in Samson a desire to go down to Timnah. Why? So that he might cross paths with this certain Philistine woman. Why did God want Samson to cross paths with this Philistine woman? That’s a great question! But hold on to that question because the author and narrator answers that question in just a few verses. Until then let’s continue to examine the text. 14:2 says, “Then he [Samson] came up and told his father and mother, ‘I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.’” Samson returned home from Timnah, back to his parents’ house, and then announced to his parents that they needed to arrange a marriage between him and this certain Philistine woman. When we read this verse it should set off some loud sirens indicating that we have a huge problem headed our way. What had God raised up and appointed Samson to be? A judge, deliverer, or rescuer for all of Israel. And which nation specifically had God raised up to oppress Israel at this time? According to 13:1 it was the Philistines. So why is Samson’s request such a potential problem? It’s because God had raised up and appointed Samson to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines, not to marry them! For Samson to desire to marry a Philistine woman showed great disregard to both God’s Law and God’s calling in his life. God had commanded the Israelites in Deuteronomy 7:1-5 that when they entered into the Promise Land they were not supposed to marry individuals from other nations. “You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and He would destroy you quickly” (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Samson showed no regard for this law of God, nor did he show any regard for God’s calling for his life, “and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistiens” (Judges 13:5). His parents did appear to make at least a half-hearted effort to dissuade Samson, but Samson remained intent on following through with marrying this woman because in his mind she had all that he was looking for in a wife. How discouraging – the one who was supposed to rescue God’s people from the oppression that had come upon them because they were choosing to do what was right in their own eyes was himself pursuing what was right in his own eyes. So was Samson really going to be a part of God’s solution or was he just adding to the problem?

14:4 is an incredibly important verse in this narrative. The author and narrator is giving us clues to help us understand that God is far more involved in the events that are transpiring than in may seem. In 13:25 we learned that the Spirit of the Lord stirred in Samson’s heart in order to get him to go down Timnah so that he might cross paths with a particular Philistine woman. Now 14:4 tells us, “His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for He was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At this time the Philistines ruled over Israel.” From 14:4 we are reminded again that the Philistines were ruling over Israel and oppressing them. But unlike in the past when the Israelites had called out to God in their distress because of their oppression, this generation of Israelites seemed content to co-exist with the Philistines and to be ruled by them. This could not have been demonstrated more clearly than in the God-appointed rescuer and deliverer desiring to marry a Philistine woman. There was at least some form of peace between the Israelites and the Philistines, and neither Samson nor any of the other Israelites seemed intent on causing any tension. So if God’s people and God’s deliverer weren’t going to mix things up and move toward conflict then God was going to orchestrate the events to provoke tension and eventually war. We have to keep this in mind as we think back on the portion of the text we have already examined and as we continue to move forward through the text. It may seem as if God is absent from this narrative and from these events, but He is not – He is working behind the scenes and He is orchestrating all that is taking place.

The author and narrator continued to tell the story of Samson’s marriage in verse 5. And while the author and narrator recounted the events that transpired he also continued to clue the reader into specific details that seem to further indicate Samson’s disregard for God’s calling on his life. As the narrative continues we discover that Samson returns to Timnah with his father and mother in order that they may meet with the Philistine woman’s parents and arrange the marriage between Samson and this woman. The author recalled that at some point Samson came to the vineyards of Timnah and while he was there a young lion suddenly came upon him. In that moment the author and narrator tells us that the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Samson and that without any weapon at all Samson was able to kill the lion and tear it apart. That’s pretty awesome – Samson took on an attacking lion and came out not only victorious, but having completely dominated the lion, physically tearing it to pieces. This event was going to play an important role a few verses later, which is why the author includes the event in the narrative. But don’t be too quick to overlook some of the details the author revealed to us. Look again at the text and ask yourself, “Where did this attack take place?” The answer according to the author and narrator was in some vineyards. Now ask yourself this question, “What was a Nazirite doing in a vineyard?” Part of the Nazirite vow was to abstain from alcohol and anything produced by the grape vine. So what was a Nazirite doing in a place that existed for the purpose of growing grapes and producing alcohol? We can’t know for sure. Perhaps Samson wasn’t doing anything at all to violate God’s call on his life to be a Nazirite, separated for the Lord, but it sure does leave the door open for speculation.

Surprisingly Samson doesn’t tell anyone about the incident with the lion (an interesting detail considering this is the kind of event most people would want to tell everyone about). The author and narrator just went on to record that he went on to talk with the woman (perhaps for the first time) and that she was still right in his own eyes. From there it is most likely that Samson and his parents returned to their home having arranged the marriage for Samson. In verse 8 we are told that Samson returned to Timnah – this time to actually marry the woman. On his way we are told that he detoured through the vineyard where the lion attack had taken place, presumably to recall and see the evidence of the spectacular event in his life. Here is where we find another important detail that the author included which seemed to indicate Samson’s disregard for God’s calling on his life. “And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion . . .” (14:8). As we mentioned last week, in addition to abstaining from alcohol and the produce of the grape vine, another part of the Nazirite vow was not to come into contact with any form of corpse. But in verse 8 we discover that Samson had turned aside to the vineyard so that he might come into contact with the carcass of the lion. This is the second time, within a matter of just a few verses, where we discover Samson showing no regard for his Nazirite calling and doing whatever it is he wanted to do.

What Samson discovered when he visited the lion’s carcass was something neither he, nor the reader expected to find. Samson discovered that a swarm of bees had made their home inside the carcass of the lion and that they had produced a good amount of honey inside their new home. Samson then proceeded to scrape the honey out for himself and then continued on his way, eating the honey as he went. The author and narrator also revealed that without telling his parents where the honey had come from, he gave some of the honey he had left over to them and they ate it. So Samson committed other sins than just the sin of disregarding his Nazirite vow, he had also made both himself and his parents unclean. Leviticus 11:24-25 says, “And by these you shall become unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, and whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.” Because the honey had been inside the carcass of the lion that particular honey had become unclean. By consuming unclean honey Samson had made himself unclean. And then by giving some of the honey to his parents and encouraging them to eat the honey, Samson had also made his parents unclean. These are pretty tragic details that the author and narrator has purposefully revealed to the readers. Samson, though raised up by God and appointed by God to deliver and rescue Israel, has disregarded his calling, pursued marriage with Israel’s oppressors, and made both himself and his parents unclean. Samson doesn’t look like part of God’s solution – he looks more like part of the problem.

14:10 appears to be the place in the narrative where the actually marriage is implied. In verse 10 we are told, “Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do.” When we think about the word ‘feast’ the thing that typically first comes to mind is a celebration around an enormous meal where large amounts of food are consumed by those in attendance. The Hebrew word the author used implies something a little different. The word the author and narrator used was a word that referred to a seven day celebration at the home of the bride’s parents, celebrating the marriage that had taken place. And both history and archaeology have revealed that these ‘feasts’ were centered more around alcohol and drinking than they were food and eating. So for a third time we are confronted with evidence that suggested that Samson wasn’t at all concerned about his calling as a Nazirite, hosting and participating in a seven day drinking celebration. For one who was supposed to be “separated for” and “consecrated for” God, Samson continuously lived as though he wasn’t giving any thought or consideration to God and His calling at all. In verse 11 we are told that upon arriving at his party the Philistine people brought “thirty companions” to hang out with him. It’s uncertain who these thirty individuals were or what the motivation for bringing them to hang out with Samson was, but they do play a significant part in the remainder of the chapter. And rather than breaking out the corn hole boards and spending seven days tossing bean bags around, Samson looked to engage these “companions” in a different way – he chose to make a wager with them based on a riddle he would propose. Samson told them that if they could solve his riddle before the seven day celebration was over then he would provided them with thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes (one for each of them). On the other hand, if they were unable to solve the wager then they would have to provide for him thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes (one from each of them). These thirty new companions agreed to the wager and so Samson gave them the riddle, “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet” (14:14).

The author and narrator revealed that after three days the companions had not been able to solve the riddle. Growing desperate they then employed a new strategy - blackmail. “On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, ‘Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?” (14:15). Their declaration seemed to direct a lot of their anger and frustration towards her and her family, assuming that they had invited them to her marriage celebration with the intentions of cunningly robbing them of their possessions. Therefore the companions threaten to kill both Samson’s wife and her father’s family if she does not discover what the answer to the riddle is. If she is unable to get the answer from her new husband and pass that answer on to them she was going to have a very short marriage. Fearing for her own life and the life of her family Samson’s new wife went to him, weeping and pleading for Samson to share the answer of the riddle with her. Samson sought to re-assure her that he hadn’t withheld the answer of the riddle from her because he did not love her. He told her that he hadn’t even revealed the answer to his own parents. But his wife continued to press hard for the answer to the riddle and the author and narrator revealed that on the last day (the seventh day of the celebration) Samson finally gave in and told her the answer. When she had discovered the answer to Samson’s riddle she went to the Philistines and made the answer known to them. And at the last minute - “on the seventh day before the sun went down” – the Philistines gave Samson the answer to his riddle.

At that moment it appeared that Samson realized why his wife had been pressing him so hard for the answer to the riddle. She had been pleading for an explanation so that she might make the answer known to those whom he had made the wager with. That was the only explanation for their discovery of the answer. “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle” (14:18). All of a sudden conflict between the Philistines and the Israelite deliverer seemed inevitable. When the chapter began it appeared to be a peaceful relationship, demonstrated by Samson’s desire and intention to marry a Philistine woman. Now the Philistines had become frustrated with Samson’s riddle and the potential loss of the wager and Samson had become frustrated with the Philistines underhanded means of discovering the answer and the fact that he had indeed lost the bet. Samson had been betrayed and now he had to pay up. But rather than paying out from his own possessions and having to absorb the cost himself Samson came up with another way of paying off his debt. The author and narrator said that Samson went down to another Philistine town (Ashkelon) and killed thirty of the Philistine men there. He then took their garments and used those garments as the means of paying off his bet.

Listen to how chapter 14 ends. “In hot anger he [Samson] went back to his father’s house. And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man” (14:19-20). This chapter ends with a note of intense anger and intense betrayal (which we anticipate will lead to even more conflict). The author and narrator described Samson’s return to his father’s home with the phrase “in hot anger” and he also revealed that Samson’s father-in-law (presumably as a result of Samson’s return to his father’s home) gave his new wife to be the wife of another man instead. The author and narrator was clearly setting the stage for more conflict and more turmoil. And while this all appeared to be circumstantial and the result of man-made decisions and choices, we cannot forget that God was the driving force behind all that was taking place. 13:25 and 14:4 were very clear reminders that God was behind all that was taking place and that He had a very clear purpose in mind. Israel had accepted life under the lordship of the Philistines. Israel’s deliverer, rather than leading Israel out from under Philistine rule, had pursued and married a Philistine woman. God’s intention was not for Israel’s co-existence with the Philistines – it was for Israel’s deliverance from the Philistines. Neither Samson nor any of the other Israelites appeared to be leading in that direction, so God, in His great sovereignty, went to work behind the scenes in order to provoke tension and conflict between the two nations.

There are a couple of take-aways for us in this portion of the OT book of Judges. First, we need to recognize that these deliverers/rescuers are looking less and less like the One they are supposed to be foreshadowing, and more and more like Israel (the ones who needed to be rescued). Like Israel, Samson had been set apart by God, called by God, and gifted by God to serve Him. But also like Israel, Samson had chosen to both associate with and live among those who were supposed to be considered enemies. He wasn’t delivering or rescuing – he appeared to be in need of just as much deliverance and rescue as the rest of the Israelites. If we can see this reality then other realities should become clear as well. If these deliverers/rescuers cannot ultimately rescue and save, and if they stand in just as much need for deliverance as we do, then we all stand in need of an even greater rescue. Think about that for just a moment in light of those who we sometimes hope in for rescue and deliverance. Our president, our senators and congressmen, other world leaders, entertainers and celebrities – none of them hold all the answers, none of them are without their own faults and shortcomings, none of them (despite what they may promise) are able to make all of our problems go away and satisfy the longings of our souls. And if this is true we continue to stand in need of a greater rescue than they can provide. And the extraordinary news of the Bible is that God has provided that Rescuer for us. These deliverers and judges in the OT were paving the way and setting the stage for One who was even greater. They were foreshadowing (at times through their victories and at other times through their shortcomings) who God’s great and promised Deliverer would be. By giving us clues and hints into His character, His identity, and His calling God was helping us become ready to identify Him when God did raise Him up and call Him to service. And God has now made Him known to us – the great and promised Deliverer and Rescuer was God’s very own Son, Jesus. Jesus’ time on earth was unlike any others’. He is the only One who has never faltered in his righteousness and holiness. He is the only One who was able to make payment for the sins of man. And He is the only One who has offered His life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world and whose shed blood was sufficient to pay that price. There is a Rescuer who has come because you and I needed to be delivered from our sin and the consequences of those sins, and who Himself did all that was necessary to rescue us. Samson may have been a miserable deliverer, but Jesus was THE marvelous Deliverer! God made a way for us to be rescued from our sin and He makes that grace available to us by calling us to place our faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Will you respond to the free gift of salvation that He makes available to you?

Some of us have already responded to God’s offer of forgiveness and salvation from sin and its consequences by trusting in Jesus as Savior and Lord. So when we look at a text like this we need to ask ourselves the question, “Am I showing disregard to God’s calling in my life?” “Am I guilty of living my life in such a way that says, ‘who cares about the calling?’” My intention here isn’t to dig too specifically. God has called some of you to very specific tasks – in just the same way that God has called me to be a pastor, God has called some of you to very specific assignments. I want you to give some consideration this afternoon and this week to what your manner of living is saying about that calling. And if you need to repent for not carrying it out or if you need to ask God to continue to help empower you to carry it out, I want you to do that. But I want, in the time remaining to address the calling that every believer in Christ has upon their lives – the call to be a disciple-maker. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The main verb in this last command of Jesus is to “make disciples.” This was Jesus’ command for me, it was His command for you, and it was His command to every person who professes Him as Savior and Lord. So let’s ask the obvious question, “Who are you helping to become a disciple or follower of Jesus?” We’ve beat Samson up this week for showing such disregard to his calling – as a Nazirite he was supposed to abstain from alcohol and the produce of the grape vine, he was supposed to abstain from cutting his hair, and he was supposed to avoid contact with dead bodies. But three times in this week’s passage we saw Samson showing complete disregard for his Nazirite calling and doing what he wanted instead. But when we turn the mirror back on ourselves and ask the question, “Am I showing disregard for God’s calling on my life by not being obedient and doing whatever it is I want?” what we often find isn’t much better than what we see in Samson. We avoid those who aren’t believers in Christ. We neglect to share the good news of the gospel with those who have not received Jesus as Savior and Lord or we neglect to invest in those who are younger in their faith and who need help growing in their understanding and knowledge of Jesus. And much like Samson, when we are guilty of showing disregard to our calling, unfortunately it doesn’t bother us all that much. So this is the question I want to finish up with today – “Who are you helping to become or to grow as a follower of Christ?” If no one comes to mind, then the first thing you need to do is to ask God to forgive you for disregarding the calling He has given you. Then you need to find someone and start investing in them. Perhaps it’s a neighbor or co-worker who doesn’t know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Perhaps is a younger believer who is a part of our church who needs someone to come alongside of him to help him grow in his understanding and faith. Perhaps it’s investing with our children and helping out on a rotational basis with our children’s classes. God has given us the call to make disciples – we need to take the call seriously.