Lean not on your own understanding.
He shall direct your paths.
Sampson is
often remembered for his killing of the Philistines, collapsing the pillars of the
stadium and killing many, including himself. What’s often overlooked is that he
was meant to overcome the Philistines and that he was judge over Israel for 20
years. God’s spirit empowers the judges at times, and even though they’re
corrupt, God can still use them.
Right from
the start, Samson was to take from the Philistines, 30 tunics, which is why he
said the riddle, offering a wager. Judges 14:14; … out of the eater came
something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet. He was so sure of
himself, he knew no one could answer the riddle. His weakness for women
pressing upon him was his downfall, as he told his wife the answer to the
riddle and she blabbed.
He would
have received thirty pieces linen and 30 sheets, but because he couldn’t keep
it to himself, he lost the wager, although he made it known; it was his wife’s
doing. Before the sun went down…i.e. before the consummation of the wedding, he
found out her betrayal.
In his
anger he killed 30 Philistine’s and honoured his pledge with their clothing,
giving that clothing to the men who ‘supposedly’ guessed the answer to his
riddle. He then left in a rage.
The father
of the wife gave his daughter to Samson’s best man, assuming Samson wouldn’t
come back for her after her betrayal to Samson. When he finally returned and
found his wife had been given to someone else, again he was aroused to anger. He
set foxes tails alight and burnt the crops, then went and dwelt in the cleft a
rock.
This
burning of the crops in turn caused the Philistines to burn the father and
daughter to death, as an act of revenge, after which Samson killed a thousand
men with the closest thing at hand; ‘a donkey jawbone’ and Samson became judge
of the people of Israel for 20 years
Samson was
a promiscuous, violent and arrogant man, who lusted after women. Lust caused Samson’s
downfall, as he met a harlot, and while with her, was surrounded by his
enemies. He escaped, after which the story moves to Delilah, where he was
eventually captured through her pressing and Samson was taken captive. His hair
cut and eyes plucked out.
Sometimes
we do the same thing over and over, without learning the reason, or solving the
issue; or turning to God for our answers. If Samson had followed God, rather
than the lusts of his flesh, things would have gone very differently for him.
The story
of Judges then moves to Micah. Micah is a contraction of the name Micayehu;
‘who is like Jehovah’, and is one of several memorable transactions in the book
of Judges. The story appears to jump from Samson to Micah, and are seemingly
unrelated to each other, until one looks a little deeper into both stories.
Micah
idolizes money, or he wouldn’t have stolen from his own mother. A closer look
at Samson, shows he had his own idolatry (which is a sin, as is adultery a sin,
both of which Samson was doing (intermixing) with all the women he lusted after).
As a Nazarite, dedicated to God for as long as he lived, Samson certainly
shouldn’t have been having affairs.
The stories
of Judges aren’t in order and Micah is said to have been written after Joshua
had died and before the Israelites had elected a judge to rule between the
people and between one another. During this time the commandments of Moses were
lost to the nations and every man did what was right in their own eyes. (Sounds
much like today, doesn’t it?)
Micah stole
from his mother, incidentally, the same figure of money that Delilah was
offered if she could find Samson’s weakness - 1100 pieces of silver. His mother
initially curses Micah, so it’s understood here that she knows it was him who
stole from her.
He
eventually returns the money and instead of being angry the mother blesses her
son and between them, they decide to put the money to good use, turning the money
into an idol and they set up idol worship within their home and community.
When every
man does what is right in his own eyes, it is evil before the Lord. Today we
have the bible to keep us on track. Today, we know what’s right, if we’re
following the bible.
Micah and
his mother had sincere intentions, but were in ignorance and delusion. Right
biblical teaching had fallen by the wayside, since Joshua’s death and the death
of all the other elders, under Joshua’s leadership.
Micah goes
as far as to set his son’s to be priests at this time in history, as there
was no judge. In setting his son’s and with sincere intentions, but wrong ideas,
this caused cycles which move the nations in a downward spiral. Eventually
Israel would sin again and so it would be another downward spiral of wrong-doing.
The stories
in Judges are a warning not to turn away from God’s leading. A sobering explanation
of the human condition, and the need to follow God. To turn away from our own
understanding and turn from doing what appears right in our own eyes and yet
are wrong in the eyes of the Lord.
It’s said
that outward losses drive good people to prayer, but bad people to curse. Let’s
be good people, driven to prayer and the word of God, during our testing times.
Proverbs
3:5-6; Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your
paths.
*Biblical references; Holy Bible NIKV.
Alexandra Grose –
An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is
her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her
written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.
#Integrity;
truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.
I believe one
should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open
and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it -
do it.
If you want to soar
like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.
©2023
This work is based
on the belief of the writer. All she asks, is that you study and form your own
opinion, as to the validity of her beliefs. You can’t assume you’re right on
any given topic, you have to prove it.
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