Judges 15

Judges 15:1

SAMSON BURNS THE PHILISTINE CROPSAfter Samson’s anger subsided, he went to visit his wife and brought a kid as a present. Her father informed Samson that he thought Samson no longer wanted her and so he had given her to his friend. Samson did not like this, of course.

Judges 15:3

Samson apparently felt justified in vengeance on the Philistines. He caught three hundred foxes, tied their tails together and then tied a torch on the tails, set them on fire, and let the animals loose in the fields. Of course these foxes would really take out on a run, and they would scatter the firebrands everywhere. Actually, friend, this entire episode is like a prank a juvenile would play! Samson certainly doesn’t look like God’s man here!

Judges 15:6

Notice that this is personal. This has nothing to do with his commission from God to deliver Israel from the Philistines. He is just avenging himself. His actions had nothing to do with delivering Israel. His revenge was personal.

Judges 15:14

SAMSON SLAYS ONE THOUSAND PHILISTINESAfter smiting the Philistines with a great slaughter, Samson really had the enemy stirred up. They began looking for him, so he let his own people bind him with ropes in order to protect them from the Philistines. The men of Judah took Samson, their prisoner, to Lehi which was occupied by the Philistines. The enemy was overjoyed to see Samson being brought to them bound. Then he broke the bands as if they were nothing. Again we see the strength of this manbut not his own strength.

Judges 15:15

Samson grabbed the closest weapon, which was the jawbone of a donkey, and attacked the enemy. He killed one thousand of them. Notice the strength of this man. He could never have done such a thing in his own power of course; it was the Spirit of the Lord upon him that enabled him to do it. He is beginning to deliver Israel. If only he had kept that goal before him! But he did not, as we shall see in the next chapter.