One day, a young man was roaming about his country under the influence of the Spirit of God. It was not unusual, as this had happened other times. On this occasion, however, whether by the Spirit of God or out of human desire for exploration, he strayed a few miles into a neighbouring country. No one knows the purpose that took him there, but soon he found a purpose for going there.
A damsel caught my eyes
While walking through the city square, his eyes caught the brightly coloured face of a beautiful young damsel chatting with her mates. She was so charming that he had to excuse his wandering feet as he approached her. She was simply irresistible.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the young man couldn’t withhold his urge. He is not one who ponders over his appetite nor gives room to others’ opinions of what he thinks appeals to his cravings. And yes, he was so sure his charm and glam would sweep any lady off her feet. He had found his first love, and he asked for her hand in marriage.
She’s the one I want
“This young woman of Timnath appeals to my senses, and I would stop at nothing but making her my wife,” he yelled at the contrary view of his dear parents. Although she is a daughter of the Philistines, enemies of God and marriage to them contravened the laws of his God, Samson was far gone, and only an accident could reset his senses… or maybe not.
Can you tell the riddle?
Soon it was time for the wedding ceremony, and as the custom stipulates, thirty young men came to feast with Samson. To show his wit and brawn, he decided to put forth a riddle to the thirty young Philistine men. The riddle involved a secret that no one, not even Samson’s parents or his soon-to-be wife, knew.
“Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness,” Samson muted. Such a simple yet complex riddle. Simple because lions and bees were prevalent in ancient Philistine. But complex because … well, how could you have guessed that?
The young men smiled and attempted to tell him their answers, but soon their mouths babbled to a close, their faces turned into confusion, and their hearts despaired.
A blackmailer and betrayer
After three days of fruitless efforts, in a bid to unravel the meaning and save face, these young men threatened Samson’s wife and her family. That threat pushed her to blackmail Samson into revealing the answer.
Who wouldn’t yield to the persuasive cries and nagging of a beloved wife? Samson succumbed and unenveloped the answer to the riddle. This daughter of the Philistines couldn’t wait to share the same with her people.
One could say that out of fear and desire for preservation, she revealed the secret of Samson to her Philistine compatriots, but was that enough to betray her husband?
She didn’t know the God of the man
Some people associate with others for the external fruits they see without discovering the root that funds the fruits. It’s like admiring the lifestyle of great men instead of paying attention to the principles that made them great. Had she known the God behind Sampson, she would have rested in the fact that the same God would deliver her and her family from the plans of the enemies.
Note that the God of Sampson had already decided to destroy the Philistines (Judges 14:4). The marriage of Sampson to his wife was God’s design to find an occasion to deal with these oppressors of Israel. Had this woman of Timnath understood this, she would have saved herself, her family and her marriage with Sampson.
The behaviour of Samson’s wife is in contrast to that of Ruth, who had an awareness of the God behind Naomi and so decided to stick with her, although the physical conditions of Naomi had advised otherwise.
Understanding the God behind a person is what makes you stand with them even when the world mocks you for doing so.
The price of unfaithfulness
In an attempt to save herself and her family, she betrayed her husband. But that salvation was only temporary because the enemies returned to burn the entire family when Sampson burned their crops (Judges 15:6).
Again, her blackmail contrasts with what Rahab did. The latter had entertained the spies of Israel and could have easily sold them into the hands of the king of Jericho, but she remained true to her word. She knew that the God of Israel would overrun Jericho just as He did to Egypt. She also had faith that Israel would keep their own side of the pact. That simple faith saved her family and earned her a place in the lineage of Jesus Christ. A well-known harlot, through faithfulness, earned a place in the Chronicles of the women of faith.
There is always an unseen dimension that the prayerfully thoughtful and patient get to know and access.
