Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / The Riddle - The Book of Judges

Transcript

The Riddle - The Book of Judges · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And he said unto them, Out of
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: expound the riddle. Judges 14.14 Lord, today I realize that
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: my similarities create my comfort, but it is my difference
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: that creates my reward. So I will not be afraid
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: to be different, think different, and execute my life's plans
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: differently from others, as long as I remain tethered to
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: you and to your Word, God. I declare that nothing
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: toxic will enter my mind, my speech, or my heart.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: When the lions of this world try to attack me,
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: I will conquer them as Samson did. As I live
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: my life as an uncommon achiever, Holy Spirit, give me
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: the discernment to know and point out manipulative people who
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: are working against my purpose. I will not allow my
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: fondness to become the foolishness that sets me up for failure.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: When I do make a mistake, Lord, cover me and
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: protect my anointing so that I still may be able
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: to accomplish my task here on earth. Your hand on
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: my life is undeniable. The source of my strength to
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: some is a riddle. However, the truth remains that I
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: am set apart, anointed, and appointed. In Jesus' name.
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: Amen.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story, brought to
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: In our last story, we learned about the birth of
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: Samson and how God was grooming him to be a
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: mighty judge over Israel against the Philistines. Samson was raised
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: to drink no wine or strong drinks, eat only clean foods,
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: and abstain from cutting his hair. In this story, we
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: learn about how Samson's strength is no match for the
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: power of a beautiful Philistine woman. Samson's lust and hubris
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: is put on display as inspired by the book of Judges.
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In yesterday's episode, we heard
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: the story of Samson's parents receiving unexpected news. They were
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: going to have a baby, and Samson would not be
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: just an ordinary baby. So God sent an angel to
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: deliver the news and special instructions for how this young
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: boy was to be raised. It is a story of
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: wise parents seeking wisdom in parenting, and because of their faithfulness,
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: Samson would grow up as one set apart. In today's reading,
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: we'll learn how Samson grew stronger than any other man,
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: but how his physical strength was overcome by the weakness
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: of his will. And he gives in to lust over
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: a pagan Philistine woman, his desires and pride, will be
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: his undoing. So listen now to today's episode.
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: Samson walked around Timnah, a Philistine city. He had grown
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: into a strong young man, filled with might and favor
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: from God. Samson feared nothing. Therefore, he felt completely comfortable
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: strolling through the land of the Philistines. The city was
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: loud and bustling. Smells of cooking meat filled the air,
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: and vendors could be heard haggling and yelling at their customers.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: As Samson was walking through the chaos, a beautiful woman
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: caught his gaze. Everything seemed to stand still for Samson.
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: She was truly breathtaking, and he could not take his
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: eyes off her. It was truly love at first sight.
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: He got her name and immediately ran back to his
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: father and mother. I have found the woman I am
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: meant to marry, Samson said. The fact that the woman
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: was Philistine concerned Samson's parents. The Philistines were an oppressive
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: force over Israel, and they knew they would harm Samson
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: if he got too close. Isn't there any other woman
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: in our tribe?
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: They said.
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: Why would you choose a woman among our enemies? Yet
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: Samson would not listen. He burned with lust. and wanted
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: what was pleasing to him. She is pleasing to the eyes.
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: It shall be her and no one else, Samson demanded.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: So Samson's parents did not protest any further, and the
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: three of them headed to Timnah. They were unaware that
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: God was working in and through Samson's imperfections. Samson's brutish
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: behavior and childlike self-control would be a tool in the
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: hands of God to infiltrate the Philistines. Samson traveled behind
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: his parents. He was walking through a vineyard, daydreaming of
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: his wife-to-be. The birds chirped and picked up fallen grapes,
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: and the warm spring breeze whistled through the valley. It
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: was peaceful and quiet. Then, in an instant... A lion
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: sprang out from the bushes and latched onto Samson's back,
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: tackling him to the floor. The beast clawed at Samson,
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: but he held its arms back and thrust it off
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: of him. The lion paced around him, and Samson looked
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: it in the eyes, beckoning it to pounce again. The
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: lion leapt towards him, and Samson grabbed it by the
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: throat mid-air and slammed it onto the ground. The lion
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: squirmed under the hands of Samson in the dirt. The
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: spirit of the Lord filled his veins with strength, and
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: Samson crushed the lion's throat with his grip and tore
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: it to shreds like paper. Samson did not tell anyone
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: of what had happened between him and the lion. Instead,
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: he went down to Timna to speak with the woman
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: of his dreams. He spoke with her and made arrangements
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: to be married. She was truly intoxicating to Samson, and
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: the man who had killed a lion with his bare
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: hands was weak in the knees by a beautiful woman.
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: Days had passed, and Samson returned to Timna to take
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: his bride. He passed through the vineyard again and stumbled
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: upon the dead carcass of the lion he killed. The
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: body reeked and was decaying, but a swarm of bees
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: had made their hive in the dead body. Bees swarmed
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: around it and Samson could see honeycomb oozing from the
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: lion's body. Samson approached the carcass, paying no attention to
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: the bees around him, and scooped up the honey from
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: the dead body. He hummed and ate the honey on
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: the rest of his way. He feasted on the honey,
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: happily eating. Yet he was a Nazirite, and had taken
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: a vow to not eat anything unclean. This would be
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: one of many compromises Samson would make in his life.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: Samson prepared a feast for him and his new wife.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Over thirty people were in attendance, drinking and feasting in celebration. Samson,
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: having vowed to never touch wine or strong drink, found
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: himself surrounded by drunken revelry. The music played and the
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: drinks flowed, and Samson was enthralled with the positive attention.
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: Samson said to the men in attendance, Let me give
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: you a riddle. If you can guess it within the
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: seven days of the feast, then I will give you
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: thirty of my garments and another thirty change of clothes.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: But if you cannot guess it, then you shall give
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: them to me. They agreed to his riddle immediately, for
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: thirty linen garments was worth a great amount of silver.
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: Samson composed himself and spoke clearly. He gave them the riddle, saying,
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: Out of the eatery came something to eat. Out of
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: the strong came something sweet. For three days they pondered
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: the riddle. The feast was still in full force, and
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: their minds had been consumed with alcohol. On the fourth
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: day they came to Samson's wife and said, Seduce your
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: husband to tell you the answer to the riddle. If
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: you don't, we will burn your father's house to the ground.
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: Your husband seeks to impoverish us with his bets, and
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: we will not be humiliated. So Samson's wife wept over him.
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: She polled at him with her cries. You hate me,
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: she yelled. You have put up this riddle to my
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: people but have refused to give me the answer. Samson
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: held his composure and refused to tell her. I have
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: not told even my parents. Why should I tell you?
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: So she wept for the remainder of the feast, wearing
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: Samson down with her constant tears. Her annoyance was constant.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: and her manipulation knew no end. Finally, on the seventh day,
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: Samson caved. She had worn him down. He told her
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: the story about the lion and the honey, and she
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: immediately told her people the answer. That night, Samson was
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: around the feasting table with his companions. sure of himself
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: that he would win the riddle. The men of the
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: city smirked and told him what is sweeter than honey
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: and what is stronger than a lion. Samson knew immediately
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: that his wife had told them. His anger boiled against
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: them and hers. If you had not plowed with my heifer,
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: you would have not found out my riddle, Samson said.
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: The beautiful bride he once craved now reduced to being
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: called a cow. God, who was seeking an opportunity for
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: Samson to war against the oppressive Philistines, came upon Samson.
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: He traveled to the city of Ashkelon and slew thirty
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: Philistine men. He took their garments and fine linens, Samson
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: paid his debt, but he did so with blood of
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: the Philistine enemies. Samson had won the battle, but he
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: had lost the war. His wife left him for his
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: best man. Samson, alone and frustrated, sat in his anger.
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: He hurt, but God was at work in his life.
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: Although he was a foolish brute, Samson would be used
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: as a tool of liberation.
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: Today's reading begins with Samson, now a young man, venturing
• 11:24
  Speaker 3: into the Philistine town of Timnah. He has grown strong
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: and bright, and he has the Lord's favor. But this
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: trip into enemy territory is a dangerous game, and while
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: he's there, Samson sees a young woman. She is beautiful, exotic,
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: and forbidden. God's people were not to marry foreigners and
• 11:46
  Speaker 3: risk becoming corrupted by worshiping other gods. But this girl
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: was not just a foreigner, she was a Philistine. Her
• 11:53
  Speaker 3: people mercilessly oppressed Israel. But lust overcame Samson and he
• 11:59
  Speaker 3: told his parents he wanted her. His concerned parents suggested
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: he find a good Hebrew girl to marry, but Samson
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: was resolved this girl was for him. But God would
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: use this relationship. And Judges 14 verse 4 says this,
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: His father and mother did not know that it was
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: the Philistines. You have to ask yourself, was Samson's choice
• 12:24
  Speaker 3: of a Philistine woman God's plan and desire all along?
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: Was it okay to bend the rules to serve a
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: greater good? Well, not at all. This isn't a story
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: about God compromising his principles. He never does that. This
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: is about God making good out of bad decisions. Even
• 12:43
  Speaker 3: in Samson's eras, God would find a way to use
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: him to accomplish his purposes for his people. Samson's parents
• 12:51
  Speaker 3: went down to Timnah with him to arrange the marriage.
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: And while he was walking through the vineyards, Samson was
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: attacked by a lion. He overcame the lion and killed
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: it with his bare hands. What incredible strength! But Samson
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: told no one. A few days later, he passed by
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: the lion on the side of the road, and he
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: saw a honeycomb inside the dead animal. Samson took some
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: of the comb, ate it, and gave some to his parents,
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: who knew nothing about its origin. As a Nazirite, you see,
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: he was to keep away from unclean things, and a dead,
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: rotting lion carcass was definitely unclean. Samson further compromised himself
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: in this. Samson threw a feast, and many of his
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: bride's countrymen attended. He wanted to show how smart he was,
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: so he foolishly wagered a bet with them. He tells
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: a riddle which they must solve in seven days. And
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: if they succeed, they'll receive a hefty payout from Samson.
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: If they fail, they must pay. He cleverly devises a
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: riddle based on his encounter with the lion and the
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: honeycomb that was unsolvable to anyone but him. The Philistines
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: pressured his wife to entice Samson to reveal the answer,
• 14:03
  Speaker 3: threatening to burn her and her family otherwise. So she
• 14:06
  Speaker 3: pleaded with Samson, but he held his ground. She continued
• 14:10
  Speaker 3: badgering him until he revealed the answer, which she passed
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: on to the men Samson had challenged. Samson was defeated
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: and humiliated. The woman he so desired had betrayed his trust. Incensed,
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: Samson lashed out, even comparing his wife to a heifer.
• 14:27
  Speaker 3: These were not kind words. Then he went to a
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: nearby village in a rage and killed 30 Philistines to
• 14:34
  Speaker 3: extract the payment for the bets. But he's left with
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: nothing but loss. He's lost his moral compass. He's lost
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: his temper. He's lost his way. He's lost his girl.
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: His wife was given to his best man, and Samson
• 14:48
  Speaker 3: returned angry and alone to his father's home. God was
• 14:52
  Speaker 3: still with Samson. He still had a purpose for him.
• 14:56
  Speaker 3: But Samson's troubles were far from over, and we'll hear
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: more about his struggles, successes, and shortcomings and sins in
• 15:04
  Speaker 3: the next episode. Dear God, thank you for this story
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: that we have learned today, how it shows us the
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: slippery slope of moral compromise. Help us not to allow
• 15:16
  Speaker 3: selfish desires and pride and unbelief to cloud our judgment.
• 15:20
  Speaker 3: We want you always to be number one in our lives.
• 15:24
  Speaker 3: In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to today's
• 15:28
  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: Download the Pray.com app and make prayer a priority in
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: someone you love. By sharing this podcast, you can make
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: a difference in someone's life. If you want to know
• 15:45
  Speaker 3: more about the Lord, how to know Him, how to
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: serve Him, and be His disciple, then let me encourage
• 15:51
  Speaker 3: you to visit my website, which is jackgram.org. We would
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: love to assist you in any way possible as you
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: grow in your journey of faith. Again, That's jackgram.org. God
• 16:05
  Speaker 3: bless you.