Judg 14:14 | KingComments | STEP | Then Samson uses an experience he gained through the Spirit of God to amuse the Philistines. Philistines are people who can never solve such a riddle themselves. They cannot possibly understand that life can come from death. They may be able to give the right answers. However, this can only be done by borrowing or stealing the answers from others, but this is also acting ‘like a Philistine’. We must be able to solve the riddle. Whoever solves the riddle will get different clothes. This is the reward that is promised. Changing clothes is a picture of changing lifestyle habits. Clothes we can see; they belong to the part of man that is visible. We can look at the riddle from the side of God. Then it means that our lives will change as we gain a real understanding of the fact that the death of the Lord Jesus life has come forth for us. This will affect our attitude and behavior, everything that people see of us. We will show a new style of life. Solving the riddle must be the result of inner, spiritual exercise. If we have come this far, we learn to see that nothing has any value if we have not received it through the death of Christ. The result of this is visible in the way we interact with each other within the family or the local church: in love from which food and sweetness originate. However, if we look at the riddle from Samson’s side, we see that he represents someone who communicates a ‘spiritual’ experience as a kind of entertainment to the religious world. If the riddle is not guessed, Samson is given thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes. From whom? From the Philistines. It will not bring him profit, but loss. Someone who shows off his experiences runs the risk of taking over the habits and behavior of the Christian world. Even if the riddle is solved in a Philistine way, the result is not that the one who solves the riddle changes by it. We see what happens with Samson. What he finally did was to provide the Philistines with a number of extra Philistine clothes ( ). The changing is not a substantial change. But now to the meaning of the riddle. What does it represent? The devil is the eater, the lion. A conquered lion provides ‘food’, spiritual food. On the cross the lion is defeated. The Lord Jesus destroyed on the cross by death “him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” ( ). As a result, the treasures of God have opened and we can feed ourselves with all the spiritual delicacies that result from the victory of the Lord Jesus. Applied to our own experience a victory over the devil gives strength and refreshment.

‏ Judges 14:14

The Riddle

Then Samson uses an experience he gained through the Spirit of God to amuse the Philistines. Philistines are people who can never solve such a riddle themselves. They cannot possibly understand that life can come from death. They may be able to give the right answers. However, this can only be done by borrowing or stealing the answers from others, but this is also acting ‘like a Philistine’.

We must be able to solve the riddle. Whoever solves the riddle will get different clothes. This is the reward that is promised. Changing clothes is a picture of changing lifestyle habits. Clothes we can see; they belong to the part of man that is visible.

We can look at the riddle from the side of God. Then it means that our lives will change as we gain a real understanding of the fact that the death of the Lord Jesus life has come forth for us. This will affect our attitude and behavior, everything that people see of us. We will show a new style of life.

Solving the riddle must be the result of inner, spiritual exercise. If we have come this far, we learn to see that nothing has any value if we have not received it through the death of Christ. The result of this is visible in the way we interact with each other within the family or the local church: in love from which food and sweetness originate.

However, if we look at the riddle from Samson’s side, we see that he represents someone who communicates a ‘spiritual’ experience as a kind of entertainment to the religious world. If the riddle is not guessed, Samson is given thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes. From whom? From the Philistines. It will not bring him profit, but loss.

Someone who shows off his experiences runs the risk of taking over the habits and behavior of the Christian world. Even if the riddle is solved in a Philistine way, the result is not that the one who solves the riddle changes by it. We see what happens with Samson. What he finally did was to provide the Philistines with a number of extra Philistine clothes (Jdg 14:19). The changing is not a substantial change.

But now to the meaning of the riddle. What does it represent? The devil is the eater, the lion. A conquered lion provides ‘food’, spiritual food. On the cross the lion is defeated. The Lord Jesus destroyed on the cross by death “him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14). As a result, the treasures of God have opened and we can feed ourselves with all the spiritual delicacies that result from the victory of the Lord Jesus. Applied to our own experience a victory over the devil gives strength and refreshment.