Judg 14:19 | KingComments | STEP | Samson is the loser. He first loses the challenge related to the riddle. He has to keep the agreement and has to give thirty pieces of clothing. For that he goes to Ashkelon, one of the five Philistine cities. There he kills thirty men and gives their clothes to those who have given the solution of the riddle. The application is that while ‘the riddle’ of the cross of the Lord Jesus can be ‘answered’ by unbelief, this does not really change lives inwardly. The clothing remains Philistine. It is remarkable that here we read again that the Spirit of the LORD comes upon Samson mightily, while he is still busy fulfilling an agreement he should never have made. Possibly this has to do with the fact that here he is fighting the enemies of God’s people and is therefore busy with the execution of his actual task. He also loses his wife. She is given to another. His father-in-law has no idea whether Samson will ever come back. The man, when he gave his daughter to another person, did not suspect what the consequences would be for him and his daughter.

‏ Judges 14:19

The Reward

Samson is the loser. He first loses the challenge related to the riddle. He has to keep the agreement and has to give thirty pieces of clothing. For that he goes to Ashkelon, one of the five Philistine cities. There he kills thirty men and gives their clothes to those who have given the solution of the riddle. The application is that while ‘the riddle’ of the cross of the Lord Jesus can be ‘answered’ by unbelief, this does not really change lives inwardly. The clothing remains Philistine.

It is remarkable that here we read again that the Spirit of the LORD comes upon Samson mightily, while he is still busy fulfilling an agreement he should never have made. Possibly this has to do with the fact that here he is fighting the enemies of God’s people and is therefore busy with the execution of his actual task.

He also loses his wife. She is given to another. His father-in-law has no idea whether Samson will ever come back. The man, when he gave his daughter to another person, did not suspect what the consequences would be for him and his daughter.