Judg 15:15 | KingComments | STEP | Samson frees himself from the new ropes by the power of the Spirit. To defeat his enemies he uses a fresh jawbone of a donkey. This shows the weakness of the instrument in contrast to the result. No one can say that Samson’s victory is the result of a great weapon. It is a ‘fresh’ weapon, not a ‘dry’ one (cf. ). The donkey is dead, but the power of life is still present in the bone, as it were. This speaks of the life that the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus gave us and through which we are able to achieve victories. This means that we have acknowledged the judgment about ourselves. Man by nature is aptly compared with a donkey ( ). When Samson has gained the victory, he throws away his weapon. He does not want to keep it, it should not become a snare for him, like the ephod for Gideon ( ). The weapon has served the purpose and that is enough. This principle is important, both for the person used to serve and for those served. Often the ‘poor’ instrument God wanted to use in His grace is honored. We hear expressions such as ‘what a speaker’ and ‘what a charisma’. An example of how it should be is given in the book of Acts, chapter 8. After Philip proclaimed the gospel to the eunuch and baptized him, “the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing” ( ). Philip has done his service. He does not need a tribute and gets a different field of work. And the eunuch? He no longer has an eye for Philip, he does not even miss him, because he has received the Lord Jesus in his heart and that is more than enough.

‏ Judges 15:15

A Fresh Jawbone of a Donkey

Samson frees himself from the new ropes by the power of the Spirit. To defeat his enemies he uses a fresh jawbone of a donkey. This shows the weakness of the instrument in contrast to the result. No one can say that Samson’s victory is the result of a great weapon. It is a ‘fresh’ weapon, not a ‘dry’ one (cf. Eze 37:1-2).

The donkey is dead, but the power of life is still present in the bone, as it were. This speaks of the life that the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus gave us and through which we are able to achieve victories. This means that we have acknowledged the judgment about ourselves. Man by nature is aptly compared with a donkey (Exo 13:13).

When Samson has gained the victory, he throws away his weapon. He does not want to keep it, it should not become a snare for him, like the ephod for Gideon (Jdg 8:27). The weapon has served the purpose and that is enough. This principle is important, both for the person used to serve and for those served. Often the ‘poor’ instrument God wanted to use in His grace is honored. We hear expressions such as ‘what a speaker’ and ‘what a charisma’.

An example of how it should be is given in the book of Acts, chapter 8. After Philip proclaimed the gospel to the eunuch and baptized him, “the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). Philip has done his service. He does not need a tribute and gets a different field of work. And the eunuch? He no longer has an eye for Philip, he does not even miss him, because he has received the Lord Jesus in his heart and that is more than enough.