Jdg 14:1-20 But his Parents did not Know that it was of the Lord

[Study Aired July 12, 2021]

Jdg 14:1  And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 
Jdg 14:2  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 
Jdg 14:3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 
Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 
Jdg 14:5  Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 
Jdg 14:6  And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. 
Jdg 14:7  And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 
Jdg 14:8  And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. 
Jdg 14:9  And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion. 
Jdg 14:10  So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. 
Jdg 14:11  And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 
Jdg 14:12  And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments: 
Jdg 14:13  But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. 
Jdg 14:14  And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. 
Jdg 14:15  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so? 
Jdg 14:16  And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? 
Jdg 14:17  And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people. 
Jdg 14:18  And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. 
Jdg 14:19  And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house. 
Jdg 14:20  But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend. 

In order to understand the story of Samson, we need to know that Samson represents the elect, as we see from the heroes mentioned in Hebrews Chapter 11 that Samson was included as an overcomer.

Heb 11:32  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 
Heb 11:33  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 
Heb 11:34  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 
Heb 11:35  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

The life of Samson is not unique but is typical of us as God’s elect.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

As we are aware, the life of an elect typically follows the following sequence: We first leave Egypt (the world) when we have an encounter with Christ. We then end up in Babylon for a symbolic 70 years before we leave Babylon to be married to Christ. Samson’s life also follows the same pattern. The biblical record focuses on his life in Babylon and victory over the flesh through judgment.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Today’s study is about Samson’s life in Babylon through his proposed marriage with the Philistine woman as follows:

Jdg 14:1  And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 

As we indicated in the previous review, the name Samson means sunlight. When God comes to our lives and starts to throw light on His words and we leave the world (Egypt), our immediate response is to find a woman who symbolizes the church, who would be our enjoyment and so obtain favor from the Lord.

2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Pro 18:22  Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. 

Unfortunately, we end up with a woman from the daughters of the Philistines. The Philistines were occupying the Promised Land when Israel entered Canaan. In Israel’s conquest of the land, they could not remove the Philistines but co-habited with them in the land. The Philistines therefore represent the enemy within, which is our flesh who is empowered by the devil outside. So the woman being a daughter of the Philistines signifies the fleshly churches of this world, which is Jerusalem in bondage with her children. Being in bondage means that the church system, or Babylon, is ruled by the flesh or the law of sin and death.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Verse 1 here says that Samson went down to Timnath.  According to Strong, Timnath means portion. Therefore, Samson going down to Timnath is his portion. In other words, it was written in his book that he would go down to Timnath to meet a woman from the daughters of the Philistines. It was all part of the plan of God for his life.

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Jdg 14:2  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

The fact that Samson told his parents to get the woman for him means that he was still under the rule of his fleshly parents. This implies that Samson was still dominated by the flesh even though he was called and chosen. Thus, he was carnal as he started his walk with the Lord. We, too, when we started our walk with Christ were carnal.

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Carnality begets carnality. It is therefore no surprise that Samson ended up with a daughter of the Philistines. When we started our walk with Christ, when we were devoid of discernment, we looked to the church (woman) as most glorious and beautiful. We think that through the woman we will come to know Christ. We did not know however, that she wore the attire of a harlot and would lead us to another Jesus.  These thoughts are expressed in the scriptures as follows:

Pro 7:9  In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
Pro 7:10  And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. 
Pro 7:11  (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: 
Pro 7:12  Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) 
Pro 7:13  So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, 
Pro 7:14  I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. 
Pro 7:15  Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. 
Pro 7:16  I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. 
Pro 7:17  I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 
Pro 7:18  Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. 
Pro 7:19  For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: 
Pro 7:20  He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. 
Pro 7:21  With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. 
Pro 7:22  He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; 
Pro 7:23  Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

Jdg 14:3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

Sometimes we hear the still small voice within questioning us whether being in Babylon is helping us to know God as we see ourselves gradually going back to our vomit. However, because we do not have any discernment and we judge outwardly, we think that the church (woman) must be where we should belong because we believe that its many children attest to the fact that it’s doing something right. We therefore, like Samson, become entrenched in our quest to become part of the church system because she pleases us well.

Pro 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. 

Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

As explained earlier, our time in Babylon is all of the Lord, and this evil experience in Babylon is to give the Lord the opportunity to confront our old man or the flesh through His judgments in our lives. The latter part of this verse says that the reason God was looking for an occasion to confront the Philistines was that the Philistines had dominion over Israel at that time. This implies that there was no way we were ever going to confront the old man within us who was dominating us except the Lord takes the initiative. As a matter of fact, while in Babylon, we did not even realize that the old man or the flesh was dominating our lives. We were just like the Israelites who had gotten used to being so dominated by the Philistines. That is why the Lord had to intervene when he said:

Isa 63:5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
Isa 63:6  And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. 

These verses mean that we bring nothing to the table when it comes to our salvation. Except the Lord looks for an occasion to come into our lives, there is no way we would ever make any progress regarding our salvation.

Jdg 14:5  Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 
Jdg 14:6  And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

Our flesh (Father and Mother) will lead us down the road of the woman with the harlot attire or Babylon. However, this experience of evil is part of our portion (Timnath) from the Lord. Even though we end up in darkness in our time in Babylon, the Lord grants us small victories over the deeds of the flesh based on the little light that we have received concerning His words.

When the enemy within roars like a lion, we are given the necessary help to overcome it. The fact that a young lion was responsible for the attack suggests that we are dealing with the basic rudimentary attacks by the devil. These little victories over the flesh are usually over some overt sins in our lives such as lies, fornication, envy, jealousy, etc. which have been plaguing us as we entered Babylon.

We need to note that the Spirit of the Lord had not taken residence in Samson’s heart but comes at certain periods to deliver him in dire situations. It is the same as the spirit of the Lord brooding over the earth when the earth was without form or void. We, too, had the spirit brooding over us in our deplorable situation in Babylon.

Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 

This is contrary to the teaching we had in Babylon that immediately when we come to believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to take residence in our hearts. It takes time for the Holy Spirit to take residence in our hearts to lead us into all truth after our experience of evil in Babylon.

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Jdg 14:7  And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

As those who have just started our walk with Christ, we are always pleased with the church system of this world. This is because we do not have the tools to discern what constitutes the church of the first born or Jerusalem which is above. Our judgment was always superficial. When we were young and of marriageable age, our criteria of who we should marry was most of the time superficial – we judged mostly from outward beauty without putting much premium on the inward characteristics.  The disciples were also enchanted by the temple of Jerusalem or the church when they were with Jesus as follows:

Mar 13:1  And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”
Mar 13:2  And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (ESV)

The church system of this world promises us freedom, just as Samson thought the Philistine woman will please him. However, instead we come under severe bondage.

2Pe 2:19  They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. (ESV)

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 

Jdg 14:8  And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. 
Jdg 14:9  And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion. 

These verses tell us about what we were in for when we embraced Babylon, represented here by the Philistine woman. Here Samson ate honey from the carcass of a lion. The lion is a beast just as we are. So the carcass of the lion symbolizes those who are spiritually dead. The swarm of bees represents the enemies within which are our flesh or the old man as demonstrated in the following scriptures:

Deu 1:44 And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.

Psa 118:12  They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

So what we are being told here is that in Babylon, what we receive as the word of God or the food we eat (honey) is from spiritually dead messengers (carcass of a beast). These spiritually dead messengers speak from the flesh (bees) the enticing words of man’s wisdom, and we hear them because we identify with them.

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 
1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Jdg 14:10  So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

Samson’s father going down to meet the woman is the same as saying that when we were ruled by the flesh, we drank of the wine of the woman’s fornication and waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Samson holding a feast as part of the custom of the young men is to let us know that when we were in Babylon, ruled by the flesh, we were under bondage to the principles of the world. We therefore observed days, months, times and years which brought us into more bondage.

Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

Jdg 14:11  And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 

The number thirty stands for those who are destined to reign or start to do the work of the Lord, as both Joseph and David became kings at the age of thirty.

Gen 41:46  And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

2Sa 5:4  David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

Num 4:23  From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

What we are being told in this verse is that when we are called of the Lord, we end up in Babylon, and it is in Babylon that our Lord chooses us, which ultimately results in our exit from Babylon. In other words, Babylon gives birth to us as a manchild.

Rev 12:1  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Rev 12:2  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 
Rev 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 
Rev 12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 
Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Jdg 14:12  And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments: 
Jdg 14:13  But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. 

In our walk with the Lord in the churches of this world (Babylon), we are not given to understand the word of the Lord.  It is therefore a riddle or dark sayings to us.

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

The seven days of the feast represent the complete period of our time in Babylon. During this period, if we are granted by the Lord to start understanding the riddle or the words of the Lord, then more will be taken away from those who have not and given to us. In other words, as our eyes start to see and our ears start to hear, we will continue to know more. The more we know, the more we are being changed into His likeness, and the more we walk in His righteousness.  This righteousness is the same as the thirty garments we will be given as we solve the riddle.

On the other hand, if during our walk in Babylon, we are not able to solve this riddle or understand His words, even the little knowledge that we have will be taken away and given to those whose eyes are seeing and ears are hearing.

Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Jdg 14:14  And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

Now let’s take a look of the riddle we are to solve while in Babylon. As we know from this story, the eater or the strong here refers to the lion that attacked Samson and the sweetness here refers to honey. This is confirmed in verse 18 when the riddle was finally solved:

Jdg 14:18  And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

What the men of the city said was that there was nothing sweeter than honey and that there is nothing stronger than the lion. Let’s take a look at how “honey” is used in the word of God to understand what we are being told here.

Psa 119:103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Pro 25:27  It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

Exo 3:17  And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deu 31:20  For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.

So honey represents the word of God. Usually, milk and honey are mentioned together when the scriptures describe the Promised Land. Both milk and honey represent the teething or rudimentary doctrines of the word of God.

Heb 5:11  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

In the answer to the riddle, the men said that there is nothing sweeter than honey. This means that in Babylon, we can never rise above the first principles of the word of God since we consider honey to be the ultimate experience of sweetest. We therefore will continue to be babies in Christ as long as we cannot go beyond honey and know the word of righteousness.

The second part of the riddle was explained by the men that there is nothing stronger than the lion. This is the same as saying, “Who can war against the beast?”

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

The church, therefore, regards the milk of the word to be the meat of the word of God and also considers the old man as unconquerable. It is when we come to this realization that we start our exit from Babylon.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

The fact that the Philistine men could not in three days expound the riddle means that those called but not chosen cannot understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God at the completion of their spiritual process in Babylon.

Jdg 14:15  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so? 

The wife can only know what the husband has revealed to her. That is, the church receives its knowledge from Christ, and Christ receives His knowledge from what the Father has given Him.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

It is insightful to note that it was on the seventh day that the thirty Philistine men realized Samson’s wife did not know the meaning of the riddle. What we are being told here is that it is when we are at the completion stage of our experience of evil in Babylon that we realize the church has nothing to offer us. That is what precipitates our exit from Babylon.

The statement, “Have you called us to take that we have?” shows that we become spiritually impoverished at the end of our time in Babylon. The little knowledge about Christ that we had was taken away through the swelling words of man’s wisdom.

Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

In our frustration, we threaten to burn the woman and her father’s house if she does not ask her husband about the meaning of the riddle. Internally, this is a prediction of what is happening to us as the Babylon within us is being burnt by fire (the word of God). Externally, the church system of the world and all religions would be destroyed as a result of the frustration of the people of the world who have drunk of the wine of her fornication.

Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Jdg 14:16  And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
Jdg 14:17  And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

The weeping of the woman for seven days is to show us that the church has the zeal to want to know God but it is not given for her to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Rom 10:1  Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
Rom 10:2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

What we are being told here is that at the end of the seventh day, the Philistine woman was told the meaning of the riddle.  This implies that Babylon would also come to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God after she has served the period assigned to her by the Lord which is symbolized here by seven days or a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Rev 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. 

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

The fact that Samson told the woman that he had not told his own father and mother signifies that when we are under the dominion of the flesh, we cannot know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Jdg 14:18  And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. 

We have already explained the significance of the riddle as it relates to us. Our focus will therefore be on the statement “if you had not plowed my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle”. This verse is rendered in a more simplified version as follows:

Jdg 14:18  Then on the seventh day, before he went into the bride’s room, the men of the town said to him, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If you had not been ploughing with my cow you would not have got the answer to my question. (BBE)

Ploughing means turning over the earth just before sowing. What we are therefore being told here is that for those who are called and chosen, the period of their lives in Babylon is preparing them for the sowing of the word of God. The cow here represents our Lord Jesus Christ who comes to us while in Babylon to begin the ploughing process for us to be ready to receive the good seeds which are the mysteries of the kingdom of God. It is therefore those who are making their hearts and minds ready (ploughing their earth) with God’s cow (Jesus) who can know the riddle, that is, the mysteries of kingdom of God.

Jdg 14:19  And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.

The slaying of the thirty men of the Philistines in order to take their garments and give to the thirty Philistine companions of Samson is another way of saying that God has shown us mercy at the expense of those who did not believe. This mercy being shown to us involves being judged, which results in the slaying of our old man.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Jdg 14:20  But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend. 

It is important to note that Samson’s desire to marry the Philistine woman did not materialize, as his fiancée was given to his friend. We know that the Philistine woman represents the church which had been divorced by her husband Christ for playing the harlot. So God, in His divine wisdom, prevented Samson, a type of the elect, from marriage to this spiritually divorced Philistine woman to prevent Samson committing adultery throughout his life.

Jer 3:8  And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

Hos 2:2  Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; 

Mat 19:9  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

In a similar vein, God intervened and delivered us from marriage to Babylon so that we would not be committing adultery throughout our lives and therefore become unfit to reign with Christ.  That is why we are called to leave Babylon at a certain stage of our walk with Christ, if we are called and chosen.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

As Revelation 18:4 says, if we do not come out of her, then we become partakers of her sins. We know that one of her cardinal sins is harlotry, which is the same as spiritual adultery.

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

The Philistine woman was given to a friend of Samson. A friend of Samson here symbolizes all those who are related to us spiritually. These are our brothers and sisters in Babylon who are spiritually in marriage to the Philistine woman who represents Babylon. We would therefore be guilty of spiritual adultery if we continue to harbor idols of the heart which we acquired from Babylon. May the Lord deliver us completely from all that belongs to Babylon in us!!!