Daily Bible Reading for April 4, 2020

Today my Bible reading plan covers Judges, Chapter 13-15.

In Chapter 13, the Israelites resorted to their old ways after the death of the last judge, Abdon, so God gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. During this time, a couple who had been barren was visited by an angel of the LORD and told they would have a son, who would save Israel from the Philistines. He would be a Nazirite from the womb, eating nothing unclean, nor drinking wine nor strong drink, nor should his hair ever be cut.

“And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him…” Vss. 24-25a

In Chapter 14, Samson sees a Philistine woman that he desired to be his wife. His parents tried to talk him out of it, encouraging him to marry within the family. But he insisted on her, as God was in this for an opportunity against the Philistines. Samson marries her, and at the wedding feast gives a riddle to the guests that described his killing of a lion with his bare hands and later finding its carcass filled with honey. Because they could not figure it out, they talked Samson’s wife into learning the answer, which she did. In anger, Samson leaves his wife with his best man and returns home.

Samson’s riddle sounds like it could have been on the game show, Jeopardy.

“Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” Vs. 18a

The answer:

“What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? Vs. 18b

In Chapter 15, after some time Samson went to reclaim his wife, but her father would not allow him. So Samson felt warranted to go after the Philistines and defeats them with the jawbone of a donkey. Samson judged Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

My Thoughts On This: I am glad that God is longsuffering and is slow to anger. (The Israelites gave him a lot of practice.  We are too.) Yet, he is working even though we may not see it in the immediate, just like he raises up Samson to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. They had to wait until he was born and grown before he would appear as a deliverer. That should give us confidence to trust God.

Let’s read the Book!