WOMEN IN SAMSON’S LIFE –  Part 1

Learn: Romans 14:11, 12 

For it is written, As I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 

Read: Judges 14:1-20

1.Samson grew up in a home that feared the LORD (Judges 13:1-25). He was trained by his parents according to the Word of God. What was the location of Samson’s home?Judges 13:25b, Where did Samson decide go to? v 1a,
Locate both of these cities on your Bible map of Canaan as divided among the 12 tribes.

2. Which enemy of the nation of Israel occupied the city that Samson went to?  v 1b

3. When Samson visited the city of Timnath, what became a snare to him? v 1

4. What did visiting the camp of the enemy, then seeing a daughter of the enemy lead to? v 2

5. Were Samson’s parents in agreement with his choice for a wife?  v 3a Explain.

6. What specific word did Samson’s parents use to describe the Philistines?  v 3

7. What is understood by a Jewish person when the word “uncircumcised” is used to describe someone?  Genesis 17:9-11, 13, 14

8. Why was it wrong for Samson to choose a woman of the “uncircumcised” for his wife? Deuteronomy 7:1-4

9. Does the Lord still have the same command for his people, the church, that he had for the nation of Israel concerning marriage?  Explain. II Corinthians 6:14-17

10. Samson had been raised and trained from his birth to be a man wholly dedicated to the service of the LORD. Did his upbringing and his parents’ reminder cause him to abandon the wrong direction that he was heading in his choice of a wife?Explain. v 3b

11. What interesting information is given in verse 4?

12. How does Isaiah 46:9, 10 help us to understand verse 4?

13. We know from verse 4 that Samson’s parents did not know God’s plan, however, they did know God’s will concerning marriage of the people of God. How can we understand this situation of Samson’s disobedience and God’s foreknowledge?  Use Genesis 50:20; Ephesians 1:11 to help with your answer.

14. Does the fact that using Samson’s decision to bring down the Philistines in any way justify Samson’s disobedience and sin? Explain using I Peter 4:17; Luke 16:2; Romans 14:12.

15. Samson is famous for his amazing strength. Where did the strength come from?  v 6a

16. On this first occasion where Samson’s strength was revealed, what did he do? vv 5, 6

17. Was Samson’s demonstration of strength known to anyone? v 6

18. Samson continued on with his plan for his life. When he returned to his home what happened? vv 8, 9

19. What action on Samson’s part is repeated in verse 9b that we saw in verse 6b?

20. We remember the call that the LORD had placed on Samson’s life to be a Nazarite. What does the fact that Samson kept the power that God had shown through him in the killing of the lion secret, and his subsequent action concerning the honey in the lion secret from his parents, reveal about Samson’s heart attitude?

21. The wedding was planned (verse 10). It would be a feast of seven days and then the actual wedding. Samson brought no one from his own people to be his companions, so the family of the bride made arrangements to bring 30 young men to be with Samson. How did Samson approach the 30 Philistine men?   vv 11-14a

22. The Philistine men were not able to expound the riddle after trying for three days. Describe the character of the men that the family of Samson’s bride to be had chosen for his companions?  v 15  

23. Now Samson’s bride could have explained the situation to Samson, but instead of honest communication she chose a different pathway. Use verses 16, 17 to give a picture of the character of the woman that Samson had chosen to be his wife. 

24.  Using verse 17, point out the reason that Samson gave his bride the answer to the riddle?

25. What did the reason for which Samson gave his bride the answer to the riddle reveal about the character of Samson? 

26. List 5 results because of all the deception and unwise behavior on the part of Samson and his bride 

27.  Using what you have learned from this lesson explain why such a woman as Samson had chosen for his wife is not to be desired as a wife or a friend by those who are followers of Christ.