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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Judges Chapter 15

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Samuel 
Date Penned: (550 BC)
Overview: A Record of Israel's Compromise in the Promised Land (c 1-21)
Theme: The Rescue of Israel by the Judges (c 3-16)
Message: Samson Kills Many Enemies (v 1-20)

Judges 15 Commentary

(15:1-20) Revenge Takes its Course - Samson's reply in 15:11 tells the story of this chapter: "As they did unto me, so have I done unto them." Revenge is an uncontrollable monster. Each act of retaliation brings another. It is a boomerang that cannot be thrown without cost to the thrower. The revenge cycle can be halted only by forgiveness.


(15:14-17) A Thousand Men Slain - The Lord's strength came upon Samson, but he was proud and boasted only of his own strength. "With the jawbone of an ass ... have I slain a thousand men," he said, and later he asked God to refresh him because of his accomplishments (15:18-19). Pride can cause us to take credit for work we've done only because of God's strength


(15:18) A Pattern of Weakness - Samson was physically and emotionally exhausted. After a great personal victory, his attitude declined quickly into self-pity-"Now shall I die for thirst?" Emotionally, we are most vulnerable after a great effort or when faced with real physical needs. Severe depression often follows great achievements, so don't be surprised if you feel drained after a personal victory. During these times of vulnerability, avoid the temptation to think that God owes you for your efforts. It was his strength that gave you victory. Concentrate on keeping your attitudes, actions, and words focused on God instead of yourself.


(15:20) Samson Becomes Judge - Apparently Samson was appointed Israel's judge after this victory over the Philistines.

 

 


Dave Burnette's Life Application

Revenge

 

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we Continue in the book of Judges with Chapter 15 and we read of the problems of Samson and his Philistine wife and family. After ignoring the instruction of the Lord we see Samson reaping problems from his decision. In the process a serious of revengeful actions take place between Samson and the Philistines. In making application we see results of revengeful actions. The Lord in later chapters instructs us to turn the other cheek because no one wins in revenge. It only escalates to war. This does not mean we are to not stand our ground and protect our families and property but when provoked we are to forgive and show the love of Christ that extends forgiveness toward them. It reminds me of lost neighbors we had once who lashed out at us unprovoked. My initial thought was one of revenge but the Holy Spirit led me to forgive and extend the hand of Christ. This act of forgiveness left them speechless and know the God we Serve. How about you? Do you have problems with revengeful actions to those who do you wrong? Let us learn from today's text and the life of Samson -  forgiving others as Jesus-Christ has forgiven us - Extending them forgiveness instead of acting in revenge.

 

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Judges 15

Judges 15

 1But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.

 2And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.

 3And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.

 4And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails.

 5And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.

 6Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

 7And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.

 8And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.

 9Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.

 10And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.

 11Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.

 12And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.

 13And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.

 14And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.

 15And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

 16And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.

 17And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.

 18And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

 19But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.

 20And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.