Samson and the Lion

Samson, the Lion, and the Riddle
Judges 13-14

There was a time when Israel was in the hands of the Philistines. At that time, a baby named Samson was born. His parents dedicated him to God, and to show that he was dedicated to God, he was never to be shaven, or his hair cut, and as Samson grew, the Lord blessed him.

Now when Samson was grown, he saw a Philistine woman that he wanted to marry, but his father and mother wanted him to marry a woman who was of Israel, because the Philistines were the enemies of Israel. They did not know that God was in control, and it was his plan to have Samson marry this woman of the Philistines...

And so as Samson was traveling to the woman's home, a young lion roared, threatening him, and the Spirit of the LORD came upon Samson in a mighty way, and Samson killed the lion, but he did not tell his father and mother what he had done. And he continued on to see the woman he wanted to marry.

Now after awhile Samson passed by the body of the lion, and there he found a swarm of bees had made a home inside the lion, and there was honey inside the lion. So Samson took the honey and ate it himself, and gave some to his father and mother, but he did not tell them it came from inside the lion.

And so Samson married the woman and made a feast, and told a riddle to the people there, promising them a prize if they could answer it in seven days, but demanding the same prize from them if they could not solve the riddle. And here it is:

"Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness."

And the Philistines could not solve the riddle so they went to Samson's wife to see if she could find out the answer. They threatened to burn her father's house if she did not find out the answer. And so Samson's wife begged him so much, that finally he told her the answer...and so she told the Philistines the answer to the riddle...and Samson was so angry that he killed the men who threatened his wife, and he went home to his father's house, but his wife was given to someone else.

Memory Verse: Judges 14:6 "And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him....."

Questions:
1. What was special about Samson when he was born?
2. Why didn't his parents want him to marry the Philistine woman?
3. What happened when the lion roared at Samson?
4. What did Samson find in the body of the lion?
5. How did the Philistines find out the answer to the riddle?
6. What happened to Samson's wife?

Answers:
1. He was called a Nazarite, and dedicated to the Lord, and he was never to be shaven.
2. Because the Philistines were the enemies of Israel
3. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him and he killed the lion.
4. A swarm of bees and honey
5. They went to Samson's wife and threatened to burn her father's house if she did not find out the answer and tell them.
6. She was given to someone else when Samson went back to his father's house.

Vicki C. Gross

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