Samson’s Riddle… Samson pt 6

 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:  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. 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.( Judges 14:12-14)

There is more to Samson’s Riddle than meets the eye.

1)First of all why does He speak in Riddles?

Remember ,that Samson is a type of Christ, who spoke in Parables and dark sayings to make a division between those who have ears to hear and those who don’t.

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 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: 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. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.( Matthew 13:13-16)

The only way that anyone could know what the answer to the Riddle, would be by Samson revealing it to them. Just as Samson revealed his secret to His Bride, it was their secret together. Christ reveals His mysteries to his beloved.

2) The answer to the Riddle, as given by those who extracted it from Samson’s bride, (through threats and coercion), is a Riddle itself, which remains unanswered,

“What is stronger than a lion?” and “What is sweeter than honey?”

3) Had the Lion successfully attacked and eaten Samson, He (SAMSON) would have been incorporated into the Lion. But instead Samson prevailed (by the Holy Ghost) and instead He “ate something of the Lion, in the form of the beehive and the Honey”.

Isn’t this what the New Testament tells us what Jesus did for us?

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.( Hebrews 2:14-15)

Christ came down to earth, (As Samson came down to Timnath) and He confronted the Lion, (the Devil). Christ Died, He absorbed (and fully Tasted) death for us,

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.(Hebrews 2:9)

Just as Samson filled his hands with that honey out of the Lion’s carcass.

4) If we receive the Revelation of the Riddle, we get new clothes,(Robes of Righteousness). But it cannot be obtained by force or by cheating, we must receive a Revelation of it from Christ.

5) So to answer the Riddle which was the Answer to the Riddle,

What is Stronger than a Lion? Initially the answer would be death. Death is the eternal penalty for sin, it is the reward appointed by God for all who fall short, all men must die, and it cannot be overcome by any human means. It is no respecter of persons, and it is universally feared and dreaded by men of every station in life, and at all times.

Now, who is stronger than Death? The Messiah. Death came to Him but couldn’t Hold him in the tomb, for He is the ultimate Strong man, who has bound the other Strong man and loosed His goods. Peter preached on the day of Pentecost,

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. ( Acts 2:22-24)

What is sweeter than Honey? How beautiful that something sweet should come out of something so fierce and strong as a lion. As we noted, Honey is a symbol of the Promised Land, “the land flowing with milk and Honey”, the place of blessing, prosperity, delicious and wholesome life. What a miracle that Bee’s should transform the Killing Lion into a honey factory.

Honey is also a symbol of the Word of God, which the Psalmist tells us twice that the Words of God are more to be desired than Gold and much fine honey in the Honeycomb.

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste!  yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (119:103); “the judgments of the Lord are . . . sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (19:9b, 10b).

But the answer to the Riddle was a question, “What is Sweeter than Honey?”

That answer would be resurrection and newness of Life. If he were an ordinary man, Samson would have been dead when the Lion attacked Him. He had nothing in his hand, He would have perished and been eaten. Instead, by the Spirit of God, Samson came out of the ordeal, with sweetness flowing from his hands, which he shared with others, from the carcass of the beast.

As in the Story, the Messiah offers something sweet to Gentile and Jew alike, ie salvation. He has transformed death itself, into the sweetness of life, to those who can receive the Revelation. To us Christians, who once feared and dreaded death, we now contemplate it with Joy, for “To Live is Christ, and to Die is gain!”