Today’s passage: Judges 15:1-20

Helpful thoughts:

• Samson’s fiance begged the answer to the riddle in chapter 14 out of him to avoid being burned to death.
• The Israelites were willing to turn Samson over to the Philistines in order to satisfy their oppressors.  They had not cried out to God for help and they didn’t see Samson as God’s man for their salvation.
• The freshness of the jawbone would have made it less useful as a weapon.  The freshness also means this was the second time Samson came into contact with a corpse, violating his Nazarite vow.
• God freed Samson and gave him victory over these Philistines.  Samson sang his own praises.
• Even after Samson does acknowledge God’s role in the victory and God’s provision of water, Samson names the place where the water came out after his own action, “The spring of him who called.”

Questions to consider:

1. What was the motivation for violence for both Samson and the Philistines?  Were they doing unto others as they would want to have done to them…or something else?
2. Was Samson thankful and reverent toward God or did he expect God to do what he asked?  In whose power did he seem to delight?
3. In what ways has Samson been different than the rest of the judges?  How large is his army?
4. What similarities did you see between Samson and Israel from this chapter?