One Year Bible and Readings for Monday, May 2nd
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Click Here to Read Judges 15:1-16:30
Chapter 15 Samson’s Vengeance on the Philistines
In chapter 15, we see once again Samson's compulsive nature and rash behavior. When Samson goes back to claim his Philistine wife, her father had already given her to his best man. In his fury, Samson lights the tails of 200 foxes and burns their wheat fields. The men retaliate by burning his father in law's their home, which kills he and Samson's wife. Samson got back at them by killing many of their men, which led 3,000 Philistines to go and convince the men of Judah to give Samson up. So the men tied Samson up and gave him over to the Philistines. But once the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, he broke the ties and took the jawbone of a donkey and killed 1,000 Philistines. Samson was thirsty so the Lord provided water for him from a spring, showing his mercy on him.
God used Samson to judge the Philistines, but he paid the consequences of losing his wife and father in law. One wonders if Samson had not married the Philistine woman in disobedience if this much trouble would have come upon him. When we disobey the Lord there are always consequences.
Chapter 16 Samson and Delilah
Once again, we see Samson get into a no-win situation. He fell in love with another Philistine woman, whose name was Delilah. Though he was in love with her, her love for him seems dubious, as she was more than willing to give the secret of his strength for money. But it appears Samson knows she is manipulating him, because three times he deceives her into thinking that he has given her the secret of his strength. Each time she is duped, she complains that Samson doesn't really love her or he wouldn't have tricked her.
Finally, he gives in and tells Delilah the secret of his strength, which is his long hair that has never been cut per the Nazirite vow he took. When he gives this secret away, the Philistines apprehend him and gouge his eyes out. He is left in a prison blind and grinding grain. Very sad.
Samson's last wish came when it was made known to him that there was a great festival honoring the Philistine's pagan god, Dagon in their temple. They were also celebrating their victory over Samson. Samson begs God for one last wish that he would be given the power to take down one of the pillars of the temple, even if it kills him as well. God grants Samson his prayer, and he is given supernatural power to move the pillars of the temple, so it fell both on all the people and Samson as well.
In Samson's final act as a Judge, he judged both the Philistines and in a different sense himself. Samson did some good things as Israel's judge, but also his lack of self control and judgment brought on many bad consequences in his life.
The Wedding at Cana
For the book of John, the author uses the term "signs" rather than "miracles". When Jesus turns the water into wine at the wedding in Cana per his mom's request, it is the first sign that John records. Though initially Jesus wasn't interested in this social faux pas when the family ran at out of wine at a wedding banquet, he bailed out the family honoring his mother's request. It also shows Jesus was a "good sport" and not against having a good time at a celebration. If Jesus thought drinking wine was immoral, I don't think he would have done this for his first sign.
It is significant that the disciples were all at this wedding, so the sign was as much for them as anybody. The six stone jars were usually filled with water for purification purposes per the Mosaic law. Now they were used to turn water into wine. What was originally used for the law, was now used for the gospel.
Just as we don't know how Jesus turned the water into wine, we don't know how when we drink the wine at holy communion it represents his real presence. Both are signs of the grace and power of Jesus.
Jesus Clears the Temple
We often think Jesus is a "nice guy", but in today's scene in the temple, we see Jesus' anger at the sham the money changers are engaging in. Since people had to bring coins for the offering, the people often had foreign coins with images of emperors or foreign gods, so they needed to be exchanged for Jewish coinage. Thus the moneychangers were profiting off of the situation.
There were also others selling animals, which some of the people needed to sacrifice as an offering for the Passover festival, especially if they could not afford to have animals. Jesus' righteous indignation fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy, "Zeal for your house will consume me." - Psalm 69:9
This scene reminds us of the difference between destructive anger and righteous anger. Destructive anger is sinful and motivated by love of self and often prideful. Righteous anger is motivated by wanting to honor God where is name is being tarnished, or what something God holds dear is being mocked. In this case the offerings made at the Passover were holy and sacred, and for someone to use it as a means of making a personal profit was a huge offense in the eyes of God and in this case His Son.
Click Here to Read Proverbs 14:17-19
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