The spirit of the Lord rushed on him, and he tore the lion apart barehanded as one might tear apart a kid. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. Then he went down and talked to the woman, and she pleased Samson. After a while he returned to marry her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion and honey. He scraped it out into his hands, and went on , eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion. Judges 14:6-8 NRSV
I can honestly say that the spirit has never led me to tear apart any living creature. Nor have I ever seen honey in the body of an animal on the side of the road (not that I'm looking too closely). And I don't think I would eat it in any case.
So, we have a story of an impossible feat followed by a supernatural occurrence - perhaps both can be considered supernatural. And both things are actually kind of gross when you think about it: blood, guts and a whole hive of stingers. Not telling his parents about the lion is one thing. Not telling his parents where the honey they are eating came from is quite another. Mom: "Son, did you wash your hands?" Samson: "Well, not exactly..."
This is a big set up to what happened next but there is more to the story. I think what we are to see is that Samson is open to the Spirit, he is incredibly strong, and he keeps important details of his life from the ones he loves.
These elements will be important for the rest of his story.
God, we praise you and give you the glory! In Jesus' Holy name. Amen.
Question of the day: What important details of your life are you keeping from the ones who love you?
Copyright 2009 Amelia G. Sims
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