(Read Judges 14:1-181And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 2And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 3Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 4But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 5Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 6And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. 7And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. 9And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion. 10So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. 11And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12And 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: 13But 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. 14And 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. 15And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so? 16And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? 17And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people. 18And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. (Judges 14:1‑18); John 6:27-5127Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. (John 6:27‑51).)
YOU have a picture in the Old Testament, and the answer to it in the New. Samson’s riddle is very instructive, and I do not think there is much difficulty in finding out its meaning. The Philistines had to wait seven days before they discovered its meaning; you ought not to wait seven minutes.
You may reply, I never understood Samson’s riddle. Why not, are you not saved yet? I could not say that. If you had understood the riddle, you would have found out that there was meat and would have eaten it, and that there was sweetness and would have tasted it, for, now as then, “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness” (vs. 14).
The story is very simple. Samson was on his way to find his bride, and is a figure of Christ when He was seeking His bride. On his way, what meets him? Death. The Lord Jesus came down into this world to bring life to the dead, and to bring eternal life, as the gift of God, to man. What met Him on the road? The lion crossed His path; death faced Him. Samson only risked his life; Jesus gave up His life. Do you believe it? You say, Of course, I have always believed it. Are you saved? Not yet. Then you do not believe it, except with your head.
All the difficulties that crop up in men’s minds as to sin, death, judgment, redemption, and salvation, are answered in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom Samson typifies. Samson goes down to seek his bride, the lion breaks out upon him, and “he rent him, as he would have rent a kid.” What was meant for death for Samson became death for the lion. After a little while Samson, returning to take his bride, “turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion” (vs. 8). He ate and was refreshed, and gave to his father and mother. The fruit of his victory was not for himself alone, it was for others also.
Why did the Lord Jesus Christ come into this world? For others. Who are the others? You say, I believe Christ died for sinners. Can you say Christ died for me? Someone might have said to Samson’s father and mother, “You seem to enjoy that honey; how did you get it?” Samson gave it to us. If you have the knowledge of Christ, and what He has done, you will eat the meat, and understand the riddle— “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.”
When the Philistines understood it they said, “What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion?” (vs. 18). I will tell you something stronger than a lion—death. You do not like death. My greatest friend is death. What have I got out of death? Life, eternal life, everlasting joy, divine righteousness, and peace with God.
How did I get these blessings? Christ gave then to me. Just as Samson slew the lion, took out the honey, ate, and was refreshed by it, so Scripture says, “Jesus, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:22Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)). The Lord has joy in what He has accomplished. He wrought in death for God’s glory and man’s blessing, and both are secured.
What is stronger than a lion? Death. What is sweeter than honey? The love of Christ. Do you know that love? If not, I want you to look at this riddle for a little. There is no difficulty. You say a riddle is a puzzling thing. Not always; Samson’s conveys a wonderful truth, presented in a way that makes you think—if only you could be got to think. The reason you have never got into the light of the gospel yet is because Satan has blinded your eyes as to the simplicity of the gospel. He has hindered you from seeing that “out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.”
Do you know a greater eater than death? Have you not seen it stealthily creeping and putting its cold, clammy hand on the one you love best? Sometimes it comes suddenly and swiftly, without a moment’s warning. You may say, Did not you say just now that death was your friend? Yes, indeed, my friend. But you have not died. No, and I do not know that I shall; I know I need not. I do not say that I shall not. Why? Does not the sentence of death lie upon man? Yes, but I know a Man upon whom the sentence of death did not lie, in whom there was no seed of death, on whom death had no claim, and that death could not put his finger on as a matter of necessity; His name is Jesus, and He died for me. And not for you? Ponder this query. That eater—death—may take you away today, and if it took you away, without the knowledge of Christ, what an awful eternity will be yours. Think of it.
But listen again to Samson: — “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.” I have been feeding for more than five and forty years on the meat that came forth out of the eater, i.e., the wonderful provision God has made for my soul in all the consequences of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know well if death touched you this night—since you are a sinner, and “the wages of sin is death”— that after death comes the judgment. Yes, you say, but God is merciful. Not to sinners that die in their sins. Is there no mercy for such? None, that I read of in Scripture.
But is not God love? Yes, His name is love, and His actions have been like Himself; He has demonstrated His love in the gift of His Son, who has gone into death to annul it by putting away sin and then rising out of it, and all for you and me if we believe in Him. This great eater—death—could claim you and me, but it could not claim Christ, for He was sinless. He died, but it could not claim Him or hold Him. He said, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me” (John 14:3030Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. (John 14:30)). He was the Holy One of God.
You know what kind of a Man He was, a real Man, just like you or me, sin excepted; and the One that came down to give life to the world. He knew no sin, did no sin, and there was no sin in Him. As He passed along His pathway here, those sent to take Him had to say, “Never man spake like this man”; and when taken before Pilate, he thrice said, “I find no fault in him.” Pilate was right. Why then did he not trust Him, why did he not stand by Him, identify himself with Him, and espouse His cause? He feared the world. Coward that he was, he might, to save appearances, wash his hands in water, but his soul is imbrued in the blood of the murdered Son of God.
Do not spend eternity with Pilate in hell. “I find no fault in him,” he said, and then took his pen and wrote, “Let him die.” He got his opportunity of siding with Jesus, and you have got yours. Pilate knew Him to be a sinless Man, but condemned Him, and the Roman soldiers took Him away and crucified Him. At that moment a poor dying sinner, in the very jaws of death, and about to pass into eternity, had his eyes opened to see the glory of Jesus, and he turns to his neighbor and says, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?” (Luke 23:4040But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? (Luke 23:40)). We are dying, and deserve to; we are getting the fate we have earned, the punishment that is due to us, but here is a Man who is not getting what He ought to get; “This man hath done nothing amiss.”
He reversed the judgment of the world at that moment. “Let him die,” said the scribes, the people, and Pilate. The poor dying thief said, You are all wrong, He hath done nothing amiss, and He ought not to die; but if He die He is going to rise again, and get His kingdom yet, and I should like to be a subject in His kingdom. That is the meaning of his petition— “Lord, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom” (Luke 23:4242And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. (Luke 23:42)). That man took his stand for Christ, why do not you? Truly, “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness,” as Jesus saved that dear man that day. That poor dying sinner tasted the sweetness as he heard Him say, “This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:4343And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)). Was not that meat for his hungry soul?
Jesus came here to die, and He died in voluntary grace for man, but we must not forget that in hatred man murdered Him. The world today is stained with the blood of the Son of God, whom it murdered, and if you are of the world you will have its judgment. Today there is a breach between God and the world because of the rejection of His Son. The man that takes Christ’s side now gets all the consequences and benefits of His atoning death; but the man on the world’s side must take the world’s woe and the world’s judgment in the day when the Lord comes back; and He is coming quickly.
“Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness,” to that dying thief, as he heard Jesus say, “Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” Well might that pardoned sinner say, I have heard the sweetest words that ever fell on mortal ear, today I shall be with Him in Paradise.
Friend, you must eat that meat or starve forever in hell. You must taste that sweetness or languish for eternity in the lake of fire. I can press it on you, but I cannot make you take it, but you will repent through eternity if you do not understand this riddle.
Again would I ask, What is sweeter than honey? The love of Christ, and in a certain sense there is something stronger than death, and that is love, the love of that blessed Saviour, which led Him voluntarily to go into death that He might take me out of it.
W. T. P. W.
(To be continued.)