T hree years ago, May 16, 2020 was the start of my blogging. It was birthed out of a time of uncertainty and lockdown during the Covid crisis. This was an opportunity to make the most of my gifts, talents and abilities from God. I just love how God works all things for our good and His purpose for those who love Him. I actually wrote this devotion about Samson’s riddle pre-Covid in the car, on the drive from Saint Augustine to Savannah. I remembered it the other day while reading my one year Bible plan, studying the book of Judges. I encourage you to read Sampson’s story for yourself in Judges chapters 13-15. You will be surprised what the Holy Spirit can reveal to you through the reading of God’s Word.
Samson and Delilah is one of several well known Bible stories. It took place in a very lawless time in Israel’s history when God’s appointed Judges ruled the land. Sampson’s riddle takes place before he meets Delilah, and is found in Judges chapter 14. The Lord revealed a double entendre to me in understanding this story. Not only does it teach us much about the importance of biblical values, but it also holds a mystery of hope in a harsh world. Amidst this colorful story of this biblical hero, you’ll find a little riddle that Samson tells to taunt his so called friends. While the riddle depicts a literal part of the story, we can also find the mystery in looking at it with the eyes of a heart yielded to Jesus. We glean wisdom and understanding through the promise of the Holy Spirit.
In Judges 14:14 the riddle is posed:
“Out of the eater comes something to eat and out of the strong came something sweet.”
The eater is the lion that Samson killed and it can be alluded to as the devil, roaming around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Check out my former blog on Spiritual Attacks. Because of original sin, we are born with an innate hunger for the things of this world that bring physical pleasure. Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was desirable to eat. (Genesis 3:6) Samson was certainly a man who lacked self control and sought after his hearts desire. His heart was not yielded to God, although he had godly parents and was dedicated to the Lord through a Nazarite vow. Satan, the enemy of our soul seeks nothing more than to turn our hearts away from God. He tempts us with lusts that corrupt. Samson was corrupted by the lure of an unequally yoked woman for his wife, and what followed proved disastrous.
“Out of the strong comes something sweet.” In the story, Samson finds sweet honey in the carcass of the lion he had previously killed. As God’s anointed, chosen judge at that time in Israel’s history, Samson possessed power from on high, the power of the Holy Spirit. Though God’s Spirit was not poured out upon the earth to all of His chosen people at that time, the power that Sampson had is the same Holy Spirit power promised today to believers in Christ Jesus. It is the power to overcome evil. At that time the Philistines were the resident evil, worshiping their false god Dagon. And Samson was Yaweh’s (A Hebrew name for God) choice to make His Name great and deliver His people from their enemy, the Philistines. But rather than being obedient to the instruction of his parents, which was part of the law given through Moses, Samson followed the desires of his deceitful heart. He chose a Philistine woman for his wife, as well as friends who were actually his enemy. They manipulated the weak through extortion in order to deceive and win the prize offered for guessing the riddle. Samson teased them and gloated in his great strength, keeping the true nature of his power hidden, thus glorifying himself.
In the answer to the riddle posed by Samson’s friends in the form of a question, we can discern a deeper meaning. “What is stronger than a lion and what is sweeter than honey?” The world perceives great strength from the ability to terrorize or overpower others as a lion would do, and it sees its pleasures as sweet as honey. But what is stronger than Satan and sweeter than the sweetest of fares that the god of this world has to offer? The correct answer of course is power of God found in the mystery of the cross. It is the power of the promise of the Holy Spirit given to all who believe in Jesus death and resurrection. Jesus Christ alone defeated Satan, death and the grave and has offered the same as a free gift to all who believe in Him. Through Christ we have the power to overcome the enemy of our soul.
What can really be sweeter than the sweet things the Lord has promised? It is the riches of His glory, the sweet things that do not corrupt the body or mind and cause one to loose his soul. The Lord promised the land of milk and honey to his chosen. Are we not His chosen royal priesthood? (1 Peter 2:9) And is not the land of milk and honey a foreshadowing of the new Heaven and the new Earth, the perfection of this harsh world? The sweet things Satan tempts us with cannot compare with the sweet things our Lord has to offer.
The power of the Holy Spirit cannot be understood by worldly people. But to those of us who are children of God, we know there is no power greater than Almighty God, who loves us so much that he gave his only begotten son, that who so ever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16) God provides every good and perfect gift and what can be sweeter than that which He has promised. He has promised us power from on high to be over-comers and have the victory!
“So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all of the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”
James 1:16-18“The Lord is my strength and my song and he has become my salvation.” Psalm 118:14
“The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, I came that they may have life, and they have it abundantly.” John 10:10
“It is not good to eat too much honey or to seek glory after glory.” Proverbs 25:27
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.” Psalm 115:1
The Benefits of Honey
“Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy to the body.” Proverbs 16: 24
It is a fact, a Biblical fact and a scientific fact that honey is good for the body. Many articles and research studies boast of its benefits ranging from beauty treatments, antioxidant qualities, antiseptic qualities as well as, its use in treating clinical conditions and some diseases.
Health Benefits
According to a National institute of Health (NIH) study: Honey is one of the most appreciated and valued natural products. It is used not only as a nutritional product, but for health in traditional medicine and as an alternative treatment for clinical conditions ranging from wound healing to cancer treatment.Traditionally, honey is used in the treatment of eye diseases, bronchial asthma, throat infections, tuberculosis, thirst, hiccups, fatigue, dizziness, hepatitis, constipation, worm infestation, piles, eczema, healing of ulcers, and wounds and used as a nutritious supplement. The ingredients of honey have been reported to exert antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anticancer, and anti-metastatic effects. (You can read the entire article at here)
Beauty Benefits
Honey has natural humectant properties that moisturize the skin. It has enzymes that help it to penetrate deeply into the skin and bring hydration to the underlying layers. Moisture from the air is attracted into the skin, leaving it plump and soft with a natural, youthful glow, making fine lines less noticeable. It is considered anti-aging because its natural antioxidants fight against free radicals.
Honey’s antibacterial qualities help clear clogged pores by gently exfoliating the skin. This combined with its anti-inflammatory qualities, helps reduce acne and the redness and inflammation from breakouts. Believe it or not, honey actually contains small amounts of hydrogen peroxide that can help with hyperpigmentation and reduction of acne scars over time. Because of its gentle lightening properties, it also helps brighten a dull complexion.
And finally, honey promotes the healing of damaged and inflamed tissue. It is used in medical settings for burns. And it can be used at home to relieve and heal sunburn. I have used honey to heal small accidental burns on my face from the curling iron and flat iron. (While it was a bit sticky, it healed the burn quickly without a scar.)
Home remedies
You can actually make home treatments or masks using honey and a variety of other ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator. I’ve read about face masks with honey and lemon (also very useful for sore throats and a cold), masks with honey and turmeric, honey and yoghurt, milk and honey. Just google it, the list is vast along with the benefits. A thin layer of honey can be left on your face overnight as an excellent moisturizer and brightener. In the morning, rinse it off with water using circular motions. If you’re not a fan of the stickiness and mess on your sheets, you may want to look into products infused with honey. Check out gisou.com. They were a source of some of my research on the benefits of honey.
Overall, honey is a wonderful gift from God! I won’t even get started talking about its deliciousness in many different recipes. I love honey, but I’ve always been afraid of getting stung by a bee. Sampson’s riddle literally referred to the sweetness of the honey from the beehive he later found in the lion he had killed. However, metaphorically speaking, one can see how the goodness of God can be found in any circumstance. Only God could create this insect that stings, yet produces for us the wonderful sweetness of honey. And remember, though the enemy of our soul roams around like a roaring lion seeking to devour, Jesus has given us authority over it in His mighty name. All you have to do is tell that devil to leave, in Jesus’ name. Praise God, thank you Jesus! Maybe for my next blog, I’ll talk more about the authority of the believer. In the meantime, may God bless you in Jesus’ name! Amen!
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