And 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.
Judges 14:14 KJV
The phrase used out of the eater, something sweet was based on an experience Samson had on his way to Timnath, in Judges 14. He met a lion that was meant to devour and kill, however, he fought and killed it. Passing through its carcass a little while later, he found honey in it and he ate this honey and also gave this to his parents in Timnath. He posed this riddle to the Philistines and told them that if they figured out the riddle, he would give them thirty sheets and thirty pieces of silver and if they lost, he would receive the same from them. The seeming ridiculousness of the phrase prevented the Philistines from getting this on their own. They consulted his wife and forced the interpretation out of her which resulted in their own demise.
This riddle also tells the story of our redemption. Jesus came to earth and faced death which was a consuming force that all men feared at that time. The bible says that grave and death are never satisfied, Proverbs 27:20. However, through his death, death itself was defeated and the result was resurrection and newness of life, which resulted in much glory for Christ, being given a name higher than every other name, Phillipians 2:8-11. Christ did not enjoy this victory alone, we, His brethren were in Him when He died and are also in Him now during the resurrection, sharing in the riches of the result of His victory over death, Hebrews 2:9-10. The number thirty emphasized in the story as a reward for answering the riddle is symbolic of the price of our redemption, as former slaves to death, Numbers 21:32, Zechariah 11:4-14. When the philistines cheated and provided the riddle, Samson had to pay the price. However, it was paid for by the destruction of the philistines and the result was that he set loose 300 foxes who destroyed the vineyards of the philistines. 300 is a symbolic number of victory. We see this from the life of Enoch, Genesis 5:22, and Gideon’s Army who brought great deliverance to Israel, Judges 7:1-7. Noah’s ark was 300 cubits long, He yielded and this ark served as a redemption from death by the flood, Genesis 6:15.
How do we benefit from this?
First, because of Christ, defeating the eater (death), we have access to all things sweet in Him. We enjoy the newness of life, redemption, peace, and joy in Christ. His death was not just for Him, He tasted death for all men, which means the penalty of sin was paid. We have the right to enjoy life and enjoy all that God has to offer. Also, this is a useful verse to remember when going through trials. God has a habit of delivering people from the midst of tough situations. We see this in the case of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego in Daniel 3, Daniel in Daniel 6, Hezekiah in 2 Kings 19, and many other instances in the bible. In the midst of these seemingly tough situations, David says He prepares a table for us to feast on in the presence of our enemies, Psalm 23:5.
It is this reality that makes it so, that when pilgrims pass through the valley of Baca (weeping), as Psalm 84:5-7 says, they make it a spring of water. This spring is not only for them but for those who will come after. Being in a tough situation is not the time to murmur or complain. Rather, we can go to the Lord and say, as Your Word says, prepare a table for me in the midst of my enemy, give me something sweet to eat out of this eater. His words to us in these times are like honey from a honeycomb, yes, sweeter than honey!, Psalm 19:10 We know all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose, Romans 8:28. God has promised never to leave you, to be with you in the fire and walk with you in the flood, Isaiah 43:1-2. Let these words assure you, You are not alone. It is well with the righteous!
Prayer for Today: Jesus, my great shepherd thank you for always leading me. Because You are with me, even though I go through the valley of the shadows of death, I will fear no evil. I will make even that valley a spring of living water because even there, You prepare a table for me in the midst of my enemies. Help me to remember this truth and never get depressed and dejected. I will trust in You forever, because in You, Jehovah, is everlasting strength. Amen.
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