Honey Sweet

Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him.  The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. – Judges 14:5-6

Imagine what you would feel if you were walking in the woods or in a field and suddenly saw a roaring lion or a charging bear moving towards you with the clear intention of tearing you apart as its next meal.  Can you feel the terror?  How about the desperation of what to do?  Is there a sense of overwhelming horror?

“Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people” (Proverbs 28:15).  The wicked ruler of this earth is the Opposer who wants to be God.  It is his desire that he would rule over all that is in the place of the only true living God.  In every way that people worship anything other than God, they are worshipping this evil one who battles against God.  Every time we choose to make a decision that is not in accordance with God’s Word, we are following Satan himself.  Therefore, the Scripture instructs in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and he did the impossible.  He tore the lion apart.  Later, when he passed by the carcass of the lion, he found that honey bees had taken residence and he reached inside the carcass and scooped out a handful of honey and ate it.  He then posed this riddle to his intended to be wife’s family, “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet” (Judges 14:14).

We are desperate in the face of a wicked ruler of this world who opposes the Lord God and seeks to destroy those the Lord loves.  His clear intention is to tear us apart and cause the most harm and destruction possible as opposition to God, we are just pawns in his game.  By contrast, the Lord loves each of us very intensely and purposefully, not willing that a single one of us would be destroyed.  Like Samson, unless the Spirit of God comes upon us, we are unable to stand in the face of such a tyrant.

This is the truth of life.  We choose to accept in our desperation the power of God’s Spirit into our very life and in so doing we are not subject to the terror and horror of a catastrophic death with nothing but an empty eternity.  God’s Spirit in us, through the redemption in Jesus, leads us powerfully and tears the work of Satan apart so that it only reveals the sweetness of the love, joy, and peace of God Himself.  It's our promised land, the land of milk and honey.  Praise God who is above all!!!