The angel of the Lord appeared to Samson’s mom and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.” Samson’s dad said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” So Samson’s dad took a young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord, to the one who works wonders, and Samson’s dad and mom were watching. And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar. Now Samson’s dad and mom were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground. And Samson’s dad said, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” #ThatHappened!

Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.” Samson’s dad was upset, and he said, “Why are interested in this daughter of an uncircumcised Philistine!?” But Samson said to his dad, “Get her for me! She is right in my eyes.” Samson’s dad did not know that this unpleasant situation was ordained by the Lord, because God was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. One day, as Samson was traveling down to Timnah, a young lion came toward him roaring! Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Samson, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces with his bare hands. Then he casually resumed his trip to Timnah to visit this Philistine girl whom he had the lusts for. Later, Samson passed by the sight of his lion-slaying and bees had industriously commandeered the lion carcass as their base of operations for honey manufacturing. When Samson arrived at Timnah he gambled with a gang of uncircumcised Philistine dudes; betting them a bunch of clothes that they couldn’t solve the following riddle: “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” The gang went to Samson’s wife and said, “Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire.” So Samson’s wife cried, and hysterically hounded him, for 7 days; and then he gave-in and told her the answer to his riddle, and she told the gang, and the gang gave the correct answer to Samson, and then Samson said, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.” Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Samson, and he went down to Ashkelon (another region of the Philistine confederacy) and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to the gang. And in hot anger Samson went back to his parent’s house. And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man. #ThatHappened!

Tune in next week for another episode/excerpt from the wild and crazy life of Samson!