SAMSON: the son of man - Chapter 12

THE MARRIAGE RIDDLE, PART 2

12-04-05




(Judg 14:12-14)  And Samson [sunlight; now a type of the Son of God] said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me [explain: expound, profess, rehearse, speak, tell, utter] within the seven days of the feast [symbolic of the seven days of creation, or the seven days of your life (your creation)], and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets [to envelop; a wrapper, i.e. shirt: fine linen] and thirty change of garments [wedding garments]: But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments [i.e. your covering, and then you shall stand naked before me, and your sin shall be exposed to my wrath]. And they [representing all mankind] said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. And he said unto them, Out of the eater [the Lion of Judah: v.5] came forth meat [food], and out of the strong [the Lamb of God: v.6] came forth sweetness [honey = symbol of the Word of God: Ezek 2:8-10; 3:1-4; Rev 10:7-11]. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

1.     riddle = Heb: a puzzle; hence a trick, conundrum: dark saying (sentence, speech), hard question, proverb, riddle /// to tie a knot, i.e. (fig.) to propound a riddle:--put forth.

2.     A “riddle” is deliberately designed to cause you to think, consider, meditate, muse, ponder, ruminate, to chew the cud (ref: clean cloven-hoofed animals), to bring up and chew again. Samson’s “riddle” is a type or symbol of the same “riddle” that God presents to all mankind; it is His Word (literally and figuratively), the Tongue of the Lord.

3.     (1 Cor 1:18)  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

4.     (1 Cor 2:14)  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually [divinely] discerned.

5.     (2 Cor 8:12) For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted [well-received, approved – by whom?] according to that a man hath [understanding, i.e. salvation], and not according to that he hath not [understanding, i.e. salvation].

6.     (Rom 10:17)  So then faith [belief] cometh by hearing [understanding], and hearing by the word [rhema; revelation] of God.

 

A WILLING MIND: THE OPPOSITE OF A REBELLIOUS MIND

(Mat 13:10-18)  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables [riddles]? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know [understand] the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath [“a willing mind” 2 Cor 8:12 (the opposite of a rebellious mind)], to him shall be given [understanding], and he shall have more abundance [of understanding]: but whosoever hath not [“a willing mind”], from him shall be taken away even that [understanding which] he hath [i.e. stony ground people who “fall away” Luke 8:13]. Therefore speak I to them in parables [riddles]: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal [to cure: make whole] them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Hear ye therefore the parable [riddle] of the sower.

1.     parable = Gk: a similitude ("parable"), i.e. (symbol.) fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral), apothegm or adage:--comparison, figure, parable, proverb /// paraballo, par-ab-al'-lo; to throw alongside, i.e. (reflex.) to reach a place, or (fig.) to liken:--arrive, compare.

2.     (Mark 4:13,14)  And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word.

3.     The title to our last message of 11-20-05 was “THIS IS THE MARRIAGE RIDDLE THAT GOD PRESENTS TO ALL MANKIND: IT IS THE WORD OF GOD”

 

 

 

 

THE BENEFITS OF A WILLING MIND

True understanding equals conversion, which is a healing: a process experientially, a finished work positionally. Therefore, if you truly understand the parable, riddle, or “dark saying” to some degree, for we are all limited in our understanding by having received only “an earnest” of the Holy Spirit and not yet the fullness of the Holy Spirit, you have already been converted from a natural man into a spiritual man. Immediately upon your graduation from the campus of The University Of God located here on this planet earth, which graduation shall be celebrated either by your death (essentially a “new birth” in the fullness), or which graduation shall be celebrated by the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, whichever may come first, you are going to Heaven to live eternally in love with our Husband the Lord Jesus Christ, Father God, the Holy Spirit, angels, and fellow saints.

1.     (2 Tim 2:15)  Study [use speed, to make effort, be prompt or earnest: be diligent, endeavour, labour] to show thyself approved unto God, a workman [a toiler; fig. a teacher: labourer] that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [to make a straight cut, to dissect (expound) correctly (the divine message)] the word [logos; seed] of truth.

2.     (1 Th 4:16,17)  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

3.     If Samson’s thirty uncircumcised Philistine “companions” v.11 had received a revelatory understanding from God of the riddle gained through the honest means of discussion, meditation, and prayer, they would have received thirty changes of garments, one change for each of them, and lived (eternally). But they received no revelation from God and therefore did not understand the riddle. They gained an answer, vs. “The Answer,” only through dishonest means, and “climbeth up some other way” (John 10:1), and died.

4.     We must wear the garment that the Lord God hath prepared for us: “coats of skins” in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:21); “great drops of blood falling down to the ground” in the Garden of Gethsemane (the oil press; Luke 22:44); “and forthwith came there out blood and water” at Calvary (John 19:34).

5.     Benjamin (Heb: son of the right hand) who is a type of us, received five messes (Gen 43:34) from Joseph (Heb: let him add, adding) who is a type of Jesus Christ, and five changes of raiment (Heb: garment; Gen 45:22), which are provision for the five offices of the “Hand (of God) Ministry” of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher (Eph 4:11).

 

SPEAKING PLAINLY

(John 11:11-15)  These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly [openly], Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

 

(John 16:19-28)  Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs [hidden sayings]: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs [hidden sayings], but I shall show you plainly [openly] of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

 

 

Amen