Scripture focus (Judges 15:1-8): After a while, in the time of wheat harvest, it happened that Samson visited his wife with a young goat. And he said, “Let me go in to my wife, into her room.” But her father would not permit him to go in. 2 Her father said, “I really thought that you thoroughly hated her; therefore I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister better than she? Please, take her instead.” 3 And Samson said to them, “This time I shall be blameless regarding the Philistines if I harm them!” 4 Then Samson went and caught three hundred foxes; and he took torches, turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails. 5 When he had set the torches on fire, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves. 6 Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they answered, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” So the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire. 7 Samson said to them, “Since you would do a thing like this, I will surely take revenge on you, and after that I will cease.” 8 So he attacked them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; then he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam.
I. Samson’s Sting of Rejection (Judges 15:1-2)
A. He presumed upon a pathway (Judges 15:1a) – “After some days, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife with a young goat. And he said, “I will go in to my wife in the chamber.”
B. He was blindsided with a refusal (Judges 15:1b-2a) – “But her father would not allow him to go in. 2a And her father said, “I really thought that you utterly hated her, so I gave her to your companion.”
C. He was insulted with an alternative (Judges 15:2b) – “Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead.”
II. Samson’s Desire for Revenge (Judges 15:3-5)
A. Premeditation in the mind (Judges 15:3) – “And Samson said to them, “This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines, when I do them harm.”
B. Diligent work with the hands (Judges 15:4) – “So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails.”
C. Carnal satisfaction in the heart (Judges 15:5) – “And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards.”
III. Samson’s Reaping of the Repercussions (Judges 15:6-8)
A. His secret activities were exposed (Judges 15:6) – “Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.”
B. His internal outrage escalated (Judges 15:7) – “And Samson said to them, “If this is what you do, I swear I will be avenged on you, and after that I will quit.”
C. His unhinged response exploded (Judges 15:8) – “And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow, and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam.”