He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass. Judges 14:9
Going through life people will often come across things that appear to be innocent and good, though they are not. Eating certain things can taste and appear to be good, but later will cause sickness and other health problems.
Choices made will often affect choices in the future, leading a person on a certain path.
Samson had killed a lion and later passed by that same lion. In the lion was some honey, which he chose to take, eat and give some to his parents.
God had given the Israelites a command to never touch the carcass of a dead animal. Samson had chosen to not only touch one, but to also eat food from it. Falling to this temptation would lead him into further temptations leading him away from God for a time.
Believers will often fall for a little temptation that appears to be harmless in and of itself. The temptation does not appear to cause any harm to anyone and brings an immediate pleasure or meets an immediate need.
Falling for any temptation makes it easier for one to fall for more temptations. It is a slow path of walking away from God and His commands.
There was nothing wrong with the honey that Samson ate, except that it was forbidden by God. The world will throw temptations at a believer to get him to sin against God. Believers are to resist all temptation, flee all sin and obey all of God’s commands, whether easy or hard.
The more one resists temptations the easier it becomes and the more he can follow God. Every day you will have temptations to do something little that goes against God’s commands.
Do not allow yourself to grab onto a temptation for a short-term, immediate pleasure that will lead you away from God. Stay off the slippery slope to death that little temptations and strays from God will bring.
Run to God and seek to obey all of His commands for you. Jesus will bring life while temptations will only seek to destroy you. Trust that all of God’s commands are for your good to build you and not destroy you.
Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will open your eyes to temptations that come your way; that God will give you strength to resist any temptations; and that you will obey God’s commands that bring you life.
If the Honey was a temptation that caused Samson to touch the Carcass that broke his Nazarite Vow, than wouldn’t that mean that God tempted Samson with Honey causing him to touch the Carcass? It doesn’t make sense that Bees and Honey would be in a Carcass through natural causes. So we can only assume that God placed the Honey in the Carcass miraculously, thus Tempting Samson to eat the Honey that led him to touch carcass, leading to him breaking his Nazarite Vow. I think this is okay if Samson isn’t accountable for action of eating the Honey and touching the Carcass. But if he is, and God was the one that placed the Honey in the Carcass leading to temptation for Samson, than that’s an inconsistency in God’s Holy character. Can someone explain this to me? Is there a factor I’m not taking into account?
Very interesting question Jimmy.
You are looking at that God put that honey there to tempt Samson. God cannot tempt anyone to sin. See James 1:13-15. It is one’s own personal evil desires that tempts one to sin.
With your view of God putting the honey there to tempt sin, would also make God guilty of putting sin in the world and causing man to fall. God created the devil and allowed the devil to be in the serpent in the Garden of Eden. He also allowed the serpent to tempt Eve. However, Eve knew the command and had the choice to obey or not to obey God. She chose not to obey.
Samson knew the commands and made the choice to disobey God’s command.
I trust you can understand what I am saying on this. Have a wonderful day.