How to Break the Cycle of Revenge: Judges 15:1-20

Show Notes

Episode 491: 
In this episode, we explored the tumultuous life of Samson, focusing on his cycle of revenge and the consequences of his actions. Samson's story is filled with dramatic events, from his marriage troubles to his fiery retaliation against the Philistines. We discussed how Samson's strength and abilities far exceeded his character and maturity, leading to a constant cycle of revenge and chaos. Drawing parallels to real-life situations, we highlighted the importance of breaking the cycle of revenge and taking responsibility for our actions.

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You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in practical ways. Hey, everybody, thanks for tuning in for another episode of The Bubble Guys. That should be they that's great. I'm Chris, this is Jeff. And if you're brand new, tell your friends about us. If you like us, if you're a long timer, tell your friends about us. It's about time. It's about time. It's about time. What are you trying to hide? Try that's funny. So hey, we're going to start off today's show with a segment written by Desiree called National Holidays Today. Oh wow. And she's saying that today is National Potato Day and National Soft ice Cream Day. Oh more, do you need the man? Could you? Can you imagine like soft ice cream on a potato? Uh? That would would not be good with it? What depends on how the potato is prepped. I was in Duff, North Carolina one time and went to a place called Donuts on a Stick. I had donuts with sticks and ice cream. Huh. And I'm telling you it's one of the best things ever. So we lived in Texas for a while and they have everything on a stick. Down there you go, you go to the you go to the county fairs, and it's everything on a stick. Yeah, everything's on a stick Yep, that's legit. Well so. Ice, soft serve and potatoes. Haven't you ever dipped your fries in a frosty at Wendy's? Oh yeah, there you go. Well then that's it there, So go to Wendy's today, get a frosty and dip your fries in the frosty, and you'll be honoring honoring both of these national holidays. Wow. Yeah, okay, so desirats. A segment says if you could make up your own national holiday, what would it be and how would you celebrate? Oh so we get to make our own national holiday. Yeah, I'm tempted just to pick another food. But uh but I guess it could be anything. Right, Okay? Yeah? Yeah, let me see. I think if I could make up my own national holiday, because it can be anything, Yeah, let me be, I would have it. I would celebrate Chris Day, and I would I would. I would paint. I would paint on a your response, I would pay, I would paint on a little goatee and then I would walk around with harasp me voices saying good morning, good morning. No, that's what I would do all day, every day, all day on National christar Bad Day. And you have to and you have to squat down to my height. Okay, so thank you for that. That was interesting. How wonderfululd be if everybody was dressed up like and only like the you know, and then and then everything would be hyperbole. The whole day would be hyperbole. Only the thousands who even know me would even understand what that national holiday would be. That would be and the dozens but who love me, but. They deserve to find out about everybody else deserves to find out about the wonder. The other ones you enjoy it. Yeah, okay, so everything would be hyperbole. I would either be about ready to jump off a bridge or on my way to heaven. Those would be the every response to everything the whole day. Yeah, that's that'd be great. You know, I've I don't know what to say about. That, just be flattered, okay, flattered. So my fact that I want to dress up and pretend like I'm you every once in a while, I well, you know, annually, we all annually, we. All aspire and fantasize and dream. I'm going to say that my day will be National. Sushi Day, National Sushi Day? Is there a National sushi sushi d Oh? You know what they're probably is we got to look it up. No, because if you're going to celebrate it, you should celebrate. Because it's my favorite food. It has become my favorite food. And uh, you know, I grew up Italian and I'm wearing a shirt for those who are watching today. Did you did you see the quote on this I've worn it before. Yeah, yeah, you were a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago because I go right from here to train with HFP because herritage are. You're a tough guy. No, I'm not a tough guy, but I address sometimes to go directly from here to there. Yes, So this is what I'm wearing today. So anyway, this is one of my shirts that I that I work out and so anyway, it says it says take the gun. No, I'm sorry, leave the gun, take the canoli. Just trying to read it. I know the quote so and anybody who's anybody in the Italian world knows that's from. The Godfather, The Godfather. That's right, right, take leave the gun, take the canola. Huh. So is there a National Sushi Day? There is? June twenty eighth, Holy Christmas International. It's not just National Sushi Day, it's International Sushi Day. Wow. It's taken the world by storm within fun. So I think people are going to start skipping Fourth of July and Thanksgiving and just celebrating Kisar Day in International Sushi Day. No, which then essentially would be the same day for change. My answer, Oh, because it's already a day. Okay, So I'm gonna say National Movie Binge Day. Okay, let's see if that one's out there. Come on, there can't be a National Movie Binge Day. Movie for a. Series, Binge Day, binge watch Day. Maybe there's no way. It's not going to promote binge watching. Binge Day is celebrated annually on September twenty fifth. Is a fun and relaxing day to binge watch your favorite movie, series or TV show. Who in their right mind celebrates this? I know, but a lot of people in September twenty fifth. There's no way. Yeah, that's it, says binge Day. So you chose, okay, fine, I changed my answer. National Jeff Forester today. No, you don't get to do that. Yes, nope, Yes, I'm going to be you and my mom. Those would be the two people celebrating that day. National Jeff Fores Today. I'm going to walk around and tell everybody what to do and watch Indiana Johnes. Yes, okay, that's it, and grow, grill and pack your suitcase. That's that's pretty much my life. Yeah, that's it. Okay, Yeah, that's right, pack your suitcase. That's actually pretty accurate. Well, there you go. That was super exciting. It's never gone on me. You could just like choose your own holiday. Well apparently everybody has. Yeah, well I've tried. I tried to choose two ridiculous. Ones and they were already there. And they were already there. Yeah. So there's a website called Days. Of the Year. Well, there's probably something every day there. There is history of Binge Day there, There's all kinds of stuff on there. So super exciting and according to Desiree, this day is shared by Pato Day and National ice Cream Day. Ice cream Day, very specific, right, not scooped ice cream, not gelato, not custard. That's next. Okay, Well here we are, we are back talking about Samson. We ended last week on the first two chapters in Samson's life. Yes, and the first one, his parents are promised that they're going to have a child. They're super excited. The next day we find out he's kind of spoiled and he demands well. The next day of the podcast, next next day of the podcast, it was years yes yes, uh, and he demands his own way, and then he uses his gifts for his own own benefits. So then what happens, because I have to set this up if you weren't with us on last week, he is. He finds a philistine girl who he wasn't supposed to marry, but he wants her. He demands her. So next thing you know, they're engaged and they have this long wedding ceremony or celebration oftentimes to be a week or a month long celebration. During that time, he's assigned by her father a bunch of groomsmen, and so he does a wager with them, and if they can guess the answer, then riddle to this riddle, then he would give them all thirty he'd give all of them. Suit of clothes. But if they couldn't guess it, then they would owe him thirty, so they keep pressuring his fiance. Pressuring his fiance, she puts pressure on Samson, Samson agrees. Tells her. She goes back, tells the guys, and so Samson gets mad. Samson gets so mad he goes and kills thirty Philistines, brings the clothes, gives it to these guys, and the family feels like he any went home. He like. He leaves the wedding ceremony. And gives the wife to the best man. Well he doesn't, but the family does. So he doesn't give her up. He thinks they're married, because that's what we're going to read today. But the family gives her to the best man, who. Because it says so his wife was given in marriage to the man who had been Samson's Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So today in that sparks a whole series of offense and revenge, offense and revenge, and so judges Check fifteen says. Later on, during the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat as a present to his wife. Super romantic gesture by the way, young goat. He said, I'm going into my wife's room to sleep with her. But her father wouldn't let him in. I truly thought you must hate her, her father explained, So I gave her in marriage to your best man. But look, her younger sister's even more beautiful than she is. Marry her instead. Samson said, this time, I cannot be blamed for everything I'm going to do to you Philistines. Then he went out and caught three hundred foxes. He tied their tails and pears, and he fastened a torch to each pair of tails. Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all their grain to the ground, including the sheaves and the uncut grain. He also destroyed their vineyards and olive groves. Who did this, the Philistines demanded. Samson was replied because his father in law from Timna gave Samson's wife to be married to his best man. So the Philistines went and got the woman and her father and burned them to death. Because you did this, Bowed, I won't rest until I take my revenge on you. So he attacked the Philistines with grape fury and killed many of them, and then he went to live in a cave in the Rock of Eatom. The Philistines retaliated by setting up camp in Judah and spread out near the town of Lehigh. The men of Judah asked the Philistines, why are you attacking us, and the Philistines replied, we've come to capture Samson. We've come to pay him back for what he did to us. So three thousand men of Judah went down to get Samson at the cave in the Rock of Edom. They said to Samson, don't you realize if Philistines rule over us, what are you doing to us? But Samson replied, I only did to them what they did to me. But the men of Judah told him, we've come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines. All right, Samson said, but promise that you won't kill me yourselves. We will only tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines. They replied, we won't kill you, So they tied him up with new ropes and brought him up from the rock. As Samson arrived at Lehigh, the Philistines came out shouting in triumph. But the spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists. And then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed a thousand Philistines with it. And then Samson said, with the jawbone of a donkey, I have piled them in heaps. With the job bone of a donkey, I have killed a thousand men. When he finished his boasting, he threw away the jawbone, and the police was called Jawbone Hill. Samson's now very thirsty, and he cried out to the Lord. You've accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant. Must have now die of thirst and fall into the hands of these pagans. So God caused water to gush out of a hollow in the ground at Lehigh. Samson was revived as he drank, and then he named the place the spring of the one who cried out, and it is still in Lehigh to this day. Samson judged Israel for twenty years during the period when the Philistines dominated the land. I love how he named the place after himself. Yes, it's so Samson, Yeah, that is so Samson. It is, it is. I was thinking about that. I actually that, so I actually looked up other names of places. Yeah right, they're all named after the one who provides. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jacob named Bethel, which means house of God. That's where he met God. So it wasn't the house of the place where the man met God. Right right, right right. Jehovah Jyrah. Abraham named this place Jehovah Jirah, which means the Lord will provide. It was named after a ram was substituted. It wasn't named the place where I found a ram, right, it was the place God provided, right. The place where the one where the one found the ram. Hey, do you remember the story when Jacob wrestled with God. Yes, so he named that place penile right or penial or whatever it means, the face of God. Not where I wrestled with God, right right. It's hysterical. The one who wrestled with God. But but he calls this spring God get God makes water out of the ground, and he goes, I'm going to in this place the one who cried out, the spring of the one who cried out. Yeah, he named it after himself, one who cried out, Yeah, not the place where God provides water. It's so unbelievable. He could have named it God is refreshing. But no, bro, Yeah, God is refreshing. Yeah yeah, yeah, but. The quencher of thirsty Yeah, right, anything right, pick one? But nope, Sampson did it. He named it for himself. He's so unbelievably narcissistic. Yeah, the spring of the one who cried out, Oh, Sampson's spring yep. And and yeah, I mean there's only what four chapters on this guy's life. Yes, I had totally forgotten because the last time that I didn't you know, I didn't prep I get her a few minutes late. I didn't even read ahead. I'd totally forgotten that he went back expecting to still be married. Yeah, and that's. Why he did it. I remember the fox story and everything else, the joblone story, which, by the way, holy cow, right right, jawbone of donkey? Are you kidding me? Crazy? And I've seen a job bone of a donkey, like an actual job one. I went to Cuba, Yeah, it's about yeah, about what foot a little over front. I went to Cuba and there was a guy who had a job oone of a donkey and the teeth were, you know, still in place, and he grabbed he used it as a musical instrument and he was saing. He was just like, you know, dragging it along and it sounded awesome and he's and he's playing this job on and then this other guy has this makeshift ukulele type thing or whatever it is and uh and they were sitting on the side of the road and I filmed them and I was like, this is amazing and I said what is that? And he said it's the job one of a donkey And I was like, are you kidding me? And of course I immediately thought of this, right, like you know, when you kill somebody with that, you know, I mean, how could you do that? You know what? The answer is? Supernatural strength, yes, from God, the spirit of Guy from God. Yes, yeah, that's the theme. The theme is the spirit of Guy comes on him, but then he takes all the credit and does whatever he wants to with it. Right, So God uses Samson in spite of himself. Yes, like in other words, you know, you knew that he was born to take on the Philistines. You knew that he was born to you know, combat them and deliver the Chune of Israel from their oppression. All that was announced, and you know he he basically is doing that, you know, right, So he's killing one thousand men, he's making a ruckus, you know, he's declaring war upon them single handedly. So he's sort of doing the prediction. But he's doing it his own way, which leads me to believe that this wasn't necessarily the way that God wanted him to do it. Right. Well, up to this point, he's doing it as a citizen. He's not even the he's not even the judge until verse twenty, right, So he's just doing it because he wants to do it. Well, he's doing it because he's mad. Yeah, angry. Well, as a matter of fact, that's that's the verse that jumps off the page for me is verse eleven. He said I only did to them what they did to me. Right, So there's this cycle back and forth. It's literally was it, uh, doctor egrich In Emerson Emerson? It was Emerson Emerson, Yeah, Emerson edgridch He talks about the crazy cycle, right, Couples get on this crazy cycle where they get revenge back and forth, back and forth, you know, you don't. You don't show me respect, so I'm not going to be romantic and uh, then you know, you're not treating me with love, and so I'm going to be disrespectful. And they go back and forth, back and forth. It's not always a conscious decisions. A lot of times it is, but it's not always a lot of times it's reflexive. It's it's just a natural response, and it's it's basically a cycle of revenge. We're seeing that in geopolitics right now in the Middle East. We're watching Israel get revenge, and then Iran getting revenge, and then Israel getting revenge, and then I Ran getting revenge. And they call it it's an honor. What do they call it? Like honor? Revenge almost is the idea is, hey, you offended us, We're going to hurt you back. And and they just wait, okay, shoot some more rockets in all right, we're gonna go blow this person up or assassinate this person. And it's just punishment, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and there's no end to that, right, So they the Philistines get mad. Uh you know, we well, first of all, he feels like he's offended because this Philistine father gave his wife away. Well that there is an offense there, no lie. So he just goes ahead and burns down all of the food for next winter for the Philistines, right, destroys it all for everybody. Right, that's a little heavy handed. Well, right, he's going to. Take out probably more people that way than he did with the Jaba. Right. So then they go and burn to death his wife and her father. So then he goes, oh, well, I'm gonna go fight a. Bunch of people. And what is it? He kills a bunch of people, right, He goes in and takes revenge, attax the Philisines with great fury and killed many of them. It doesn't say how many. And then he's going hiding in a cave, and so then they come hunting him. They're threatening, they're starting to spread out through Judah now and they're threatening him, and so the men come and get him, and in that then he winds up killing a thousand people. But his defenses, I'm only doing to them what they did to me. And I wonder how often we use that same right we feel justified. Yeah, it's a complete justification. I mean, first of all, that's not what they did to him and he didn't do back with right, I mean it's not the same. Yes, Like those are not equal things, right right, I mean just the fire is the is the common denomination there, but those are not equal things. And so yeah, well I think that we all can learn from Samson, and there's a little Samson and all of us in that way where we'd justify ourselves. And then if somebody tries to saber like Samson, we say, well wait a minute, no, no, no, no, my story is different and everybody has their own story. Everybody has their own set of exceptions. Don't we Yes, we do. But yeah, it's just it's pretty funny, not funny, hah. Well, revenge is always a dead end, you know. I think if I can remember, not long ago, a couple had split up, they got a divorce, They had some children, and both of the parents were playing tug a war with the kids, and so it was constantly he would punish her by being extra late dropping the kids off, and so because he was late dropping the kids off, she'd punish him by scheduling something on his day for visitation. And it would go back and forth and constantly escalating, and you know who lost everybody else and the kids, probably the kids, That's what I'm saying. And you see that a lot where somebody has to be the adult. What we see with Samson is he was so narcissistic and so juvenile in the way he behaves. So his strength, his physical abilities when God would come on him, far exceeded his character or his maturity, right, and so he never had the character of the maturity to just de escalate a thing. He always took it to the next level, you know, always took it too far, and then that would demand that the people come back and get revenge they felt like, and it just kept going back and forth. And so here's a guy that God chose to bring peace to Israel through military combat, leading the people, and instead he's just out there stirring the pot for all this time until he finally becomes the Judge of Israel. But then you know, he's not a wise man and he's not bringing peace. He's constantly bringing chaos. As a matter of fact, there is no peace in his leadership. You think of all the others Darren Deborah, she wins a victory and for the next thirty forty years. There's piece. You think of Othneil, you think of he hud right, you think a Gideon during their time after their big battle. From that point on, there's piece, But not with Samson. So even though he was a judge, he wasn't a wise judge and there was never peace during his leadership. Yeah, and the Philistines were more brutal than at least it seems to be indicated, right, I mean they carry all the way on through you know, uh. To David was going to say through David. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know what I should have said, by the way earlier, I should have said immediately, I'm gonna make Jeff National Jeff Forrester Day to travel around the world within Indiana Jones Complex. Oh okay, I should have said that. Okay, so that's a callback too, yes, yeah, well that might be a place to end. What just have people imagine the wonders in the glory of should I get Fedora? Do you think I should get a Fedora? There's no way. You don't know what. I don't have one? Really, why would you not have one? Because nerds do that? No, I mean there's legeniic places where you would need it. In the sun. Yeah, I don't know. I'm not going to do it again. Yeah. Well, hey, that was a great chapter. There was a lot to learn. So yeah, I guess that we are at our time. Uh yeah, revenge. There's no end to revenge. You have to be the grown up and decide to stop it because there was no peace. Ever, his job was to bring peace. He never brought peace because he was always in a revenge cycle. Well then I'll just I'll go ahead and then do a call back to Emerson's breaking the cycle. Yeah. So the downward spiral of emerson cycle is he would say, you know, you disrespect me, and then I do something unloving and then because you feel unloved, you disrespect me. And the way to break the cycle is to say, hey, wow, what you just did feels really disrespectful. So what did I do that was unloving? And then and then basically look at yourself and then you know, she has the opportunity to say, okay, this is what you did, and then you know she can say the same thing, Hey that felt really unloving. What did I do that felt disrespectful? And that's the way to break the cycle. So so there you go. You all right, well, that ends her time together and we will see you next time on the Bible Guys.