1) When Samson visited his wife with a gift, her father refused to let him enter and instead offered her younger sister, saying she was prettier. 2) Angered, Samson caught foxes and tied firebrands to their tails, burning the Philistines' crops. 3) The Philistines retaliated by burning Samson's wife and father-in-law. Samson then vowed revenge against the Philistines.

1. Judges 15 1 But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. His anger cooled, the Spirit of God left him , And he would return to the woman of his lust. This marriage was never consummated , so she was not really his wife. 7-25-10

2. 1b But her father would not suffer him to go in. 2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. These pagan Philistines did not value women. Take the younger sister; she's prettier anyway.

3. 1 Peter 3 7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. God values women and commands us to honor them as fragile and valuable. The mug is stronger, but the china is more precious.

4. To fail to honor our wives, both as precious , and "as being heirs together of the grace of life" A man married to a Christian woman has God for his Father-in-law . God warns us to be careful how we treat His daughter .

5. If a man is having trouble getting his prayers answered , he should examine his attitude toward women. Do you think like a pagan Philistine ? Or do you have the godly mindset of love and honor toward women.

6. 3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. 4 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes , and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. When he found out that the Philistine had given his woman to another man, Samson got mad.

7. 5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. Harvested grain, grain yet to be harvested, Vineyards, and olives.

8. They would suffer hunger, as they had caused the Israelites to suffer. Samson is doing his own thing, but God is using him to take His Vengeance. Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12:19

9. 6 Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. She betrayed Samson's trust to escape this destruction, and She now suffers anyway .

10. Proverbs 31 10-12 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. Just as men are commanded to cherish our wives , honoring and valuing them, Women are to live lives worthy of honor.

11. A good woman is always trustworthy in all things. She won't waste her husband's provision. She will never betray her husband in any way. She will praise him and lift him up, standing by him in hard times. 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. Not on special occasions, but in day-in and day-out living.

12. Proverbs 31 25 Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She openeth her mouth with Wisdom ; and in her tongue is the law of kindness . Such is a woman worthy of honor . She will be cherished by all who know her. A man , who loves and respects women, married to a woman of honor, trust, and kindness, Makes a marriage that is worthy to behold.

13. 7 And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. "I won't stop until I have my revenge ." With Samson it was always personal , and yet God used him to harass the enemy of God's people. But my, how he suffered throughout his life! In this incident, the woman he wanted burned along with her family.

14. 8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter : and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam. We aren't told how many he killed, but it was a great slaughter. Then he went to live in a cave on top of a ridge, apparently a barren rock.

15. There is much to be learned from the life of Samson. Most of it is like the "Berenstain Bears": "This is what you must not do small bear."

16. We have already seen that Samson was self-centered and spoiled by his parents. He demanded what he wanted, and got it . He was shallow-minded when it came to women. He was deceived by beauty , and never looked for more lasting qualities . He was hot-tempered and vengeful .

17. God used Samson in spite of himself. But God used Samson. 1 Thessalonians 4 NIV 3 It is God's Will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6a and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.

18. 6b The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man, but God, Who gives you His Holy Spirit. Samson was used of God, but he was seldom blessed of God. If we will submit ourselves unto God's Holy Will in all things, we will be both -- Used and blessed of our Heavenly Father.