March 17 - Judges 14-16

Sorry - I'm just a little behind on my blogging...
What an exciting couple of chapters.  We've been introduced to Samson.  Samsom found a wife that he felt called to be with by the Lord.  His family wondered why he couldn't choose one of their own and had to choose a woman that lived among the Philistine's.  Samson was quite the riddler.  He had killed a lion with his bare hands and found bees and honey within the carcass and began to eat the honey.  He offered the Philistine people a riddle trying to make them guess what he was talking about - "Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet."  The Philistine people asked his wife to find out the answer so they would not have to pay him a ransom.  Samson finally caved and told her the answer, which she shared with her people.  They were able to answer the riddle, and in turn, his wife was given to a friend of his because it was assumed that he would hate her.  When she wasn't given back to him, she and her father were killed. 
Then he met Delilah. The Philistine's talked her into finding out what could be done that would cause Samson to lose his strength.  He would tell her something, she would try it, the Philistine's would be there to capture him, but it never worked.  She tried this numerous times, until he finally gave in and said that if his head were shaved, he would have the same strength as any other man.  In his sleep, his head was shaved and this was true.  The Philistine's gouged out his eyes and took him captive.  While he was out "performing" for the Philistines, being made a fool of, he prayed to God to give him his strength one last time so he could do to the Philistines as they did to him.  God granted this wish and Samson pushed down the pillars of the temple and Samson died along with the Philistine people. 
Interesting stories.  I understand that Samson was given this gift of strength and that he was called to live among the Philistine's, but it struck me as odd that he was such a riddler and "tease," but always gave in at the end to his wife.  I suppose he was just tired of being pressed to answer all of these questions, but I guess his physical strength could only take him so far.