I'm Heather and I'm Susan.

Come along with us on an adventure in the book of judges.

Welcome to the club, the Bible Book Club.

Last episode, chapters 13 and 14, we discussed the last three minor judges.

And then we read the last of the phrases, again, the Israelites did evil in

the eyes of the Lord, which introduced us to the final major and most famous judge, Samson.

Samson's birth was announced to his parents by the angel of the Lord. So we're expecting a lot

from Samson.

But right from the beginning,

Samson's obsession with women's surfaces.

And rather than focusing on saving Israel from the Philistines,

he marries one.

His parents are not happy,

but Samson wants what he wants and he demands it.

So the wedding proceeds and he has assigned 30 Philistine companions. The men are not

going to be his friends. No. Okay. This is where Samson's cycle of revenge and retaliation

begins building from chapter 14, where remember Samson baited his new Philistine, friendemes. Frendemes. Frenemes.renemes. It's called frenemes. Frenemes. By trying to fleece them with the lion riddle. The Philistines threatened to burn Samson's wife if she didn't get the answer to the riddle. So Samson's wife manipulated Samson into giving her the answer to the riddle. Samson lost the bet and got angry with the Philsteins and his wife, so he left her to return

to his parents' house for how long we don't know.

The wife's father assumed, because Samson was gone for so long, that he didn't want her

anymore and gave her to one of Samson's new Philstein friend frenemies. And this is the story

of what happened when Samson found out. Scene 1. Samson's Fury Burns, Chapter 15. Later on,

at the time of the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. He said,

...