Judges 14—15: The Need for Conflict
"THERE IS IN truth no such thing as harmonious co-existence between church and world, for where there is no conflict it is because the world has taken over," writes Michael Wilcock (The Message of Judges [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1992], p. 142). In each of the previous occupations described in Judges, there is conflict. We are at least told that the people cry out to God for deliverance. Not so with the Philistine conquest. The people have lived under the Philistines' thumb for forty years without complying. In surprising ways God uses Samson to create conflict where none existed. The message to today's church is clear—conflict is a necessary part of our message.
Warming Up to God
What conflict do you see between the church and the world today? In what ways do you feel caught up in that conflict?
Read Judges 14—15. »
Discovering the Word
- What did Samson's parents seem to expect their son would be like (14:1-4)?
- What did Samson's marriage and subsequent acts of vengeance accomplish (14:19—15:8)?
- What do Samson's actions reveal about his character?
- What attitude did the men of Judah have toward the Philistines (15:9-13)?
- Samson was the only judge without an army. All of his exploits were performed single-handedly. What does this tell you about the moral and spiritual condition of Israel?
Applying the Word
- What similarities do you see between Israel's situation and the moral and spiritual conditions of today?
- What action might God be calling you to take that would be in conflict with the ways of the world?
Responding in Prayer
Pray that the Christian church will be united in facing conflict with a world that rejects God.
For Further Study
God at War by Gregory A. Boyd