The most famous and talked about riddle from the bible is Samson's honey and lion riddle. Samson plans to ask a Philistine woman to marry him. On the way to ask her he is attacked by a lion that he promptly rips apart with the power of God, but keeps this a secret. After he receives the woman's parents' approval they arrange the marriage. On his way to the wedding, he sees that bees have begun to live in the lion and make honey. Samson marries the Philistine woman and at his wedding he tells his groomsman a riddle. If they can answer it correctly he will give them thirty pieces of fine linen and garments. The riddle was:
"Out of the eater, something to eat;
Out of the strong, something sweet." Judges 14:14 [NIV]
The groomsman can't solve it so they become angry and tell Samson's wife that if she doesn’t discover the answer to the riddle they will burn her house and her father's. She asks Samson for the answer and then tells the groomsmen, who tell Samson: What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?
If right now you are convinced that nothing good can ever come from a difficult situation, Samson’s riddle is a beacon of hope. Out of the circumstance, situation, or event that tries (or tried) to "eat you alive" God creates a uniquely sweet and refreshing opportunity to renew strength and thus renew hope.
It may take some time but the day will come when one may, in memory if not physically, return to the scene of struggle and conflict and eat the honey from "the beast" that sought to destroy.
Dawn Milward
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