Food out of the Eater, Sweetness out of the Devourer

The Riddle: "Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." (Judges 14:14)

This riddle, given by Samson, isn't just a clever puzzle; like many ancient parables and prophetic utterances (e.g., in Proverbs 1:6 or Psalm 78:2), it carries a deeper, veiled truth. From a New Covenant, grace perspective, it becomes a powerful metaphor for the triumph of Christ and the lavish blessings that flow from His completed victory.

Sometimes it is difficult to see the forest for the trees … or the trees for the forest being bogged down in minutiae and losing sight of what's truly important or how everything fits together. On the other hand our over-generalization may cause us to lose touch with the practical realities because we get too absorbed in our doctrines, our theology and church traditions (Mark 7:13).

Back to the background

Samson's riddle in Judges 14:14 is deeply rooted in its Old Covenant context, offering layers of meaning. It appears within the Book of Judges, a period marked by Israel's recurring cycle of sin, oppression (specifically by the Philistines), and God raising up deliverers.

Samson himself was a Nazirite from birth, bound by strict vows including avoiding dead bodies. However, he repeatedly violated these vows, most notably by finding honey in the carcass of a lion he had killed - an absolute taboo for any Nazirite. This act directly led to the riddle he posed at his Philistine wedding feast.

The riddle was designed to be unsolvable by his guests, as it stemmed from his unique, private lustful experience. Their inability to solve it led them to threaten Samson's Philistine wife, who then coerced the answer from him. This betrayal fueled Samson's rage, providing God the "occasion" to begin delivering Israel from Philistine rule, highlighting God's sovereignty even through Samson's flawed and disobedient choices.

The background reveals a complex interplay of divine sovereignty and human flaws, covenant tension, Samson's vow violations, and ancient cultural practices. Ultimately, this rich context frames the riddle as a powerful prophetic foreshadowing of Christ's victory over sin and death (all of the above), where unexpected sweetness and life emerge from what was seemingly an "eater" or "strong" devourer based on strict laws and traditions.

1. The "Eater" and the "Strong" are Conquered by Christ's Finished Work:

Samson's encounter was with a fierce lion, often referred to in Hebrew as אַרְיֵה (’ărî), a powerful, devouring beast (see also Psalm 22:13, where enemies are likened to roaring lions). This 'ărî, this "eater" and "strong one," serves as a profound Old Testament type, foreshadowing the very adversaries that held humanity captive before Christ.

• The "Eater" (Sin and Death): Before Christ, humanity was devoured by sin (Romans 6:23, "the wages of sin is death") and held captive by death, the ultimate "eater" (1 Corinthians 15:26, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."). The Law, while holy, was "strong" in revealing sin, but utterly powerless to save us from its grip (Romans 7:7-13). It exposed the עֹז (‘ōz), the inherent strength or power, of sin over us. As Romans 5:12-21 elaborates, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned... But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more."
  
  

• The "Strong" (The Devil and His Power): The devil is depicted as a "roaring lion," this very 'ărî, "seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). He held humanity in bondage through fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15), wielding his ‘ōz, his dark power, over the sons of Adam. This is the spiritual enemy that Jesus refers to as "the strong man" who must be bound (Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27).
  
  

• Christ's Finished Work: Jesus, through His death on the cross and triumphant resurrection, conquered these very "eaters" and "strong ones." He confronted the 'ărî of sin, death, and the devil head-on, not as a victim, but as the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5), bringing forth ultimate victory.
  
  

• He finished sin's work: He became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Hebrews 9:26), and recived the penalty for all of humanity's sin, past, present, and future. This is the finished work – a complete, one-time, perfect sacrifice, made once for all (Hebrews 10:10-14). There is no more debt to pay, no more power for sin to wield over us (Romans 6:14, "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.").

• He finished death's power: By His resurrection, He rendered death powerless for believers. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). His death was not defeat, but the very act by which He "destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14). The ‘ōz of death was broken by His resurrection power, ushering in the hope of resurrection for all who believe (Romans 8:11).

• He finished the devil's dominion: Colossians 2:15 declares, "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it [the cross]." This was a public, decisive victory over all demonic powers (Luke 10:18, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven"). Ephesians 4:8 states that "when He ascended on high, He led captivity captive," signifying His complete triumph. Revelation 12:10-11 proclaims that the accuser of the brethren is cast down, overcome "by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." This is the finished work of triumph over the adversary, disarming the 'ărî that once roared.

2. The "Food" and "Sweetness" are the Results of Christ's Finished Work (Grace and New Covenant Blessings):

Just as Samson discovered דְּבַשׁ (dəḇaš, honey - word picture: the entrance to the house that was consumed - Yahshu’a ) – a symbol of sweetness and abundance – and אֹכֶל (’ōḵel, food word picture: power given to control - dominion) – a source of nourishment – within the carcass of the conquered 'ărî, so too do we receive unimaginable blessings from Christ's victory over our spiritual adversaries.

• From Death Came Life: From the very place of death (the cross, where our old man died with Christ – Romans 6:6) and the defeated "eater" (sin, death, devil), flows the abundant life (John 10:10), forgiveness, righteousness, peace, joy, and every spiritual blessing we now possess (Ephesians 1:3-14). These are the spiritual ’ōḵel and dəḇaš that sustain us. Christ's completed act transformed the very instrument of our curse into the source of our blessing, making us a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are now seated with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).

• Sweetness of Grace: The "sweetness" is the unmerited favor and love of God—grace—together with the restoration of dominion that is freely given to us because of what Jesus finished. We don't earn it, beg for it, or work for it (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is the direct result of His completed perfect sacrifice. It's sweeter than anything we could achieve on our own, indeed, sweeter than dəḇaš itself, just as God's Word is sweeter than honey (Psalm 19:10; Psalm 119:103).

• Nourishment of Righteousness: The "food," the ’ōḵel, is the sustenance for our new life in Christ. This includes His righteousness imparted to us (Romans 5:17; Philippians 3:9), which allows us to stand holy and blameless before God, not by our performance, but by His finished work. This righteousness empowers our faith and gives us bold access to God (Hebrews 4:16). We become partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4) and overcomers (1Jn 5:5).

• Provision from Victory: Every provision—healing (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24), prosperity (2 Corinthians 8:9), protection (Psalm 91), wisdom (James 1:5)—is not something we convince God to give us through desperate prayer, but something we appropriate (or "demand" as per the aiteō explanation from our previous discussion) because it was already secured by Christ's finished victory. It is due to us as co-heirs with Him (Romans 8:17), the rightful inheritors of the ’ōḵel and dəḇaš flowing from the conquered foe. This is confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is our guarantee of this inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9-11).

In essence, the riddle perfectly illustrates the core of the Gospel:

The "eater" (sin, death, the 'ărî of the devil) was defeated by Christ's finished work on the cross, His ultimate display of ‘ōz. And from that very place of victory—where sin and death were vanquished—comes the dəḇaš (sweetness) of salvation, the ’ōḵel (food and domion) of eternal life, and every blessing of the New Covenant. We don't struggle against the eater anymore; we enjoy the fruits of its defeat, all made possible by Jesus saying, "It is finished" (John 19:30), declaring the full payment and completion of all things.

This transformation from a devourer to a provider of sweetness is the ultimate "conundrum" that only God's grace, revealed through the finished work of His Son, could solve.