In the time of the Old Testament judges there arose a man named Samson. Samson was a man of incredible strength, strength unmatched by any man of his time. Samson was married to a Philistine woman. At the time of the wheat harvest, Samson went to be with his wife. However, he quickly found out that her father had decided to give Samson’s wife to Samson’s companion. Samson was shocked and angry that someone would take his wife from him and give her to another man. Filled with rage, he got even with the people by lighting the tails of 300 foxes on fire and sending them through the grain fields tied together in pairs. When the Philistines heard who did it and why, they went to Samson’s wife and her father and burned them to death. Samson became irate that they had taken it upon themselves to burn his wife and father in law to death. He said, “Since you acted like this, I swear that I won’t’ stop until I get my revenge on you.” He viciously attacked the men and slaughtered many of them.

Later while Samson was at home in his cave in the rock, 3,000 men from Judah came to arrest him for his actions against the Philistines. They said they’d tie him up and deliver him to the Philistines for them to do with Samson what they pleased.

Samson allowed them to bind him with new ropes and then they led him from his home. As he came near Lehi and the Philistines approached him, the Spirit of the Lord came on Samson and mighty strength came over him. The rope became easy for him to break and he was able to break the new ropes from his hands. Looking around for something to defend himself with, he found a jawbone of a donkey. That’s right… not guns or knives, but a bone… a jawbone. That day Samson killed 1,000 men with solid blows from the jawbone of that donkey.