Judges 15:18-20 Samson was now very thirsty, and he cried out to the LORD, “You have accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of these pagans?” So God caused water to gush out of a hollow in the ground at Lehi, and Samson was revived as he drank. Then he named that place “The Spring of the One Who Cried Out,” and it is still in Lehi to this day.
Water from a hollow in the ground is a natural water tank where water is collected and gushes out of a rock. It can also be a rock pool. The waterhole that the Lord provided for Samson was not a geological depression that held seasonal water pools. It was a dry ground and at the command of the Almighty, water spurted out of a hollow in the ground!
Samson had just killed 1,000 Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone and sang a song of praise to himself, “With a donkey’s jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey’s jawbone I have killed a thousand men” (vs 16). He accredited the victory to himself! It was harvest time and the heat of the summer had exhausted Samson. He was dehydrated and dehydration can cause weakness and confusion. Samson was gripped with fear that his fatigue would make him weak and the enemy would overpower and kill him. Josephus, the Roman-Jewish historian says that the thirst and exhaustion came upon him as a rebuke for taking the glory of the triumph to himself and his great strength. But the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon Samson and he snapped the ropes and took a dry jawbone of a donkey and used it as a weapon to defeat the enemy.
God will never abandon us in the middle of a battle. He will manifest His might and power in the heat of the battle. The Lord not only gave Samson incredible strength to defeat the enemy with a dry jawbone he also provided Samson with a waterhole to refresh him.
God is the source of the waterhole:
1. Weapon: Donkey’s have very strong jawbones and the Lord provided a dry jawbone in the hands of Samson as a weapon. God will make the dead dry bone to bring victory over a dreadful despondency.
2. Waterhole: God will open waterholes, connections and opportunities to quench our spiritual thirst and gratify our physical needs.
3. Win: Samson ascribed the victory to himself but the thirst made him turn to the Lord. Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, “You have given your servant this great victory (vs 18a). God is our source. So, remember to turn your wins into worship.
The Lord God is our source. He will provide the weapon and the waterhole and help us to win over the enemy.
Zephaniah 3:17a The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.
Prayer: Almighty Father, You will never abandon me in the heat of a battle. Take the dry dead useless ashes around me and train my hands to use them as a weapon to win the war. Amen.
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