Samson's Riddle
I'm sure most of you like things that are sweet: sweet biscuits, and sweet cakes, sweet drinks, and sweet food. Quite likely most of you like honey or syrup and are quite pleased when your mother sets a jar of honey or a tin of syrup on the table at tea-time. If the tin of syrup happens to be one that is made by a company called Tate & Lyle, then you might have noticed a very strange kind of "label" on the front, with some very strange words underneath. The label shows a dead lion lying on its side, and the words underneath say this, "Out of the strong came forth sweetness." Have you ever looked at that label, or have you ever wondered what it meant? Well, I'll tell you just in case you don't know.
The explanation is found in the Bible - in the book called The Book of Judges. The Judges were the men and women who ruled the nation of Israel before that nation had a king, and they very often did mighty deeds.
One of the most famous Judges was a man called Samson, and one day Samson was met by a fierce lion as he made a journey. That didn't bother Samson much, for he was so strong that the lion was soon lying dead at his feet. When he eventually came back from his journey, he passed the place where the lion was still lying dead, and as he passed by, he notices that some bees had made a nest inside the lion's body. Samson took the honey out of the nest and went on his way. Soon Samson met some young men, and he decided to set them a riddle - offering them a prize if they got the right answer. Here was the riddle he set them: he said,
"Out of the eater came something to eat;
Out of the strong came something sweet."
You know what he meant, of course, boys and girls, don't you? He was speaking about that "honey" that he got out of the strong lion that had tried to eat him, and that is the story that is shown on the label of that tin of syrup on the table.
As I said at the beginning, the story is found in the Book of Judges, chapter 14. The book of Judges is a very sad book in some ways for it tells how often the children of Israel were faithless to God. I trust you will always endeavour to be faithful to God in your lives and obey His Holy Word.