Sampson Gets Married and Slays Thirty Men

Today I read Judges 14 where Sampson first truly enters the scene.  Sampson is a very interesting man and was an instrument in the hands of God.  And yet he was also a skirt chaser.  He would get smitten by a woman's looks and his sense would go out the window.  In this particular chapter he marries a Philistine woman, although the scriptures say it is of God, so perhaps God caused Sampson to find her attractive in the first place.  I'm not sure.  But she certainly ends up betraying his trust and revealing his secret to the men at the wedding feast. 

From the brief chapters we have on Sampson, it seems that he has quite the temper.  In this chapter when he finds out that his wife has told his secret to the men at the feast he goes down and slays thirty men to give them the thirty garments that he promised them.  Although I can understand being mad when they guessed his riddle and the only other person who knew it was his wife.  That would be pretty crushing to me too in the same situation, although I would not run off and kill thirty men for it.

The scriptures state that this is the time to prepare to meet God.  Alma tells us that if we are not stripped of pride then we are not prepared to meet God.  Anger seems to be a great stumbling block in this world.  It seems to have become something of a pandemic in this day and age though!  I work in the customer service industry and it is honestly disgusting how these people talk to my employees, and yet they expect politeness in return!  The Golden Rule has gone out the window it seems.  People talk to each other how ever they want and when the other person other person responds in kind, they are outraged, as if to say how dare someone speak to them like that.  Honestly if it weren't so upsetting it would be hilarious.  But I must say that anger is just as much a trait that needs to be overcome as lasciviousness is, or addiction.  This life really is the time to prepare to meet God, and if we don't use it wisely, well, it will not be well with us when we stand before Him at the great and final day.  Until tomorrow.