Escalation

Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. (Judges 15:15)

Things are getting out of control.  Samson knows his strength and is not afraid to use it.  His Philistine wife is his possession.  Her father's decision to giver her to Samson's companion so offends him he exacts revenge by obliterating the Philistine's agricultural production by cruelly setting fire to some foxes.  Samson is no pin up boy for animal welfare groups!  Revenge begets revenge and the Philistines kill Samson's wife and her father.  Revenge begets revenge and begets revenge, and he slaughters many Philistines. 

This where Samson's fellow Israelites enter the story.  They are pragmatic accomodationists.  They live under Philistine rule and they will do anything to keep the peace and so they willingly hand over Samson.  Now the Spirit of God comes on Samson, he breaks his ties an kills the Philistines with a most unlikely weapon, again demonstrating that the victory is not really Samson's, but the Lord's.  (It is the Spirit of God that is Samson's most powerful weapon)  And it only now that Samson acknowledges God, asking God for water to sate his thirst.

This is a sad a tragic story, and a little bizarre.  Women are treated with disdain.  Samson is a brutish oaf.  The Philistines are murderous pagans.  And the Israelites are cowardly accomodationists.  There are no 'good guys' in this story.  Sin reigns,and where sin reigns, often it escalates in a nasty cycle of revenge.  Only God can liberate us from the desire to get even.  Only with God can true justice come.