Eshtaol

Any questions so far? And again, if you have some online, feel free to drop them in the comments.

Verses two through four: So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it.

And they said to them, "Go and explore the land." And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and they lodged there.

So they stayed overnight.

Uh, any questions on that so far? So he's been...

These guys have been told, "Go in peace." So what do they do? "Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there and how they lived in security after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.

And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, 'What do you report?' They said, 'Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good.

And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go.

"Then his brothers," that's Samson's brothers, "and his father's whole family went down to get him.

They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah, his father." Okay, so is anyone asking the question, "What's the big deal here, Joe? What's going on here?" Well, if you turn to Judges 13:25, you'll see something very interesting.

Samson got his power.

The Spirit of the Lord met Samson between Zorah and Eshtaol, and it's almost as if God was saying, "Okay, Samson, you feel like a loser.

Okay, Samson, you feel like a Philistine, like an unbeliever.

Well, I'm going to take you right back to the start.