Everyone likes knowing a secret; knowing secrets makes us feel important.
The Bible says, The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words in this law (Deut 29:29). God has secrets, things He hasn’t revealed to us, but what He does reveal we must be careful to obey.
The word tell (higgid) is used 14 times in the 14th chapter of Judges. The chapter is about secrets told and untold in different places and different times.

I. Samson’s Heart (Judg 8:33-35). Israel was content being oppressed by her enemies, but God wasn’t. He would deliver Israel because He’d promised to do so. His sovereign will always prevails over His creation (Ps 33:11; Prov 19:21; Is 14:24; 46:10-11; 55:8-11), and to accomplish His will, the Spirit drove Samson where he was reluctant to go and to do what he hesitated doing (Judg 13:25).
Samson went to the Philistine city of Timnah and saw a Philistine woman. The phrase, she pleases me well is literally, she is right in my own eyes (Judg 17:6; 21:25). He returned home and demanded his parents arrange for him to marry her.
In the ancient world, parents arranged marriages, most often between close relatives like cousins (Gen 24:1-4; 29). Manoah and his wife were troubled that their God-ordained savior-son would disregard them and the Lord and tried convincing him to marry a Jewish girl; but notice they never told him that his desire would displease the Lord.
The Law of Moses forbid Jews marrying Gentiles for two major reasons (Ex 34:12-16). (1) To keep the Israelites’ hearts from turning from God (Deut 7:3-4); and (2) To produce godly children (Mal 2:15). Intermarriage with Gentiles was permitted, but only after full conversion to Judaism (Ruth 1:16).

II. Samson’s Sin (Judg 14:2-3). Knowing his divine call, Samson was a spoiled brat. He did as he chose, showed no respect for his parents’ wisdom or wishes, and no honor for God. He wanted what pleased him, not what pleased God. He was no different from Eve in the Garden (Gen 2:5-7; 1 Jn 2:16). Despite their pleading, Samson was determined to marry the forbidden pagan woman, and his parents consented to his demand.

III. God’s Providence (Judg 14:4). Samson and Israel chose to live in compromise with the Canaanites, but God would purposely create conflict with the Philistines. He had a secret in His workings, not unlike the secret He kept from Job (Job 1:6-2:7) or from King Rehoboam’s raising of taxes (1 Ki 12:15).
God was working providentially, using nature and nature’s laws to fulfill His will. He sovereignly used Samson’s lustful, foolish, and rebellious desires for His purpose. God also uses nature (Jonah 4:6-11), animals (Num 22:22-30), demons (Judg 9:23), unsaved people (Ex 7:1-5), kings (Rev 19:17), man’s anger (Ps 76:10), and even sickness (Jn 9:1-3) to do His will.
God uses all things to fulfill His holy purpose, including our sins; however, He never causes anyone to sin (Jas 1:13). Samson wasn’t a puppet manipulated by God, but God used Samson’s sinful nature to fulfill His will.
Before time began, the Godhead ordained the death of Jesus for the salvation of sinners (Acts 2:23; Rev 13:8). Both Jews and Gentiles conspired together according to their sinful hearts, to crucify Him in fulfillment of the Divine will (Acts 2:36; 3:13-18; 4:10, 7-Acts.4.28" class="scriptRef">27-28). In following the evil desires of their hearts, they worked God’s will without realizing that’s what they were doing (Acts 3:17). God ordained evil men, using their own evil minds, hearts, intentions, and desires, to fulfill His eternal plan. Yet Jesus laid down His life of His own will (Jn 10:17-18; Tit 2:14) and at the Father’s specific time, place, and manner (Ps 22:17-18; Is 53:5, 7; 50:6; Lk 22:22; Jn 7:30; 8:20; 12:27; 17:1).