Twenty-five uneventful years seem to have passed and still the Israelites do not possess all their possessions. They are still doing evil, and Chapter 13 begins with the sad phrase – “Again the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of The LORD.”
Who says the Bible is a dry and dusty old book? NEVER! I love looking at Old Testament Characters – so much we can learn from their lives.
Samson
In many ways Samson ‘was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.’ A person who has all the advantages and is thus more likely to be successful. But when we come to Samson in Judges 13, we find a man who is born into a godly family, whose miraculous birth was announced by a two-fold visit by the Angel of the LORD, and in whom the Spirit of God is at work. With such advantages, one can hardly imagine Samson being a failure. However, we shall see that he was. A huge lesson to all that being born into a godly home doesn’t guarantee success.
It is important to note that more attention is devoted to the life of Samson than to any other judge in the book of Judges and because of that I suggest that God is teaching us important lessons. Some barely get one verse or two. One would expect that this was because he was a great man who never, or rarely, made a mistake, but we would be wrong. I love the Bible because God tells us stories of people who were weak and certainly not perfect (apart from The Lord Jesus). I’m so glad because if these people were perfect and never made a mistake, which would be relatively useless and quite discouraging for me who does make mistakes and am certainly not perfect. God still works in these people’s lives and uses them for His glory. There are numerous lessons for us to learn and God teaches us through these characters.
I loved Sunday School stories about Samson. I thought it was great to hear about an extraordinarily strong guy who fought a lot and defeated armies, often in spectacular and unconventional ways. We would smile at his antics and displays of strength, killing wild animals with his bare hands, fighting armies single-handedly, carrying city gates up a hill and so on.
As I think back to those Sunday School lessons, I remember learning about the source of Samson’s strength, which seemed to be his long hair. I also learned he was one of the Old Testament judges of Israel, and that he definitely liked the ladies. This is the Samson of Sunday School. I’m certainly not criticising my Sunday School teachers but when I got older, however, and I re-read Judges chapters 13-16, I discovered it wasn’t always like that and there was far more to it and, in fact, it was a very disastrous story.
The story of Samson commences with that sad phrase – “Again the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of The LORD.”
The first verse gives us a short account, such as we too often meet in the history of Israel, of the great distress that Israel was in, which gave occasion for the raising up of a deliverer. Their problem was that they did evil, as they had done before, in the sight of the LORD, and then God delivered them, as he had before, into the hands of their enemies this time into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years. God was often angry with them, but He was also merciful and time and time again, He provided a deliverer.
They had, once again, fallen into gross and confirmed idolatry. It was during this period …. Samson lived and conquered the Philistines … but lost his life in tragic circumstances in so doing. Sadly, we don’t read that Israel cried out to God. They had become complacent and relied on their own ability rather than seeking God. Little wonder that they continued to mess up.
We find many precious nuggets in this book and particularly in the events of the life story of Samson. Those of us who are or have been parents must, at times, have longed for guidelines. Guidelines for parents are always useful and we find some here. Let’s consider some –
PREPARATION FOR HIS BIRTH
Many eminent persons were born of mothers that had been kept waiting a great while to have children, as Isaac, Joseph, Samuel, and John Baptist, (Matthew Henry (Old Bible Commentator) suggests – that the mercy might be the more acceptable when it did come and it is made to appear that they were worth waiting for.)
I am not altogether sure that Samson’s parents might totally agree with that had they known about it. I’m sure there were good times, but he also presented them with plenty of problems. They were probably no different to most of us as we have experienced much joy and some heartache in our experience with our children.
His father was named Manoah, a Danite, and amazingly, we are not even told his mother’s name. Manoah came from Zorah.
May I remind you of the Danites – one of the twelve tribes. The tribe of Dan failed to drive out their enemies, the occupants of the land and as a result were prisoners in their own land. Remember, the Israelites were told to drive out the inhabitants of the land of Canaan which God was giving to them as He had promised long before.
They were confined to the hill country (1v34), the Amorites did not allow them to come down to the plain. Zorah is now called Sur’ah, 15 miles west of Jerusalem on a hill north of the valley of Sorek. The Muslims have a strong stone-built shrine there today to the memory of Samson, called “The home of Samson”.
The land promised by God to the Danites was down the South West, level with and to the west of the Dead Sea. Their southern boundary was the northern boundary of the land of the Philistines. The inheritance of Dan was according to Joshua 19v41, Zorah, Eshtol, Ishremesh, Shannon, Aijalon … Timnath, and Joppa right on the Mediterranean Sea. This would have been a large important part of Israel had they taken possession of it all, and it included the seaport of Joppa (modern day Tel Aviv), a great asset for trade.
However, the Danites had difficulty in taking the land so they decided to go elsewhere and Joshua 19:4 tells us that they attacked Leshem (Laish) up in the north and occupied it in the northern end of the Golan Heights some way away from the land allocated to them.
The Amorites were descendants of Canaan – the son of Ham. Philistines descendants of Mizraim, also a son of Ham (Genesis 10 v6-20). Ham, along with Shem and Japheth were sons of Noah, the only righteous man on earth, thus he and his family were spared by God when He sent the great flood.
However, that righteous man (Genesis 9v20,21) got drunk and in a stupor lay down naked in his tent. Ham made sport of his father’s nakedness, but Shem and Japheth recognised his shamefulness and covered their faces and covered their father. As a result, Ham was cursed and thus the land of Canaan was covered by a curse. All this because of a believer’s sin.
Whatever Christians’ views as to the wisdom or lawfulness of moderate drinking of alcohol may be, there is no question whatsoever about the wickedness of the sin of drunkenness stated clearly in Scripture. Warnings abound in both Old and New Testaments. Noah is the first recorded instance of a sin that has become most prevalent, epidemic even, almost the world over. Apparently, the Hebrew clearly indicates a deliberate act and not a mere unconscious effect of drunkenness. Associated with the sin of drunkenness is the sin of impurity, “To think that one who had passed through the thrilling and unique experiences of the flood should be guilty of such conduct was a fact of unspeakable shame. The corruption of the best is always the worst thing possible. ” (W.H.Griffiths-Thomas (written more than one hundred years ago))
Ham showed no sense of love or respect for his father, rather than covering his shame he also called attention to the circumstances and endeavoured to get his brothers to share in his sin. Some commentators think that Ham had sinful associations with his son Canaan. It is interesting to note that the Canaanites spread out towards Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 10:19) where Lot encountered the wicked people bent on homosexuality and the judgement of God. The curse was that Canaan would be servant, slave to both Shem and Japheth. This has undoubtedly worked out to be true – Canaanites became slaves of Israel the descendants of Shem (Christ belonged to the line of Shem) and also to Japheth particularly in Africa. The prophecy of Japheth indicates great prosperity and multiplication of descendants, thought to be the Gentile nations.
As Christians (i) we are never immune from sin and need to fight it day by day. (ii) We often find small temptations the most dangerous. (iii) we are always liable to meet new temptation. (iv) We may cause others to sin. (v) We will suffer most bitterly for backsliding. (vi) We will always be conscious of the complete impartiality of God. (vii) We need never fall into sin – the grace of God is more than sufficient to meet every temptation and according to 1 Corinthians 10:13 God will always provide a way of escape, and we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)
The Canaanites were to be driven out of the land, promised to Abraham and his descendants. However, the Danites were disobedient and became captives in their own land. If we fail to obey God’s commands, we too, are captives to the grip of sin unless we give ourselves wholly to God. The Lord Jesus Christ came to rescue us from our sin and to escape from its grip we must obey God’s word and repent and receive Him as our Lord and Saviour.
IT ALWAYS HAPPENS THAT WAY – WE COMPROMISE and allow the world part of our lives and eventually, rather than us controlling it (as no doubt we intended) IT CONTROLS US and confines us to a restricted, defeated life. God wants us to live VICTORIOUS LIVES – through the victory already won for us by Jesus Christ, by His death, glorious resurrection, ascension and coming again.
Samson is to be born not only in captivity of his nation to the Amorites but also the Philistines.
His story begins about 1 year before he was born (as all life does), the messenger was an angel of the LORD (v 3), yet appearing as a man, with the aspect and garb of a prophet, or man of God. He appeared to Manoah’s wife who was barren …. but he told her she would conceive and bear a son. Not only was this a miracle but even further they were told the sex of the baby. We think with our modern technology and cleverness that this a modern phenomenon, but God has been doing this since the beginning of time. Whilst men strive by science to know a foetus’ gender beforehand, God knows us before we are even conceived.
Psalm 139 confirmsHis perfect knowledge.“You have formed my inward parts, woven (knit) me in my mother’s womb, I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…. my frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret and skilfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed and in Your book all my days were written before one of them came to be”
Let no-one say a child becomes a person a few weeks AFTER conception or even at birth. So far as God is concerned, we are who we are BEFORE conception – Abortionists beware!!!! Medical science will try to support arguments for abortion by telling us that human life commences as a blob of protoplasm before it becomes a person. It is clear from God’s word that we are already human beings at conception, and God knows all about us.
Various writers have commented. I don’t intend to go into arguments for/against abortion, suffice it to say that 95% of abortions are simply for convenience. A baby is genetically complete at conception, the heart beats by the 25th day; At 10 weeks all organs and limbs are established. If we believe that man is created in the image of God and that he has total, unique, specific specialness then he should be protected to the best of our ability for all his lifetime. And if God knows their gender, their future, their purposes beforehand who are we to prevent them? And believe it or not, God even takes absolutely responsibility for making people with defects. In Exodus 4:11 God said to Moses, “Who made man’s mouth, or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or seeing or blind, have not I, The LORD?
The angel (v4) (Some commentators believe that this was The LORD Himself) goes on to explain to Manoah’s wife that she must be careful to follow his instructions. Samson was to be a Nazirite from his mother’s womb; She must not drink wine or strong drink, and not eat any unclean thing. No razor was to come on his head. The instructions were repeated when the Angel appears to Manoah when his wife called him on the angel’s second visit. Samson’s status as a Nazirite was neither voluntary (on his part), nor was it temporary (as it usually was) (see Numbers 6) Samson’s function as a Nazirite was imposed upon him by God. Usually people chose to be Nazirites, a form of commitment to God but Samson did not. A Nazarite was one who was wholly separated to The LORD. Are we?
MOTHERHOOD. A greatly underrated role
Modern science has discovered that many things which a mother does during pregnancy affects the unborn child – e.g. smoking, taking drugs and alcohol.
People think it is modern thinking, but here it is in the Bible from thousands of years ago. We are only discovering what God has made – “Fearfully and wonderfully made.” This was going to try her faith, as well as her obedience; for God requires both from those on whom he will bestow his favours. Pregnant mothers ought conscientiously to avoid whatever they have reason to think will be any way prejudicial to the health of their offspring.
Present Government policy is for mothers to go out to work and let minders look after their children, I believe It is sad and even dangerous. Mothers play a vital role in bringing up their children. There is absolutely no question about the importance of a mother’s role in bringing up a child, however much it is underrated. Oh, and by the way, fathers have a vital role too.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARENTING
Manoah got his priority right (v8). It could have been anyone who had come to his wife. She said he looked like an angel of The LORD (v6) How? very awesome! Manoah, like Gideon, wanted to be sure. He prayed to The LORD, “Oh my LORD, please let the man of God whom you sent, come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born. “ It is evident he believed and had faith – he is confident the child will be born. He also asked for help to bring him up. Therefore, it seems that God does not hold it against us for wanting to be sure and asking for confirmation.
It is often said “Babies don’t come with instructions” To a certain extent that is true, but we can find lots of help in The Bible. Manoah asked for help. ISN’T THIS THE QUESTION ALL WE PARENTS SHOULD ASK OF GOD? “Teach us how to bring him up.” If only we asked Him, and, if only we always listened.
God heard and answered (v9). The angel came to the woman who ran to get her husband (v10) she ran in hast, this was important and urgent. You might have thought that this second visit would have been better for both of them, but I think there is always the test for us, as there was for the woman, to see if we consider it important that we both get the message.
It is important that we come together to The LORD. We, as parents, have discovered it’s important to pray together, and make no mistake, the more we do, the more the devil will attack us and find things to prevent us from doing it. We need to be together in all we do. My wife, Dorothy and I have found this to be particularly so. Please don’t think that we have never made mistakes, you’d be quite wrong.
To young people, and older ones, setting out on marriage, those not married but looking for a partner – it is essential that you are seeking The LORD’s will and when you find the right one, ONE in the way you direct your lives and when the time comes, the way you bring up your children. There is nothing more dangerous and divisive than pulling in opposite directions, and then children play off one against the other with dire consequences. There is nothing more important in life than bringing up children.
The Angel (v13,14) again stresses the need for complete obedience and repeats instructions given on his first visit. “Of all that I said …. be careful”. Have you noticed how God doesn’t change His message! When God gave Moses the ten commandments, which He did at least three times, He made no amendments or rethinks; It was right first time. In Deuteronomy 5:22 Moses says, “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more….”
God is God and He gets it right first time.
TOGETHERNESS
Not only should we pray together and seek God’s face, but worship together. Manoah (v15-25) wanted to detain the angel. It is evident he looked just like a man. (v16) Manoah didn’t know it was an angel. Then he wanted to worship the angel, but the angel prevented him and made it clear that honour and glory must be given to God. They saw a wondrous thing. Burnt offering and the angel ascended to heaven in the flame of it.
Manoah became afraid and panicked – “We shall surely die we have seen God” (v22). But his wife reassured him – “If The LORD had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted our burnt offering … nor would He have shown us these things” which were still some nine months in the future. How logical wives can be, they usually are.
When we worship together, we support each other. Nothing more divisive than failing to worship together. I’ve known husbands and wives to go to different churches. We should be together not only in our private prayers but in our public worship. It should be our choice, but I recognise it is not always possible.
Man and woman have different roles but as we work together, we complement each other and thus have success. We make each other complete by fulfilling our different roles.
Time goes on and in v24,25 she bore a son. Amazingly throughout the whole story of Samson we are never told her name. This nameless woman teaches us so much about being used by God, obedience despite her anonymity. “Samson grew and The LORD blessed him, and The Spirit of The LORD began to move upon him.”
It is my opinion that Samson was not naturally strong, no big rippling muscles, no mister universe, otherwise how could he be so weak at other times? His strength was not natural strength but Spiritual Strength.
