The Birth of Samson

Introduction

Before we get into this passage, everyone needs a refresher as to what as happened so far. Rather than try to summarize it myself, I am going to let the Bible Project do it for me

show bible project video on Judges

Let’s remember this cycle that we see all throughout the book of Judges:

Israel sins against the Lord

Israel is oppressed by another nation

Israel repents of their sins

The Lord sends a deliverer to rescue them

Israel prospers in peace

Over and over and over Israel repeats this cycle because they did not have a king over them.

When I, and the Bible, say there was no King in Israel, this is not referring only to a literal human king over their nation. Instead, this is really referring to the Lord as their king.

The writer of Judges is making it known that Israel was forgetting about the Lord their True King. They were forgetting how He delivered them out of Egypt, blessed them with the promised land, prospered them as a nation; they forgot it all.

Here we pick up in the middle of this time period in a time of peace that is going to end very soon. There were a few other Judges who do not get many sentences.

Ibzan

Elon

Abdon

Abdon died and is buried. Once again, Israel lacks a judge over them. What will they do?

A Broken Nation v.1

Verse one reemphasizes Israel’s broken state.

Despite having tasted the grace of God several times, Israel continues to forget about the Lord.

At some point they always end up placing another god above the Lord God. It is when this happens that Israel is handed over to her enemy for more slavery.

What three things to we see happen in verse 1?

We see three things here:

The Israelites sinned

this was likely idolatry and then more within the same vein of that idolatry

God handed them over to the Philistines

The Philistines were among the “sea people.” In the 12th century BC, they migrated from an area of Greece to the coastal plain of Canaan. This is an area that the Jews failed to take during their conquest.

They were enslaved for 40 years

This was not a short 6 month attack, this was a 40 year ruling over Israel.

What is fascinating about this is we see a break in the cycle here where Israel never repents, that we are aware of. At this point, God chooses to send a rescuer despite them not acknowledging Him.

The Promised Child v.2-5

We see a very familiar start to this story:

Family who loves God

Wife is barren and unable to conceive a child

An angel (or the Lord) promises her a child

What other families have a very similar situation in the Bible?

This exact thing happens several times throughout Scripture:

Abraham and Sarah

Hannah and Elkanah

Elizabeth and Zechariah

Specifically this is especially similar to Elizabeth and Zechariah’s story

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14 There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. 16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God

How is Samson’s life similar to John the Baptist’s? How are they different?

Both Samson and John the Baptist were born into similar promises: to be lights to the world.

For Samson, the Lord says he will “begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines.

For John it was that that he will “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”

What we are going to see, however, is that Samson woefully falls short of John the Baptist.

While he will begin to save Israel from the Philistines, he will also do so looking like a pagan philistine.

Though this is fairly common throughout Scripture, we cannot miss the power in what is happening here.

This is pure grace. Manoah and his wife weren’t expecting it. They hadn’t asked for it, as far as we know. They certainly hadn’t earned it. It was just given. Samson is a gift of unmerited, surprising grace. - Barry G. Webb

Barry G. Webb, Judges and Ruth: God in Chaos, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), 203.The Lord Returns v.6-10

Samson was a great gift from God to this family. The pain of not being able to conceive, especially in their day, was immense. It was unbearable.

But the Almighty God stepped into their mess, blessed them with a child and Israel with a deliverer.

There is one aspect of Samson’s story that John’s story does not include, though.

John’s parents were visited by the angel Gabriel; Samson’s parents were visited by The Angel of the Lord.

The Angel of the Lord is not just any angel, but is the Preincarnate Christ.

Jesus Christ, Israel’s true King who would be crucified for their sins, appears to Manoah and his wife to tell them Samson is coming.

Once again, this is sheer grace.

Samson was to be a Nazirite

The Nazirite vow is first found in Numbers 6; it is here we learn those under the Nazirite vow must abstain from three things, namely:

Drinking any alcohol or anything from the grapevine

Touching anything dead

Cutting his or her hair

This was a high calling for one to be told to be a Nazirite, yet God chose Samson to keep this vow.

Unfortunately, what we will find is that Samson will break every single part of this vow in his life.

A Panicked Couple v.6-10

Upon hearing this from the Angel of the Lord, we find a panic that should be expected in Manoah and his wife.

I have not had the pleasure of getting to experience the panic of “OH MY GOSH I AM GOING TO BE A DAD” yet, but I imagine, Dez and I would react very similarly to this couple, especially if Jesus showed up and told us this.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

6 Then the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. He looked like the awe-inspiring angel of God. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. 7 He said to me, ‘You will conceive and give birth to a son. Therefore, do not drink wine or beer, and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from birth until the day of his death.’ ”

8 Manoah prayed to the LORD and said, “Please, Lord, let the man of God you sent come again to us and teach us what we should do for the boy who will be born.”

9 God listened to Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman. She was sitting in the field, and her husband, Manoah, was not with her. 10 The woman ran quickly to her husband and told him, “The man who came to me the other day has just come back!”

This is a very funny story.

First, Manoah’s Wife tells Manoah everything that happened.

Next, Manoah prays to the Lord, asking that He would return and essentially repeat what He said to Manoah’s Wife.

Third, the Lord appears, not to Manoah, but to his Wife again.

Last, she runs home and tells Manoah the Lord is there.

Something fascinating about this is that despite Manoah being the one who prayed to the Lord, the Lord still appears to his wife.

Why do you think God appears to Manoah’s wife both times?

The bible, over and over, flips cultural expectations especially regarding the role of women.

In a culture where women were considered dirt and had to shut up and obey; where the testimony of a woman was not trusted; the Lord appears to the man’s wife both times.

Why?

For one, God doesn’t only talk to men; he speaks and works through and uses women!

But also, Manoah had a problem.

A Perplexing God v.11-18

What do you notice about Manoah in this story?

Now as much as there was excitement and panic in this moment because they just found out they were having a child, there was also some arrogance and hunger for control in Manoah.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

11 So Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?”

“I am,” he said.

12 Then Manoah asked, “When your words come true, what will be the boy’s responsibilities and work?”

13 The angel of the LORD answered Manoah, “Your wife needs to do everything I told her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine or drink wine or beer. And she must not eat anything unclean. Your wife must do everything I have commanded her.”

15 “Please stay here,” Manoah told him, “and we will prepare a young goat for you.”

16 The angel of the LORD said to him, “If I stay, I won’t eat your food. But if you want to prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.” (Manoah did not know he was the angel of the LORD.)

17 Then Manoah said to him, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your words come true?”

18 “Why do you ask my name,” the angel of the LORD asked him, “since it is beyond understanding?”

Let’s look at each of Manoah’s questions/statements:

Are you the same man who spoke to my wife?

Despite having heard his wife say this is the man, he still asks this. There is an underlying insecurity in Manoah.

When your words come true, what will be the boy’s responsibilities and work?

Manoah, your wife has already told you this! Why does he ask again? Is it panic and not thinking through everything? Maybe some. Is it a power grab to take control and be the main character of this story? Probably also.

Some people have a lot of trouble just sitting in the passenger seat. Manoah heard that the Lord spoke to his wife and became envious and jealous. He felt as if he needed control.

Manoah was not being good cattle here, he was being a cat!

All of us need to learn to be okay with not being in control. With letting someone else drive and not complaining the whole time about their driving. With following someone else’s plan, and not ridiculing it and insisting on your own way. With not believing that as long as you are not the one planning and doing everything, nothing good will happen, not like it could if you were in control.

Relinquish control of, not just each day, but your whole life. Be willing to sit in the passenger seat and stay quiet, trusting the driver; trusting the Lord.

Manoah would not settle for passenger, but it does not work for him. Thus is why the Lord says Your wife needs to do everything I told her.

This isn’t about you, Manoah. Your wife is center stage here, you just need to help her.

Please stay here and we will prepare a young goat for you.

This seems polite, but what we actually see is that this is another power grab. In becoming the Lord’s host, Manoah would assert superiority over his guest.

The Lord dodges this as well by saying He will not eat Manoah’s food, but then points Manoah to prepare a burnt offering to the Lord (Himself).

What is your name, so that we may honor you when your words come true?

Once again, this seems polite. But oftentimes one’s courtesy is a costume covering their true intentions which is usually deceit.

What does the Lord say in response? Why do you ask my name, since it is beyond understanding?

The Lord is so great and mighty that it is foolish to think a mere man would understand His name. The Lord has many names, many of which we do not fully understand. He has many names we are unaware of because we would not fully understand.

Manoah, are you content with worshiping a God you cannot fully understand? Many of us are not. We must know every detail, but we need to settle in the silence of faith.

A Perplexed Couple v.19-23

Manoah, despite his clear pride, listens to the Lord and offers an offering to the Lord. Then something perplexing happens.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

20 When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the LORD went up in its flame.

The Lord, revealing His identity as God, goes up in the flame, disappearing.

These are things we hear about and think “How would that even look?” Being a movie maniac, I tend to consider how a movie would portray this. Would they use CGI? Was there smoke and then the Lord disappeared? What happened?

And we just don’t know. It certainly was clear to Manoah and his wife, though, because they respond instantly with reverence, awe, and submission.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown on the ground.

Has anything in life every led you to bow down in reverence?

We hear about people falling on their faces like this in Scripture and we laugh because in our culture, a physical submission like this is essentially nonexistent. We do not bow to anyone. But would you bow before God?

Would you be willing to lower yourself, your whole life, just to submit to the Lord? Many are not willing because they have made themselves gods. This is foolish.

Be willing to submit. To the Lord, in your school, in your church, before the police, before any authorities, before your parents. Submission is not wicked, for Christ is submissive to His Father, even! Be like Christ and be willing to submit.

Manoah and his wife then get into a frantic theological discussion.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

Then Manoah realized that it was the angel of the LORD.

22 “We’re certainly going to die,” he said to his wife, “because we have seen God!”

23 But his wife said to him, “If the LORD had intended to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from us, and he would not have shown us all these things or spoken to us like this.”

Dude freaks out and his wife, whom he keeps trying to push aside to be the main character, has to teach him.

She essentially shows him that it is nonsensical to think the Lord would kill them after He accepted their offering to Him.

Manoah was being irrational and he needed his wife to point him to the truth.

There is a good application in this:

In relationships, oftentimes someone becomes irrational over something. They get angry and frustrated over something minute. They freak out!

If you are not freaking out, do not just attack the other in their emotions and unreasonable behavior, but reason with them with love and grace. Be there for them! Because when you are being illogical and freaking out, you’ll expect them to be there for you.

The Lord does not kill them, but He spares them, despite having seen the Lord. He even takes their offering! This is a good sign of the Lord’s favor!

A Promise Fulfilled v.24-25

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you—Silvanus,, Timothy, and I—did not become “Yes and no.” On the contrary, in him it is always “Yes.” 20 For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.

Are there any promises in your life that you have seen God fulfill or that you are still waiting for Him to fulfill?

Our God does not waiver in His promises; rather, every promise in Christ is “yes and amen.”

The Lord comes through and gives Manoah and his wife a child.

The boy’s name is Samson, which means “sunny” or “like the sun.”

Samson was destined to be a great light to Israel; a deliverer like Moses was in Egypt. But think, there has been a promise waiting to be fulfilled since the beginning of time:

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 3

15 I will put hostility between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring.

He will strike your head,

and you will strike his heel.

Could Samson be the one of Eve’s offspring that would crush the Serpent’s head? The answer is absolutely not.

While Samson was a type of Christ, he was a miserable one. Yes, he would be strong; yes he would conquer several hundreds of Philistines; yes, God used him to free Israel of their slavery; nonetheless, Samson was a child in his actions and words.

In the end, the only good part of Samson, was Christ in him; yet he abuses that for his own gain. Yes, Samson had faith and God’s Spirit; and it says the Lord blessed him. But he was a greatly flawed weak man.

The truth is that Christ is the better Samson. We, too, were enslaved once. Enslaved to our desires. Enslaved our sins. Enslaved to death. Enslaved to Hell. But we are no longer enslaved. Rather, our chains are broken because Christ, the better Samson, came and, did not merely begin to set us free from the Enemy but, completely broke our shackles and freed us from our bondage. We are free! We are completely free!

4123 Freedom! A fine word when rightly understood. What freedom would you have? What is the freedom of the most free? To act rightly!

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Application

All-in-all, we see Samson is a son of great potential, but fool in the long run. But should we look at Samson and laugh at his failures? I say no. We may look at what he is going to do and say “I would never do that,” but the reality is none of us are in Samson’s shoes. I am not as strong as him. Would I ever be able to do all that he does? Never! But if I could, would I not let my corruption show in my sin? Probably!

That being said, here is the application:

Remember, our God is with us and cares about us

Abstain from prideful arrogance unlike Manoah

Be content in the unknown

Remember God always comes through on His promises

Partake in the freedom in Christ