Samson, to be set apart

The Philistines

The Children did evil…AGAIN

The Lord Delivered them into the hands

7

Judges 10:7 AV

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

40 years

there was no cry from the Israelites

the oppression was different this time

1 Samuel 13:19 AV

Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

Judges 14:1 AV

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

1

the Israelites were dependent on the Philistine.

they had inter-relations with

Judges 15:9–11 AV

Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us. Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.

living in semi peace under the domination of ..

The Philistines dominated, but the Israelites were content with the arrangement

no cry for deliverance

Israel has assimilated into the Philistine culture

Meet the Parents

V 2 From border town Zorah

Manoah and wife

Mrs Manoah was childless a seemingly curse from God

They dint move from the area with the rest of the Danites (chapter 18)

V 8 a praying man

Tried to raise him in the ways of God

Judges 14:3 LEB

But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a wife among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Take her for me because she pleases me.”

The Message from Jesus

V 3 you will have a baby Boy

V 4 drink no wine eat no unclean thing

V 5 don't cut his hair

Be a Nazarite (Separated) unto God Nu. 6

Manoah’s prayer teach us how to raise the boy

The message was the same V 13-14

All other instructions are already given in God’s word

Be ye separate

Samson was to be a separated Boy/Man

The outward visual was his long hair

Amish, monks, Catholic priests, etc.

separated unto a god, and lifestyle with a visual marker

Go there

The Israelites and the Philistines were yoked

There was no separation

God had to intervene with Samson harassment

Jesus prays that while we are in the world, but not part of the world. That we are kept from evil, and to set us apart

A separated Christian is a Bible-centered, Christ-controlled Christian, in whom God is reproducing His character by the Holy Spirit

but being separate form the world des not mean isolated from the world

Balance

Jesus our Mentor

Matthew 8:2–3 LEB

And behold, a leper approached and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean.” And extending his hand he touched him, saying, “I am willing, be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matt

Mother Teresa lived and touched daily the untouchable

Mark 2:14–17 LEB

And as he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me!” And he stood up and followed him. And it happened that he was dining in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many and they were following him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, began to say to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus mingled with the outcasts

He was not condoning their behavior

nor was he taking part in their behavior

but he was giving them credibility as human and loved

John 4:9 LEB

So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How do you, being a Jew, ask from me water to drink, since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

Jesus

went out of his way to minister to a destitute woman

Conclusion

We are called to be set apart

we are not to look like the world

act like the world

be yoked to the world

there should be something different about us that the world wants

BUT also integrated into this world

Like Jesus

the world says do this but He did that

how far are you willing to go

teeter totter

Ephesians 2:10 LEB

For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.

Ephe 2 10

must needs to go through Samaria