Sermon Tone Analysis

Judges 13:1-25

Today we begin a study of the last major judge mentioned in the book of Judges.

His name is Samson and he is a walking contradiction.

Samson was a man destined for greatness.

As we will see in this message before he was born Samson was chosen for a great mission by God.

His life is marked by great victories and by even greater failures.

He was a man used by the Holy Spirit, but utterly ruled by the flesh.

Samson was the strongest man who ever lived, yet he was also the weakest.

Samson was dedicated to God before his birth, but dedicated to himself until the day of his death.

In the end, his weaknesses overcame all the strengths in his life.

Samson’s life is a sad tale of the consequences of demanding your own way.

Samson had a weakness for ungodly women.

He pursued that weakness with reckless abandon, until God abandoned him to the way he chose to live his life.

Though the Lord worked in his life, Samson was determined to pursue his sin and he reaped the consequences of the decisions he made in life.

We can learn much from this puzzling man.

In Hebrews 11:32 Samson is mentioned as a man of faith.

Yet his life clearly displays his unfaithfulness.

Samson was undisciplined, undependable, and unpredictable.

He is a good illustration of James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

(James 1:8) Samson is a good example of what a believer should not be.

Yet, I fear that he represents many of us in our own walk with the Lord.

As we follow the life of Samson through all the victories and failures that marked it, let the Lord speak to your heart.

It may just be that you will see some weakness that dominates your life.

It may be that you will see yourself reflected in the mirror of Samson’s life.

Let’s begin by noticing the details surrounding the birth of Samson.

Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

(Judges 13:1-25)

I.

The Announcement

A. A Heavenly Announcement (13:2-5)

2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife wasbarren and had no children.

3 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean.

5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son.

And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

(Judges 13:2-5)

A barren woman, the wife of a man named Manoah, was visited by the Angel of the Lord.

She was told that she would give birth to a son.

This promise was later confirmed to her husband (13:8-14).

Samson’s mother is told that he will be used of the Lord to deliver Israel from their enemies verse 5.

Who is this “Angel of the Lord?”

We have every reason to believe that this is a pre-Bethlehem, pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 18, Manoah asks the Angel about His name. the Angel replies that His name is “secret.”

This is the same word that is translated “wonderful” in (Isaiah 9:6)!

So, this is a “Christophany.”

Jesus Christ steps out of eternity and into time to bring good news to a hopeless couple.

This is not the only time Jesus showed up in the Old Testament.

A few more of His “Christophanies” are:

· He appeared to Hagar, (Genesis 16:7-14; 21:16-20)

· He appeared to Abraham, (Genesis 18:10; 18:17; 22:11)

· He appeared to Jacob, (Genesis 28:12-15; 32:24-30)

· He appeared to Moses, (Exodus 3:4-5; 23:20; 33:22)

· He appeared to Joshua, (Joshua 5:13-15)

· He appeared to Gideon, (Judges 6:11-24)

· He appeared to Samson's parents, (Judges 13)

· He appeared to Isaiah, (Isaiah 6:1-13)

· He appeared to the three Hebrews, (Daniel 3:24-25)

· He appeared to Daniel, (Daniel 6:21-22; 7:13-14; 10:5-6)

· He appeared to Zechariah, (Zecheriah 1:8-13; 2:8-11; 3:10; 6:12-15)

Samson’s birth notice was not the only one to come directly from Heaven.

Abraham learned about Isaac through such an announcement (Genesis 17:19).

So did Zacharias, when the angel came and told him about the impending birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:13).

Mary and Joseph learned that Jesus Christ was coming through a similar method (Luke 1:31; Matthew 1:20-21).

As Warren Weirsbe said, “When God wants to do something really great in His world, He doesn’t send an army but an angel.”

I don’t know about you, but I am thankful that our God knows exactly what we need, and He knows just when to send it.

Another reason we know this angel was the Lord Himself is because He received the worship of Manoah and his wife, and He accepted the sacrifice they offered to God, verses 19-21.

Manoah’s declaration in verse 22 is also revealing.

That fact is the Lord Himself came and made the announcement of the impending birth of the next Judge of Israel!

By the way, I love the reaction of Manoah and his wife.

When she hears what the angel has to say, the first thing she does is run to tell her husband (13:6-7).

When he hears her story, he does not say, “Woman, you’ve lost your mind!”

The first thing he does is call on the Lord and he asks the Lord to send the angel again (13:8).

This indicates to me that Manoah and his wife have a good, strong marriage.

It is sad when couples allow heartache and bitterness to steal their love one for another.

Your best friend in the world, outside God Almighty, should be your spouse!

B. A Hopeful Announcement

According to verse 1, Israel had once again turned their backs on the Lord.

Because of their sins, God allowed them to be oppressed by their enemies.

This sad situation has been going on for 40 years.

The announcement of the birth of a deliverer verse 5, was a welcomed word for the nation of Israel.

They were reminded that God had not forgotten His people.

They were reminded that God had a plan to revive them and to restore them to His favor.

By the way, God always has a plan!

It may look to us like the world is spinning out of control.

But that is just how things look.

God has a plan and He is always busy accomplishing that plan for His glory.

You can trust Him to what’s right and to do what’s best (Romans 8:28).

II.

The Arrangements

A. A Miracle (13:3)

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.

(Judges 13:3)

God came to an unnamed barren woman and promised to open her womb.

We don’t know the name of Samson’s mother from this scripture, but Jewish tradition giver her the name Hazelelponi.

This name is also used in 1 Chronicles 4:3.

The father’s name Manoah means Rest.

Hazel was barren.

In that society barrenness was considered a curse.

Barren women carried a shame and a stigma that we cannot begin to imagine.

Barrenness was often seen as the judgment of God against a home.

In that culture, every young woman wanted the same thing.