This month we are in Judges chapter 13-16
We have a mighty character before us, SAMSON. It is important that we look at his beginning and to look at his mother and father. SAMSON was born into Israel when the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord again and the Lord delivered Israel into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years. In Samson’s lifetime. The Philistines were a cruel nation and they were cruel to God’s people Israel. They were being chastened by the Lord. As always amidst the chastening of the nation there were godly righteous people.one such couple was Manoah and his wife. They were from the tribe of Dan.Dan was in the southern part of Israel in close proximity to Jerusalem and the dead sea.
HIS BEGINING
Manoah’s wife was barren and bare not.
VERSE 3. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman and said unto her. ‘Behold now, thou art barren, and barest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. Just as Daniel was told and just as John the Baptist was told so was the Angel sent from the Lord to tell this barren wife to that she would conceive and bring forth a son. You remember how the angel Gabriel came to the blessed virgin Mary and said the same words ‘thou shalt conceive’. Whilst the virgin Mary’s conception was conceived supernaturally. Manoahs wife’s conception was fortold but it happened naturally. The angel then speaks to the wife of Manoah and gives her some instructions concerning herself – no wine, no strong drink, eat no unclean thing. Preparations for purity in her life during her conception and birth. The angel then goes on to give her instructions about Samson. ‘no razor shall come upon his head for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and He shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.’ He was to be a Nazarite until the day of his death and He is declared to be the coming deliverer of Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.(For 20 years).
HIS BLESSINGS
Then, just like that, immediately, no hesitation, no questioning, no debating, no doubting she came to her husband and told him See her honest simplicity. See her clarity. She said ‘A man of God came unto me and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence He was, neither told he me his name’. She also then informed her husband of her coming conception and all the instructions that the angel gave, that there son would be a Nazarite till the day of his death. In considering these few verses I believe there a sweet sincerity, simply a godly righteous woman.Notice what happens next in verse eight of our text THEN Manoah entreated the Lord, to send the man of God that He had sent to his wife again to them both and ‘teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born’. Notice the first thing he intreated the Lord. He didn’t question the woman, he didn’t argue, he didn’t say you must have been dreaming, he didn’t put any doubts in her mind. What did he do he went straight to the Lord and entreated Him. That word intreated means to ask a person earnestly, to beg, to plead with, to implore, to make an earnest request. I think it’s plain for us to see that Manoah is a godly righteous man. He entreats HIS Lord notice in Manoahs entreating of the Lord he is not questioning or doubting his barren wife’s testimony she was to bear a son and he wanted to know more of how they were to bring the child up. Both Manoah and his wife had faith and both had obedience. Verse 9 of our text tells that ‘God hearkened to voice of Manoah and the angel came again’.It is wonderful to know that God hearkens, God answers prayers of entreatment, petitions the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. God hearkened unto their prayers. I think we can see that Samson had a pretty good start in life. A godly mother and a godly father.
HIS BOYHOOD DAYS
Verse 24 ,25 says ‘And the woman bare a son and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson got to know the Lord in those early days as the Holy Spirit began a work in him.
The name Samson means distinguished. I believe he was called that because the angel told Manoah he would be a deliverer of Israel, out of the hand of the Philistines. He was to be A distinguished soldier of the Lord his spiritual growth matched his physical prowess as he grew to Manhood However Samson’s power was not his physical strength but the power of the Holy Ghost.
HIS BLUNDERS
In chapter 14 it says ‘and Samson WENT DOWN to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Timnah is just over the border of the tribe of Dan. Temptation is drawing Samson, temptation is like that just over the border! A begining, a going down. He returned and went to his father and mother and told them to get her to be his wife. They tried to convince him otherwise but he said ‘Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.’ we will see here and in subsequent chapters that Samson was not only a distinguished soldier of the spirit but also a a distinguished soldier of the flesh.In chapter 16 the lust of the flesh moved him when he goes to Gaza and sees a harlot there and goes in to her. Later on in that that chapter it tells us he loved a woman named Delilah. We see quite plainly he is controlled by his fleshly desires but we can also see in chapters that the spirit of God moved him in chaters 14,15,16. He was never conscious about what the flesh was doing to him but he was conscious of the Spirit moving him. The danger of this for us to see is if we are moved of the flesh and we don’t even know it, we are quenching the Spirit of God in our lives. Galation 5:17 says for the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other: so ye cannot do the things that ye would. See Romans 7:17. When a person gets saved he receives a new nature but he still has the old nature and the old nature craves a lot of things. Remember when the disciples were sailing smoothly along when the storm rushed on them. It’s like that we’re sailing along in Christ when suddenly along comes that temptation and before you know it your boats filled with sinful water and you are sinking fast. You row like anything but it’s no good you are swamped there is only one way out, by calling upon Christ for help. The old nature can come creeping in silently , it can come in a raging fit of anger, it’s always there waiting to pounce. Christ must be on top with your new nature. Samson, his great danger was that he didn’t know about his flesh the way he ought to have known and what’s more he didn’t know when the Lord had left him see ch16 verse 20.
HIS BLINDNESS
In CH16 Vs21 ‘But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of brass ;and he did grind in the prison house.’what a sight this is he has played around with sin and the wages of sin is death. But before his death v22 says HOWBEIT the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. What must have gone through his mind when. he was in the prison house grinding, his Nazarite vows came rushing back a recommitment to the Lord Vs 28 and Samson called unto the LORD, and said, “Oh LORD GOD, remember me , I pray thee and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once. Oh God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes”. And God heard his penitent prayer and forgave his sin and gave him back his strength. Restored, forgiven. We know the story Samson between the 2 keystone pillars pushed them apart and the whole temple collapsed as they made sport of him Samson died there along with 3,000 men and women he was now a restored Nazarite, until his death.
Friends What can we learn from this story, can we learn to judge our own flesh, can we learn that we can grieve the Holy Spirit through fleshly pursuits. If we give God His rightful place we can be more than conquerors. May it be so.
God bless
Michael Whitehouse