Samson the Nazirite
Judges 13
May 16, 2004

I. What's missing? V. 1

            Familiar refrain in Judges:  Rebellion, bondage, repentance, deliverance.  But missing in this case is any repentance - not even a cry for help is uttered. And it had gone on for 40 years.  By contrast, the Israelites cried to the Lord under these periods of bondage: 

18 years bondage under Ammonites (Jephthah the deliverer)

7 years under the Midianites (Gideon)

20 years under Jabin of Canaan (Ehud)

18 years under Eglon of Moab (Othniel)

8 years under the Mesopotamian king Cushanrishathaim

            40 years is twice as long as any other period.

Who were the Philistines?

            They settled along the coastal plain of Israel about a generation after Israel.  They migrated from the north from the Aegean Sea region.  They had similarities to a later group, the Vikings, in that they were sea peoples and also warriors.  Due to both Israel and the Philistines being the new arrivals in the region, they likely clashed quite a bit.  Judges 3:3-4 identify the 5 lords of the Philistines "for testing Israel."  The lords of the Philistines play an important role in the story.  They are identified elsewhere by their principal cities:  Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath. 

            The difference between the Philistines and some of the other tribes in relation to Israel is the way they dominated "by infiltration through intermarriage and trade" (Cundall 159).  Because of this the Israelites became apathetic, perhaps not even realizing the bondage that trapped them: 

-         No cry for God's help (v. 1)

-         Later, the 3000 men of Judah give Samson up to the Philistines without a struggle, complaint, or even an apology (15:9-13)

Samson was really left "to wage a one-man war against the Philistines" (Cundall 154).  Where were his countrymen?  They had: given up, become complacent, acquiesced to evil and idolatry, didn't want to be bothered with the trouble of deliverance, or were unwilling to pursue freedom.

Application:

            Some of the same dangers can afflict nations, churches, and homes.    

            Nations - e.g. Spain once under Islamic control; Muslims will try it again; Spain's acquiescence in the face of recent bombing and electing a passive president shows this.

            Churches - e.g. saturation by the world's methods and ways so much that even when reading Scripture's opposition, it is unnoticed.

            Homes - e.g. attachment to television that is destructive, but we are too comfortable with it to make changes.

            Even Samson seemed to be a reluctant deliverer.  All his work revolves around his own escapades and self-indulgence with "girls, girls, girls."  Arthur Cundall, "It is a sad tale of a lack of discipline and true dedication and the reader is left wondering what Samson might have achieved had his enormous potential been matched and tempered by these mental and spiritual qualities" (155).  The sad picture, though Samson offers exciting exploits, is that he was a product of his age.  He had succumbed to the ways of the Philistines by his lifestyle.  Here's what the Samson narrative points to as we read:

1.      Israel had sunken so low that they didn't even want God's intervention.  They didn't even think of deliverance.

2.      God took the initiative to grow up a deliverer. 

3.      Deliverance would not be complete.  Samson only gave a brief respite.  It would be yet another deliverer who would free them from the Philistines (David).

4.      We're reminded that in spite of man's sin and rebellion, God accomplishes His purposes.

5.      We're also left to wonder about how much different it would have been had Samson been faithful to his calling, and Israel to her covenant.  This serves as an exhortation to not take the low road as they did.

II. A surprising visit

1.      Emphasis on the Lord's action (vv. 2-3); Manoah - not the sharpest knife in the drawer; "Mrs. Manoah" - unnamed, yet insightful, dedicated, and willing to speak up to help her dulled husband.  A whole generation had known only bondage - no spirituality, worship was convoluted at best, male spiritual leader...nil, no miraculous, no leadership in Israel, no effort on the way to make changes.  Even the angel reminds Manoah's wife of her barrenness lest she think that good luck had changed her circumstances.

2.      Nazirite vow

Normally:  vow made by the individual, not for him; made for a definite timeframe (Numbers 6 explains how it ends).  But Samson's was not normal.  His mother had to keep the Nazirite vow while pregnant.  Maybe this was three-fold:

a.       She served as a substitute

b.      She would develop the discipline needed to help train him - especially in an undisciplined culture.

c.       She and her husband were to be conscious of God's intervention not just for themselves, but for Israel; their attitude must be one of giving their son for divine service.

The promise to them was clear - you shall conceive and give birth to a son.  Several Old Testament scholars state that the verb tense is not future but perfect - you have already conceived, so the angel informs her.  Cf. Numbers 6:1-8; Nazirite conditions:  no razor; no fruit of the vine or strong drink; nothing dead; or "drinks, carcasses, and haircuts; and they were all negative" (Wilcock, 130).  "The Nazirite would say a definite no to certain perfectly natural things, in order to show how definite was the yes he was saying to something more important, his dedication of himself to God" (Wilcock 130).

Samson seemed to be only concerned about the hair as he had several contacts with dead carcasses, and "his presence at the carousal of 14:10,17 hardly suggests abstinence from strong drink" (Cundall 157).

His mother shared the Nazirite vow with additional requirements:  eating anything unclean (v. 7).  Presumably, it was due to the way Israel had grown slack in their adherence to God's commands and covenant.  There was no pretension of Samson having major success (v. 5).  He would only begin what David would later finish.

III. Getting in on the action

            Manoah has been the only one named so far but he's been a secondary character in favor of his wife.  Now he wants to get in on the action.

1.      Noble request, v. 8

This should be a common prayer for parents!

2.      God answers, v. 9

Ralph Davis points out how we must not run past this.  We've come to "expect" God to hear our prayers - the "'of course' category" as Davis calls it (162).  But God had already spoken; there was no need for repetition since a baby was on the way.  Yet He stooped to hear and respond.  We must not trivialize answered prayer.

3.      Repeat first story

Manoah only gets a repeat, no fresh information or answer to his questions about "when" and "what."  But the angel again focuses on Mrs. Manoah.

4.      Requests denied

Will you eat a meal? Vv. 15-16; Will you tell me your name?  Vv. 17-18

The angel turns the glory back to the Lord - a good principle for us as well.  "Wonderful" implies incomprehensible; same term in Psalm 139:6 on the knowledge of God's intimate workings and ways.

5.      A few lessons learned, vv. 19-23

(1)   Humility and awe before the Lord (vv. 19-20); ponder His majesty and your own littleness before Him.

(2)   Make sense of God's revelation (v. 21); Manoah finally put 2 and 2 together and realized that this was an angel; surely he should have known that before by the miracle promised but dullness affected understanding.

(3)   Proper reverence but wrong conclusion (vv. 22-23)

(4)   The unnamed and unnoticed often have the most profound insights (v. 23); Beware of looking for answers in the bright lights.

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by South Woods Baptist Church.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy:

Copyright South Woods Baptist Church. Website: www.southwoodsbc.org. Used by permission as granted on web site. Questions, comments, and suggestions about our site can be sent here.