THE LIFE OF SAMSON

Lesson #4

 

The Birth of Samson (cont.)

Judges 13:2-25

Victor M. Eskew

 

 

III.     THE EAGER REPORT

 

A.   The Man (Judg. 13:6)

B.   The Message (Judg. 13:7)

 

But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son:  and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing:  for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

 

1.    Manoah’s wife told Manoah what the angel had said.

a.    The birth of a son

b.    Her dietary restrictions

c.    The child’s position as a Nazarite

2.    Some are critical of this report.

a.    She left out things we are told.

1)    No razor shall come upon his head.

2)    The fact that he would deliver Israel from the Philistines.

b.    She added something:  He would be a Nazarite from the womb “to the day of his death.”

3.    Answer

a.    It was well known in Israel that a Nazarite could not shave his head.

b.    As a Nazarite, this child occupied a special place in the service of God.

c.    The words spoken to Manoah’s wife were:  “from the womb” which caused her to believe that he would be a Nazarite all of his life, from the womb to the tomb.

 

IV.         THE EARNEST PRAYER (Judg. 13:8)

 

Then Manaoh entreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

 

A.   Manoah’s Response:  Manoah entreated the Lord

1.    Entreated

a.    Strong (6279):  from a word meaning “to burn incense in worship,” thus, to pray

b.    BDB:  to pray, entreat, supplicate, plead

2.    Manoah exhibited faith in what his wife had told him.

a.    NOTE: 

1)    He never doubted that he wife would conceive and bear a son.

2)    He did not ask the angel to come again to confirm his wife’s words.

b.    Lessons: 

1)    Manoah exhibits an extraordinary spirituality while living in the midst of a society that was very ungodly.  “Faith is not based on what is around us but on what is in us” (Butler, 30).

2)    It was in faith that he intreated the Lord (James 1:6-7).

 

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering:  for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

 

B.   Manoah’s Request: 

1.    The angel’s return:  “let the man of God…come again unto us.”

2.    The request for additional instruction:  “…and teach us what we shall do unto the child.”

a.    He went to the Lord with a positive request.  He did not ask amiss (James 4:3).

 

Ye ask, and receive not, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

 

b.    Manoah, as a father, seemed to take his role as the spiritual head of his house very seriously (Eph. 6:4).

 

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:  but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

 

c.    Manoah went to God to receive his teaching.

 

“Today, folks seem to prefer to ask newspaper columnists or some child psychologists about how children should be raised.  But you will not get much help from these worldly advisors who prefer their own faulty reasoning to the instructions of the impeccable all-wise God.  The best place to get instruction on how to train children has been and always will be the Word of God.  The world has little to offer in this area, and what they do offer is too often more harmful than good” (Butler, 29).

 

V.           EXPEDITIOUS ANSWER (Judg. 13:9-21)

 

A.   The Coming of the Angel (Judg. 13:9-10)

1.    The appearance to Manoah’s wife (Judg. 13:9)

 

And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field:  but Manoah her husband was not with her.

 

a.    The text specifically reveals that God “hearkened to the voice of Manoah.”

God definitely hears and answers prayers (Prov. 15:8, 29).

 

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord:  but the prayer of the upright is his delight…The Lord is far from the wicked:  but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

 

b.    When the angel appeared, Manoah was not in the immediate vicinity. 

1)    We might wonder “why?” the angel made his appearance just to Manoah’s wife first.  We are not told the answer to this question.

2)    Could it have been the appearance to Manoah’s wife only would help to confirm to Manoah that this is the same angel?

2.    The announcement to Manoah (Judg. 13:10)

 

And the woman made haste, and ran, and showed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.

 

a.    Made haste

1)    Strong (4116):  to be liquid, to flow easily, to hurry

2)    BDB:  to hasten, to be hurried

b.    Most likely, she had heard the words of Manoah’s prayer.  She was elated that the Lord had answered her husband’s prayer.  She did not want the angel to leave before Manoah could speak with him, so he made haste.

c.    She confirmed that this was indeed the same man.

d.    Can you imagine Manoah’s curiosity to see and talk to this “man of God?”

 

B.   The Conversation with the Angel (Judg. 13:11-18)

1.    Investigation (Judg. 13:11)

 

And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman?  And he said, I am.

 

a.    Manoah’s question does not mean that he doubts the message relayed by his wife.

b.    Most likely it was a question that would break the ice for further conversation.

c.    When he angel answered:  “I am,” Manoah felt at ease to direct further questions toward him.

2.    Information (Judg. 13:12-14)

 

And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass.  How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?  And the angel of God said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.  She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing:  all that I commanded her let her observe.

 

a.    Manoah begins by expressing his faith in what he had been told about a son to be born to him and his wife.  “Now let thy words come to pass.”

1)    Remember that his wife had been barren for years.

2)    The only thing that he knew until this time was the words of his wife which had been spoke by this man.

3)    He did not doubt.  He did not ask for proof. 

b.    His question:  “How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?”

1)    In what direction should we guide the child?

2)    What are the things needed to be done to accomplish this task?

3)    NOTE:  Perhaps Manoah thought that some exceedingly special things needed to be done by him and his wife to accomplish the task at hand.

4)    Proverbs 22:6

 

Train up a child in the way he should go:  and when he is old, he will not depart from it.