November 20, 2022

Welcome to this episode of Sunday Brunch. The Sunday Brunch blog posts are warm and inviting, encouraging discussion about the Bible.

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Judges Chapter 13

Do you remember learning about Samson in Sunday School? What do you remember about him?

Let’s read and discuss Samson’s life as told in the Old Testament. We will start with Chapter 13 – moving forward with other chapters in later podcasts. When I share Chapter 13, I will read each verse, sharing my thoughts in between the verses. If you are reading this, my thoughts are bolded in brackets.

The Birth of Samson

Chapter 13

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. [I find it interesting as to how stubborn the Israelites were. They breaking God’s law and the Lord would punish them many times in the Old Testament.]

2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. [Reading about Manoah’s childless wife reminds me of Sarah and Rachel in the Old Testament. Both of these women had fertility issues. Rachel even bargained for her sister, Leah’s, mandrakes. Mandrakes were a fertility stimulant and it’s hinted that Rachel was hoping that eating these would assist in her getting pregnant by her husband Jacob.] 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. [Verse #4 reminds me about the advice that is given to pregnant women nowadays. Pregnant women are told not to drink alcohol and not to smoke.] 5 You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” [From my research, the Nazarite vow is usually taken voluntarily by an individual. In Samson’s case, he’s taking the vow via a command made to his parents. Those taking the Nazarite vow one was to abstain from alcohol, as well as grapes! The vowers were not even allowed to eat grape seeds or skins! I wonder why? What would be wrong with eating unfermented grapes, or, grape juice? Read Numbers 6:3-7 to find out more about this.]

6 Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. [I’ve always wondered what it would be like to see an angel while still on this earth. I’ve read of those who’ve claimed to see angels, and it sounds like a mesmerizing, awesome experience! I’ve also noticed in the Bible that when angels are mentioned, they are usually male.] I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’”

8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”

9 God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. 10 The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!”

11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?”

“I am,” he said.

12 So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?”

13 The angel of the Lord answered, “Your wife must do all that I have told her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.”

15 Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you.”

16 The angel of the Lord replied, “Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord.” (Manoah did not realize that it was the angel of the Lord.) [It’s interesting that the angel did not eat Manoah’s food – since he said he was being detained, that might be why he refused their hospitality. I only remember one reference in the Bible where angels eat food. Read Genesis 19:1-3. Two angels visit Lot and he prepares a meal for them and the angels eat the food. Lot had to convince the angels to stay at his house – they initially refused.]

17 Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?”

18 He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” 19 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: 20 As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. 21 When the angel of the Lord did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord. [Wow, just reading about this gives me shivers! It must have been so cool and amazing to see the angel ascend toward heaven in the flame from the fire!]

22 “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!” [I’m unclear as to why Manoah says this? They had seen an angel, not God!]

23 But his wife answered, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.”

24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

[I think it’s interesting that Samson’s mother is not given a name. She is just referred to as the woman, or, Manoah’s wife.]

So, do you remember learning about Samson in Sunday School? What do you remember about him?

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