CHRISTIAN FAMILY FELLOWSHIP, PDO MUSCAT
THEME:
WALKING WITH GODSAMSON - HIS BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE
Golden Texts: Judges 13:1-25; 14:1-20
INTRODUCTION
Samson was the son of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan. His birth was pre-announced by an angel to his mother, who had long been childless. Samson (the 14th judge of Israel) was born during the period in which Israel was living in bondage to Philistine because of their evil ways (Judges. 13.1). In view of this bondage, a Nazarite had to be raised by God to work out the deliverance of Israel hence the birth of Samson.
The study on Samson divides naturally into two parts, namely:
(1) His Birth and Early Life
(2) His Exploits and Death.
Today, we will study his birth and early life, as expounded in chapters 13 and 14 of the book of Judges.
HIS BIRTH Judges 13:1-24
Angel foretells his birth / gives instructions (Judges 13:2-7)
Q1 What was the purpose of his birth? Support this with passages from the Bible.
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As a "Nazarite" - special servant of God - Samson was to be consecrated and dedicated to God frombirth. Nazarites were raised by God in order that through their lifestyle they might demonstrate His
highest standard of holiness, sanctity and commitment in the presence of the people (Numbers 6:1-21)
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To deliver the Israelites from the hands of the Philistines. (Judges 13:5,7)Q2 Name 3 other births of this nature in the Bible.
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Isaac - Gen. 18:9-15; John the Baptist - Luke 1:5-25; Jesus Christ - Matthew 1:18-25Q3 What lesson can you learn from the command in verse 4, especially as a parent?
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The clear instruction to abstain from wine and strong drink to Samson’s mother shows that God did notwant a totally devoted person to be exposed to the possibility of intoxication or addiction.
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Our lifestyle as parents should not be a stumbling block in the life of our children. Whatever a pregnantwoman does during conception has spiritual consequences for the unborn child, so Christian mothers
must take extra precautions to obey the word of the LORD.
Modern science even advises that taking of alcohol during pregnancy can hamper the physical growth of
the unborn child. Leading authorities in human defects warn that women drinking alcohol during
conception or pregnancy stand a greater risk of experiencing miscarriage or causing incurable birth
defects in their babies.
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The essential spirit of Nazarism — i.e., total consecration to God and His highest standard is a demandplaced upon the believer in Christ (compare: Rom. 12:1, II Cor. 6:17, 7:1)
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Abstinence from anything that might draw one to sin, open the way to drug or alcohol addiction, orcause somebody else to stumble is as necessary for the Christian believer today as it was for the Nazarite
in old testament times (I Thes. 5.- 6, Titus 2:2)
Samson’s parents pray for guidance and God’s will concerning his upbringing. The instructions were
repeated and God’s response was prompt (Judges 13: 8-24).
Q4 What good qualities have the parents shown us here?
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To seek guidance in all our undertakings (Judges 13:8,12)*
To believe when we pray/show faith and expect an answer from God (Judges 13:17)*
Unity as a family; sharing our experiences with one another as husband and wife (Judges 13: 6,10-11)*
Hospitality (Judges 13:15)HIS EARLY LIFE Judges 14:1-20
Samson shows wilful disobedience in the important issue of marriage. He insisted on marrying a strange woman (one not of the commonwealth of Israel) against the advice of his parents (Judges 14:1-2).
Q5 Do you believe God was in support of his marriage and why? Support your position with relevant passage(s) from the Bible.
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No, God did not support his marriage to the Philistine woman, as it contradicts Deut. 7.~3-4.The statement, "His father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that He sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel" (Judges 14:4), does not mean that God initiated Samson’s intention to marry an unbeliever. Samson was motivated by his own desire (Judges 14:3b) to seek marital companionship outside of God’s people (compare: James 1:13-14).
However, God used the sin of Samson as an occasion to accomplish His purpose against the Philistines. In theology, this is called the PERMISSIVE WILL of God (compare: Balam’s situation in Numbers 22), and it is an exceptional act of judgment rather than an example to follow, and it is not a licence for any Christian believer to overlook the Biblical instruction on the subject of unequal yoke in marriage (II Corinthians 6:14-15).
Samson killed a lion on the way to the vineyard of Timnath to select a wife. After a time he returned to take the woman and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion and he collected honey in the carcase of the lion and ate. He also gave to his parents but never told them the source of the honey. He also made a feast
— for so was the manner of young men in that area (Judges 14:5-10).Samson made riddle with his in-laws using the encounter with the lion. This caused is in-laws to put pressure on his wife to cajole him into revealing the answer to the riddle. Initially he was reluctant to reveal the answer to her but succumbed at last to her pressures. Now that the riddle was answered by her in-laws, he got annoyed and left them abruptly in anger (Judges 14.1 1-20).
Q6 What characteristics of Samson do we see here?
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Disregard the vows made unto God (he did not keep his Nazarite vow, as expounded in Num. 6. 1-8; Deut. 14:26; Lev. 10:8-11; Prov. 31:4-5, by going near a carcase {dead body) of the lion and by calling a feast — a "drinking party")*
An untruthful person - he kept his breaking of the Nazarite vow away from his parents (Judges 14:9)*
He was a jester and profane person - he made riddle out of the gift of strength received from the spiritof God (Judges 14:12-18)
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His killing of the thirty men of Ashkelon was motivated by personal anger and vengeance rather thanconcern for God’s deliverance of Israel (Judges 14:19)
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Samson was not totally separated from his parents to cling unto his wife (compare:Judges 14:16b withGen. 2.24)
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Strong man by virtue of God’s endowment*
A man given to public opinion rather than the command of God. He sought honour from men rather than from God.Q7 What do (should) you do when practices of the day contradicts the command of God?
The spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. Susequently early in his life the spirit of the LORD came upon him resulting in great physical strength which enabled him kill the lion and overpower thirty men of Ashkelon (Juges 13:25; 14:6,19).
Q8 What are the lessons from Samson’s unduement with power and his actions?
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Do not take God’s annointing to forbidden places*
Do not use the anointing of God for wrong motives and personal aggrandisement*
Always obey the word of God no matter the level of one’s anointing (to whom much is given, much is expected).