THE LIFE OF SAMSON

Lesson #5

 

The Birth of Samson (cont.)

Judges 13:2-25

Victor M. Eskew

 

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

 

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

 

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

1.    Investigation (Jugd. 13:11)

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:  al 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.”

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

c.    The angel’s answer.

1)    He begins with a word of warning.  “Of all that I said unto the women let her beware.”

a)    Strong (8104):  to hedge about, guard, protect, attend to

b)    BDB:  to keep, guard, observe, attend to, take heed, take care, beware

c)    NOTE:  Many would consider the words of the angel too negative.  They want only a positive message.  “…ignoring the negative ‘bewares’ results in the loss of many positive blessings!” (Butler, 33).

2)    The warning instructs them to take heed to “all” that was said unto the woman. 

a)    God does not want us to render unto Him partial obedience (See Saul, I Sam. 15:22-23).

b)    God wants us to render complete obedience (See Noah, Gen. 6:22).

3)    They needed to begin right where they were.  They needed to heed the instructions that were first.  They needed to make certain that Manoah’s wife did what she needed to do during her pregnancy.  “She may not eat…neither let her drink…”

a)    Many want to look down the future to obedience to God.

b)    There are things that need to be done right now by us all. 

3.    Invitation (Judg. 13:15-16)

a.    Hospitality (Judg. 13:15)

 

And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.

 

1)    It was a common practice to welcome guests into one’s home and meet their needs in those days (Abraham, Gen. 18:1-5 & Lot, Gen. 19:1-3)

2)    Gaius is a wonderful New Testament illustration of hospitality (III John 5-7).

 

Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity before the church:  whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:  because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

 

3)    When a man of God came to one’s house

a)    Hospitality showed respect for the man.

b)    Hospitality showed respect for the message of the man of God.

b.    Honor (Judg. 13:16)

 

And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread:  and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord.  For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord.

 

1)    The angel declined Manoah’s hospitality.

2)    But, he hinted to Manoah that standing before him was one who was more than a prophet.

3)    LESSON:  Kindness resulted in increased knowledge for Manoah.  One noted that when a person gets to know the messenger of the Word better, he will come to more knowledge of the message as well.

4.    Identification (Judg. 13:17-18)

a.    The Question of Manoah (Judg. 13:17)

 

And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when they sayings come to pass we may do thee honor?

 

1)    Even with the hint given above, Manoah did not understand who was before him.

2)    Manoah said that when the child was born, he and his wife would want to honor the messenger.  He wanted to honor him by his name.