Who hasn’t heard of strong man Samson?
His birth and childhood (Chapter 13)
- Of the tribe of Dan (verse 2). Remember chapters 17 & 18.
- A miraculous birth foretold by an angel (verse 3).
- Nazarite from the womb (verse 7)–so his pregnant mother must observe Nazarite laws, too.
- Request for child-rearing advice (verses 8, 12).
- Angel refuses worship, adoration, veneration (verse 16).
- Like Isaiah (Isa. 6), Manoah fears that he will die because he has seen the Lord (verse 22).
- His wife, rightfully, argues that the Lord had ample opportunity to kill them if that was His intent (verse 23).
- Samson is blessed by God (verse 24).
- The Spirit of the LORD leads Samson (verse 25).
His Philistine wife and the trouble that ensued (Chapter 14)
- Samson, the Israelite, should not have wanted a Philistine bride; and his parents told him so (verses 2-3).
- The Lord used Samson’s misplace affection as an occasion against the Philistines (verse 4).
- The Spirit of the Lord enabled Samson to kill a young lion (verse 6; remember 1:25).
- The wedding riddle (verse 14) becomes a wedge between Samson and his new bride (verse 16-17).
- The Spirit of the Lord enabled Samson to pay off his bets (verse 19).
- Samson’s father-in-law gives Samson’s new bride to one of Samson’s “former” friends (verse 20).
Meditation Points:
- When reading the Old Testament we must be careful to discern AN angel of the Lord from THE angel of the Lord.
- Expectant mothers must be careful what they eat, because their diet affects their unborn baby, too.
- Parents should always ask God how to train up their children.
- If Samson had not been visiting a Philistine city he never would have fallen for a Philistine woman.
- Watch how the Spirit of the Lord influences and empowers Samson.
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