TRAGIC SILENCE. Judges 13 Samson was the last of the judges. Unlike others, he resembled Ehud, known for his solo victories against powerful enemies. He did not lead an army but fought the Philistines who ruled over Israel on his own. During forty years of Philistine oppression, the Israelites did not cry out to God for help and deliverance. They became accustomed to, and maybe even satisfied with, living under Philistine domination. When Israel was at its lowest point, they had grown used to serving the Philistines and did not repent to God as their ancestors had. Because there was no national repentance, there was no national deliverance.
A nation blessed by God turned away from Him. Initially, they gradually drifted in their hearts, but eventually they deliberately chose to do evil. They turned to idols and the immoral lifestyle that accompanies them, in full view of the Lord who had chosen them for Himself. As a result, He withdrew His protection, and a whole generation of Israelites was oppressed and reduced to captives.
The apathy of the Israelites after forty years under Philistine dominance shows how far the people of God can drift when they are not set apart. Israel's silence serves as a powerful sign of their neglect. They made no cry to God for a deliverer or judge. They failed to see how close they were to losing their identity as God's chosen people completely. In these perilous last days, there’s little sign that the people of God are aware of sin or that they are interested in the wonder of God’s grace toward us.
There is a principle we should always remember: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Hard hearts face harsh consequences. If we are not cautious and stay in fellowship with God, we can become accustomed to sin and accept the blending of God's people into the culture of the religious and social world. It began with trade because of the worldly strength of the Philistines, and then progressed to intermarriage and cultural captivity. Christendom has a strong pull for carnal believers who want to imitate those around them. Materialism, pleasure, and worldly success are often followed by religious and personal ties to things that are not of God.
A husband and wife remained devout despite all the evil happening around them. They were no strangers to heartache but trusted the Lord and did not doubt each other. The Lord chose them; He appointed them to raise a miracle child, a son to be used by the Lord to initiate deliverance and bring hope to a new generation. A Heavenly Visitor came with a message of hope to that couple who lived in dark days. The sovereign God knows everything happening in this world as well as in the lives of His people.
Philistine assimilation and Israeli apathy were the keys to God's plans through Samson. Zorah (the hornet's nest) was where God first connected with Manoah's wife. The tribe of Dan was known for treachery against their fellow Israelites. It was prophesied that Dan would be like a serpent lying in wait to poison others. The "hornet's nest" symbolizes satanic influence and attacks that come against God's people. Manoah's name means "rest," but not the rest of peace; rather, it signifies lethargy, indifference, carelessness, and apathy. Manoah's wife reminds us that God uses "the weak things to confound the mighty." His strength "is made perfect in weakness," so she was the one to whom "the Angel of the Lord," the Lord Jesus Himself (Wonderful), came to deliver the message of hope. The appointed time by God, without appeals or repentance from the people, had arrived, and the process of bringing deliverance to the oppressed who had become used to worldly living began. The face of the Angel of God resembled that of God Himself and inspired fear because of God’s holiness. The visitor's name was “Secret” (Wonderful) because God had visited His people. To the smallest tribe, which was essentially unproductive and barren, God came. He made His connection with a faithful couple who, despite their weakness and lethargy, still had the fear of God about them.
The story of Samson parallels the nation of Israel, from which the Spirit of God wants us to learn. He was born through a divine act of God to a barren woman. He was consecrated to God from birth and given special power by God to defeat Israel's enemies. He was drawn to foreign women just as Israelites were drawn to foreign gods. He adopted Canaanite lifestyles just as the Israelites had.
Samson experienced times when the Lord used him powerfully against his enemies, just as the nation of Israel had done throughout its history. Despite all of Samson’s failures and flaws, like the nation of Israel, God’s mercy toward him and them never failed when they repented and called upon Him. God does not abandon His chosen people even when they abandon Him. Samson’s faith in God, despite his moral failures, is mentioned in the Hall of Faith in the Book of Hebrews.
Twenty-first-century Christians face the same risk of assimilation, of gradually being molded into the shape of the surrounding world. We must dedicate ourselves to the word and will of God, regardless of what the religions of the world or "Christian churches" do to appeal to "the Philistines."
Israel was not enslaved by military force but by spiritual and cultural temptation. The nation once again fell into a cycle of doing evil in the sight of the Lord. Recurring periods of darkness followed by times of renewal are common themes in the Book of Judges. During this time and place of departure, the Angel of the Lord—God Himself in a visible form—appeared to a barren woman and gave her the promise of hope being fulfilled. God also empowered Sarah, Rebekah, Hannah, and Elizabeth to bear sons who would serve as catalysts and voices to the nation of Israel.
The Philistines, who could smelt iron and forge iron weapons, relied heavily on their most effective tools of trade and intermarriage. They maintained a strong grip on the Israelites, suffocating them through compromise and assimilation. In grace, the Lord raised up Samson for those times to initiate a process of recovery for His people. His unique birth was based on a promise from God. Despite living among apostates, his parents were a godly couple.
They also understood the heartbreak of being childless. When the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife, Manoah trusted her. The second message was the same, but this time God revealed Himself to them. "The Angel of the Lord" (the Lord Jesus Christ); My name is "Wonderful" - "God." Samson was born through God's miraculous intervention, and the Lord God announced his birth. Isaac was the only other person in Scripture, besides the Lord Himself, who received this kind of announcement.
God established the unique lifestyle of Samson because he was to be a Nazarite, "to be set apart; to separate," separated by God, to God through the Nazarite vow. In Israel, the Nazarite vow was voluntary, motivated by love and faith, and served a purpose in which one was dedicated to the Lord, separated to the Lord, and devoted to the Lord. It was symbolic: The Nazarite was to abstain from the fruit of the vine (luxurious living), not cut his hair (public sign), and avoid contact with dead bodies (preeminence of God in his life). The Nazarite vow was temporary when voluntarily undertaken.
Samson's lifetime separation as a Nazarite was commanded by God before his birth. God was not seeking a national savior but an individual dedicated to Him. His Nazarite vow lasted his whole life, not just a short time. He fought personal battles. In Samson's case, he broke every prohibition of the Nazarite vows. While the other judges led a repentant people against enemies, Samson was often alone. He was the one person who understood that a person or nation could not compromise and still remain free to serve God.
The Israelites were losing their identity but were so unaware of what was happening that when God sent Samson, they were ready to hand him over to death rather than upset the Philistines. Even though the Philistines came from Egypt, they came a different way than the children of Israel. They never experienced the Red Sea crossing. The Philistines never crossed the Jordan River to enter the land. Manoah’s wife knew the Angel was not a prophet or an ordinary man because of the brightness of His face. At first glance, she probably thought He was just a man, but when she told her husband about the incident, he believed her. Out of faith and parental concern, he prayed a prayer that all expectant parents should consider. That promised child was to be different because he had a special calling “to begin to deliver Israel,”
Manoah and his wife valued the burnt and meal offerings, so with honor, respect, and faith, they worshipped the One who came with the promise. When the promise was fulfilled, they taught what they had been told to teach: "He shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb to the day of his death." “Wonderful” is one of the titles of our Lord, and it was He who came with the message of hope. There was to be a beginning of deliverance that would only be complete when He comes with full authority over Israel and the whole world.
The boy-child, born from a promise that God Himself made to Manoh and his wife, was a gift from the Lord meant to fulfill a purpose—a calling. He was destined to undertake a task only God could accomplish. A nation was awakened to God's power to restore it from its evil ways. Samson’s lifestyle was to be different; set apart from others, to stand out and be distinct. His name, "Samson," symbolizing the sun, was meant to be a light for his generation. He was called to a lifetime of separation, which involved being different in appearance, with long, uncut hair, different food and drink, no wine, and no luxurious living—God was first.
The times in which Samson lived called for the separation of the man. His ministry was going to be a unique one. He shall "begin" to deliver Israel from the Philistines. The work he started, he was not going to finish. The deliverance the people of God needed was a total defeat, but they only achieved a partial victory during the twenty years Samson judged Israel. The Spirit of God granted him great personal strength to fight mighty battles. We learn not only about the severe consequences of sin through the story of Samson but also about the blessings of grace. Samson was mainly a failure, but his failures are very instructive.
We learn the value of separation, which at first seems like isolation but has a blessing behind it. We also understand the dangers of assimilation and how it can distance us from God. Many people today claim their place in the promised land without ever experiencing that Christ died for me personally. Many don't realize what it means that I died with Christ and am separate from the world. It's quite easy for some of God's people today to accept what appears to be Christianity but isn't the true reality of new life in Christ.
God has a purpose in teaching us about the man Samson. Lessons to be learned by us confront us with great truths about separation. Separation is a positive dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ. Samson was separated from certain things, but mainly, he was separated unto the Lord. Samson's separation turned out to be negative. By position, he was separated to the will of God, but in his heart, he was not. His separation was formal and legalistic. The name Samson means “brightness” and was an expression of joy when he was born. In his early life, “He grew, and the Lord blessed him. When he was mature, the Spirit of the Lord impelled him to begin doing the work God wanted him to do.
He started out well, like many others in each generation. He had a faithful father and a faithful mother who took seriously the fact that they were raising their son for God's purpose. Training was ongoing every day, with attention to food and play, and God was central in every decision. The parents followed the heavenly vision, so Samson had a good beginning at home. Hopefully, he will continue in that way in the future. However, just because someone has faith in God doesn't mean they will live by faith. It is “the just” who live by faith.
Spirituality isn't determined by what we do or don't do. Separation from and for Christ is a positive and joyful experience. Our strength to live for the Lord comes from distancing ourselves from the world and believers who live like the world. All around Samson, there were Israelites who never lifted a finger against the Philistines. They had been assimilated, compromised, and merged into the surrounding culture. God does not call us to isolation, but He also does not call us to be like the world.
Separation is accompanied by the ability to live as God intends. God equipped Samson to lead a separated life and gave us the Spirit to enable us to live uniquely for Him in the world. The example of separation is the Lord Jesus Christ. (Jn. 17:15-17). It is His purpose that we live in the world for Him. The Lord spent time with sinners and sought them out, ministering to them. He did not do what they did. He was separated in character. He was distinct in His life, but He connected with them to bless them. That is what we should strive to do in this world.