Judges 13 TRAGIC SILENCE The apathy of the Israelites after forty years of domination by the Philistines is a testimony as to how far the people of God can go when they are not a separated people. The silence of Israel, is an eloquent testimony to their apathy. There was no crying out to God for a deliverer or a judge; not once. They didn't realize their danger of losing their identity as the people of the Lord completely. In the perilous times of the last days, the is little evidence of the awareness of sin among the people of God and little interest in the wonder of the grace of God towards us. Israel at their lowest state had gotten used to servitude to the Philistines and didn't turn in repentance to God as they had before. Because there was no national repentance, there was no national deliverance. There is a principle that we should never forget: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Hard hearts reap hard consequences. If we are not careful and keep in fellowship with God, we too can get used to sin and accept the assimilation of God's people into the culture of the religious and social world. It started with trade because of the worldly strength of the Philistines and then moved further into intermarriage and cultural bondage. Christendom has a strong appeal to carnal believers who want to be like those around us. Materialism, pleasure, and worldly success is soon followed by religious and personal ties to that which is not of God.
Philistine assimilation and Israeli apathy were the key to God's purposes through Samson. Zorah (hornet's nest) was where God first connected with Manoah's wife. The tribe of Dan was noted for treachery against their brethren. It was prophesied about Dan that he would be like a serpent lying in wait to poison others. The "hornet's nest" is typical of satanic influence and attacks that come against God's people. Mamnoah's name means "rest," but not the rest of peace but of 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 which "the angel of the Lord," the Lord Jesus Himself (Wonderful) came to bring the message of hope. To the smallest tribe that was basically unsuccessful and barren, God came. He made His connection with a faithful couple, who in spite of weakness and lethargy, still had the fear of God about them. Twenty-first century Christians face the same danger of assimilation of being slowly squeezed into the mold of the world around us. We must commit ourselves to the word and will of God no matter what the religions of the world, or "Christian churches" do to make themselves acceptable to "the Philistines."
So the Philistines who had the ability to smelt iron and make iron weapons, used the two most effective weapons of trade and intermarriage. The Philistines had a strong hold on the Israelites and were choking them to death by compromise and assimilation. Israel was not enslaved by military dominance but by spiritual and cultural seduction. The Lord in grace, raised up a for the times to begin a work of recovery for His people. His unique birth was based on a promise from God. His parents were a godly couple even though they were living among apostates. They also knew the heartbreak of being childless. When the Lord came to Manoah's wife, Manoah did not doubt her. The next message was the same but God told them about Himself. "The angel of the Lord" (the Lord Jesus Christ); My name is "Wonderful" - "God." Samson was born by God's miraculous intervention and his birth was announced by the Lord God. Isaac was the only other in scripture, apart from the Lord Himself, who had this announcement.
His unique lifestyle was dictated by God He was to be a Nazarite, "to set apart, to separate," separated by God, to God by the Nazarite vow. In the nation the Nazarite vow was voluntary; motivated by love and faith; was for 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 fruit of the vine (luxurious living); not cut his hair (public sign); avoid contact with dead bodies (preeminence of God in his life). The Nazarite vow was temporary when it was entered upon voluntarily. Samson's lifetime separation as a Nazarite was commanded by God. God was not looking for a national liberator but an individual who would be separated to Him. He would be fighting personal battles. The other judges led a repentant people against the enemy, but Samson never had one man join with him. He was the one man who realized a person or nation could not compromise and remain free to serve God. The Israelites were losing their identity but were so ignorant of what was going on, 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 that the children of Israel. The never had the Red Sea experience. Many people claim their place in the promised land today without ever having experienced the fact that Christ died for me personally. Philistines never crossed the Jordan River to get into the land. Many don't understand what it means that I died with Christ and am separate from the world. It is quite easy for some of God's people today to accept what passes for Christianity but is not the reality of new life in Christ. Manoah and his wife knew the value of the burnt offering and the meal offering, so with honor, respect and faith - worshipped the One who came with the promise. When the promise was fulfilled, they taught what they were told to teach, "he shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb to the day of his death."
The times in which Samson lived called for the separation of the man. His ministry was going to be a unique ministry. He shall "begin" to deliver Israel from the Philistines. The work he started he was not going to complete. The deliverance the people of God needed was total defeat but they gained only partial victory in the twenty years Samson judged Israel. The Spirit of God gave him great personal strength to fight great personal battles. We are taught not only about the terrible consequences of sin through the story of Samson, but also of the blessings of grace. Samson was mainly a failure but the failures are very instructive. We learn the value of separation which at first seems like isolation but has the purpose of blessing behind it, and we learn about the dangers of assimilation on the other hand, and how far it can take us away from God. 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. Spirituality isn't dictated by what we do not do. Separation to Christ and for Christ is positive and joy-filled. Our needed strength for living for the Lord comes from separation from the world and those believers who live like the world. All around Samson were Israelites who never lifted a finger against the Philistines. They had been assimilated, compromised and integrated into the culture around them. God does not call us to isolation, but equally does not call us to be like the world. Separation is accompanied by enablement to live as God intends. God equipped Samson to live a separated life and similarly gives us the Spirit to enable us to live distinctively for Him in the world. The pattern for separation is the Lord Jesus Christ. (Jn.17:15-17). It is His intention that we live in the world for Him. The Lord spent time with sinners and sought out and ministered to sinners. 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 be doing in this world.