The Birth Of Samson

During the time of Samson’s birth, the cycle of sin, bondage, forgiveness, and sin again continued among the Israelites subjecting them to the Philistines’ reign for the next forty years. Also during this time, the next judge was to be born. This judge would be a man of great strengths and weaknesses.

There was a certain man from Zorah of the Danite tribe named Manoah. He and his wife were barren and had no children. The angel of the Lord appeared unto Manoah’s wife and said, " Indeed now, you are barren and have no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son." She was also given special instructions "not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean." She was also instructed that " no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb and shall deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. Judges 13: 2-5.

According to the angel, Samson would be no ordinary child. He would be declared a "Nazarite" (taken from the Hebrew meaning separated or dedicated) which meant that his parents would share in the vow of a Nazarite, they would be devoted to God, leave their hair uncut, drink no wine, and avoid contact with anything dead. This was to be Samson’s vow from the time of his birth unto the day of his death. Although its meaning is not fully understood at this time, this vow will take on new meaning as we learn more about the life of this great man.

The story of Samson begins with a visit from an angel. One day, Manoah’s wife, Samson’s mother, encounters an angel who tells her that she will bear a son and that she should not consume any wine or unclean thing. After her celestial encounter, Manoah’s wife (in the scripture she is referred to as Manoah’s wife), tells her husband about her visit.

After hearing the news from his wife, Manoah prays to God for confirmation.

He asks what he and his wife is to do regarding the child that is to be born? The Lord honors Manoah’s request and the angel appears to his wife again. She returns to tell her husband who follows her and encounters the angel also. The angel relays the same message to Manoah as he did to his wife. Monoah asks what is to be Samson’s lot and his future? The angel does not answer Manoah about his son’s future but he does tell him certain things about Samson. People, it is not for us to know the future. God holds our future and He knows what to do. Our job is to trust and depend totally on Him.

In the spirit of hospitality, Manoah and his wife offers the angel something to eat, but the angel refuses. Instead, he instructs them to offer a sacrifice to God. In obedience, the two offered up a burnt offering to God, and while they are doing so, an amazing thing happens. The angel ascends upward in the flames of sacrifice.

Astonished, Manoah and his wife fall on their faces and worships God.

In fear, he tells her that they are going to die. Perhaps he was thinking back on the story of Moses, where it was said that no man could see God and live. Being a woman who submits to the will of God, Manoah’s wife assures him that God would not have made a vow to them and shown them the things He did if He intended to kill them. .

Just as God had promised, Manoah’s wife bore a son and they named him Samson. The child grew and the Spirit of the Lord was upon him.

In the next article, we will continue to learn more about the life of Samson. We will learn of his strengths and weaknesses, and what made him a great man.

Naomi J. Brown