Biblepraise Fellowship Online

Lately, I have been learning a lot about Samson from the story in Judges 13 - 15. It is not the first time I have read this story but as is often the case when I read scripture, there is always something new to learn even when reading the same portion of scripture you have read before.

 

So as I began reading from chapter 13, I noted that Samson’s mother was barren. We don’t know whether she was past child-bearing age but what was established was that she could not have children. They had obviously been married many years and had undoubtedly tried having children ti no avail. If there was any doubt about her ability to have children, this was made clear when she had a visitation from an angel. The first recorded words of the Angel was, “You are barren and childless...” (Judges 13:3) Of course, the Angel didn’t just come and tell her what she already knew, it was to prepare the ground for what was to follow.

 
The first lesson I learnt here is that no matter what we are going through, God knows. He is aware of every little detail of our lives. It is God’s prerogative to intervene within a short while, after a long while or not at all. In the case of Manoah’s wife, God chose her for the miraculous birth of one of the greatest judges of Israel. Continuing his address, the angel said, “..but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.”

 
Time and time again, we see God disrupting the natural processes of nature so His divine purposes are accomplished. In this case, God was raising a man who would deliver the Israelites who were at the time being oppressed by the Philistines.
The Second lesson I learnt is that while God is always willing and able to change the circumstances in our lives, we have a part to play. Immediately the Angel breaks the news to the woman, he gives specific instructions, “So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.” (Judges 13: 4-5)

As we will learn later, the Angel’s words came to pass and Samson was born. In verse 25, we read, “And the Lord blessed him as he grew up.”  We can deduce from this verse that the parents , especially the mother followed everything she had been instructed to do concerning the child.

 
There things that God has blessed us with, gifts that he has given to us. We have a responsibility to use those gifts to spread God’s love, joy and peace with the people around us...but are we?

 
Are we seeking to have things just for the thrill of it or to rub shoulders with celebrities and the high and mighty in society?  We have a responsibility to be salt and light to people around us whether they are Christians or not. Samson’s mother knew that the boy was not meant to be exclusively hers but was destined to be God’s instrument to rescue the Israelites from the Philistines.
Are you willing to share what God has given to you so that others can experience God’s deliverance and salvation?

(To be continued)