The Life and Times of Samson
Born to Serve the Lord
Judges 13:1-7
One of my favorite old songs is called “Born to Serve the Lord”. The first stanza says:
From the dust of the Earth
God created man
His breath made man a living soul
And for God so loved the world
He gave his only Son
And that is why I love Him so
The second stanza says:
My hand were made to help my neighbor
My eyes were made to read God's Word
My feet were made to walk in His footsteps
My body is the temple of the Lord.
Then the chorus says:
I was made in His likeness
Created in His image
I was born to serve the Lord
And I can't deny Him
I'll always walk beside Him
For I was born to serve the Lord
The truth of that song is the truth I want to set before you today. We were born to serve the Lord. By the wonderful work of creation we were made by God. I think of the first man, Adam, and how he was created by God for God. Just as the first man, Adam, was created physically to serve God, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) to serve the Lord.
Not only that, by the glorious work of salvation we have been born-again to serve God. We have been born spiritually, bringing us into a relationship with God, whereby we can serve God.
And the truth is, until a man is saved, he cannot serve God. Until one has been born-again, he cannot fulfill the great purpose for which one is born. We were born to serve God, but only when we are born-again we are able to serve God. The spiritual birth enables one to fulfill the great purpose of their physical birth.
We began last week a look at the life and times of Samson. He is a reminder that that we are born to serve the Lord. In our last study we considered the times in which Samson lived.
Judges 13:1
It was, as we saw, the worst of times. The people of God had accepted false gods and had abandoned the true God. Through the Philistines, the chastening hand of God was upon them, and had been for forty years.
Into that very desperate situation, Samson was born to call the people back to God, and deliver them from the Philistines. Samson was born to serve the Lord.
Samson was a judge. From the death of Joshua to when Saul became the first king of Israel, God raised up agents of His divine will that were known as Judges, hence the name, the Book of Judges.
Primarily, these men served as messengers of God. It was their responsibility to instruct the people in the will and ways of God.
Notice Judges 2:16
So these judges were men, and in the case of Deborah, a woman, raised up by God to act on His behalf for the people.
Now Samson is unique among the Judges because we do not learn of the other judges until they are in the adult years of their life. But with Samson, we learn about him before he was ever born. There are 96 verses in the Book of Judges dedicated to the life of Samson, and interestingly, 24 of them are dedicated to his birth.
Why does the Bible say so much about the birth of Samson? I believe that God wanted to remind us that we were born to serve the Lord.
Samson is a reminder of that God’s eyes and hand and will are involved in our lives before our lives ever begin. And yet, he is also a reminder that you can have a divine purpose in life, a purpose that contains so much promise and potential, yet live our life with that promise and potential unrealized and unfulfilled.
In Samson's case, there was so much of his earthly existence that was wasted. He could have done so much for both God and God's people, but he never really became all he could have become and did all he could have done.
So maybe the reason so much attention is given to his birth is to emphasize that he was born to serve the Lord, to show that his life had a divine purpose. That purpose is so made clear at the beginning, that as you walk through the rest of his life, you can't help but be aware that he fell so short of what God intended.
Just to add some perspective to that, think about the Apostle Paul. Paul was able to say when he came to the finish line, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
In contrast to Samson, the purpose of Paul's life was realized and fulfilled. How about you? God has a purpose for your life. Do you know that purpose? Is that purpose being realized and fulfilled in your life? Or, like Samson, is your life falling short of what God wants?
Let's look at the birth of Samson and think of how each of us was born to serve the Lord. The first thing I want you to see is:
1. The Announcement of His Birth
Judges 13:2
First we are told Who came to visit. Notice that the announcement was made by “the Angel of the LORD.” I want you to understand that this was not just any angel. This angel is referred to as a “man of God” and “the angel of God” in other places in the story.
The phrase “the angel of the LORD” is found 23 times in the Book of Judges.
Verse 22 explains who this angel was.
Verse 22
This was more than an angel. This was God Himself that brought the announcement of Samson's birth. It is what is often referred to as a theophany, a visible manifestation of the invisible God. The announcement of Samson's birth was a divine announcement. God Himself delivered the announcement.
Then in verse 2 we are told where the visit took place.
Verse 2
Zorah was located about 13 miles west of Jerusalem in the small section of Israel that had been given to the tribe of Dan. The name means “the place of wasps” or “hornets.” It was situated on a wooded hill.
It is only mentioned 8 times in the Bible. Apart from the birth of Samson there is nothing significant about it. It was a small place in a small section of Israel. Yet, out of such a little, insignificant place would come one of the most familiar names of the Bible.
Did you ever notice how many of God’s giants have come from insignificant places? There is a little village in England called Moulton. Ever heard of it? It’s just a little wide spot in the road in the middle of nowhere. Yet, from there would come William Carey, the “father of modern missions.”
The same thing is true about the village of Loughor, Wales, the birthplace of the Welsh Revival. It is a little village that you go to on purpose.
\It is not a town on one of the main roads that pass on your way to another place. It is one of those places you go to because that is where you want to go. Just a little village, but ye from it, one of the greatest revivals in history emerged.
It was in such a place, Zorah, that God paid a special visit to announce the birth of Samson. That reminds us that God does not limit His work to the big cities or the big church across town. God can show up in the most unlikely places. He can even show up in little places!
You may feel so “little,” but as the song says, “Little is much when God is in it.” God can do something amazing in and with you. One may feel that their ministry is little, but its littleness is not a barrier for God to make Himself known. God can show up in a little person, in a little class, and in a little church.
And by the way, I say little only to reference the attendance. There are no little churches. All churches are candidates for God's visitation. God paid a visit to Zorah. If He can visit there, He can visit here!
Then we are told to whom the visit came.
Verse 2
The name of Samson's father is given. Manoah means “rest.” Interestingly, his mother's name is not disclosed.
She is simply introduced in verse 2 as being both nameless and childless. To be barren in Old Testament times was often seen as the disfavor of God. To be without child was viewed as God having shut up the womb. There was a stigma about being barren. There was a public reproach associated with it. People often looked down on a woman who was not able to have a child.
But notice verse 3
It was not the husband that God first made Himself known. It was to the nameless and childless woman. No doubt others, all her adult life, had ridiculed her, spoke of her and to her in a judgmental way, and scorned her because she was barren. But it was to her that God made a personal visit.
Maybe you grew up being told that you would never amount to anything. Maybe others look at you as being incapable or useless. It may be that for some reason, people have looked down on you. Well, I want to tell you that it is not what others think about you or say about you that matters. It is what God feels about you that is important. And, you are important to God!
Remember what Paul said 1 Corinthians 1:26-28
God takes those whom the world classifies as foolish, weak, base, and despised and uses them for His glory.
There is no reason to feel that you are worthless and useless. You can be the very person that God uses to give birth to a Samson. You can be a person that God does something extraordinary through and with.
Then in verse 3 we discover the what of the announcement
Verse 3
Notice that God first addressed her problem and then declared His power. She was “barren,” but God was able to change that. What we call a limitation in our life is not a limitation to God. Our extremities are God's opportunities. Our problems are an opportunity for God to show His power.
She received a promise from God that even though she was barren, she would have a son. It was not “thou might conceive” but “thou shalt.” There was a certainty about the promise she received from God.
There is a certainty about all of God's promises. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” The word “yea” is a particle of strong affirmation meaning “yes.” You can say a big YES to every promise God has made. He will keep His promises! If God makes a promise, it has become an obligation to Him.
An elderly Christian was dying and deeply distressed that he could not remember things. He said to his pastor, “Oh, Pastor, for years I have relied upon the promises of God, but now in the hour of death I can't remember a single one to comfort me.” Knowing that Satan was disturbing him, the preacher said, “My brother, the only thing that matters is that GOD will not forget any of His promises?”
First of all there is the Announcement of His Birth.
Secondly, notice
2. The Appointment of His Birth
verse 5
God informed Samson's mother that her son was appointed to be a Nazarite. What did it mean for Samson to be a Nazarite? Nazarites were members of a class or group of individuals that were to be totally devoted to God. The Hebrew term “Nazarite” means “consecration, devotion, a separated one.”
The appointment to be a Nazarite came in two expressions. First, ordinarily there was a vow by an individual to be a Nazarite for a specific period of time. This could have been for a few weeks or a few months.
In the second, one made a vow to be a Nazarite, separated and consecrated to God, for the whole of their life. This was the case for Samson.
Verse 5 says, “for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb,” and then in verse 7 we read “for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.”
Samson was to be separated and consecrated unto God for his entire life.
In Numbers 6:1-21 we are given the regulations for a Nazarite. During the time of one's Nazarite vow, there was to be a total abstinence from wine, strong wine or any production of the vine; they were forbidden to cut their hair, and approach any dead body, even that of his nearest relative.
We see these regulations expressed in the words of the angel of the LORD to Samson's mother. We’ll look at those more closely in a minute.
When the term of the vow was over, the Nazarite would bring to the door of the Tabernacle a lamb for a burnt offering, a ewe lamb for a sin offering, and a ram for a peace offering. He would also bring a meat and drink offering. He would cut off the length of hair that had grown during his separation and put it into the fire of the sacrificial altar. This would bring to completion the vow of those who served as a Nazarite for a specific period of time.
Now, this Nazarite vow called for a life of separation. There were certain things he was to avoid and put away from his life. For example, allowing the hair to grow was a sign to those around him that he was in the world, but he was not of the world.
In Numbers 6 where the regulations are given concerning a Nazarite, the word “separate” is a dominant word. In Numbers 6:2-8 the words “separate, separation,” and “separateth” occur 8 times. As a Nazarite, separation was the norm.
In our day and time it seems that assimilation is the norm rather than separation. We have adopted the trend of becoming like the world in order to reach the world. However, the Bible is clear that we who name the name of Christ are to be different. We are to be so distinct from the world that the world has no problem knowing that we are different.
Some commentary on that is provided in 2 Corinthians 6:16-17
Our problem is that we look at this world and there are many things that appeal to us. This world has its claws deep in the average Christian; therefore the world has great influence upon them. When I say that Christians are to be a separate people, I know there are those who would call me old-fashioned, but that is a badge I gladly accept.
Separation is a command of God's Word. They say if we are going to reach people today, we must adapt to our age and culture. I say, we must be obedient to the Word of God, and God's Word tells us that we are to be separate from the world as both a Church and a Christian.
Notice again verse 5
He was not only to be separated from the world; he was also to be consecrated to God.
Separation is a detachment from sinful things. Consecration is a devotion to spiritual things. Separation is having a hatred for the world. Consecration is having a love for God. As a Nazarite, Samson was to be separated from the world, but even more so, he was separated for a reason. He was to belong to God and God alone.
It is possible to be separated from the world, but not be consecrated to God. I have met a few that acted like real spirituality lay in how separated they were. They are like one fellow who said, “I don't smoke, I don't chew; I don't date girls who do.” You know the kind I am talking about. They are members of the FBI--Fundamental Believers Investigation. They judge everyone by their own standards and are constantly sitting in judgment on others.
There are some who are separated, but they know nothing about being consecrated to God. It is not all about that you don't do this and go there. There is the even more important matter of what you do for God. You can be separated, yet not being doing anything for God. Consecration means that I am God's. I am at His disposal. It means that our aim and objective in life is to please and honor God.
Jim Elliot, one of the five missionaries who were murdered by the Auca Indians of Ecuador, wrote these words in his diary: “God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life, that I may burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like You, Lord.”
To be consecrated is to say that your life is God's! As Samson's Nazarite vow was for the whole of his life, our consecration is to be a life-long matter. Consecration is not for Sunday only. It is not a one-day thing. It is an everyday thing. As a Christian, we are live our entire life wholly given to God.
The great preacher in the 1800's, Phillips Brooks of Boston, said, “It does not take great men to do great things; it only takes consecrated men.” God had something for Samson to do and his separation and consecration were essential if he were to fulfill that purpose.
Let me show you one final thing here. There was the announcement, the appointment and
3. The Assignment of His Birth
verse 5
The child that God was going to give Manoah and his wife was decreed by the angel of the LORD to be the deliverer of the people of God from the oppression of the Philistines.
Now remember, we saw last week that the children of Israel had been under the oppression of the Philistines for forty-years. They were in such a predicament because they had left God. To deliver them would begin with a call for them to return to God. It would start with a call for them to get right with God. It was only when they returned that they would be delivered. This is why his assignment was so important.
I think of God's purposes in our life. As I said in the very beginning, God has a purpose for each of our life. That purpose always includes affecting the lives of others for God's glory. Whether it be telling people about Jesus and leading them to Christ, or working to get people back to God, our purpose involves touching the lives of others.
I can't think of a more important purpose, can you?
The most important thing we do in life is fulfilling God's purpose for our life. It is important because it is GOD'S purpose for our life. It is important because it makes the difference between someone going to heaven or hell, someone living for God or being away from God.
But tragically, God's purpose in Samson's life would not be completely fulfilled.
Look at verse 5 again and note something there:
I draw your attention to the single word “begin.” Samson, even though it was God's purpose to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistine, he would never actually accomplish that purpose. He would start, but would never finish the job.
In the studies to come, we will learn more about why Samson's purpose was incomplete. But let say for the time being, Samson's life was one of both strength and weakness. He was strong physically but he was weak spiritually. His spiritual weakness would ultimately cost him his physical strength. His life began with so much promise and potential, yet much of it was never realized or fulfilled.
Dr. Robert Clinton, in his vast work into leaders in the Bible, says that only about 1/3 of all Bible leaders finish well. Someone has said, “Starting well is beneficial. Staying the course is critical. But it's the way you finish that becomes your legacy.”
What will your legacy be? We have been given a divine assignment by God. Will this important assignment end up being an incomplete assignment?
On August 3, 1992, during the summer Olympics in Barcelona, Derek Redmond, a British athlete, was running in the semi-finals of the 400 meter. He was an excellent athlete and demonstrated his world-class speed for several years in numerous track events.
He had an excellent chance of winning the gold medal. He had trained well and his father had also instilled in him the virtues of honor, courage, determination and faith.
But as he was running this race of his life, rounding a bend on the track, Derek suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his leg. He slowed and in awful pain began to limp and then fell on the track in agony as he grabbed his torn hamstring.
Medical staff ran to him, but Derek waved them off and rose from the track. Derek saw the other athletes run to the finishing line. He could have hobbled to the sidelines or allowed himself to be carried away on a stretcher for treatment. Yet at this moment the true character surfaced. He began to limp on. Quitting was not a part of his vocabulary. On the final stretch a middle-aged man was seen pushing away a security guard and rushing to Derek's side. It was his father.
His father said, “You don't have to do this, you don't have to put yourself through this.” Grimacing in pain, Derek declared that he was going to finish this race. Arm in arm and shoulder to shoulder, they kept moving and finally with the entire Olympic crowd standing in awe, they made it to the finish line. The applause was thunderous. Many wept in admiration of the courage displayed. Derek did not walk away with a gold medal, but he was a hero because he finished the race.
It is how we finish that will determine our legacy. Don’t let the word “begin” characterize how you finish.
