An Unsolicited Deliverer is Born-Judges 13

 Today as we reenter our series in the book of Judges, we happen to come across one of the most treasured and familiar story-types in the Bible—the birth story. From Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, to Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mary, predictions of special birthdays and the fulfillments of such are common motifs in the scriptures that tend to signal major shifts for God’s people. These stories often highlight God’s movement and special activity as they promise better days and major victories in the future. Today’s passage in Judges 13 is one such example of a birth story. However, as we will soon see, things in this narrative are a bit shaky and do not run as smoothly as they might in other passages. What we will learn in Judges 13 as we look at five elements of Samson’s birth story is that God is able carry his people where they need to be despite themselves.

a. ELEMENT #1: The Backdrop-13:1

Let us remind ourselves of where we are in Israel’s history. In the time between Joshua (Moses’ successor) and Saul (Israel’s first king), God’s people were led by judges—military leaders that were empowered by the Spirit of God. These judges were far from perfect and often demonstrated with their own failures and setbacks just how far from God the Israelites were in this period. The precarious and recurrent spiritual condition of God’s people is highlighted in the opening of chapter 13 with “Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, so that the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines forty years,…” (13:1). This oft-repeated progress report on Israel establishes her lapse into sin and God’s disciplinary judgement as the backdrop for the story of Samson.  Things are rotten in the state of Israel and yet, God is not going to leave his people without the promise of a leader to help see them through this Philistine oppression (even if this time they don’t even cry out for such).

b. ELEMENT #2: The Prediction-13:2-7

The narrative continues with the introduction of a couple from Zorah—“There was a certain man of Zorah of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children…” (13:2). Most who are familiar with biblical history cannot avoid thinking about the recurrent theme of God opening the womb of a barren woman. Sarah (Gen. 11:30), Rebekah (Gen. 25:21), and Rachel (Gen. 29:31) are all described as barren and yet God miraculously allowed each of these women to bear a son that proved important in Israel’s history. Given the introduction of this couple, the reader should expect nothing less than a miraculous birth that yields an important figure whose life would serve as an emblem and example of God’s faithfulness.

Our expectation appears to receive some justification when we read verses 3-5—“Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, ‘Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines’…”. This prediction is important for several reasons. First, by seeking to supernaturally bring a child to a childless and barren woman, God demonstrates his love for life and delight in bringing children into the world. This stands in stark contrast to what occurred in the previous chapter with Jephthah who foolishly fulfilled a misguided oath and killed his virgin daughter. What God does suggests that he delights in making the barren woman a mother, not in his worshippers making potential mothers childless (Chisholm, Judges & Ruth, 390).

Second, the angel instructs Manoah’s wife to follow a diet fit for a Nazarite (see Numbers 6:3-4), as her son would be consecrated to God as a Nazarite from birth. Not only would this child’s prenatal life be special as it was wrought of a miracle of God, but his postnatal life would be consecrated to the Lord. This child was to be set apart from birth and in an effort to give that the best chance possible, Manoah’s wife would participate in abstaining from wine, alcoholic drinks of any kind, and food that the Israelite laws forbade as defiled (Block, Judges, Ruth, 402).

Third, verse 5 reveals that the promised child’s primary task would be military victory (“and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines’…”). This is surprising given that in the preceding cycle of Judges God was reluctant to respond to Israel, even after they confessed their sins (see 10:6-16). Here, no one was even crying out for deliverance and yet God gives them a deliverer and even goes to the extreme of a miraculous birth and Nazarite vow to give them a good one. “(God’s) sovereign and spontaneous decision to do so reminds us that he would never forsake his covenant people, no matter how apathetic they become” (Chisholm).

After receiving this message, Manoah’s wife shares the news with her husband—“Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, ‘A man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. But he said to me, “Behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and now you shall not drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.”’…” (13:6-7). Much is made here and later of the ignorance of God’s people to recognize this messenger. This suggests that Israel at this delicate moment in her history is so far from the Lord that even when he gives them a message directly, she does not recognize it is from him (at least initially) YIKES! The wife’s report also fails to include one of the most important instructions given to this woman concerning her child—“ and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb” (13:5). This helps foreshadow, even before the child is born, Israel’s coming failure to recognize Samson as their God-given deliverer, Samson’s own confusion about his role in life, and his ultimate demise. DOUBLE YIKES!

c. ELEMENT #3: The Request-13:8-14

Manoah’s response to his wife’s report reads as follows: “Then Manoah entreated the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born’…” (13:8). Several things might motivate this reaction. After all, as a childless man, perhaps Manoah is a bit nervous about the prospect of raising a son. Perhaps Manoah is unwilling to respond positively based merely on his wife’s report. Or, perhaps like Gideon before him, Manoah needs added reassurances before he is willing to sign on with this program.

Regardless of what motivates Manoah’s request, God answers it and we read what happens in verses 9-14—“ God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her. So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, ‘Behold, the man who came the other day has appeared to me.’ Then Manoah arose and followed his wife, and when he came to the man he said to him, ‘Are you the man who spoke to the woman?’ And he said, ‘I am.’ Manoah said, ‘Now when your words come to pass, what shall be the boy’s mode of life and his vocation?’ So the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, ‘Let the woman pay attention to all that I said. She should not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; let her observe all that I commanded.’…”. What is interesting here is God answers Manoah’s prayer by once again appearing to his wife (not Manoah), illustrating that what was shared with her previously was enough to go on already. That said, once the figure appears again, Manoah’s wife quickly retrieves her husband so that he himself can bear witness to the instructions. However, there really are no added instructions given. Instead the angel simply says, “let the woman pay attention to all that I said…” and then goes on to repeat elements of their first meeting (13:13). Apparently, the angel expected Manoah’s wife to inform her husband about the child’s special consecration to the Lord, his role as deliverer, and the Nazarite vow though there is never any indication that she ever did.  Unfortunately, this seems to continue as the story unfolds. In what follows, Samson never gives any indication that he understood himself to be Israel’s deliverer and certainly does not live up the vow that was to govern his life. Things are not looking good already! Understanding one’s role in God’s plan is vital to participating well in what the Lord is doing and that appears to be in jeopardy here. 

d. ELEMENT #4: The Worship-13:15-20

Evidence that Manoah and his bride still don’t quite understand who they are talking to continues to pour in as Manoah invites the messenger to stay for a meal—“Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, ‘Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you’” (13:15). However, the angel of the Lord refuses the meal and suggests something else—“The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, ‘Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.’ For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord” (13:15-16). For this angel to entertain table fellowship with Manoah and his wife was impossible at this point in time given that the spiritual condition of the nation would not allow these people to share company with a heavenly intermediary. Therefore, rather than share a meal, the angel suggests that this family make an offering to the Lord which would help them take the first spiritual steps in the direction toward a right relationship with their God.

Confusion on Manoah’s part seems chronic as in verses 17-18 he asks for the name of this heavenly messenger—“Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, ‘What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?’…” (13:17-18). The angel does not entertain Manoah’s request with an answer but responds with a question of his own—“why do you ask for my name, seeing it as extraordinary/beyond understanding?” (13:18). To Manoah and to all of Israel, the messenger is a mystery as is the God that has sent this messenger as is the plan that God is in the process of executing. The angelic messenger would rather Manoah figure out this riddle on his own (hoping that it might lead to understanding) rather than solve it for him (Block, Judges, Ruth, 414).

“So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord, and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground…” (13:19-20). It is important to point out that Manoah presents this offering to the Lord, not to the messenger. While in process of making the offering, the Lord miraculously calls up his angelic messenger back to heaven and this elicits a worshipful response from this couple—a response that was scarce seen among God’s people in the time of the judges.

What we are witnessing in this birth narrative is God spoon-feeding his people toward deliverance. He is going to help his people even though they do not call on him to do so. He is going to miraculously allow a barren woman to give birth to a son. He is going to consecrate this son of Manoah (despite their ignorance and failure to communicate the nature of his vow). And he is going to use this son to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines. God even reminds, requests, and helps execute a simple offering for this family as a first step they might take in the right direction. Like a parent holding the hands of a staggering infant learning to walk, God is leading a woefully infantile people to where he wants them to be despite themselves.

e. ELEMENT #5: The Aftermath-13:21-25

After the worship experience Manoah and his wife participate in, it is almost as though this first step has provided some limited clarity on their part concerning what is going on—“ Now the angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord….” (13:21). The two finally figure out that an angel of the Lord has spoken with them. However, rather than be inspired by what they’ve learned, Manoah grows petrified with fear—“So Manoah said to his wife, ‘We will surely die, for we have seen God.’…” (13:22) (One step forward two steps back).

Manoah’s wife calms her husband’s hysterics with some common sense—"But his wife said to him, ‘If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear things like this at this time’…” (13:23). This couple is hardly the shining parenting duo you might hope to use to bring up the next deliverer of Israel. However, at this time in Israel’s history, the pickings were slim and Manoah and his wife are chosen.

The fulfillment of the angel’s prophecy is described in verses 24-25—“Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaney-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.” “Sunny” (as his name is translated) was born to this couple just as the Lord had promised. Rather than give him a name that was connected to God or his people, “sunny” or “solar” carries the connotations of paganism and “if not outrightly pagan is dangerously compromising” (Block, Judges, Ruth,  419). As he grew, God’s spirit began to empower him (quite literally) for his special purpose and with this final comment in chapter 13 the stage is set for Samson to confront the Philistines and begin his life’s work of delivering his people from their oppressors.

So What?

Though there are a lot of issues one might raise concerning Samson’s parents, their ignorance, and the spiritual condition of God’s people in and around the time of Samson’s birth that would leave you wondering if a successful deliverer could be raised in a time like this, what we witness in this passage is God’s ability to supersede limitations and setbacks with opportunities and empowerment that allow his people the best chance to move forward according to his will. God overwhelms a barren womb allowing Manoah’s wife to give birth. God overwhelms an ignorant Manoah with the angel of the Lord. God overwhelms spiritual darkness by leading this couple to make an offering. All this God does to overwhelm Israel’s desperate plight with a special deliverer who was to be set apart from birth (through the Nazarite vow) and empowered by the Spirit. Despite everything to the contrary, God intervenes in a special way in this text to give what Israel needs, even when they don’t ask for it. Even more so, he provides this deliverer all the makings of a great leader (a miraculous birth and a program of holiness that should keep him out of trouble).

What is it that you need from the Lord that maybe you have forgotten to ask for or have tired of requesting? Maybe like a frustrated infant struggling to learn to walk, you have decided crawling is good enough, or worse, I’ll just sit here. Spiritually speaking that is where the Israelites are at the beginning of Judges 13 and I hope that is not where you are at today. But it if is, maybe you need to clasp the outstretched hands of the Father who is ready and willing to pull you up and help guide you in all patience to where you need to be. You may wobble and stumble (boy was this the case for Manoah and his wife), but God will not give up leading those who are his. Even further, God will more than make up for what is missing (faith, smarts, experience, etc.) with his provision and grace just as he provided a barren woman with a special son who was to be consecrated and spiritually-empowered.

However, as we will soon learn, gifts and opportunities that God provides must be utilized and applied appropriately if one is be successful in performing God’s will. God can give you all the tools you need, but unless you take full advantage of those graces, things may never change.