Read: Judges 13:1-14:20; John 1:29-51; Psalm 102:1-28; Proverbs 14:15-16
It is hard for me to read Samson, because he was such a man of power with such an obvious flaw. God used his flaw for His glory, which is redeeming.
Israel had fallen into sin and God had delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years. Their time of bondage is getting longer and longer. God chose Manoah to have a son to deliver them. Manoah means “rest” and God was going to bring hope and rest to his people even though it doesn’t say that the people were crying out for a deliverer or turning back to him.
God sent his angel to Manoah’s barren wife, whose name is not mentioned, to tell her that she is going to have a son. She is given explicit instructions not to drink wine or anything that comes from the vine or anything unclean because this boy is to be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death. This reminds me of John the Baptist.
Manoah’s husband wants to meet this angel and ask him how they are to bring him up, so God comes back. When Manoah asks him how they should bring him up, God just repeats what he had told his wife. They wanted more details, I am sure, but God gave them what to do first, the rest would come when they needed it.
That is the way the Lord does with us. We would like the whole picture, but he gives us enough to get us started. The rest comes by faith as we start to walk it out. It keeps us dependent on him for our daily bread.
Samson was born and his name means “sunlight”. God was bringing light into their darkness. Samson had a propensity for the things he shouldn’t have but God used all of his wrong desires to accomplish His desires. Israel was like Samson. She had acclimated herself with where she was. God wanted her to stand up and fight. Samson was willing to do this even though it was for selfish motives. God used it for His purposes. Through Samson’s lust, God was able to start delivering his people from the bondage of the Philistines.
John tells us that God sent him to start baptizing people so that He could reveal the Messiah. He would be the one whom the spirit of God came down and remained on. When Jesus came to be baptized, John saw this happen and knew for certain that Jesus was the Messiah. The next day, John pointed out Jesus to two of his disciples, Andrew and Peter, and they immediately left John and started following Jesus. They became his first two disciples. Then Philip and Nathanael were added. These four were fishermen already, but Jesus was going to teach them how to fish for men.
Lord, help us to be fishers of men today.
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