Judges 13-16.
Manoah and his wife couldn’t have children.
Manoah’s wife prayed for a child. An angel of the Lord told Manoah and wife
that they would have a son, but that he was to “be a Nazarite unto God from the
womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines”
(Judges 13:5). They later had a
child and they named him Samson.
Samson was to be a great man. The Lord chose
him to be a leader and deliver of Israel like other leaders before him. In the
chart below are some promises and blessings that Samson was given as well as
some sins that he committed that did not allow him to keep his covenant with
the Lord.
Promises and Blessings
|
Sins
|
He would be a Nazarite
|
Ate honey from a lion he had killed, which
was unclean, and kept it from his parents
|
He would free Israel from the Philistines
|
Defied his parents by marrying a
Philistine girl from Timnath. He was to destroy the Philistines not mingle
with them
|
Blessed with mighty strength
|
Used his strength for his personal
desires, and revenges but never to deliver Israel out of the hands of the
Philistines
|
Blessed with strength, which resulted in
the deaths of many Philistines and even his.
|
Never kept his covenants, and sought after
women and pleasures that made him break the law of chastity
|
Samson was a well-favored man not only by people, but by the Lord as
well. Because of his great talents, Samson believed he was impervious to damage.
He relied on his own strength and was less inclined to seek the Lord for
guidance. In this similar way, some people, whom have so much potential, make
such bad decisions. They rely on their accomplishments, and success, and forget
of who blessed them with these talents. They rely on their strengths; become
prideful, and stop serving the Lord and serving others. Instead they seek for
personal gains, and pride in their own accomplishments, and start making bad
decisions.
As a Nazarite since birth, Samson had certain requirements to
uphold. In order to be a Nazarite,
one must “separate themselves unto the Lord” (Numbers 6:2). Meaning one had to
make a special vow to separate themselves from any unclean thing, and live a
life dedicated to the Lord. In the Old Testament in Numbers 6:1-9, it explains
of three special requirements of a Nazarite: (1) abstain from wine or any
strong drink, (2) not let a razor near their head, but instead to let it grow,
(3) stay away from unclean and dead body, even that of a family member. We know
that Samson broke his vow when he shared with Delilah where he obtained his
strength. She told the Philistines who later cut Samson’s hair. For breaking
his vow, Samson paid with his eyesight, and even his life.
In learning of Samson’s life, there are things we can do to avoid
yielding to temptation in our lives. It is easy for us to fall into
temptations, and choose to do things that please us even though they may not be
right. Sin can be attractive and desirable, and we must learn to commit to always
keeping the commandments, and developing self-discipline. One thing I commit to
do is to stay humble, and to always remember that all my gifts, and talents,
are blessings that the Lord has given me to help Him carry His mission in this
world. Let us not get sidetracked and always remember who we are, what we have,
and what we are here on earth for.