Judges 13-15

Again. Again Israel turned from YAHWEH and did evil. This time God's people were delivered into the hands of the Philistines. During this time of oppression God appears to a barren woman and her husband from the tribe of Dan. What is most fascinating about God's appearance to Samson's mother is that her name is never mentioned, only his father Manoah is named, but even more interesting is the interchanged description of the supernatural being who brought the word to Samson's parents. In the NKJV verse 3 indicates the Angel of the LORD appears first to Samson's mother, she then goes and tells her husband:

Judges 13:6 (NKJV) "A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name."

Manoah then prays after his wife tells him this and asks that the Man of God to come and reveal what they are to do with the child who will be born, God listened to the voice of Manoah and the Angel of God reappears to his wife who quickly brings Manoah to the 'Man' who he addresses as "man" to which the Angel of the LORD or the Man of God confirmed saying "I am." These encounters seem confusing, was YAHWEH physically present or was it an angel or some transfigured form of Jesus in the flesh? The narrative in verse 13 continues to reference the being as the Angel of the LORD and then at the end of the chapter after Samson is born the passage ends with:

Judges 13:24-25 (NKJV) "...and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol."

The hand of YAHWEH's blessing was on Samson and at the specific place where the tribe of Dan settled in Canaan, Mahaneh Dan - which means camp of Dan, is where he was empowered with the Holy Spirit. Everything about Samson's life as a consecrated Nazarite and the appearance of what seems to be both YAHWEH or an Angel and Jesus to his parents means that the mighty hand of God was on Samson's life even before birth which is significant because he would be the first judge of Israel commanded by God to live the life of a Nazarene and deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines. What promises are on your life that are revealed or not yet revealed that you are to be faithful in? Maybe you haven't been visited by God himself, but what word have you received from Him that you must stand firmly on? This story of Samson's parents is faith building, they were barren, God himself visits them, gives them a word and then your son is filled with the Spirit of God and goes on to do mighty works defeating the Philistines and judging Israel for 20 years. Trust and faithfulness are the big takeaway's here learning from Samson's parents. 

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