Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Judges 13

• About the title: God is Time Immemorial (eternal). He is also the Great “I AM” (IM). When it comes to the word “Immemorial”, put a “T” before the “IM” and “E” following, you have the strange word physics of Time Immemorial… or “I AM Memorial.” All of which fit our Lord and Savior.

The Birth of Samson

Judges 13:¹ Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), and the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

Judges 13:² Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. ³ And the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. ⁴ Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. ⁵ For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God (‘ĕlōhîm) from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

• A Metaphor:
  
• As Samson, also Jesus. The day Jesus was born he began His earthly mission:
• “he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

• The Philistines represent anyone, or any nation which goes against God’s agenda.
  • We remember Jesus’ words in Luke 2:49 “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
• At the time of Jesus’ “visitation” He was born into a world that was “barren” of God’s demand for spiritual fruitfulness, a place where men worshiped the God of the Heavens and the Earth.

Judges 13:⁶ So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God (‘ĕlōhîm) came to me, and His countenance (appearance) was like the countenance of the Angel of God (‘ĕlōhîm), very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. ⁷ And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God (‘ĕlōhîm) from the womb to the day of his death.’ ”

Judges 13:⁸ Then Manoah prayed to the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), and said, “O my Lord (‘ăḏōnāy), please let the Man of God (‘ĕlōhîm) whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”

Judges 13:⁹ And God (‘ĕlōhîm) listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God (‘ĕlōhîm) came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. ¹⁰ Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!”

Judges 13:¹¹ So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?”

• Until now, He is referred to as a “Man”. A “Man” of God.

And He said, “I am.”

• Appropriately the great “I AM that I AM”.
• Exodus 3:14
• And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Judges 13:¹² Manoah said, “Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy’s rule of life, and his work?”

Judges 13:¹³ So the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. ¹⁴ She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor may she drink wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean. All that I commanded her let her observe.”

Judges 13:¹⁵ Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), “Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You.”

• Now He is the “Angel” (Messenger) of the Lord instead of the “Man” of God.

Judges 13:¹⁶ And the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said to Manoah, “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ).” (For Manoah did not know He (this person) was the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ).)

Judges 13:¹⁷ Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), “What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?”

Judges 13:¹⁸ And the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?”

“Wonderful!” Something too much for any man to comprehend!

• Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
• A Son, who is the Creator, who is a Man, who created Himself, who sacrificed Himself, who rose Himself from the dead, who is the Man of God, the Son of God, the Mighty God, and His own Everlasting Father.

• Wonderful! To be separate (Holy).

Judges 13:¹⁹ So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ). And He (the Angel of the Lord) did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on— ²⁰ it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar—the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) ascended in the flame of the altar!

• The Angel of the Lord is Jesus, who is God, who becomes the sacrifice on the altar to Himself.

When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. ²¹ When the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ).

Judges 13:²² And Manoah (Hebrew meaning “Rest”) said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God (‘ĕlōhîm)!”

• Note the proclamation from Manoah that the ANGEL OF THE LORD IS GOD!

Judges 13:²³ But his wife said to him, “If the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) 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 told us such things as these at this time.”

Judges 13:²⁴ So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) blessed him. ²⁵ And the Spirit of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan (Lit. Camp of Dan, Judg. 18:12) between Zorah and Eshtaol.

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SAMSON’S POTENTIAL

Samson was the fulfillment of Jacob’s prophetic blessing to his son, Dan.

Dan was given a blessing by his father, Jacob, just before he died. The blessing is recorded in Genesis 49:16-18.

Dan shall judge his people,
As one of the tribes of Israel.
Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
A horned snake in the path,
That bites the horse’s heels,
So that his rider falls backward.
For Your salvation I wait, O LORD

Genesis 49:16-18 NASB

Manoah, likewise Samson, was a Judge in Israel.