Judges 13:6-14:3
When Manoah’s wife told her husband of how the angel had appeared to her announcing the birth of a son, he was very anxious to hear all this for himself, and to know, as a father, how they could train their child. The Lord graciously heard Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of the Lord came again and told Manoah that it was most important that his wife observe what he had told her, not to drink wine or strong drink, nor to eat any unclean thing.
This is deeply important. We are living in an evil day and it is becoming very difficult to bring up our children for the Lord, as all who are parents will freely admit. What are we to do? Are we to relax and just bring up our children in the ways of this world or can we still bring them up in separation from it? Samson’s parents were concerned about this and they received God’s answer. The mother was to be specially careful to give the example of separation from the pleasures (typified in the wine) and the evil (the unclean things) of the world. She was not to cut her son’s hair either. Now long hair, we learn from 1 Corinthians 11:14, was a shame to a man, and a sign of submission in a woman. And so as little Samson grew up he would have to bear shame before others, because his parents were bringing him up as a separated one. Perhaps he would be laughed at, but God had said that no razor was to come upon his head and that was enough. There was submission to the Word of God.
Undoubtedly this has a voice for us, for God has told us as Christian parents to bring up our children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Eph. 6:4. They may be laughed at for it, but it is God’s way, and it is the right way. It is the way of blessing, for we read here of Samson, “and the Lord blessed him.” Then as he grew older it says, “The Spirit of the Lord began to move him.” When we, as parents, seek to bring up our children for the Lord, according to His Word, then we can count upon the Spirit of God to move them. There is a work in their hearts which only He can do, and He will, if we look to the Lord in faith.
We now come to the life of Samson with all its important lessons. Let us consider them carefully and prayerfully, for they are “written for our learning.” Romans 15:4.
After all this fine start we read here, “And Samson went down.” If we are not watchful, and neglect the reading of God’s Word and prayer, we will “go down” too. In spite of all our past training in the things of God, or the faithfulness of our parents, we will get away into a path that is not pleasing to the Lord, if we are careless in these things.
When Samson was “down” in the vineyards of Timnath, he saw a young woman among the Philistines (who were the enemies of the Lord and His people) and she was very attractive to him. He then came and told his parents about her, saying, “Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.” It was because he went down to these vineyards of the Philistines—surely a place of temptation for a separated one who was not to eat anything that was made of the vine, nor even moist grapes (Numbers 6:3, 4)—that he met this young woman at all. If he had been more careful to avoid temptation’s ways he would not have been there, and, undoubtedly, it was because his heart was away from the Lord that this enemy of God’s people could please him.
ML 11/15/1953