Judges 13 verses 1 -14
This was a very special time for the nation of Israel. The woman we read of in this story was barren and on this particular day she received a message from the Lord that she would have a child. It would be a special day in the life of the nation in the birth of this child. It would speak of deliverance from the Philistine occupation. I want us to think of this story in the light of our children`s work in general. How important this work is to God. This is the next generation we are talking about and they need to be reached for God. In the days of Joshua there was a "generation after them which knew not the Lord nor yet the works which he had done for Israel". (Judges 2 verse 10) We can be so busy in our lives on all that is legitimate but we need to be careful that we do not neglect to give a young generation the message of saving grace.
The responsibility on the parents. We read in verse 1 that for 40 years the nation of Israel had been in the hands of the Philistines. They were far superior to Israel at this time. What happens when a nation turns to God, when they get on their knees, call upon the God of heaven? God opens up his blessing on that nation. For 40 years the Philistines had been bombarding Israel, kept them as slaves but now things were starting to change. The whole atmosphere was one of rebellion, judgment and deliverance. When we turn our backs on God he will come with grace and mercy. There will come a time when God allows us to go our own way. Here were a people living in a time of spiritual darkness and decline. We can see that same decline today in spiritual things. The people had no king and "did that which was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21 verse 25) It was an attitude of `no one will tell me what to do, no one will boss me`. We are at that stage today. We cannot say anything from the platform in case we offend someone. That is the spirit of this particular age. Israel had turned her back on God, they had followed the idolatrous practices of the people around them. Sin is not something we can play around with. If we want to follow our own sinful way God will allow us to do for that for a time but then the judging hand of God will fall on us. The Israelites were downtrodden by the Philistines for 40 years. There was bound to be a little group who were lifting their heads to God. We don`t hear about them but God was listening. He heard their prayers, saw their genuineness. The deliverance would take place through the birth of a child - Samson. The deliverance God was planning and proposing for Israel for this family. The responsibility was for them to listen to God. "And the woman bare a son and called his name Samson and the child grew and the Lord blessed him." (verse 24) Here was the answer to someone`s prayers. "Lord will you look on us with mercy, look on our sincere hearts, we have sinned, broken your laws, rebelled against you. Will you have mercy on us." Do you ever look away to the cross of Calvary and see the one who was responsible for your sin? God allowed his son to die on the cross, to suffer agony and the cruelty of that death to bring you to himself. This was going to be no ordinary child. God is in no rush. Imagine for 40 years the nation was in bondage. Someone was praying `Lord will you send us deliverance` and God said `I will`. A baby would be born and when you think it would take 9 months for this to take place you begin to realise that God would not deliver a nation in one day. It would be another 20 years at least for that child to grow and be in a position to deliver God`s people. That is an encouragement to me. We expect instant results but God allows us to wait at times to strengthen us in our faith in our lives. God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3 verse 9) God wants to unite your family in Christ. We have the responsibility of bringing up our children as we do not know but they could be the instrument God uses. We need to be faithful to the children we have in our families and those we come into contact with through Sunday School. We need to pray for them every day that God will speak to them and do something special in their lives for Christ.
The recognition - verse 6. Here was a woman out in the field and she heard this message from an angel that she would have a child. Imagine when she received this news. The angel knew all about her, the condition she was in, that she was barren. She was told it was God`s plan to give her a child. In this unseeming task God was going to do something that seemed impossible. God can and does the impossible. The woman went and told her husband in verses 6 and 7. She was breathless - "a man of God came unto me." She was acquainted with the things of God. What was the first thing they did together? Verse 8 they prayed. Here was a woman who knew the voice of God and the presence of God. She brought the message to her husband and the first thing they did was pray. Would we know the voice of God today, directing and guiding us today? Remember the story of Samuel attending Eli in the temple. He was a small boy opening and closing the doors to the temple each day. A simple task given to him to do. One night when he was going to bed and about to sleep he heard something special. He heard his name being called so jumped out of bed and ran to Eli. "Master you called me." This happened 3 times. On the last tme Eli perceived that God was calling this young boy, that God was working in his heart. Eli could see that there was something wrong with this child, that God was speaking to him, that God was working in his life. In Acts 8 we read that Philip came down to Samaria and revival was going on there. God lifted him from that scene to meet a chariot where one man was reading the word of God. Philip recognised the voice of God was working in this man`s heart. This man was maybe bewildered by what he was reading. Philip asked him `do you understand what you are reading?` He recognised that God was working behind the scenes. Would you recognise the symptoms when God himself begins to work.
The request that was made. They have just received word that they were about to have a child. They asked the Lord to teach them how to bring up this child. We often joke and say when a new baby is born into the world they don`t come with a manual but that is not exactly true because they come with one manual - the bible. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22 verse 6) We do see too often in the word of God children of godly parents who go astray but surely if we pray for them there is a tendency for them to come back to God one day. Remember the story of Joseph who was sold into Potiphar`s house. Potiphar`s wife took a fancy to Joseph. I`m sure Joseph knew there was no one else in the house on that particular day. Joseph said to her `how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" (Genesis 39 verse 9) He was taught in the things of God, taught about sexual immorality. He knew it was sinning against God outside the marriage bond. Think of Lydia in Acts 16. She came to Philippi on business. She sold purple for a living. The bible says it was the Sabbath day and she wanted to be where "prayer was wont to be made". Instead of working she went down to pray. Sadly today the Sunday is just another day, shops are open and businesses go on. Lydia was taught to respect the Lord`s day. "Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work." (Exodus 20 verses 9 and 10) In 6 days God created the world but he set aside the seventh day to himself. It is a day of worship and praise. Sadly today that has been set aside by man. Lydia wasn`t taught like that. She was taught to respect the Lord`s day. She realised this was God`s day and it was not for anything else. Moses was taught in his early years by his mother and then adopted by Pharaoh`s daughter into the palace. He never forgot what he had been taught at his mother`s knee. When he came of an age he made a decision to follow Christ. We need to teach our children today. We have a responsiblity to teach them and ask God to help us in how to do it.
The reward of the parents - verse 5 "and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." Notice the words `shall begin`, not complete it. Samson began the work which would not be complete until David`s day. We need to realise that we are beginning God`s work but might not see its completion.
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