📖 Judges Chapter 13-16
SAMSON – “Shame Son” on his Call

The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife, who was baren , and said that she will conceive and have a son. ( 13:3 ). She was further instructed not to take any alcoholic drinks nor eat anything unclean ( 13:4 )

📌 Nazirite Vow was imposed on Samson :
✅ God declares him “Set apart
✅ It covers from the womb to the tomb 13:7
✅ It would take place with effect from the conception rather than during adulthood.
💫 Israel’s deliverance from the Philistines’ Oppression would come from the womb of Manoah’s wife (13:5b)

WHAT IS NAZIRITE VOW ❓
📝 Numbers 6: 1- 21

One must abstain from wine and other fermented drinks
No razor to be used on his head.
He must not go near a dead body ( even though they are his parents )

📌 HIS BIRTH & BOYHOOD
✅ The Lord blessed Samson as he grows up and the Spirit of God began to stir him towards his life’s task.

✅ Samson was blessed with great strength. But Samson – the Shame Son ☺ brought disgrace to his godly parents :

~ His parents objected his proposals of marrying the Canaanite girl based on ( Deut 7:1-5 ) but he would not listen to them.
~ As a Nazirite he is not allowed to eat or drink anything that comes from vine . Yet he passes through the vineyard not once but twice (14:5-8 )
~ Samson scooped out the honey with his hands from the lion’s carcass and ate it as he went along ( 14:9 ) .
📝 He had violated the law 👉🏽 “.. anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean.. ” ( Lev 11:39-40 )
📝 He gave the honey to his parents. Thus, he defiles the very person who had sanctified him .
📝 The wedding feast , which lasted for seven days , involves merry making with drinking .
📝 As a Nazirite Samson was restricted to be there.
Thus , Samson had deliberately ignored the Nazirite Vow.

📌 As the phrase goes : “Everyone did as they saw it fit( 17:6 ; 22:25 ) Samson also did what he sees was right ( @ His lust for women) :

1. He said, she is the right one for me ( 14:3b )
2. He saw a prostitute and spent the night with her ( 16:1 )
3. He saw Delilah and fell in love with her ( 16:4 )
   📌 Samson was responsible for falling into the trap ; he was captured ; the Philistines gauged his eyes ; put him in the prison , and they attributes the victory to Dagon shouting that the god of Israel has been defeated .

💕 Beloved Church , we must be aware that the people of this world see our God through what they see of us.
We are responsible when the people of this world mocked at our Lord because of our bad testimonies .

✔️ WHAT A TRAGIC DOUBLE LOSS ❓
i) Samson’s strength leaves him ( 16:19 )
ii) The Lord leaves him .( 16:19 )
Let us L 👀 K at the life of Samson to discover how not to waste our God given abilities, gifts and resources 🛐

Glory to God 🙏
✍🏽 Mark Boje
Arunachal Pradesh, India 🇮🇳