Welcome to Grace!

“ … if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves

and pray and seek my face

and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,

and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1– Good leaders PASS

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1– Good leaders PASS– Israelites do evil “Again the Israelites did evil in

the eyes of the LORD ..”

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1– Good leaders PASS– Israelites do evil• The background they live against

The insidious allure of appeasement

Appeasement in a political context, is a diplomatic policy of making political or material concessions to a dictatorial power (or powers) in order to avoid a threatened conflict. Appeasement was used by European democracies in the 1930s who wished to avoid war with the dictatorships of Germany and Italy, bearing in mind the horrors of World War I.

The insidious allure of appeasement

• Trade• Intermarriage• ‘Culture• Liberality

The insidious allure of appeasement

• Trade• Intermarriage• ‘Culture• Liberality “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD ..”

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1– Good leaders PASS– Israelites do evil• The background they live against• The thought world they’re exposed to

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1– Good leaders PASS– Israelites do evil• The background they live against• The thought world they’re exposed to• The stuff they get up to

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1– Good leaders PASS– Israelites do evil– God DOES judge His people, 13:1 “… so

the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.”

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv.

6-14

Judges 13:6-14“Then the woman went to her husband and told him, ‘A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, “You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.”’8 Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.’

Judges 13:6-149 God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. 10 The woman hurried to tell her husband, ‘He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!’11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, ‘Are you the man who talked to my wife?’‘I am,’ he said.12 So Manoah asked him, ‘When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?’13 The angel of the LORD answered, ‘Your wife must do all that I have told her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.’

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv.

6-14

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv.

6-14– Nazirite vow

The Nazirite vowNumbers 6:1-21“The LORD said to Moses, 2 ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the LORD as a Nazirite, 3 they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.5 ‘“During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the LORD is over; they must let their hair grow long.6 ‘“Throughout the period of their dedication to the LORD, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body.

• No haircuts• No alcohol• Nothing dead• Temporary

The Nazirite vow – with variationsSamson’s vow:• No haircuts• No alcohol• Eat nothing

unclean• Lifelong• Not voluntary

Nazirites:• No haircuts• No alcohol• Touch nothing

dead• Temporary• Voluntary

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv.

6-14– Nazirite vow– From the womb– For life

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv.

6-14• Worshipping parents, vv. 15-23

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv.

6-14• Worshipping parents, vv. 15-23

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv.

6-14• Worshipping parents, vv. 15-23– They just want to know what God wants from

them

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv. 6-

14• Worshipping parents, vv. 15-23– They just want to know what God wants from them– Their biggest priority’s to OBEY

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv. 6-

14• Worshipping parents, vv. 15-23– They just want to know what God wants from them– Their biggest priority’s to OBEY– These parents are WORSHIPPING people!

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv.

6-14• Worshipping parents, vv. 15-23• The key feature … the Spirit MOVES him, v. 24

Judges 13 – Samson. What God does in difficult days

• Introduction• The Back Story, 12:8- 13:1• God’s solution is a baby, vv. 2-5• God creates leaders’ distinctive character, vv.

6-14• Worshipping parents, vv. 15-23• The key feature … the Spirit MOVES him, v. 24• Conclusion