Samson’s father’s name was Manoah. His mother’s name is not mentioned. According to the scriptures, Manoah’s wife was barren. An angel of God appeared to her and informed her that God had chosen her for the task of delivering a child who would later be a judge over Israel which at that time was a colony of Philistine.
During that time, there was suffering in Israel due to the oppression caused by their masters, the Philistines, which is the reason why God decided to raise Samson as a judge through whom Israel would be delivered from their yoke of slavery.
The angel of God gave Samson’s mother instructions on how to raise the child. The child was to be a Nazirite. A Nazirite was someone who consecrated his or her life and took a vow of separation and imposed some disciplines for the purpose of accomplishing some special task.
Many years earlier, God had instructed Moses on how Nazirites should conduct themselves during their time of consecration. Full details of what they should do is recorded in the book of Numbers chapter six. Among the things they were supposed to do were; 1) They were not supposed to drink wine or any alcoholic drinks, 2) They were not supposed to shave until the days they vowed had ended, 3) They were not supposed to touch any dead body, 4) They were supposed to live holy lives. According to the Mishnah, the Nazirite period of practice was normally a short period of 30-100 days. Samson was a unique Nazirite because he was consecrated to be a Nazirite for life. Samson, Samuel and John the Baptist are the only Nazirites by life known by name.
(Click here to read about Moses)
Naturally, it is expected that the parents of Samson raised him with the knowledge of how he was to conduct himself as a Nazirite. Being a Jewish family, and especially one that had come into contact with an angel, they must have grounded Samson in the Torah. By the time Samson became an adult, he must have been well equipped on how to conduct himself in order to accomplish the mission that God had destined him to do.
It is interesting that the first thing that Samson did as an adult was that he went down to Philistine, saw a beautiful woman, liked her and planned to marry her. This was objected to by his parents because, Israelites had been warned against marrying from the heathen nations earlier before settling in Canaan. Samson being a stubborn person, wouldn’t take no for an answer, he managed to convince the parents to support him in marrying the Philistine woman.
The marriage did not go on as planned and due to Samson’s temper, he lost her to someone else. Upon realizing that he had lost the woman his temper flared, he poured his wrath on the Philistines which in turn led to the murder of his father in-law and all his household by the Philistines as an act of revenge against Samson.
Samson’s appetite for Philistine women was unquenchable. As a Nazirite he was supposed to live a holy life, yet we find him in brothels sleeping with prostitutes. Samson broke almost all rules regarding the conduct of a Nazirite. It is probable that Samson imagined that since he was still powerful even after living a reckless life, that breaking the rules had no negative consequences to him. What he did not know is that opening the door to the sensual world would definitely demolish all his moral foundations which in turn destroyed his ability to think soberly. Hence Samson, a man destined to be the judge of Israel fell to the schemes of Delilah. Actually Delilah exposed how weak Samson’s spiritual defense had become.
The life of Samson ends on a sad note. The Philistines had managed to get him to his knees. He had become the laughing stock of the nation, a prisoner, a slave. Finally Samson prayed asking God to give him enough strength so that he could avenge his eyes which were gouged out by the Philistines. God being merciful, granted him his request. The story of Samson ends with the news that he killed many Philistines in his time of death than when he was alive.
From the life of Samson, we learn that hearing or knowing the truth is not all that matters, the main thing is to practice the truth. Obedience is God’s main desire towards his people.
Through the life of Samson, we also learn that with any God given task, we have to learn to tame our passions. We all come to this world with giftings and abilities which are meant to enable us to fulfil our missions here on earth, but also coupled with the abilities, are hungers and appetites which if left unchecked, will end up destroying our lives. There are many talented people who are now addicts simply because they failed to tame their passions. Marriages have ended because of lack of self-control. Minus self-control, it is hard to accomplish your God given mandate here on earth. My prayer is that God may grant you the strength to tame your hungers and appetites that would otherwise destroy you if left unchecked.
Naturally, it is expected that the parents of Samson raised him with the knowledge of how he was to conduct himself as a Nazirite. Being a Jewish family, and especially one that had come into contact with an angel, they must have grounded Samson in the Torah. By the time Samson became an adult, he must have been well equipped on how to conduct himself in order to accomplish the mission that God had destined him to do.
It is interesting that the first thing that Samson did as an adult was that he went down to Philistine, saw a beautiful woman, liked her and planned to marry her. This was objected to by his parents because, Israelites had been warned against marrying from the heathen nations earlier before settling in Canaan. Samson being a stubborn person, wouldn’t take no for an answer, he managed to convince the parents to support him in marrying the Philistine woman.
The marriage did not go on as planned and due to Samson’s temper, he lost her to someone else. Upon realizing that he had lost the woman his temper flared, he poured his wrath on the Philistines which in turn led to the murder of his father in-law and all his household by the Philistines as an act of revenge against Samson.
Samson’s appetite for Philistine women was unquenchable. As a Nazirite he was supposed to live a holy life, yet we find him in brothels sleeping with prostitutes. Samson broke almost all rules regarding the conduct of a Nazirite. It is probable that Samson imagined that since he was still powerful even after living a reckless life, that breaking the rules had no negative consequences to him. What he did not know is that opening the door to the sensual world would definitely demolish all his moral foundations which in turn destroyed his ability to think soberly. Hence Samson, a man destined to be the judge of Israel fell to the schemes of Delilah. Actually Delilah exposed how weak Samson’s spiritual defense had become.
The life of Samson ends on a sad note. The Philistines had managed to get him to his knees. He had become the laughing stock of the nation, a prisoner, a slave. Finally Samson prayed asking God to give him enough strength so that he could avenge his eyes which were gouged out by the Philistines. God being merciful, granted him his request. The story of Samson ends with the news that he killed many Philistines in his time of death than when he was alive.
From the life of Samson, we learn that hearing or knowing the truth is not all that matters, the main thing is to practice the truth. Obedience is God’s main desire towards his people.
Through the life of Samson, we also learn that with any God given task, we have to learn to tame our passions. We all come to this world with giftings and abilities which are meant to enable us to fulfil our missions here on earth, but also coupled with the abilities, are hungers and appetites which if left unchecked, will end up destroying our lives. There are many talented people who are now addicts simply because they failed to tame their passions. Marriages have ended because of lack of self-control. Minus self-control, it is hard to accomplish your God given mandate here on earth. My prayer is that God may grant you the strength to tame your hungers and appetites that would otherwise destroy you if left unchecked.
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