Samson – Birth of a Strong (Part B)

When Jesus said men ought always prayer and not lose heart. In Luke 18 you go through life just don't want to pray. Sometimes you just frustrate worn out tired since it was the use I've been praying this brain is God not listening and then that verse comes to mind. Men ought always pray were coming from Christ. It's more than just an encouragement is a command and because he is worthy begin to pray.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher. Rick asked Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Rick is currently teaching through the book of Judges. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio.

Specifically, you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's pastor Rick with his continuing study called Sampson, birth of a straw in Judges chapter 13 calling as it is for any parent to rear the child as God has said, and this is a particular course. You cannot just this is not a one-size-fits-all thought for everyone and if you tried to make it for when you cause a problem, but the child would not in directly even before conception, the child abstain from bandit consumables his mother would not be able to do. You know have a glass of grape juice.

She was totally the husband was good to because it meant more for him. She did tell me I can have it anyway verse verse five for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son and no razor shall come upon his head for the child shall be a Nazirite from God from the womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistine. Well, now this not confuse a Nazirite with a Nazarene Nazarene from Nazareth Nazirite, one who is dedicated for a period of time or in the case of Samson possibly Samuel John the Baptist, lifetime Sampson is clearly distinguished as a Nazirite from birth.

Now the Levites they were priest or they were assistance to the priest if they were of Allen's line.

They were born priest that was their duty but a Nazirite served out of devotion in a voluntary sense. It wasn't their duty to did not have to be this way. Except for Sampson non-Samuels cases mother Hannah placed him in a little dedicated. He had a say so in the patter is remarkable when you begin to think about how little we have to do with showing up on earth will numbers chapter 6 God gives the instructions for one who wants to draw closer to God. In this type of way to speak to the children to Israel and say to them when either a man or woman consecrate sin offering to take a vow of a Nazirite to separate himself to Yahweh, shall separate himself from wine and similar drink you shall neither drink vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink, neither shall you drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or raisins. Great popsicles will be out that be a tough one to say no. In the summer but anyhow the lifestyle of the Nazareth Nazirite. Sorry, was to be this living proclamation that I'm drawing close to God.

I must decrease.

So God can increase in my life and no razor was to touch the head. I like a good clean shave I think most men that shave you appreciate what you are Nazirite you could rent space out to the birds to nest in certain seasons of the year. No razor. This prohibition is emphasized because it is the one that got Sampson to really mess up it was already messed up but just came. That was the one that was that stood out, and his long hair. Of course, was a proclamation of his devotion to God Kitty just get a haircut you not only: never take you that way. So I don't want them to. I'm devoted to the Lord. This is out would be I don't know the other branches do anything to get haircuts all right just a little fine. We don't mean anything about it.

Mighty quiet here right now. Anyway, the duration of the vow again. That was up to the individual except in the case of Samson's adjuster summarize. He was to abstain from contact with the fruit of the vine.

That's important to catch him in the vineyard of the vine yard however you like to pronounce where I come from it's vineyard but I like when people say vine yard figure you've been working all they could use a little attempt at humor, but evidently what will try again maybe anyway from contact with the razor. Of course, though, that would've been obvious violation if he had shown his hair or something like that.

No contact with the dead.

Even the nearest and dearest, if you are under the value were to abstain from this contact, and again, this was a proclamation of your affection, your dedication your desire for God in your life you desire to not be so self-interested, but to be centered in in God and your love for God was to us and under this right was making this proclamation that other loves a lesser loves the lot. You can have other loves to love your children, just as much.

For example, but God was his God and the urge your children and anybody else is not an that belong to the vowel keeping the body under submission. He says for the child to be Nazirite to God from the wound is a high honor, but it's demanding responsibility and just like you know no one should take this under themselves.

When we serve the Lord. We want the Lord to be in it we want is leading he has to be in it for us to the flesh is pushing something up a hill.

It it cannot get up to the top and is going to roll back on them and so we, being led by the Spirit is difficult because of our flesh, but it is an imperative to wrestle. Don't think that being led by the Lord is going to be handed to you. Sometimes it will be many times it's not you got a fight for it under mean in the flesh at all. It involves waiting. It involves being denied. It involves a lot of things that are burning off the troughs to get to where you stand in the matter that you're looking to receive instruction from God. It can be grueling, but I rather have that in my life than just living like pig that is returned to the slop as Peter talks about. I'd rather have my struggles in the spirit with the Lord, the struggles of born out of my flesh, not out of his reluctance. I rather have that than to just live without the Lord.

This is the way it is.

There are just rules and laws that we don't know all about. We know some we know enough. We don't know it all. Well, unlike the other judges. Sampson is not going to rally an army doesn't he when he is one is this a guy kills a thousand men in one swoop so that tells you something about his personality. He had friends he seems to have been a jolly guy got a fun-loving guy. Kind of like your your athlete types and that's not necessarily a compliment didn't work out well for him in the end. And so what he did as he is told here and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines that is exactly what happened. He began the process.

He did not initially process what would he have been had he adhered to his calling to his vow if he took it more seriously than he did.

What would've happened. What kind of hero would Sampson have been we not going to find out, but we don't want to be too hard on him because remember David Cross bigger lines than Sampson.

I still love David used him even after and still held up his name is a righteous man in the days of Christ. Those are lessons for us on grace and kindness that the mission is to find solutions to problems in Christ in the flesh and not look to take out wound it out and stone them. Verse six to do that without I mean they have to repent. Amino don't want to sound careless, reckless character. There are rules and we want to try to abide by them. One of the rules in church discipline, Christian discipline is grace to look for opportunities to show grace and mercy.

Verse six of the woman came and told her husband saying a man of God came to me and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very awesome, but I did not ask him where he was from and he did not tell me I just love this whole story here. Amanda God came so she's assuming he's a prophet.

More than likely shouldn't catch that this is of course, how could she did was really nothing given to her to say more than just a man. I'm not a moron. God hears God in human form and is giving his promise. She says it was very awesome for us when you can use the word in the proper context. I can't help myself to ask somebody what time it is and say awesome is butchering the meaning in the language and you should know next time you call someone of a call and maybe put on order online or something is ownership and and they save you, oh awesome something this correct them, shamed them, make them feel humiliated, daring to use the word awesome like that anyhow what she means. Here is with a man of God came to me his countenance was like the countenance of the angel of God, very awesome off the chart. That's what she say anything like this anywhere else to go to the market and find somebody what a face like this guys face was he saying this is those words. It's like infinity is nothing more will actually infinity means nothing, but something more. But you should get what I'm saying.

Deuteronomy 721 you shall not be terrified of them for Yahweh your God, the great and awesome God is among you are God's awesome and change for dollar is not the cost of each other trivial things.

What else came from California. Anyway, he said, she says, but I do not ask him his name. If you get you mad and helped out husband and wife is asking the Lord was name was a Selassie Bobby did what was his name.

The first question I asked him, but I did not ask where he was from and he did not tell me his name. Okay that's how how it goes with the same thing is she doesn't know who he is. This is important to them because names in that society were more than just titles for identification with more to it may be just the sound of that that they were interested in the nature that the name would reflect mean that God is my judge. They wanted to put that on the child's of the child would go through life being conscious of God is the judge and live up to the name. Often they did not live up to the name I mean Judas Iscariot it's it's nice name to you remember who would belong to the coordinated child. Judas too much nowadays because he's he sustained it but praise I mean you know Judah, the tribe of Judah, so you know we go a Jew that's a nice name to go with Rick is the biblical name it's it's and I can prove it is not in the Bible that makes it biblical. Okay, listen the politicians can do it why can I read on verse seven and he said to them, behold, you shall conceive and bear a son, now drink no wine. She's not repeating the story in a similar drink or eat anything unclean for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb the day of his death. Again Sampson.

The earliest example of this Nazirite and to the day of his death. This a lot of something attractive about hearing that he's going to be dedicated to God till he dies us to constantly idea and the angel of the Lord told her this but is a lot of terrorism packed into that and you know maybe when you first start serving. You've got all these grand plans for the Lord.

But then you find out how difficult it is and so when I read this now. This I get out of breath almost of how much is involved here. You know Jesus pretty much made obsolete the lifelong Nazirite with the communion table would be able to come to the community and so maybe you can take such a valve he wanted to for a week or so you know just I want to draw near to the Lord. I'm going to abstain. Called fasting and in the spirit certainly is advisable but you could not rightly say I'm going to take a valve the Nazirite for my life as a Christian because that would exclude you from the table and that would be foolish. Verse eight. Then Manoah prayed to Yahweh and said oh my Lord please let the man of God whom you sent come to us and teach us what we shall do for the child whom will be born.

What a righteous character and his righteous characters being held up to us was the first thing he does once he's told to praise that's that's how the story is his wife tells him that she's had this been a man of God with this awesome countenance, and in the first thing he does is pray in his prayer is so sensible. The parents of Sampson were praying parents.

He says he wants God to meet the man seeking instruction. I do this right you want the details once the blueprints he doesn't want is not saying a figure it out as I go along all be okay. I got this missing.

Quite the opposite.

I'm depending on the Lord to tell me just how he wants us to do this so she is a static that she's having a child and he's delighted that he is he is going to have a child to but how to do the whole process like this is great this is the remnant of God in these two.

This is why God chose this couple method. There was no one else around. But these are again righteous features being held up and I would think. As the years roll by any he and she told the story there. There was a lot of joy involved. They never forgot with this man of God look like. Says here in verse eight, and said oh my Lord please let the man of God whom you sent come to us again. We can you can hear the sincerity and in his prayer. God can I see them again arming little come again and he says, and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born. You know there's no doubting that is not if the child will be really can you give me something. Now he's accepted right away. I think first off, he does doubt his wife she comes and tells her she's I she accepts it. There must've been something in her face and let him know this was something really special because he goes right into the character of a righteous man, and again, not depending on himself looking to God. That's humility. The Christian church in the Christian individual should look to the Holy Spirit before we do anything that is of any value arming brush teeth in the morning. Riddle have to pray for that direction. That's a mandate oh hygiene's good anyhow. We are taking up a collection for a laugh track church issue that were going to put an end to this current another way sympathy laughs was her. She's not right. Anyway, before you question someone's sanity, you better make sure you've got solid proof at slanderous and he doesn't question her sanity is he a crazy category. You you Children is limited. No, he just believes her because they have a good relationship first nine and God listen to the voice of Manoah and the angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her now because my question is was she doing sitting in the field who does that well quite re-when when I was in Israel.

I saw Shepherd sitting in his field, nodding his wrists in the seat which is doing that whatever she doing is sitting down and I guess maybe that's what she was doing. I what else to do on the field you let out a good sneeze without covering your mouth. If no one is around anyways quite profound and God listen to the voice of Manoah did this again. This is why I like this couple and he does a man he fervent prayer of a righteous man is unsung hero. He and her, the couple showed up in the New Testament because God wanted me to use the discernment to say that right not done that that which is going to finish in prayer. The cute little things that I am enjoying myself too much. The so the angel of the Lord there. It will angel of God, which is interchangeable with angel of Yahweh verse in verse three, so that's not a contradiction of any type. When Jesus said men ought always prayer and not lose heart. In Luke 18. You know you go through life and you just don't want to pray.

Sometimes because you're just frustrated worn-out tired sense of defeat was the use I've been praying this and praying, there's God, not listening and then that verse comes to mind. Men ought always pray and not lose heart were coming from Christ is more than just an encouragement is a command and because he is worthy begin to pray and so there is just one story of in the Bible of the spring man verse 10 then the woman ran and hastened told her husband and said to him, looked Amanda came to me the other day has just now appear to me that the New Testament were Peter was in jail. They were praying for his release. He gets to the house and the last, that answers the door doesn't let him.

Then she goes and tells the people that are praying for Peter's release that he's at the door little believer not the case with mono. He believes his wife he's here is not the case when Mary Magdalene ran to the divisional.

Peter was the leader of the pack. The covering of the of all of the ladies that did not have husband's for sure the spiritual covering she runs and then tells Peter and little believer in the got up and ran course they ran together in the John outran Peter and John, make sure we know that to this way. Put this in Sean's gospel. Anyhow, too many falafel's Peter go to Israel a falafel start coming out of your ears everywhere like falafel vending machines specific for kids. Should you would falafel guns like paintballs, but if okay so the woman told her husband and said look the man came as as I read there in verse 10 north to force God's hand is so wanted the end prayer comes this answer so quickly. This is exciting. Joe says that he is unique speaking of God, understatement of the Bible, God is unique. Who can make him change in whatever his soul desires that he does nudge over.

Speaking from a heart experience when he when he said those words sees hand look at me God does what he wants to do. Prayer is not designed to get God to do something for me prayers to get me into him with God. Sometimes it works out very nicely. Like in this example, but for Job it was a long haul.

Verse 11 so Manoah arose and followed his wife when he came to the man he said to him, are you the man who spoke to this woman and he said I am now mute.

You gotta love that the excitement did must've been in both their minds as she's follow me. She did going with the man is in both their heads is excitement.

The six spiritual activity, and when we don't get spiritual activity I do about you but I did. It begins to weigh on me when I can't sense the Lord leading and guiding and sometimes it's last for years. While it's never had that in preparation and in the pulpit but I have had my private life is the Lord is the reason for the wake of a good morning Lord good morning Rick, just be a wonderful day and then all of a sudden we see in the sensing him that I do something wrong, nothing different same haircut that is how it is.

And then after a while he picks up Mikey like you just never know they happen.

Some explanation will relent along when I'm disciplined. See you that has been for me. Maybe you think you're better than me and or verse 11 so Manoah arose followed his wife when they came to the man he said to him, are you the man who spoke to this woman, he said I am again holding all the participants in this in a very good life.

Yes three questions that he asked him are you the man I spoke to this woman that's his wife. He will go on to ask in the next verse. What will be the boys rule of life, and then in verse 17 he gets to hit, which in any way he only gets 11 answer to the three questions verse 12 Manoah said, now let your words come to pass.

What will be the boys rule of life and his work. I love this question so much he wants to.

Details how is life going to be ordered how mother raised this kid. But what do I have to do to fulfill to to to honor this blessing that's coming to my home. That's what Manoah's question is he wants precise instruction and everything had been going in his favor. Why not ask this question his birth was foretold by this visitor.

There would be special training involved with the abstention from the divine in all the vile the Nazirite and that's training he was being trained for what his ministry was was to be his ministry on life and so the father is diligently inquiring on how do I do it was going to happen as the child matures, so there've been times that I thought about this question what will be the boys rule of life.

Maybe I'll just leave it there and if it strikes you, you can consider it to. But these facts make the story of Samson's failure more terrible that he had such a mom and dad that pursuant to spirit righteously.

They were in tune with each other and they were good and decent people all the havoc that there's not a pickup here and yet Samson was will see later, he gets to be a hell of a spoiled brat move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Judges cross reference radio is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. If you'd like more information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there and encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast that work just follow the links across reference radio.com that's all the time we have for today. Join us next time to continue learning more from the book of Judges right here cross reference rate