A Special Baby and a Big Promise: The Birth of Samson (Judges 13:1-25)
The people of Israel had once again turned away from God and started doing wrong. Because of this, God allowed them to be ruled by the Philistines for 40 years. Even though the Israelites kept making bad choices, God still had a plan to help them.
A Surprise Visit
There was a man named Manoah who lived in the tribe of Dan. He and his wife had no children because she couldn’t have any. One day, a messenger from God—described as the “angel of the Lord”—appeared to Manoah’s wife. He told her something amazing: she would have a son! But this wouldn’t be just any baby. He would be special, set apart by God from birth to help save Israel from the Philistines.
The angel gave clear instructions. She wasn’t to drink wine or eat anything unclean, and her son’s hair was never to be cut. This child would be a Nazirite—someone especially dedicated to God.
Manoah Wants to Know More
When his wife told him about the visit, Manoah prayed and asked God to send the messenger again so they could learn more about how to raise the child. God answered his prayer. The angel came back, and Manoah got to ask his questions. The angel repeated the instructions: the boy was to be raised carefully, following all the rules given to his mother.
A Holy Moment
Manoah wanted to thank the angel and offered to prepare a meal. But the angel said instead, they should give a burnt offering to God. So Manoah made a sacrifice. Then something amazing happened—the angel of the Lord went up into the sky in the flames of the altar! Manoah and his wife fell on their faces, realizing they had just seen someone sent straight from heaven.
Manoah was afraid they would die because they had seen a heavenly being. But his wife wisely told him that if God had wanted to harm them, He wouldn’t have accepted their offering or told them about the baby.
Samson Is Born
Just as promised, the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. As he grew up, God’s Spirit began to work in his life. This was the beginning of a big story—Samson would become one of Israel’s most well-known leaders.
What This Teaches Us
Even when people mess up, God doesn’t give up on them. He had a plan to save His people, and He started that plan long before anyone saw the results. God chose Samson before he was even born and prepared his parents to raise him for a special purpose.
It’s a reminder that God can use anyone—at any time—for something great. Sometimes, the most important parts of the story start quietly, behind the scenes.
Judges 13:1-25 (WEB)
13:1 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless. 3 The LORD’s angel appeared to the woman, and said to her, “See now, you are barren and childless; but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing; 5 for, behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name; 7 but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’ ”8 Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us, and teach us what we should do to the child who shall be born.”9 God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah, her husband, wasn’t with her. 10 The woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, saying to him, “Behold, the man who came to me that day has appeared to me.”11 Manoah arose and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?”He said, “I am.”12 Manoah said, “Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be?”13 The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware. 14 She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all that I commanded her.”15 Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “Please stay with us, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”16 The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I won’t eat your bread. If you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD.” For Manoah didn’t know that he was the LORD’s angel.17 Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”18 The LORD’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible?”19 So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched. 20 For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, the LORD’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground. 21 But the LORD’s angel didn’t appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was the LORD’s angel. 22 Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”23 But his wife said to him, “If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, and he wouldn’t have shown us all these things, nor would he have told us such things as these at this time.” 24 The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 The LORD’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.