Sermon Notes

13 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. 2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren, having borne no children. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Although you are barren, having borne no children, you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink or to eat anything unclean, 5 for you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor is to come on his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from birth. It is he who shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like that of an angel[a] of God, most awe-inspiring; I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name, 7 but he said to me, ‘You shall conceive and bear a son. So then, drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from birth to the day of his death.’ ” 24 The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25 The spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NRSVue)
13 And then the People of Israel were back at it again, doing what was evil in God’s sight. God put them under the domination of the Philistines for forty years. 2-5 At that time there was a man named Manoah from Zorah from the tribe of Dan. His wife was barren and childless. The angel of God appeared to her and told her, “I know that you are barren and childless, but you’re going to become pregnant and bear a son. But take much care: Drink no wine or beer; eat nothing ritually unclean. You are, in fact, pregnant right now, carrying a son. No razor will touch his head—the boy will be God’s Nazirite from the moment of his birth. He will launch the deliverance from Philistine oppression.” 6-7 The woman went to her husband and said, “A man of God came to me. He looked like the angel of God—terror laced with glory! I didn’t ask him where he was from and he didn’t tell me his name, but he told me, ‘You’re pregnant. You’re going to give birth to a son. Don’t drink any wine or beer and eat nothing ritually unclean. The boy will be God’s Nazirite from the moment of birth to the day of his death.’” 24-25 The woman gave birth to a son. They named him Samson. The boy grew and God blessed him. The Spirit of God began working in him while he was staying at a Danite camp between Zorah and Eshtaol. (The Message, MSG)

Jonathan McReynolds, preeminent gospel musician, composer, and contemporary worship leader, has a spiritually insightful and thought provoking song on his album Make More Room entitled, “Cycles.” As would be expected by the title, the song explores the cyclical conditions that people perpetuate in their lives; cycles which lead to disastrous consequences if not recognized and corrected. In verse one, he sings:
Didn't I conquer this last year?
Tell me what I missed 'cause I fear
That it's coming back up again
Must be something I ate
Some song, some show, some hate
The devil wants to extend the game, free throws
And when it ends he wants to make the sequel
'Cause if he has another chance
He feels like he can take My joy, my peace, my faith
(Chorus)
See the devil, he learns from your mistakes
Even if you don't
That's how he keeps you in cycles, cycles
Cycles, cycles
But I'm not going in cycles, cycles
Cycles, cycles
Although McReynolds recorded this song in 2018, its setting could be Ancient Israel because the cycles that he sings about in the 21st century CE are being perpetuated by the children of Israel in the twelfth through the tenth centuries BCE as they precariously traverse the Promised Land. And what makes the situation worse is it’s not the devil, Satan, or enemies in the land that are forcing these recurrent sequences. The people are doing it to themselves. Because the people can’t get out of their own way and they keep on doing the same thing over and over and over again, but yet they expect different results—that is literally the definition of madness—their cyclical predilections become a downward spiral that eventually leads to the decline and demise of the nation.
However, even in the midst of cycles of apostacy and downward spirals, God continually meets ancient Israel through individual judges (“shofetim” in Hebrew)—charismatic, local, warrior rulers—who arise at various times in the nation’s history to lead ancient Israel as they navigate adversaries within Canaan. Although the people continually and consistently sin against God, God continually and consistently visits God’s people through leaders like Othniel, Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. These judges are both the gifted and the ordinary, sometimes well-prepared and sometimes haphazard, but God uses them all to deliver ancient Israel from their oppressors.
At this point, a word of exegetical/hermeneutical caution is warranted. Lest readers get caught up in the heroics of individual judges, we should remember that God is the central character who mercifully visits God’s people as they traverse the Promised Land. Essentially, the book of Judges is a testament to how God faithfully keeps covenantal relationship, even when God’s people fail to remain faithful. For those who wrote Judges—exilic scribes, priests, and editors who reworked oral traditions and written sources into the final form of Judges from the 6th through the 3rd centuries BCE—God is one who is always with the people, even when the people fail to be with God. As biblical scholar Cynthia Edenburg notes in the SBL Study Bible, “Judges stands out more clearly not simply as a tale of the people’s continual failure but as an illustration of God’s continual deliverance.”

The book of Judges is part of the Deuteronomic History (Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings) which tells the story of the conquest in Canaan, the rise of monarchy and the development of the united kingdom, its dissolution into the kingdoms and Israel and Judah, and their respective exiles in 722BCE and 587/586 BCE. The Deuteronomic History shares a common vocabulary, thematic thrust, and theological perspective with the book of Deuteronomy. Further, the Deuteronomistic Historians —exilic scribes, priests, and editors who reworked oral and written sources into their final written forms of the Deuteronomic History from the 6th century through the 3rd century BCE—fervently believed in singular loyalty to the LORD, centralized religious worship in one place, and the efficacy of Davidic leadership. And, as Judges reflects, they affirmed that God worked through especially gifted individuals called judges.
This week’s lesson text comes from the central portion of Judges which focuses on stories about individual judges (3:7 – 16:31.) Samson is the last judge of Israel, and the last judge within the book of Judges. When comparing all of the Israelite judges, the writers/editors present Samson as being more gifted, more charismatic, and more extraordinary than any of the previous judges. He is called to this post in utero—literally before his birth. However, in the end his story is an object lesson in what a leader should not do. Ultimately, he embodies the flawed character of a sinful and recalcitrant ancient Israel. Recall the theological refrain of Judges: “the people did what was evil in God’s sight.” The lesson text can be divided into three sections: verse 1, verses 2-7, and verses 24-25.

1And then the People of Israel were back at it again, doing what was evil in God’s sight. God put them under the domination of the Philistines for forty years.
The opening verse of the lesson text provides the recurring introductory statement and theological theme for the entire book of Judges: Again, Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines forty years (NRSVue). This is the sixth and final episode in the Judges cycles. If this were a typical cycle, we would expect the Israelites to (1) engage in sinful behavior, (2) reap divine punishment through being handed over to enemies, and (3) cry out to God in distress, (4) prompting God to raise up a judge to deliver the people. However, in this final cycle, the people do not even have the sense or wherewithal to cry out to God in distress. They are either so deep in sin that they do not discern their precarious situation, or they do not care how far they have fallen. Either way, God must now take the initiative to deliver the Israelites from their oppressors.
2-5 At that time there was a man named Manoah from Zorah from the tribe of Dan. His wife was barren and childless. The angel of God appeared to her and told her, “I know that you are barren and childless, but you’re going to become pregnant and bear a son. But take much care: Drink no wine or beer; eat nothing ritually unclean. You are, in fact, pregnant right now, carrying a son. No razor will touch his head—the boy will be God’s Nazirite from the moment of his birth. He will launch the deliverance from Philistine oppression.” 6-7 The woman went to her husband and said, “A man of God came to me. He looked like the angel of God—terror laced with glory! I didn’t ask him where he was from and he didn’t tell me his name, but he told me, ‘You’re pregnant. You’re going to give birth to a son. Don’t drink any wine or beer and eat nothing ritually unclean. The boy will be God’s Nazirite from the moment of birth to the day of his death.’”
In verses 2-7, the writers of Judges outline how God is going to raise up a deliverer through the tribe of Dan, one of the smallest of the Israelite tribes. The angel of God announces the birth of this deliverer to the barren, wife of a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan—the least of the Israelite tribes. While the book of Judges does not provide her name, the rabbis who wrote the Babylonian say her name was Zelelponith, which is related to the name Hazzelelponi mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:3. The angel instructs the unknowingly expectant mother to not consume wine or alcohol and not eat food that is considered ritually unclean. Zelelponith is to keep these pre-natal instructions because her son will be a “Nazarite” from moment she gives birth to him. Numbers 6:1-21 outlines the requirements of the Nazarite vow:
• It is a voluntary vow of separation to God, which can be made by either a man or a woman.
• It is normally a temporary vow, made for that period of time which the individual stipulates at the beginning of the vow.
• The person making the vow must abstain not only from wine, but from everything derived from the grape vine. This would include grape juice, grape skins, grape seeds, and raisins.
• The person making the vow must avoid contact with anything dead, even family members.
• If any defilement occurs during the period of the vow, the individual must go through a cleansing process and then begin the vow period all over.
• The person making the Nazirite vow must also abstain from cutting their hair for the period of time the vow is in effect. Once the stipulated period has ended, sacrifices are offered to God, and the hair is cut off and offered up on the sacrificial fire as well.
While it is not expressly stated, Zelelponith’s pre-natal Nazarite prohibitions indicate that her unborn son has been hand-picked by God to deliver ancient Israel. Her barrenness also indicates the extraordinary nature of her son’s consecration and assignment. In the bible, individuals who are called to special assignments or significant covenantal relationships with God are often born to barren mothers. Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mary are all barren women who birth sons that significantly impact the future trajectory of God’s people. When God chooses to affect the physical, spiritual, economic and social context(s) of God’s people, barren women birth extraordinary leaders.
“Zelelponith” tells her husband about her visit from the angel, adding to the divine messengers declaration the words, “to the day of his death” which foreshadows her son’s tragic end. What is key about this initial event in the Samson cycle is that Manoah’s wife simply trusts God. She never asks who the angelic messenger is, nor does she inquire about his history, background, or qualifications to offer this birth announcement despite her infertility. She recognizes this word as divine proclamation and takes the messenger at his word. How many contemporary Christians have the faith to trust God like that? When we hear the “word of the Lord,” how many of us respond in faith, believing that God is going to do what God says God will do? Her response is markedly different from her husband Manoah, and is instructive of how we should respond when God delivers a word of promise and deliverance.
24-25 The woman gave birth to a son. They named him Samson. The boy grew and God blessed him. The Spirit of God began working in him while he was staying at a Danite camp between Zorah and Eshtaol.
In due time, Manoah’s wife gives birth to a son, whom she names Samson which is related to the Hebrew word for “sun.” From birth, Samson knew and experienced the fact that he was special to God and God expected him to free His people from the Philistines. God meant for him to serve as His judge. Over time, Samson recognized the Spirit of the Lord stirring within him.
What is especially noteworthy about this pericope are the references to other biblical narratives. Zelelponith’s barrenness mirrors that of the barren matriarchs in Genesis. Her angelic visit mirrors the angelic visit to Sarah and Abraham announcing the birth of Isaac in Genesis. The Nazarite vow mirrors the biblical references to Nazarite vows in Numbers. These recurrent events reveal that God is intervening with extraordinary measures to come to the aid of God’s people. This should give contemporary Christians hope that God is intervening in extraordinary ways to deliver, heal, and save us.

i. “Cycles,” (Songwriters: Jonathan McReynolds / Will Reagan © Capitol CMG Publishing, 2018.)
ii. The SBL Study Bible (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2023), 372.
iii. The Westminster Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition with the Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal Books (Louisville, Westminster John Knox Press, 2024), 337.
iv. Wilda C. Gafney, Womanist Midrash, Volume 2: A Reintroduction to the Women of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings (Louisville, Westminster John Knox Press, 2024), 97.
v. Fred Jeff Smith, “Broken People; Faithful God,” Shiloh Mid-Day Bible Study – February 19, 2019.