Judges

Judges 13: The LORD prepares a rescuer

Begin in prayer

Before we learn how the LORD keeps His promise and sets apart a rescuer, let us come to Him together. Ask Him to teach us to trust His word and to help us see Christ, the Savior He sent.

But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by Yahweh their God, and will not save them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.”

Hosea 1:7

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Please help us hear Your promise and obey Your Word. Show us Jesus, the Savior You promised, and teach us to praise Your mercy. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

The LORD gives sinful Israel into Philistine hands, then promises a son to Manoah's childless wife. His angel says the child will be a Nazirite from the womb and will begin to save Israel from the Philistines. God answers Manoah's prayer by sending the angel again to repeat the mother's instructions. As Manoah offers to the LORD, the angel ascends in the flame, and Manoah fears they will die. His wife answers that God has accepted their offering and promised them a son. Samson is born, the LORD blesses him, and God's Spirit begins to move him.

As you read Judges 13, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

The LORD keeps His promise and sets apart a rescuer for His people.

Israel does evil again, and the Philistines rule them for forty years, yet no cry for help is recorded before God acts. Manoah is a man of Zorah, from the tribe of Dan, and his wife has never had a child. The LORD's angel promises a son who will be a Nazirite, set apart to God from the womb to the day of his death. A Nazirite drank no wine and never cut his hair, so Samson's long hair would show that he belonged to God. Manoah asks the angel's name and is told it is “incomprehensible,” beyond what people can understand (verse 18). Then the angel goes up in the flame of the offering, and Manoah cries, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.” His wife reasons from what God has done, the accepted offering and the promise, that the LORD does not mean to kill them. Manoah believes he has seen God Himself, and the wonder of this angel prepares us for God the Son, who came as a man. Samson is born, the LORD blesses him, and the Spirit begins to move him, so the rescue starts with God and not with Samson.

How does Judges 13 show us that the LORD keeps His promise and sets apart a rescuer for His people?

The LORD promises help during Israel's oppression.

God gives Israel into Philistine hands because the people again do evil. His angel appears to a childless woman and promises her a son (verses 1 to 5). This child will begin to save Israel from its rulers.

God sets the child apart and teaches his parents.

Samson will belong to God as a Nazirite from the womb, and no razor is to touch his head. Manoah asks God to teach them what to do for the child (verses 5 to 8). God hears and sends the angel again, who repeats the commands given to the mother.

God keeps His word and blesses Samson.

Manoah says they will die because they have seen God. His wife recalls the offering God received and the promise He gave them (verses 22 and 23). Their son is born, the LORD blesses him, and His Spirit begins to move him.

Memorise

the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Judges 13:5

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, will I listen to God's Word and trust Him to keep what He promises?

The angel says of the promised child, “He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” God gives life to a childless woman and prepares help for Israel. His mercy reaches people living under the judgment their sins have brought.

God later sent His own Son to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1 verse 21). Jesus obeyed the Father throughout His life and bore His people's guilt when He died in their place. His finished offering on the cross pays their whole debt before God. He rose from the dead, and those who trust Him have a Savior who will never die.

Please turn from your sin and trust Jesus Christ. A strong human rescuer can give relief from enemies, while Christ removes guilt and brings sinners to God. He will receive you with forgiveness when you come to Him in faith. Thank God for the Savior He has provided and ask Him to teach you to follow Jesus.

Parent's note

Tell your children that Samson's calling begins with God's promise and power. A Christian home does not make any child saved. Explain that a Nazirite was set apart to God, and Samson's uncut hair marked that calling. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for keeping His word and providing the Savior, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

Jude 25

Faithful Lord, thank You for the Savior You have sent. Please bring each of us to trust Him and teach us to obey Your Word. Help parents and children seek Your instruction together. Amen.