For lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come upon his head. For the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." Judges 13.5 Dear Heavenly Father, just like Samson in Judges 13, I know I too have been called to be set apart. I will not treat myself as common, because you've created me to be extraordinary. Like extraordinary athletes that require extraordinary training, I realize that my life is no exception. Therefore, when my feet touch the ground, I will first connect my heart and soul to your incredible power. I will shift my mind and increase my faith, because as I walk with you, all things become possible. I declare that I have been marked for greatness. I declare that the way I choose to live my life will be in proportion to the anointing and calling I'm stepping into. I will no longer compare myself to others, because what God is doing in my life cannot be imitated. I am one of a kind. I'm not afraid to be different and do different if it means that I'll be able to experience a life completely different from others. I have been marked for greatness, and I accept that life. In Jesus' name, amen. Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible in a Year. Brought to you by Bibleinayear.com This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. I never knew you could treat depression symptoms from your phone, but with this prescription app called Rejoing, it's possible. It's for adults aged 22 and up with major depressive disorder who want to add to their antidepressant medication. And get this. It's the first and only prescription app authorized by the FDA to treat depression symptoms. Rejoing does not replace your current medication. Be sure to use as directed by your healthcare provider. And if your depression symptoms worsen, seek help immediately. Get started today by talking to your healthcare provider or visiting rejoin.com. Slash get started. That's rejowyan.com. Slash get dash started. The birth of Samson. In our last story, we peered into the life of the outcast Jebtha. He was a forgotten bastard son who led Israel out of captivity from the Ammonites. However, he made a promise to God that he would sacrifice the first thing he saw after battle. Little did he know it would be his daughter. So Jebtha mourned and was remembered for his foolishness. In this story, we learn of Israel's disobedience and need for another hero. This time, God prepares the way for another hero. A hero that would be stronger than all the others combined. Yet his story would be a mixture of heroism and tragedy, inspired by the book of judges. We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in a year podcast today. The Bible in a year podcast is an outreach of PowerPoint ministries and can only come to you each week through the support of listeners just like you. Your support today is so important that we want to thank you for your gift by giving you a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. It is a powerful guide that shows how every book of the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word, the truth of God's word, will transform your life. So to get a copy of The Jesus Book, simply go to jackgraham.org.jp And thank you for your support. In our last episode, we heard the tragic story of Jebtha, a mighty warrior who led Israel in victory against the Ammonites, but whose impulsive and foolish promise cost him his daughter, his only child. Though Jebtha is remembered as a hero of the faith in Hebrews, he is also remembered for this crazy vow and the high price that he paid and his family paid because he kept a vow that he should never have made. Today, we'll hear how Israel disobeyed God again and needed a new hero to rescue them, a new deliverer, a judge by the name of Samson. Samson doesn't come onto the scene as a full grown man ready to be the people's hero. We'll get to see his story from the beginning, from his birth and how God chose him for a very special purpose. But more than anything, today's story is one of grateful parents to be who seek God's wise counsel for how to raise the child they are about to bring into the world. So let's listen now to today's scripture. The Philistines enslaved their bodies. For forty years they lived in misery. During this time, there was a man of Zora named Manoa. Manoa and his wife were childless, for his wife was barren. Yet God had a plan for them. An angel of God met Manoa's wife and said to her, you will conceive a son in due time, and when you do, he will live a life set apart for me. He will have no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean. No razor shall come upon his head, for he shall be a Nazarite of God. For I shall rise him up to be a conquering hero, and he will do great things to liberate Israel from the Philistines. The woman ran to her husband and told him of the visitation from a strange man. Manoa prayed to God for guidance and wisdom, imploring that the angel visit again to give them more insight. God answered, and the angel appeared again to the woman. She ran back to her husband, saying, look, the man from before is here. So Manoa ran to go greet him. Are you the one who spoke to my wife before Manoa asked? The angel of God nodded and said it was so. Manoa knelt before him and begged him to stay longer. How shall we raise our child? Manoa asked, for they had dreamed of being parents, and if their son was to be a hero, they wanted to be faithful. So God instructed Manoa, as he did to his wife previously. He would have no wine or strong drink. He would eat clean foods and never cut his hair or face. God wanted to groom a warrior unlike any other before him. Please stay with us a while, Manoa asked. He will have a feast and make a burnt offering to you. And the angel of the Lord refused the food, but remained for the sacrifice made to the Lord. Manoa did not know he was speaking to God himself, so he asked the angel a simple question with profound implications. What is your name? Manoa asked. God looked upon Manoa as a father would a child. Why do you ask me my name? God asked. It is wonderful, he said. The name wonderful would be prophesied as the name of the Messiah hundreds of years later. Manoa and his wife laid an offering down at the altar of God. They watched as the flames danced in front of them. It was night, and the light of the fire drew them in close. Then, in a rush like the wind, was pushing the flames upwards. The angel of the Lord rose up with the smoke and disappeared into the sky. Manoa and his wife fell on their faces, finally realizing who it was they were speaking to. The Lord will surely kill us since we have seen him. Manoa trembled. If he wanted to kill us, we would be dead, his wife replied. God would not visit them in this way again. The two conceived and bore a child. They named him Samson. The young boy grew into a strong man. God blessed Samson in everything, and his strength was unmatched by anyone in the land. Year by year, God groomed him. He abstained from drinks that would dwindle his wits, and he abstained from foods that would weaken his body. He did not shave and lived in the land under the training and favor of God. For one day, he would be called upon to save all of Israel. We begin today's story with Israel once again in sinful rebellion against God. They turned to other gods, little gods, no gods at all, idols, and they began to do evil in the side of the Lord. God gave them over to the Philistines for 40 years, but this time, we don't hear the people crying for the help of God. So God begins preparing a mighty leader among them, and it starts with a couple who are unable to have children, and God chooses to bless them with a son. Manoa and his wife were clearly God-fearing, righteous people. They were about to be chosen to raise a boy who would become a great man in Israel. So when an angel from God appeared to Manoa's wife, she listened carefully to what he told her. It was joyous news. A child would soon come into their family, and he wouldn't be just any child. The angel gave her strict instructions for how she was to eat and drink while she carried the child, as well as how he was to be raised to be set apart as a Nazarite. Manoa's wife runs to tell her husband the amazing news and the instructions that she had received. His response is such a great example for any expecting parent. We read it in Judges 3.8. Then Manoa prayed to the Lord and said, Oh Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we're to do with the child who will be born. He had just received the best news of his life. Not only a child, but a son was coming. Manoa knew that his child would fulfill a very special purpose. So what does he do? He once again seeks God and asks for direction and instruction. What a wonderful thing it is for any parent to be, to ask God for guidance and to pray that he would enable us to raise our children for a righteous purpose. That's exactly what Manoa and his wife did, and God honored their request sending his angel once more to instruct them. Manoa invited the angel to stay and eat with them, and the angel told them that he would not eat, but would stay while they made a sacrifice to the Lord. Manoa then asked the angel his name so that they could honor this angel. And the angel's reply is prophetic, for he says his name is wonderful. It is a title that will be given one day to the Messiah, the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father. So this was no angel. This was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus, what we know in theology as a theophany, an appearance of God in the Old Testament. When the flames of the offering leap into the sky, Manoa and his wife watch as the angel goes up into the heavens with the flames, realizing that they've seen God, they fall in adoration, the only proper response to an encounter with God. The child is born, and his name is Samson. His parents follow all the instructions, and he grows stronger and stronger and stronger. He will become a superhero of sorts, a legend, a strong man like no other. God will use Samson in a mighty way, despite his failings and weaknesses. And we're going to hear more of his story the next time. Dear God, we do thank you for the example of Samson's parents, godly parents who sought you and your wisdom and guidance for the raising of their child. Help us to do the same as we want to bring up our children in the nurture and in the training of the Lord. Give us wisdom, Lord, to be faithful parents, to set the right example, and to bring up our children to love and serve you. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. And before we go, I wanted to let you know that the Bible in a Year podcast is an outreach of PowerPoint ministries and can only come to you each week through the support of listeners like you. Your support today is so important that we want to thank you for your gift by giving you a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. This book is a powerful guide that shows how every book in the Bible points to Christ and how you can better read and understand the Bible and how God's Word transforms our lives. So to get your copy of the Jesus book, simply go to jagram.org slash jesus. That's jagram.org slash jesus. And thank you for your support. This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.
