Samson: Beginnings Judges 13:2 5

1
Samson Beginnings(Judges 132 5)

• There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family
  of the Danites, whose name was Manoah and his
  wife was barren and had borne no children.
• Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman
  and said to her, "Behold now, you are barren and
  have borne no children, but you shall conceive
  and give birth to a son. Now therefore, be
  careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor
  eat any unclean thing. For behold, you shall
  conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor
  shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a
  Nazirite to God from the womb and he shall begin
  to deliver Israel from the hands of the
  Philistines."

2
Laws for Nazirites (Numbers 62 8)

• 'When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow
  of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the Lord,
  he shall abstain from wine and strong drink he
  shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or
  strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice
  nor eat fresh or dried grapes. All the days of
  his separation he shall not eat anything that is
  produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even
  to the skin.
• 'All the days of his vow of separation no razor
  shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until
  the days are fulfilled for which he separated
  himself to the Lord he shall let the locks of
  hair on his head grow long.
• 'All the days of his separation to the Lord he
  shall not go near to a dead person. He shall not
  make himself unclean for his father or for his
  mother, for his brother or for his sister, when
  they die, because his separation to God is on his
  head. All the days of his separation he is holy
  to the Lord.

3
Samson the Nazirite

• He had to abstain from any grape product.
• His hair had to grow long it could not be cut
  or shaved.
• He could not approach or touch a dead body.

4
But Samson eventually violated all points of his
Nazirite vow.

• He held a customary drinking feast to celebrate
  his marriage to a Philistine girl. (Judges 1410)
  
• Ate honey from a beehive in the carcass of a lion
  he had earlier killed. (145 9)
• Killed 30 men and stripped the clothing from
  their dead bodies. (1419)
• Told Delilah the secret of his strength, resulted
  in his head being shaved. (161521)

5
Notes on Samson

• Samson was supposed to be a peculiar person
  with a special purpose. He was not intended to
  blend in or be like others around him.
• He undid himself by compromising his unique
  covenant with God.
• His stubborn attempt to blend both worlds cost
  Israel a measure of her deliverance and brought
  him to great shame and suffering.
• He finally repented and achieved a great success,
  but it cost him his life.

6
We Also have a Covenant with God

• Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even
  be named among you, as is proper among saints.
  (Ephesians 53)
• What agreement has the temple of God with idols?
  For we are the temple of the living God
  Therefore, come out from their midst and be
  separate, says the Lord. and do not touch what
  is unclean And I will welcome you. And I will be
  a father to you, And you shall be sons and
  daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.
  Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us
  cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh
  and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
  God. (2 Corinthians 616-71)

7
We Are Not to Blend In with Those Around Us

• Do not be conformed to this world, but be
  transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that
  you may prove what the will of God is, that which
  is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans
  122)
• Examine everything carefully hold fast to that
  which is good abstain from every form of evil.
  (1 Thessalonians 521-22)

8
Do Not Compromise Your Covenant with Christ

• Like Samson, we are to live in this world and yet
  not be like it.
• To be pure and abstain from every form of evil
  sometimes requires our non-participation in even
  customary events and practices.
• - Popular entertainment, sensual environments
  (dances, overly-private dates, etc.),
  revealing/tight clothing styles
• they are surprised that you do not run with
  them into the same excesses of dissipation, and
  they malign you but they will give account to
  Him who is ready to judge the living and the
  dead. (1 Peter 44-5)