Set-apart Samson

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Judges 13:1-7 & 24,25

TO CHEW ON: “... You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Judges 13:5

Again the Israelites did evil things. Again their enemies troubled them. This time they were oppressed by the Philistines for forty years.

One day during that time an angel came to the wife of Manoah. She had never been able to have any children. “Now you will have a baby,” the angel told her. “God has a special plan for him. When he grows up, he will have the job of winning against the Philistines.”

The angel comes to Manoah and his wife - Artist unknown

In time the baby was born. His parents named him Samson. As he grew, God blessed him. One day God’s Spirit moved him to begin doing the job God had called him to do.

What do you think :
1. Does God still have special plans for people?

2. Who does He have a plan for - only the people who are going to have big jobs like kings or presidents – or everyone else too?

3. Does God have a plan for you? Read Psalm 139:15 - 16.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for knowing me before I was born and making plans for my life. Help me discover what those plans are. Amen.

MORE: Nazarite
Samson was to be raised as a Nazirite.

A Nazarite was a person especially consecrated or devoted to God. Often people would promise to live like a Nazarite for a short time. But Samson was to live as a Nazarite for his whole life. (Judges 13:7)

Nazarites had to obey three rules. Find two of them in today’s story:

1. ____________________________________________________ (Judges 13:4)

2. ____________________________________________________ (Judges 13:6)

3. Never touch any dead person or animal.

Even Samson’s mom had to obey these rules while she was pregnant with Samson.

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


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