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Judges 13:1 Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the
sight of the LORD, so that the LORD gave them into the hands of the
Philistines forty years. |
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NOW THE SONS OF ISRAEL
AGAIN DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD: (Jer
13:23, 9:5, Isa 5:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
Again - The cycle of sin, bondage,
repentance, deliverance, blessing, and sin again continued in the history of
Israel. The part of the cycle that brings enslavement is described in this
passage and it is notable that this is the longest record of oppression of
Israel in Judges (40 years)!
THE TRAGEDY OF
UNFULFILLED POTENTIAL
As Dave Guzik observes...
Into these times was born the next judge
of Israel, Samson. In this sense Samson was truly a man from his times. He
was a study in contrasts, a man of great strengths and great weaknesses. In
this, he was a picture of Israel's history - of great highs and lows. Samson
is also an important example of unfulfilled potential. Though he did great
things for God, it is staggering to consider what he might have done and
been for God. (Judges
13)
Paul describes every believer's
potential...
For we are His workmanship (poiema
- word study),
created in Christ Jesus for good works (see
word study), which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ep 2:10-note)
Paul then gives us the warning...
Therefore
be careful
(present
imperative =
command calling for this be be our continual mindset in this dark, deceptive
world) how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of
(redeeming -
word study)
your time (opportunity -
word study),
because the days are evil. (Ep 5:15, 16-note)
This tragic saga of Samson's
unfulfilled potential is a story each of us as "New Testament Nazarites" (in
the sense of being set apart unto God in Christ Jesus
(See related NT word studies on
hagios = holy;
hagiasmos = holiness;
hagiazo
= set apart or make holy; cp Ep 1:3 [note]
- blessed with every spiritual blessing) would be wise to study and
internalize as an example of evil things we should not crave, as Samson
craved (1Co 10:6). The tragic story of Samson is an example that has been
written down in Judges 13-16 for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the
ages have come (1Co 10:11). Therefore it behooves us as set apart
ones in Christ to take heed if we think Samson's saga could never happen
to us lest, in our state of false confidence and/or pride, we too would fall
into bondage to
Sin
with loss of spiritual power,
vibrant witness and divine reward in this life and the life to come! Holy,
holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty (Is 6:3, Re 4:8-note)
and He calls His children who are now to be His messengers to be likewise in
days which are not too unlike those of the Judges (Jdg 21:25, 2Ti 3:1, 2, 3,
4-note)!
(cp 1Pe 1:14-note,
1Pe 1:15, 16-note;
see also Ex 6:7, 19:6, Lv 11:44, 45, 20:7, 26, Dt 7:6, 14:2- these OT
passages of course speak directly of Israel but are applicable in principle
to NT believers.) Did
evil - a repeated phrase in Judges and the seventh occurrence - Jdg 2:11, 3:7, 12, 4:1,
6:1, 10:6, 13:1 (see notes
Jdg 2:11,
3:12,
4:1,
6:1,
10:6,
13:1)
The phrase did evil is common in is also common in 1 & 2 Kings (24
times), increasing in frequency in second Kings. Here are all 41 occurrences
(ESV)
of did what was evil in the Old Testament - Jdg. 2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1;
1Ki. 11:6; 14:22; 15:26, 34; 16:25; 22:52; 2Ki. 3:2; 8:18, 27; 13:2, 11;
14:24; 15:9, 18, 24, 28; 17:2; 21:2, 16, 20; 23:32, 37; 24:9, 19; 2Chr.
21:6; 22:4; 33:2, 22; 36:5, 9, 12; Isa 65:12; 66:4; Jer. 52:2). It is as if the closer they got to judgment, the more evil they
became or the more certain the judgment had to be. Just a thought to ponder. Note it is also interesting that this
phrase did evil is not found in 1 & 2 Samuel. Could it be that the reason
is that the leaders were godly men like Samuel and David? Note also that the
evil began with Baalim (plural) but progressed to the point documented
in Jdg 10:6
(note)!
THE EYES OF
JEHOVAH
In the sight of Jehovah - Don't
glide by this phrase too quickly beloved! We need to let this eternal truth
sink in - the all knowing, everywhere present, all seeing, perfectly just
God (see His attributes
Omnipresence;
Omniscience) does not close
His eyes when we commit evil, wicked deeds. He does not wink when we despise
Him by sinning either in ignorance or willfully against His holy nature (see
His attribute
Holy). In the context
of his treatise, "Everyman's Manual of Sexual Conduct" (see notes
on
Pr 5:1-14;
5:15-23;
6:20-35; 7:1-27),
Solomon made it very clear that...
the ways of a man are before the eyes of
the LORD (Jehovah),
and He watches all (How many?) his paths. (Pr 5:21 -
see notes;)
This awesome, fearful truth that
Jehovah's eyes know no impenetrable darkness (even of our hearts, 2Co 4:6)
and are not hindered by any futile attempts to hide one's sins (or even our
motives! 1Co 4:5) should cause us to be very circumspect when we sin
thinking that "no one knows" or "I got away with it!" (Wrong! See Nu 32:23,
Ps 90:8, Isa 59:1,2, 3, 4, Job 20:27, Pr 26:26, Eccl 12:14, 13, Lk 12:2).
This principle of the Holy One always and everywhere watching is also found
in the following passages which are worth perusing slowly and pondering
soberly - Eyes of the LORD - Pr 15:3; 2Chr 16:9, 10 = godly King Asa
failed to remember that God was His Strength, His Shield and His Deliverer -
2Chr 16:7,8 vs Ps 28:7-note,
Ps 28:8-note,
Ps 28:9-note!;
Job 31:4; 34:21; Ps 11:4-note;
Ps 17:3-note;
Ps 139:1-note,
Ps 139:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12; Je 16:17; 17:9,10; 23:24; 32:19;
Ho 7:2; Heb 4:12-note,
He 4:13-note;
Re 2:18-note,
Re 2:23-note).
In fact given the truth that the LORD is
ever watching us, we would be wise to do likewise in regard to our hearts...
Watch
(not a suggestion but a command in the original Hebrew) over your heart (How
should we watch? What should be our attitude?)
with all diligence, (Why? Why
is it so crucial that each person watch over his or her own heart?)
for from it flow the springs of life. (Pr 4:23 -see
notes)
Gave them - Jehovah repeatedly
gave Israel into the hands of their enemies. Jdg 2:14, 6;1, 11:32,
13:1 (See notes
Jdg 2:14;
6:1;
11:32;
13:1)
The primary
introduction to this cycle was in [Jdg 10:6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16]. Sadly each new generation
seemed to have to learn the lesson of the price to be paid for sinful
indulgence. There is also a sad "omission" in this text. Every other time
they reached a time of desperation they would cry out to God for a deliverer
(Jdg 3:9, 15, 4:3, 6:7, 10:10) but that did not happen in this case--even though
it was the longest recorded oppression!
The Philistines disarmed the Jews (1Sa 13:19, 20, 21, 22, 23) and therefore had little
fear of a rebellion. Jdg 15:9-13 indicates that the Jews were apparently
content with their lot and didn’t want Samson to “rock the boat.” It’s
frightening how quickly we can get accustomed to bondage and learn to accept
the status quo. Had the Philistines been more severe on the Jews, perhaps
the Jews would have prayed to Jehovah for help. Samson would "begin to
deliver Israel" (v5) but It would take the prayers (& one military battle
fought by prayer) of Samuel (1Sa 7) and the conquests of David (2Sa 5:17,
18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
to finish the job that Samson started and give Israel complete victory over
the Philistines.
Jamieson records that...
The Israelites were represented (Jdg
10:6, 7) as having fallen universally into a state of gross and confirmed
idolatry, and in chastisement of this great apostasy, the Lord raised up
enemies that harassed them in various quarters, especially the Ammonites and
Philistines. The invasions and defeat of the former were narrated in the two
chapters immediately preceding this; and now the sacred historian proceeds
to describe the inroads of the latter people.
Preacher's Commentary offers a
thought provoking comment on Israel's failure to cry out for deliverance
writing that...
What is different now is that there is no
record of repentance, no desperate calling on God, such as we have seen in
earlier chapters. Israel’s heart has hardened that much. It is a peril that
besets us all. We need often to be reminded that our relationship with God
is not static. Every time we hear God’s Word, we either make ourselves more
open and responsive by receiving and obeying it, or we harden our hearts in
unbelief and disobedience. The danger which the writer to the Hebrews warns
about in Hebrews 3:12, 13 is that of a hardened, or dried-out, heart. The
unbelief which is endemic to our sinful human nature and the deceitfulness
of sin combine to persuade us that we do not need to respond to God’s voice
today. And the result is that the heart starts to dry out, as surely as
apricots or raisins left in the sun. Successive acts of resistance to God
make it increasingly difficult to respond positively. We can illustrate this
biblically from the story of Pharaoh who hardened his heart until God
confirmed that decision and there was no way out. Or we can think of Dr.
Faustus, in Christopher Marlowe’s play of the same title, who is brought in
the end to lament bitterly, “My heart’s so hardened I cannot repent.” “Will
not” hardens into “cannot.” (Jackman, D., & Ogilvie, L. J. The
Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 7: Judges, Ruth. Page 201. Nashville,
Tennessee: Thomas Nelson)
SO THAT THE LORD GAVE THEM INTO THE HANDS OF THE PHILISTINES
40 YEARS (
Forty years - This is the longest
recorded time of oppression of Israel in Judges.
Gave them into the hands - In the OT
"hand" often symbolized one's power and giving one into
another's "hand" was giving them over to the power of the other party (cp Ge
32:11, Ex 2:19, 3:8, 14:30, 18:9, 10, 1Sa 12:9). Thus the picture here is that of Jehovah
recompensing Israel her "wages" (bondage) for her evil deeds (cp
the reaping and sowing principle - Gal 6:7, 8, Ho
8:7). Remembering that God is not impartial (see
study of this attribute) and shows no favoritism, the
message for NT believers is to take heed, for we will be given over to the
power of
Sin (the
"flesh")
if we persist in committing evil sinful deeds. For example, we see so many
Christian men today (2008) who are in bondage to the power of internet pornography. The wages of sin
is always death, and for believers it is manifest by a quenching of the Holy
Spirit, a loss of fellowship with the Father and a leeching of the
supernatural power of Christ within our soul. This "giving over" is described by
Solomon in the context of sexual sins (he should know - cp 1Ki 11:1, 2, 3,
4, 5,6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 - note Solomon's "wages"!) where God's clear warning is...
His own iniquities will capture the
wicked, and he will be held with the cords of his sin. (Pr 5:22 -
see note,
cp Pr 1:30, 31, 32, Jer 2:19, Isa 3:9)
The words of John Owen's famous
admonition resonate with those of Solomon...
the choicest believers, who are assuredly
freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business
all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin...Do you mortify; do
you make it your daily work; be always at it while you live; cease not a day
from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. Your being
dead with Christ virtually (Ro 6:3-note;
Ro 6:11-note),
your being quickened with him (Ro 6:4-note;
Ro 6:5-note;
Ro 6:6-note;
Ro 6:7-note,
Ro 6:8-note,
Ro 6:9-note,
Ro 6:10-note,
will not excuse you from this work." (From John Owen's treatise -
Of the Mortification of Sin)
Using a different metaphor for giving one into another's power, the prophet
Isaiah warned Israel
So now let Me tell you what I am going to
do to My vineyard (Israel - Isa 5:1, 2, 3, 4): I will remove its hedge and
it will be consumed. I will break down its wall and it will become trampled
ground. (Isa 5:5)
This picture of God giving His people over to the power of the godless
pagans is a key thought (key
words and phrases
are an important concept in
inductive
Bible study)
in the book of the Judges - Jdg 2:14, 15, 16, 18, 23; 3:8; 4:2, 6:1, 2,
9, 13, 14; 8:22, 34; 9:17; 10:7; 13:1, 5; 15:18. It is interesting that
Samson used this same phrase in what amounts to a personal prophecy, the
text recording that...
Judges 15:18 (see
notes) Then he (Samson) became
very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, "Thou hast given this
great deliverance by the hand of Thy servant, and now shall I die of
thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?"
Philistines cross
references (see Torrey's Topic below): 1st
mention (Ge 21:32, 33, 34), Ge 26:1, Ex 13:17,18 (Note: from Abraham > Exodus ~
700yr), Ex 23:31, Jos 13:1, 2, 3, Jdg 3:1, 2, 3, 4, 31, 10:6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
Philistines worshiped
Dagon, Ashtaroth (Astartes) & Baal-zebub (Baal = "master, possessor,
husband"). When the Israelites entered Canaan, they found that every piece
of land had its own deity, its "owner". There were thus many "Baals" (plural
= Baalim"). Yahweh was the "Master" & "Husband" of the Israelites, and
therefore they called Him "Baal" in all innocence. But naturally this led to
confusion of worship of Yahweh with the Baal rituals. It appears also that
the 40 year period of oppression did not end until the Battle of Mizpah
(1Sa 7:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) when Samuel led Israel to victory over their Philistine foes.
They were not finally defeated until the early years of David's reign
(2Sa 5:17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25). The Philistine dominion began before the birth of Samson
[Jdg 13:5], and was in force during Samson’s 20 years’ judgeship [Jdg 14:4;
15:20].
Philistines (sea people) = non-Semitic people, sometimes = "the
uncircumcised" (Jdg 14:3; 15:18; 1Sa 14:6; 31:4; 2Sa 1:20; 1Chr 10:4) who settled
in the plain and low hill country of SW Palestine, being part of the great
invasion of the sea peoples referred to by Rameses III of Egypt about 1200
BC. They organized a "pentapolis" or confederation of 5 cities (Gaza,
Ashkelon, and Ashdod on the coastal highway, with Gath and Ekron on the edge
of the foothills of Judea). The Jews weren’t able to occupy that territory
during their conquest of the land (Jos 13:1,2). The land between Israel’s
hill country and the coastal plain was called the “Shephelah,” which means
“low country”; and it separated Philistia from Israel.
Their knowledge of
metallurgy and access to sources of iron gave them a great advantage over
other nations and enabled a comparatively small number to conquer far larger
groups and to extend their sway for a time over most of Palestine. They were
the leading enemy of Israel from the time of Samson to the middle of the
reign of David (1Sa 13:19, 21). Eventually the Philistines gave their name to
the whole land, in the form "Palestine." (Cp. Isa 14:29, 31; Ge 21:34,Jdg 10:7
Torrey's
Topic
The Philistines
Descended from Casluhim -Genesis 10:13,14
Originally dwelt in the land of Caphtor -Jeremiah 47:4; Amos 9:7
Conquered the Avims and took from them the west coast of Canaan -Deuteronomy
2:23
CALLED
The Caphtorims -Deuteronomy 2:23
The Cherethites -1 Samuel 30:14; Zephaniah 2:5
COUNTRY OF
Called Philistia -Psalms 87:4; 108:9
Divided into five sates of lordships -Joshua 13:3; Judges 3:3; 1 Samuel 6:16
Had many flourishing cities -1 Samuel 6:17
Given by God to the Israelites -Joshua 13:2,3; 15:45,47
Were a great people and governed by kings in the patriarchal Age -Genesis
21:22,34; 26:8
CHARACTER OF
Proud -Zechariah 9:6
Idolatrous -Judges 16:23; 1 Samuel 5:2
Superstitious -Isaiah 2:6
Warlike -1 Samuel 17:1; 28:1
Men of great strength and stature amongst -1Sa 17:4, 5, 6, 7; 2Sa 21:16,18,
19, 20
Some of, left to prove Israel -Jdg 3:1, 2, 3
Always confederated with the enemies of Israel -Psalms 83:7; Isaiah 9:11,12
Shamgar slew six hundred of, and delivered Israel -Judges 3:31
Oppressed Israel after the death of Jair for eighteen years -Judges 10:7,8
Oppressed Israel after the death of Abdon forty years -Judges 13:1
SAMSON
Promised as a deliverer from -Judges 13:5
Intermarried with -Judges 14:1,10
Slew thirty, near Askelon -Judges 14:19
Burned vineyards &c of -Judges 15:3, 4, 5
Slew many for burning his wife -Judges 15:7,8
Slew a thousand with the jawbone of a donkey -Judges 15:15,16
Blinded and imprisoned by -Judges 16:21
Pulled down the house of Dagon and destroyed immense Numbers of -Judges
16:29,30
Defeated Israel at Ebenezer -1 Samuel 4:1,2
Defeated Israel and took the ark -1Sa 4:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Put the ark into Dagon’s house -1 Samuel 5:1, 2, 3, 4
Plagued for retaining the ark -1 Samuel 5:6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Sent back the ark and were healed -1 Samuel 6:1-18
Miraculously routed at Mizpeh -1 Samuel 7:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Jonathan smote a garrison of, at Geba and provoked them -1 Samuel 13:3,4
Invaded the land of Israel with a great army -1Sa 13:5,17, 18, 19, 20, 21,
22, 23
Jonathan and his armour-bearer smote a garrison of, at the Passages -1Sa
14:1-14
Miraculously discomfited -1Sa 14:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Saul constantly at war with -1 Samuel 14:52
Defied Israel by their champion -1 Samuel 17:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Defeated Israel at Ephesdammim and pursued to Ekron -1 Samuel 17:1,52
DAVID
Slew Goliath the champion of -1Sa 17:40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49,
50
Procured Saul’s daughter for and hundred foreskins of -1Sa 18:25, 26, 27
Often defeated during Saul’s reign -1 Samuel 19:8; 23:1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Fled to, for safety -1 Samuel 27:1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7
Gained the confidence of Achish king of -1 Samuel 28:2; 29:9
Distrusted by -1 Samuel 29:2-7
Often defeated in the course of his reign -2Sa 5:17-23; 8:1; 21:15-22; 23:8,
9, 10, 11, 12
Had a guard composed of -2 Samuel 8:18; Ezekiel 25:16; Zephaniah 2:5
Gathered all their armies to Aphek against Israel -1 Samuel 28:1; 29:1
Ziklag a town of, taken and plundered by the Amalekites -1 Samuel 30:1,2,16
Israel defeated by, and Saul slain -1Sa 31:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Besieged in Gibbethon by Nadab -1 Kings 15:27
Sent by God against Jehoram -2 Chronicles 21:16,17
Defeated by Uzziah -2 Chronicles 26:6,7
Distressed Judah under Ahaz -2 Chronicles 28:18,19
Defeated by Hezekiah -2 Kings 18:8
Israel condemned for imitating -Judges 10:6; Amos 6:2; 9:7
PROPHECIES RESPECTING
Union with Syria against Israel -Isaiah 9:11,12
Punishment with other nations -Jeremiah 25:20
Dismay at ruin of Tyre -Zechariah 9:3,5
Base men to be their rulers -Zechariah 9:6
Hatred and revenge against Israel to be fully recompensed -Ezek 25:15, 16,
17; Amos 1:6, 7, 8
Utter destruction by Pharaoh king of Egypt -Jeremiah 47:1, 2, 3, 4;
Zephaniah 2:5,6
Destruction and desolation of their cities -Jeremiah 47:5; Zephaniah 2:4
Their country to be a future possession to Israel -Obadiah 1:19; Zephaniah
2:7
To help in Israel’s restoration -Isaiah 11:14
><>><>><>
Henry Rossier - A
Remnant (Judges 13)
The people having relapsed into
unfaithfulness, were in subjection to enemies within — to the Philistines,
who were established in Israel's territory. It was the last stage in the
history of declension. The children of Israel no longer cried to Jehovah;
submitting to this state of things, they did not even wish to be delivered
from it (Jdg 15:11), and, for the sake of living quietly in their state of
servitude, sought to get rid of their liberator. The time of total apostasy
was at hand.
In the midst of this irremediable state of things, God separated a godly
remnant, and addressed his communications to them. Manoah and his wife
feared Jehovah, listened to His voice and spake to one another (cf. Mal.
3:16), a striking type of the remnant — of the Marys, and Elizabeths, and
Annas, and Zacharias, and Simeons — that waited for the true Messiah, the
Saviour of Israel; type also of the future remnant, who, passing through the
tribulation, will follow the paths of righteousness, waiting for the coming
of their King.
Samson, the deliverer of Israel, found at his birth, not a people that
welcomed him, but this godly couple who believed in his mission. The Lord,
rejected by the people from the time of His arrival on the scene, found only
a few faithful souls with whom He could enter into association, those
excellent of the earth mentioned in Ps 16:3 (Spurgeon's
note), in whom He found His
delight. Times of irremediable ruin are then the times of remnants; this,
consequently, applies to the present period of the church — a period
foretold by the Sovereign Prophet to His disciples, when He spoke to them of
an assembly reduced to two or three gathered to the true centre, to the name
of Christ, during His absence. This period is mentioned in Revelation, when
— in presence of the idolatry of Thyatira, the deadness of Sardis, and the
nauseating lukewarmness of Laodicea — the approbation of Him that is holy,
of Him that is true, is pronounced upon the feeble separated remnant of
Philadelphia.
That which characterizes a remnant at all times is Nazariteship, entire
"separation unto the Lord." The angel of Jehovah appearing unto the wife of
Manoah, said to her: "Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou
shalt conceive, and bear a son. Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink
not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing" (Jdg 13:3, 4).
This woman had to take upon herself Nazariteship, because she was the vessel
chosen of God to present to the people the promised deliverer. "For, lo,
thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on 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" (Jdg 13:5). The
Nazariteship of Samson involved that of his mother. In order to do honour to
the deliverer of Israel, it was needful for his witnesses to bear before the
eyes of all, the impress of his own character. This is true at all times. If
we do not manifest Christ down here in His character of entire separation to
God, we are not witnesses for our Saviour. Christ having come, permanent
Nazariteship should characterize the saints as it does the Lord; and the
more the ruin increases, the more apparent will this become. The second
epistle of Timothy, which tells us of the last days, is full of the
characteristics of Nazariteship. In Judges 2:19, it is the Nazarite
withdrawing from iniquity; in Judges 2:21, it is his purifying himself for
God; in Judges 3:10, 11, and Judges 4:5, 6, 7, it is, as the servant of God,
walking in forgetfulness of self and in absolute dependence on the Lord. Is
it not the Nazarite who speaks in 2Co 4:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12? In Judges 6
through Jdg 7:1, of this same epistle we again find the principal traits of
Nazariteship; reproach and self-forgetfulness in Jdg 13:4-10; separation
from all association with the world in Jdg 13:14, 15; cleansing from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit in Judges 7:1. Quotations might be
multiplied. What it is important to establish is, that there is for us,
neither walk. nor testimony, nor service, without Nazariteship; that is to
say, without devotedness and separation to God.
In Jdg 13:6, Manoah's wife told her husband about the angel's visit: "A man
of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an
angel of God, very terrible; but I asked him not whence he was, neither told
he me his name." This poor woman had but little intelligence; she knew
neither whence the angel came nor who he was, nor did she ask him, proving
how slight was her acquaintance with God. Far from giving her confidence,
the presence of the God of promises frightened her, for she only saw the
countenance of the angel to be "very terrible." Manoah himself, a man of
sincere piety, had little understanding, but he desired more. He wished to
know "what to do unto the child" (v. 8), then, "what shall he do" (Jdg
13:12, margin). Instead of answering his questions, the angel of Jehovah
said to him: "Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. She may not
eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or
strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her
observe" (Jdg 13:13, 14). Why? Because knowledge is not the first thing that
God requires. Neither it, nor even true piety, such as was found in Manoah
and his wife, is sufficient to keep us in the midst of the ruin. That which
was needed for them before knowledge was true personal separation to God, a
separation which had as its pattern and measure the Nazariteship of him who
was about to appear.
Other truths too — the portion of Christ's witnesses in a day of declension
— are revealed to us here. "Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is
thy name . . . . And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Why askest thou
thus after my name, seeing it is wonderful (margin). So Manoah took a kid
with a meat offering, and offered them upon a rock unto Jehovah; and the
angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on" (Jdg 13:17, 18,
19).
In reviewing the history of the different epochs of this book, we find that
to each revival there are certain corresponding principles which
characterize it. The times of Othniel, Ehud, Barak, Gideon and Jephthah,
each furnishes us with some new principle; but God reserves the most
precious truths of all for the last days of ruin, hidden until then and
wonderful. How worthy of the God of love is such a way of acting! Knowing
the difficulties of His own in the midst of increasing unfaithfulness and
wishing to attract their hearts in the midst of this darkness, He brings to
light and confides to His witnesses truths more and more glorious.
The starting point of these truths is the sacrifice. Manoah, more
intelligent than Gideon (cf. Judges 6:19), took the kid with the meat
offering, and offered them upon a rock unto Jehovah. The cross is the
foundation of all our knowledge as children of God. Manoah was desirous of
knowing many things which Jehovah could not reveal to him before the
sacrifice. But this foundation once laid, the angel did wondrously, which
doubtless was revealed, in a manner still obscure and symbolical, to the
eyes of this poor remnant who were waiting for a Saviour. "For it came to
pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the
angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife
looked on" (Jdg 13:20). They found in the fire of the sacrifice a new way,
not opened up hitherto, a way for the representative of Jehovah to ascend to
Him; and, their gaze fixed on the angel, they saw a glorious person, whose
dwelling place they knew now that he had disappeared from before their eyes.
Then only, "Manoah knew that it was an angel of Jehovah" (Jdg 13:21). The
heart and the interests of this poor remnant were at that moment withdrawn
from this world, and followed the angel, ascending with him to heaven. These
simple believers could thenceforth speak of a path which led to heaven, and
of a person who was there, who had become their object while they were still
here below.
In this wonderful act another thing was revealed, not for Manoah, but for
us: the future character of this Nazariteship of which the angel had spoken
to them. It is now heavenly, as we have above remarked. The angel in parting
from them went up into heaven. The Lord Jesus, rejected by the world, said:
"For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified
through the truth" (John 17:19). Set apart in heaven, He attracts us after,
and fixes our eyes upon, Himself; in order that the heavenly character of
the One whom the world has rejected may be reproduced in us here below. In
presence of this revelation, so instructive for us, but of which Manoah and
his wife had but a faint glimpse, they "fell on their faces to the ground"
(Jdg 13:20). And shall not we, in the midst of increasing darkness, adore in
fuller measure, the God who has revealed to us, not only a heavenly and
glorified Christ, but our place in Him, and has given Him to us as an object
that we may reflect Him more perfectly in this world? Such are the blessings
given to fill our hearts with joy and gratitude. How many Christians there
are, who, seeking a place in the world, walk down here with bowed heads as
they see the state of things around them, and vex their souls from day to
day, as just Lot did of old — but such is not our part; we are not called to
be Lots, nor to act like him down here. Our portion is with Abraham, the
friend of God, who was not disheartened by the ruin. As a Nazarite he kept
his place on his high mountain, his eyes fixed — not on Sodom, but — on the
city which hath foundations. Jesus said of him: "Abraham rejoiced to see My
day; and he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56). Ah! rather than be
discouraged, let us praise God, and thank Him for the heavenly treasure He
has given us in Christ.
Like so many Christians of the present day, Manoah was filled with fear when
he found himself in the presence of God. "He said to his wife, we shall
surely die, because we have seen God" (Jdg 13:22). His companion was a true
helpmeet for him. Is there any room for fear, said she, when God has
accepted our offering? The love of God, proved to us at the cross. is the
positive guarantee for everything else. "He that spared not His own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us
all things?" (Ro. 8:32-note)
|
|
Judges 13:2 And 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. |
|
AND THERE WAS A
CERTAIN MAN OF ZORAH:
(Zorah mentioned in Jos. 15:33; 19:41; Jdg. 13:2, 25; 16:31; 18:2, 8, 11; 2
Chr. 11:10; Neh. 11:29)
Zorah (see
discussion) was a town first
assigned to Judah (Jos 15:33), but later given to Dan (Jos 19:41). It became
the point of departure for the Danite migration northward (Jdg 18:2, 8, 11).
Zorah was on the border between Dan and Judah, opposite Beth-shemesh on the N
side of Sorek valley, less than 15 miles from Jerusalem in the foothill country
(shephelah - lowlands). The city was on the summit of a lofty hill on
overlooking valley of Sorek (note).
The summit itself is overhung by a lofty palm, and there are many remains of ancient
tombs, cisterns, wine presses, etc., around this archeological site. From here Eshtaol
(note), Beth-shemesh
(note) and Timnah
(note) are all visible. Nearby is the border of Philistia. Why was
Danite village of Zorah located on a summit? One cannot be 100% certain but
see (Jdg 1:34).
The tribe of Dan was originally assigned the land adjacent to Judah and
Benjamin, extending to the Mediterranean Sea (Jos 19:40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45,
46, 47, 48). Since the
Danites weren’t able to dislodge the coastal inhabitants, however, the tribe
relocated and moved north (Jdg 18,19), although some of the people remained
in their original location.
OF THE FAMILY OF THE DANITES:
Danites (see
discussion) - From Judges 13-18, the author concentrates on the
tribe of Dan, which had been one of the largest and most prominent tribes
during the wilderness march (Nu 2:25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31). In the period of the judges,
however, Dan seemed helpless against the Amorites (Jdg 1:34) and moved
northward to find new territory (Jdg 17,18).
Torrey's Topic
The Tribe of Dan
Descended from Jacob’s fifth son -Genesis
30:6
Predictions respecting -Genesis 49:16,17; Deuteronomy 33:22
PERSONS SELECTED FROM
To number the people -Numbers 1:12
To spy out the land -Numbers 13:12
To divide the land -Numbers 34:22
Strength of, on leaving Egypt -Numbers 1:38,39
Led the fourth and last division of Israel -Numbers 2:31; 10:25
Encamped north of the tabernacle -Numbers 2:25
Offering of, at dedication -Numbers 7:66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71
Families of -Numbers 26:42
Strength of, entering Canaan -Numbers 26:43
On Ebal, said amen to the curses -Deuteronomy 27:13
Bounds of its inheritance -Joshua 19:40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46
A commercial people -Judges 5:17; Ezekiel 27:19
Restricted to the hills by Amorites -Judges 1:34
A PART OF
Sent to seek new settlements -Judges 18:1,2
Tool Laish and called it Dan -Joshua 19:47; Jdg 18:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,27,
28, 29
Plundered Michah of his idols and his ephod -Judges 18:17, 18, 19, 20, 21,27
Set up Micah’s idols in Dan -Judges 18:30,31
Reproved for not aiding against Sisera -Judges 5:17
Samson was of -Judges 13:2,24,25
Some of, at coronation of David -1 Chronicles 12:35
Ruler appointed over, by David -1 Chronicles 27:22
WHOSE NAME WAS MANOAH
AND HIS WIFE WAS BARREN AND HAD
BORNE NO CHILDREN: (barren - Genesis 16:1; 25:21; 1Samuel
1:2, 3, 4, 5, 6; Luke 1:7)
Childlessness - Regarded as a
Misfortune or a Reproach:
Genesis 11:30, 15:2, 16:2, 29:32, 30:1,
2, 3, 13 Jdg 13:2 1Samuel 1:2, 6 2Samuel 6:23 2Kings 4:14 Isaiah
4:1 Luke 1:7, 25, 20:29
MacDonald notes
that...
The barren womb is often a
starting place in the purposes of God. He calls life out of death and uses
the things that “are not” to confound the things that are (1Co 1:26, 27, 28,
29, 30, 31). Ray Pritchard
introduces his 5 part sermon series on Samson with these comments...
The Man Who Might Have Been -
Today we begin the study of one of the strangest characters in all the
Bible. His name and his exploits are well-known, but the man himself remains
a mystery. Of his life it could truly be said that he had unlimited
potential. No man in all the Bible started out with as much going for him;
no man ended with less. Without question, he would have been voted by his
classmates Most Likely to Succeed. He had it all and he let it all get away
from him.
His name is Samson. His story is found in the Old Testament book of Judges.
In four chapters the writer tells us about his rise and fall. It is a story
rich in human drama—full of love and sex and intrigue and violence and
passion and strange twists of fate.
The four chapters break down this way:
Chapter 13—His miraculous birth
Chapter 14—His untimely wedding
Chapter 15—His battlefield heroics
Chapter 16—His tragic death
As I said, almost everyone knows this
story. Samson's feats are legendary—how he killed 1,000 Philistines with the
jawbone of a donkey, how he set fire to the wheat fields by putting a torch
in the tails of 150 pairs of foxes, how he killed 30 men to pay off a
gambling debt. Surely all of us know the story of his tragic, heroic death
when he destroyed the Philistine temple by pushing apart the pillars.
If his feats are legendary, so are his flaws. His greatest flaw was a
weakness for women. He could never say no to a good-looking woman, a fact
that repeatedly got him into trouble and eventually cost him his life. The
woman who took him down—Delilah—has become a symbol for the seductive
female.
What we see in Samson is a bristling bundle of contradictions:
—He was a man of faith with a weakness
for women.
—He was a man of prayer given to uncontrollable fits of anger.
—He was a leader of Israel who lusted after Philistine women.
—He was a man of God who lacked common sense.
That's Samson—"a riddle wrapped in a
mystery inside an enigma." He is listed in Hebrews 11 as a man of faith, yet
he slept with a harlot. How do you figure it? (Read his full sermon
Most Likely to Succeed
- see also his 5 part series
Samson, A Man for Our Times -
Judges 13-16 =
highly
recommended
sermon) Barren (aqar)
refers to the state of not being fertile or not being able to become
pregnant. The recurring theme of the barren mother is familiar in biblical
history Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, the mother of Samson, and Hannah are chief
examples of this situation (Ge 11:30; 25:21; 29:31; Jdg 13:2, 3; 1Sa
2:5). God is often mentioned as the one who brought about this condition
and/or the one who overcomes miraculously opening the wombs of Sarah,
Rebekah, and Rachel and enabling them to give birth to sons (Isaac, Jacob,
Joseph, Benjamin) who played a significant role in Israel's history. In
light of the prior use of this type scene one might expect Manoah's wife's
child to be important, like Isaac, whose birth was announced in a special
manner (Ge 17-18).
If the basic problem of Judges is that
“everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Jdg 21:25) then Samson is the
supreme example of that attitude.
Samson
contrasted with
Samuel
Comparing and contrasting the lives of Samson ("sunlight" or "sun-like") and
Samuel ("heard of God") reveals several interesting points:
Samuel was totally
committed to God
Samson was victorious only in his death because he was controlled by his
passion Both were raised by
godly parents,
Both of their mothers
were barren,
Both lived in days of
the moral anarchy of Judges
Samson was probably "judging" Israel during
time that Samuel was ministering to the LORD at the Tabernacle in Shiloh
under the tutelage of Eli the High Priest so their lives overlapped),
Both had a call to a
separated life (Angel of LORD instructed Manoah's wife to raise him a
NAZARITE to God [Jdg13:5], and Hannah vowed to give Samuel to the LORD all
the days of his life and that no razor would ever come on his head which also
sounds like a NAZARITE VOW although Samuel is never specifically called a
Nazarite [1Sa 1:11]), Samuel ministered to the LORD (this phrase is used 3x
to describe Samuel in his youth [1Sa 2:11, 2:18, 3:1) and finally heard the
voice of the LORD but we have no similar record of Samson ever having
intimate fellowship with the LORD; Samson received the Spirit of the LORD
for strength; the LORD actually spoke with Samuel (1Sa 3:4, 6, v8, 11f) and
revealed HIMSELF to him (1Sa 3:21)
Both were Judges (Samuel also prophet) but only Samuel fulfilled the
function of the judge to be a deliverer (Jdg 2:18).
Both had the Philistines as their main ENEMY
Samson was defeated by the Philistines & had only partial success; Samuel
defeated the Philistines after 40 years of rule and brought peace to the
land. (1Sa 7:10, 13, 15).
Samson rebelled against the AUTHORITY of God and his parents; Samuel submitted
to AUTHORITY, submitting to God, his parents (who had dedicated him to the
LORD ALL the days of his life [1Sa 1:11]) and Eli. Samson DISOBEYED. Samuel
OBEYED. Samuel
was a PROPHET and called Israel to REPENT from their idolatry; Samson was a
PRODIGAL & promoted compromise and collaboration with the uncircumcised
Philistines and did not confront Israel for her idolatry.
Samson's PRAYERS were
primarily self serving (Jdg 15:18, 16:28); Samuel's were for the salvation of
Israel (1Sa 7:5, 8, 9,10). God answered both of their prayers!
Samson was a LONER;
Samuel was a LEADER. Some would say Ehud was a loner also but that is not
completely true as he was the LEADER of the sons of Israel in the pursuit of
the Moabites (Jdg 3:12-26, 27, 28, 29, 30).
Samson broke every
NAZARITE VOW; Samuel appears to have remained dedicated to the LORD all his
life thus fulfilling the vow of his mother Hannah.
Samson manifested
WEAKNESSES in the lust of his flesh, the lust of his eyes and the boastful
pride of life; Samuel was a man dependent on God and there is no record of
similar weakness in his life. Sadly his sons "did not walk in his ways" even
his first born name Joel (1Sa 8:3, 5).
Samson did what was
right in his own eyes (the very Hebrew phrase used of his lust for the
Philistine woman Jdg 14:3, 7); Samuel was dedicated to the LORD.
Samson's life ended
tragically and ignominiously without mourning by Israel; All Israel MOURNED
when Samuel died (1Sa 25:1)
Samson in many ways is a tragic picture of the entire nation of Israel —born
by special divine provision, consecrated to the Lord from birth and endowed
with unique power among his fellowmen. The likeness is even more remarkable
in light of his foolish chasing of foreign women, some of ill repute, until
he was cleverly subdued by one of them. In this he exemplified Israel, who
during the period of the judges constantly prostituted herself to Canaanite
gods to her own destruction. |
|
Judges 13:3 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. |
|
THEN THE
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: (the angel Jdg 2:1; 6:11,12; Ge 16:7, 8, 9, 10,
11, 12, 13; Luke 1:11,28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38) (but you -
Ge 17:16; 18:10; 1Sa 1:20; 2Kings 4:16; Luke 1:13,31)
The Angel of the LORD - (see study
of this important OT phrase -
Angel of the LORD).
Here are all the OT uses of this phrase in the ESV - Ge 16:7, 9, 10, 11,
22:11, 15; Ex 3:2; Nu 22:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31, 32, 34, 35, Jdg 2:1, 4;
5:23; 6:11, 12, 21, 22; 13:3, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21; 2Sa 24:16; 1Ki
19:7; 2Ki 1:3, 15; 19:35; 1Chr 21:12, 15, 16, 18, 30; Ps 34:7; 35:5, 6; Isa
37:36; Zec 1:11, 12; 3:1, 5, 6; 12:8. As one can readily discern from
carefully studying the context of Judges 13, this Angel is no ordinary
(created) angel, but all indicators point to the fact that this Angel is the
pre-incarnate representation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice the greatest
number of appearances of the
Angel of the LORD
in the book of Judges, which describe some of the darkest days in Israel's
entire history.
I agree with Dave
Guzik who offers the following interpretation of the Angel noting
that...
As seen before in the Book of Judges (Jdg
2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Jdg 6:11, 12, 13-20, 21, 22, 23, 24), this is Jesus on a
special mission, appearing as a man before His incarnation in Bethlehem.
As someone has said when God wants to do something really great in His world, He doesn’t send an
army but a Messenger. The
Angel of the LORD
visits a couple and promises to send
them a baby. His great plan of salvation got underway when He called Abraham
and Sarah and gave them Isaac. When He wanted to deliver Israel from
Egyptian bondage, God sent baby Moses to Amram and
Jochebed
(Ex 6:20) and
when in later years Israel desperately needed revival, God gave baby Samuel
to Hannah (1Samuel 1:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20). When the fullness of time arrived
(Ga 4:4), God gave Baby Jesus to
Mary; and that baby grew up to die on the cross for the sins of the world.
Behold...you shall conceive - The announcements of the births of
Ishmael (Ge1 6:11), Isaac (Ge 18:10), Immanuel (Isa 7:14), John the Baptist (Lk
1:13) and Jesus (Lk 1:31). This promise came as a great blessing to this
woman burdened by childlessness. In First Samuel God gave a similar message
through the priest Eli...
17 Then Eli answered and said (to
Hannah), "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that
you have asked of Him."
18 And she said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the
woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and
returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with
Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.
20 And it came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave
birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him
of the LORD." (1Sa 1:17-20) |
|
Judges 13:4 "Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine
or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. |
|
Be careful not to
drink wine or strong drink (Jdg 13:14; Nu 6:2,3; Lk 1:15) - The Angel of
the LORD gives these specific instructions to Manoah's wife during Samson's
intrauterine gestation.
Nor eat any unclean thing
(Leviticus 11:27,47; Acts 10:14) - These divine instructions are in
preparation of Samson being a Nazarite, which is usually voluntary but in
Samson's case was at the divine decree of the Angel as seen in the next
verse. And so it appears from these instructions that Manoah's wife (who is
never specifically named) also had to share in the Nazirite vow during the
time of Samson's gestation. |
|
Judges 13:5 "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." |
|
Other servants of God who were chosen
before birth include Jeremiah (Jer 1:4,5) and Paul (Ga 1:15), although
Ps 139:15,16 teaches that the Lord is involved in the conception of every
child (Ps 127:3).
NAZIRITE TO
GOD FROM THE WOMB: (no razor Numbers 6:2,3,5; 1Samuel
1:11)
Nazarite (05139)
(naziyr) means consecrated, separated or devoted and in this current
context the object of consecration, separation and devotion is unto God.
This institution was a symbol of a life devoted to God and separated from
all sin, a holy life. As discussed more below, the Nazarite or "separated
one" took a vow either for life or for a defined time to fulfill some
special service to Yahweh. Samson’s vow was involuntary and lifelong.
Naziyr is used
16 times in the OT (Ge 49:26; Lev. 25:5, 11; Nu 6:2, 13, 18, 19, 20 ; Deut.
33:16; Jdg 13:5, 7; 16:17; Lam 4:7; Amos 2:11, 12) and in the NAS is
rendered consecrated ones (1), Nazirite(9), Nazirites(2), one
distinguished(2), untrimmed vines(2).
For the OT institution
and regulations of a Nazarite, read Numbers 6:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
Numbers 6:7 reads
because his separation (nezer) to God is on
his head.
Nezer means “separation” or “consecration” and describes something
set apart. There are 22 uses of nezer in the OT (Ex 29:6; 39:30; Lv 8:9;
21:12; Nu 6:4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 18, 19, 21; 2Sa 1:10; 2Ki 11:12; 2Chr
23:11; Ps 89:39; 132:18; Pr 27:24; Je 7:29; Zec 9:16) and these are
translated in the NAS as consecration(1), crown(10), dedicated(4), hair (1),
Nazirite(1), separation(8).
This expression "his separation to God on his head" denotes his hair, which
was the proof and emblem or sign of the separation, and subjection to God.
It is interesting to note that this Nazarite requirement was even more
strict than that of the regular priests (excepting the High Priest) (cp Lv
21:1, 2, 3, 11).
Nezer is also used to describe a royal crown (2Sa 1:10; Zec 9:16; Ps 89:39)
which is interesting for in this story we see that Samson’s
long hair was his “royal crown” and he lost it
because of his sin. This story reminds one of Jesus' warning to the church
in Philadelphia (Re 3:7, 8, 9, 10)...
“'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take
your crown.” (Rev 3:11-note).
Samson did not discipline his
body, and as a result he lost both his crown and his prize, which reminds
one of Paul's strong warning to the saints at Corinth...
Do you not know that those who run in a
race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you
may win. 25 And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in
all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an
imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in
such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I buffet my body and make it my
slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be
disqualified. (1Co 9:24, 25, 26, 27-see
note).
The International Standard Bible
Encyclopedia has this
entry for Nazarite...
NAZIRITE - naz'-i-rit (nazir, connected
with nadhar, "to vow"; nazeir, nazeiraios, as also various words indicating
"holiness" or "devotion"; the King James Version, Nazarite): The
root-meaning of the word in Hebrew as well as the various Greek translations
indicates the Nazirite as "a consecrated one" or "a devotee." In the
circumstances of an ordinary vow, men consecrated some material possession,
but the Nazirite consecrated himself or herself, and took a vow of
separation and self-imposed discipline for the purpose of some special
service, and the fact of the vow was indicated by special signs of
abstinence. The chief Old Testament passages are Jdg 13:5, 6, 7; 16:17; Nu
6; Am 2:11,12; compare Sirach 46:13 (Hebrew); 1 Macc 3:49-52.
1. Antiquity and Origin:
The question has been raised as to whether the Nazirite vow was of native or
foreign origin in Israel.The idea of special separation, however, seems in
all ages to have appealed to men of a particular temperament, and we find
something of the kind in many countries and always linked with special
abstinence of some kind; and from all that is said in the Pentateuch we
should infer that the custom was already ancient in Israel and that Mosaism
regulated it, bringing it into line with the general system of religious
observance and under the cognizance of the Aaronic priests. The critics
assign the section dealing with this matter (Nu 6:1-21) to the Priestly Code
(P), and give it a late date, but there cannot be the least doubt that the
institution itself was early. It seems not unlikely that on the settlement
in Canaan, when the Israelites, having failed to overcome the native
population, began to mix freely with them, the local worship, full of
tempting Dionysiac elements, brought forth this religious protest in favor
of Israel's ancient and simpler way of living, and as a protection against
luxury in settling nomads. It is worthy of note that among the Semites
vine-growing and wine-drinking have ever been considered foreign to their
traditional nomadic mode of life. It was in this same protest that the
Rechabites,
who were at least akin to the Nazirites, went still farther in refusing even
in Canaan to abandon the nomadic state.
2. Conditions of the Vow:
The Pentateuch, then, makes provision for the Nazirite vow being taken by
either men or women, though the Old Testament does not record a single
instance of a female Nazirite. Further, it provides only for the taking of
the vow for a limited time, that is, for the case of the "Nazirite of days."
No period of duration is mentioned in the Old Testament, but the Mishna, in
dealing with the subject, prescribes a period of 30 days, while a double
period of 60 or even a triple one of 100 days might be entered on. The
conditions of Naziritism entailed: (1) the strictest abstinence from wine
and from every product of the vine; (2) the keeping of the hair uncut and
the beard untouched by a razor; (3) the prohibition to touch a dead body;
and (4) prohibition of unclean food (Jdg 13:5-7; Nu 6).
3. Initiation:
The ceremonial of initiation is not recorded, the Pentateuch treating it as
well known. The Talmud tells us that it was only necessary for one to
express the wish that he might be a Nazirite. A formal vow was, however,
taken; and from the form of renewal of the vow, when by any means it was
accidentally broken, we may judge that the head was also shorn on initiation
and the hair allowed to grow during the whole period of the vow.
4. Restoration:
The accidental violation of the vow just mentioned entailed upon the devotee
the beginning of the whole matter anew and the serving of the whole period.
This was entered on by the ceremonial of restoration, in the undergoing of
which the Nazirite shaved his head, presented two turtle-doves or two young
pigeons for sin and burnt offerings, and re-consecrated himself before the
priest, further presenting a lamb for a trespass offering (Nu 6:9-12).
5. Completion and Release:
When the period of separation was complete, the ceremonial of release had to
be gone through. It consisted of the presentation of burnt, sin and peace
offerings with their accompaniments as detailed in Nu 6:13-21, the shaving
of the head and the burning of the hair of the head of separation, after
which the Nazirite returned to ordinary life.
6. Semi-sacerdotal Character:
The consecration of the Nazirite in some ways resembled that of the priests,
and similar words are used of both in Lev 21:12 and Nu 6:17, the priest's
vow being even designated nezer. It opened up the way for any Israelite to
do special service on something like semi-sacerdotal lines. The priest, like
the Nazirite, dared not come into contact with the dead (Lev 21:1), dared
not touch wine during the period of service (Lev 10:9), and, further, long
hair was an ancient priestly custom (Ezek 44:20).
7. Nazirites for Life:
The only "Nazirites for life" that we know by name are Samson, Samuel and
John the Baptist, but to these Jewish tradition adds Absalom in virtue of
his long hair. We know of no one voluntarily taking the vow for life, all
the cases recorded being those of parents dedicating their children. In
rabbinical times, the father but not the mother might vow for the child, and
an interesting case of this kind is mentioned in the dedication of Rabbi
Chanena by his father in the presence of Rabban Gamaliel (Nazir, 29b).
8. Samson's Case:
Samson is distinctly named a Nazirite in Jdg 13:7 and 16:17, but it has been
objected that his case does not conform to the regulations in the
Pentateuch. It is said that he must have partaken of wine when he made a
feast for his friends, but that does not follow and would not be so
understood, say, in a Moslem country today. It is further urged that in
connection with his fighting he must have come into contact with many dead
men, and that he took honey from the carcass of the lion. To us these
objections seem hypercritical. Fighting was specially implied in his vow
(Jdg 13:5), and the remains of the lion would be buy a dry skeleton and not
even so defiling as the ass's jawbone, to which the critics do not object.
9. Samuel's Case:
Samuel is nowhere in the Old Testament called a Nazirite, the name being
first applied to him in Sirach 46:13 (Hebrew), but the restrictions of his
dedication seem to imply that he was. Wellhausen denies that it is implied
in 1 Sam 1:11 that he was either a Nathin ("a gift, (one) `given' unto
Yahweh"; compare Nu 3:9; 18:6) or a Nazirite. In the Hebrew text the
mother's vow mentions only the uncut hair, and first in Septuagint is there
added that he should not drink wine or strong drink, but this is one of the
cases where we should not regard silence as final evidence. Rather it is to
be regarded that the visible sign only is mentioned, the whole contents of
the vow being implied.
10. Token of Divine Favor:
It is very likely that Nazirites became numerous in Israel in periods of
great religious or political excitement, and in Jdg 5:2 we may paraphrase,
`For the long-haired champions in Israel.' That they should be raised up was
considered a special token of God's favor to Israel, and the tempting of
them to break their vow by drinking wine was considered an aggravated sin
(Am 2:11,12). At the time of the captivity they were looked upon as a
vanished glory in Israel (Lam 4:7 margin), but they reappeared in later
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