Sermon Tone Analysis
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*1 JOHN 1:5-10*
In Judges 13 we have the seventh cycle of Israel’s downward spiral into anarchy and apostasy.
Samson is the final judge in the book of Judges and, along with Gideon, is one of the most significant figures in the book.
#.
*A NEW SITUATION > THE TIMES FOR THE MAN*
*1. **The Philistines *
The Philistines had great military strength because they had learned to smelt iron.
With their iron weapons they could have overrun Israel or any other nation by direct attack.
But rather than marching as an obvious enemy the Philistines used two main weapons:
*a. **Trade *
First of all, they used trade: “/all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share/…” [1Sam.13:19-21].
§ Allies: “/David dwelt wit Achish at Gath…If now I have found grace in thine eyes/…” [1Sam.27:3-5].
*b. **Intermarriage *
Secondly, they allowed intermarriage:
§ This is evident from Samson’s life: “/I have seen a woman in Timnath…get her for me to wife/” [14:2].
*2. **Israelite Apathy *
The seventh cycle of apostasy: “/the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord/” [13:1].
§ [r;h - “/the evil/” [13:1], ‘serving the Baals and abandoning Yahweh’ [2:10-13].
*a. **God’s Judgement *
God’s judgement: “/the Lord delivered them into/…” [13:1].
§ ~~nET.YIw - “/delivered/” [13:1], ‘to give as gift’; “/anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines/” [10:17].
*b. **Affluence~/Apathy *
In the past experiences of God’s judgement the people reached a point: “/the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned/…” [10:10; see also 4:3; 6:7].
§ Conspicuous by its absence is any reference to Israel crying out: “/cried unto the Lord/…” [10:10].
*c. **Coexistence *
Coexistence with the Philistines has become the norm.
The Judahites resist any actions that might upset the status quo: “/do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us?
What is this that you have done unto us/…” [15:11].
§ “/And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and…the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him/” [10:16].
*Summary*
There is not national cry to the Lord!
Will the Lord let the nation die?
#.
*A NEW MAN > UNIQUE BIRTH *
In the story of Samson the writer individualises the answer to Israel’s need in Samson’s call.
God’s refusal to let this nation die: “/Behold now, thou art barren…but thou shalt conceive and bear a son/” [13:3].
The role of God is highlighted in different ways:
*1. **Divine Choice *
It is highlighted in the divine choice: “/the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman/…” [13:3].
§ “/Zorah/” [13:2] was a small Israelite town on the north side of the fertile Sorek Valley, a few miles north of Beth Shemesh.
§ ar'Y - “/appeared/” [13:3], /niphal/ imperfect, ‘to see, inspect’; the angel appears to have come to her at random, reinforcing the fact that the raising up of this deliverer is a gracious work of God.
*a. **The Problem *
The problem: “/you are barren/…” [13:3].
§ hr'q'[ - “/barren/” [13:3], ‘to be sterile’; ‘in the ancient world barrenness was reckoned as punishment for an offence against the ‘god’s whose special domain was that of reproduction.
§ In Israel, children were a mark of the blessing of God: “/the Lord blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply/…” [Gen.1:28].
§ At the same time, barrenness was the sign of divine reproach, displeasure, and curse: “/cursed shall be the fruit of your body/…” [Deu.28:18].
§ Other noted mothers in the Old Testament were found in this same condition: “/But Sarai was barren; she had no child/” [Gen.11:30].
*b. **The Reversal *
The reversal of her problem: “/you shall conceive and bear a son/” [13:3].
§ tyrIh - “/conceive/” [13:3], ‘to become pregnant’; God grants the gift of conception: “/fruit of the womb is the Lord’s reward/” [Psa.127:3].
§ T.d>l;y - “/bear/” [13:3], ‘to bring forth’;
§ The barren woman is the special object of God’s grace: “/he makes the barren woman to keep house/…” [Psa.113:9].
*2.
**Divine Initiative *
*a. **Israel**’s Failure *
One special feature of the Samson narrative is that Israel has not: “/cried out to the Lord/ for deliverance” [10:10] for deliverance.
*b. **Divine Initiative *
But the role of God is highlighted in the divine initiative: “/he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines/” [13:5].
§ aWh - “/he/” [13:5], third person masculine singular, emphatic ‘but he himself’;;
§ lxey - “/begin/” [13:5], hiphil imperfect,
§ [;yviAhl - “/deliver/” [13:5], ‘to preserve, deliver’;
*3. **The Name *
The Angel’s word was fulfilled: “/the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson…/” [13:24].
§ !Avm.v - “/Samson/” [13:24], consists of the word for “sun”, vm.v, with the diminutive ending “on”, !A, hence /Simson/, ‘little sun’.
§ It is tempting to give the name a positive spin as a celebration of the ray of light the birth of this boy represented in the dark days of the judges: ‘sun-like strength’.
*i.
**Solar Myth *
§ A more common view links the name with the solar cult, which provides the background for the Samson narratives.
Strong support for this interpretation is found in the fact that Samson’s name incorporates the same element as Beth-Shemesh (literally ‘house of Shemesh’), the name of an important town just a few miles from Zorah and Eshtaol down the Sorek Valley, once the focal point of sun worship.
§ This interpretation may be forced, but it still seems best to find in the name a memory of the sun God, Shemesh.
*Application*.
The source of the deliverance;
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*A NEW WAY OF LIFE *
In the story of Samson the writer individualises the answer to Israel’s need in Samson’s call to a new way of life.
The role of God is highlighted in Yahweh’s prescription of the lifestyle and conduct of both Manoah’s wife and her son.
With the privilege and joy of bearing a child for Yahweh will come special obligations.
*1. **Divine Warning *
The seriousness of these obligations is signalled by a divine warning: “/now therefore beware, I pray thee/…” [13:4].
§ yrIm.V'h – “/beware/” [13:4], niphal imperative, ‘to guard’; ‘to observe’; in the /niphal/ an alert for one’s own good because of the possible consequences of failing to do so - ‘to watch oneself, to be careful’;
§ an - “/I pray/” [13:4], literally ‘please’;
*a. **Mother’s Lifestyle *
Manoah’s wife was to live in a particular way during the pregnancy: “/drink not strong wine/…” [13:4].
*2. **Samson’s Lifestyle *
Samson’s lifestyle was to be different: “/child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb/” [13:5].
§ ryzIn - “/Nazirite/” [13:5], derived from a root meaning ‘to dedicate, consecrate’; literally ‘to be separate’: “/T//he blessings of thy father have prevailed…on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren/” [Gen.49:26].
*a. **The Biblical Prescription [Num.6:1-6]
*
*i. **Separation *
The prescription was according to Israelite law: “/when either man or woman shall separate themselves/…” [Num.6:2].
§ alip.y: - “/separate/” [6:2], /hiphil/ imperfect, ‘to be marvellous, wonderful’;
§ Signifies ‘something that, measured by the standards of what people are accustomed to or what they normally expect, appears to be /extraordinary/ and /wonderful’/;
§ In the /hiphil/ it means ‘to do something in an extraordinary way’;
*ii.
**God-focussed *
The concept speaks of actions that are symbolic of dedication and an act of unusual devotion to God: “/to separate themselves unto the Lord/” [6:2].
§ ryZIh;l - “/to separate/” [6:2], /hiphil/ infinitive construct, ‘to separate, consecrate’; from /nzr/, ‘to dedicate’, and is thus a symbol of dedication;
§ hw"hyl - “/unto the Lord/” [6:2], ‘in reference to’;
§ !mi
- “/from/” [6:3], ‘out of, more than’;
*iii.
**Terms of the Vow *
Two conditions of the vow are noteworthy in the context:
§ The action was voluntary: “/when either man or woman shall separate themselves/…” [Num.6:2].
§ The vow was temporary: “/all the days of his separation/…” [Num.6:4, 5, 6, 8].
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