Judges 13:2-7 – A Nazarite from the Womb
We meet a man named Manoah and his wife, who are of the tribe of Dan and live in the town of Zorah. These two long to have children, but have so far been unable. Then the Angel of the Lord appears to Manoah’s wife. Remember, the Angel of the Lord who appears four times in the Book of Judges is the Son of God appearing as a Man before His incarnation. So this is our Savior, Himself, speaking to Manoah’s wife. He assures her that, though she has been barren, she shall conceive and bear a son.
Notably, this son is to be a Nazarite his whole life. A Nazarite was a person dedicated with a vow for a special service to the Lord. As Numbers 6 informs us, for the time of that service, until his vow is fulfilled, the Nazarite was not to drink alcohol (or even vinegar made from an alcoholic beverage), drink grape juice, or eat grapes. He was not to cut his hair, nor could he touch anything unclean. Therefore, the son of Manoah and his wife is never to touch anything ceremonially unclean, have any product of the grape vine, nor any alcoholic beverage. He is to keep his hair unshorn all the days of his life. The Angel of the Lord is hereby telling Manoah’s wife that her son is going to be used by God for a special service.
It is important for us to notice that, in order for this child to be a Nazarite his whole life, his mother must not drink alcohol or eat anything unclean, lest the boy’s Nazarite commitment be violated. This shows us that God considers each of us to be a person from the time of our conception. The notion that a child in the womb is not an individual person, with his or her own life and rights, and thus that it is no crime to kill a child in the womb, is abominable. From the moment a child begins to grow in the womb, he or she is a human being, made in the image of God. We must cherish each life the Lord has created.
Questions
- How early in his life did Samson’s Nazarite commitment begin?
- What does this tell us about when human life begins?
Prayer Points
- Pray that unborn children might be protected.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.