An angel of the Lord comes upon Samson's mother and tells her to avoid wine/strong drink and unclean foods. Additionally, he tells her that she will have a Nazirite son, a son who is consecrated to the service of God. She then relays the message to her husband, who asks God to send the angel again so that he can ask him questions. God grants Samson's dad his request.
Once the angel returns, Samson's dad asks him:
What shall be the boy's mode of life and his vocation?
This was a question I found to be a common theme for many of us who have struggled/are struggling with discerning God's voice and will for our lives. The angel's response is as annoying as ever and is a classic God move:
Let the woman pay attention to all that I said. She should not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; let her observe all that I commanded
Rather than answering the question placed before him, the angel of the Lord simply repeats, almost word for word, what he has already revealed to Samson's mother. Afterwards, once Samson's parents have put an offering before the Lord, this angel of the Lord confirms through cryptic words and mircaulous signs that he himself is indeed God. Samson's dad naturally reacts as all those in the OT who see God do:
We will surely die, for we have seen God
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The vocation question must have certainly seemed critical at the time for Samson's parents. Of course, we now know that God had something spectacular planned for Samson all along. So instead of answering this petty, useless question, God simply shows Samson's parents who he is (God of everything), and who they are (beings that surely do not deserve to live after seeing him).
Much like his response to Joshua's fears and anxieties, God responds to Papa Samson's curiosities with an affirmation of his identity and specific instructions for consecration. And again, the reader is reminded that this seemingly critical detail of Samon's life actually is not that critical after all.
Much like his response to Joshua's fears and anxieties, God responds to Papa Samson's curiosities with an affirmation of his identity and specific instructions for consecration. And again, the reader is reminded that this seemingly critical detail of Samon's life actually is not that critical after all.
This post is an augmentation/edit of an email I previously wrote. Liked it a lot and decide to post it on my blog
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