May 9, 2023
“For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel...”
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“For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” Judges 13:5 (NKJV)
It is difficult to read today’s passage and not think of the Bible’s account of the conception and birth of the Messiah Jesus. We harken to the words of the Angel, spoken to Mary, as he announces not only the miracle of virgin conception but also the reason. “Messiah is resting in your womb, set apart not just from the womb, but also before time began!”
Jesus is the Messiah, whom the prophet Micah wrote about:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2 (NKJV)
True, Jesus was a far greater “Samson,” but that fact should not cause us to take Samson lightly. He, too, was a savior (a messiah/anointed one). At Samson’s birth, a savior was born. As soon as Manoah’s wife is told she will bear a son, she hears of his mission: he will save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. Samson will only partially save, but even that constitutes him a savior.
Notice there is one particular danger. Samson is such a rollicking, entertaining, break-the-mold guy that we may become preoccupied with him. Try employing counter-culture thinking because our culture is fond of focusing on the SAVIORS whom God raises up. In doing so, we eclipse the GOD who saves by raising up saviors.
While we must hold our leaders in esteem because of their God-given positions of authority, we must also never lose sight of the fact that the same Spirit who works through great men and women of God resides in the heart of EVERY BELIEVER.
Perhaps, the greater focus should be on how we maximize the potential for greatness that God has entrusted to US when He conceived us in OUR mother’s wombs. Which “Philistines” were we created to destroy? Now that we have placed our faith in Messiah Jesus and been given the gift of the Holy Spirit pray the Lord will begin to reveal His plan as you read His Word daily. And commit to going wherever He leads, trusting that He will accomplish (through you) every task He has entrusted to you. And do not glory in yourself that you are being used by God. It is His calling, gifting/equipping, and Spirit that is working together through your obedience to accomplish His purposes. He is doing the heavy lifting. We simply respond, “Here I am, send me.” And we must faithfully go where He sends us, doing what He tells us to do with the gifts He has endowed us with in the manner He prescribes for us to use those gifts. Then, we will see the tasks (He calls us to) accomplished to the fullness of His desire.
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©Steve Wiggins 2021