BH Bulletin - Friday 25 June 2021

​Thought for the Day by Phil Washington (BH Member)

​A troubled young man
 
‘The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson.’ Judges 13:24
 
Being the dad of four grown up children, I can't help but read the story of Samson and see it through his parent's eyes. Imagine the joy of Manoah and his wife on hearing the news, that after years of childlessness, they were going to have a baby boy (Judges 13:3). What's more, this boy was to be God's servant from the womb (13:5) and grow into a leader of Israel. A great deliverer from the despised Philistine oppressors (v5). Time to celebrate? Hold on just a minute!
 
Things started well 'He grew and the Lord blessed him' (v24), but then as a young man, things (seemingly) began to go wrong. Despite his parents displeasure, he fell in love with, then married a non-Jewish girl (Ch.14). Their wedding was a disaster, with Samson storming out in anger and going back home. From then on things got ever worse - failed marriages, huge anger issues, mass murder, vandalism, sleeping with prostitutes, violence and more. All through this Samson was ruling Israel as it's Judge! For 20 years he led the people of God, delivering them from the Philistines, as God said he
would.
 
Samson died a violent death at the hands of his enemies (Ch.16). Yet, and it's a BIG yet, he was Gods appointed man.
What's more he makes the hall of fame in Hebrews chapter 11 as one of the great people of faith (Heb 11:32).
 
So, parents, next time you despair about your children, give a thought for Manoah and his wife, and take to heart (strange though it sounds) that, as with Samson, God is perhaps, at work in and through it all. Prayerfully consider this telling verse in the context of today's passage about Samson...
 
'His parents did not know that this was from the Lord' Judges 14:4