Judges 13:2-5 “The Man of Promise”

Judges 13:2-5 “The Man of Promise”

In the town where I grew up is a hydroelectric plant on the river. In a neighboring town of Midland Two massive companies, Dow Chemical, and Dow Corning gobbled up power. A decision to provide power for future growth was made and a nuclear power plant was started. The promise of job expansion made the future look bright. The old Hydro plant feel into neglect, and the Nuclear plant feel victim to protesters and construction scandals. There is now a half completed Nuclear plant in Midland, and a leaking dam in Sanford, where I grew up. The promise of power, the promise of jobs, the promise of the future all lost to mismanagement.

This is the story of Sampson in the book of Judges. I will take several weeks to look at His story for in it we can find the story of our lives, our church, even our country.

We start with verse 1 and The recurring theme of Judges, “the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord”. The people who have all the promise of God cannot stop from doing evil. They trade in God’s sure win game plan for one of their own. The result is the rise of the Philistines. In the midst of oppression by the Philistines God sends a deliverer, Sampson.

1.       Manoah
a. barren wife
b. a special child
c. a Nazirite (to separate) to separate yourself for God
d. Samson’s mother is not to drink wine or eat unclean food.
e. Samson is to never cut his hair.

2.       Paul makes this kind of vow Acts 18:18
a. they offer a sacrifice
b. pay a vow price to get their head shaved
c. upon completion of the vow their hair is cut by the priest and burned on the alter.

3.       God has set Samson apart
a. Samson’s power is in his being separated to God (Holy)
b. all of God’s power was available to him.

4.       We are the people of promise
a. Matthew 16:18 the gates of Hell shall not….
b. John 1:12 to all who believe

c. Romans 8:17
d. Romans 1:16

5. Midland
a. three-mile island
b. protest
c. embezzlement
d. even sabotage

Like Sampson we are a church dedicated to God! Like Sampson we possess the promise of God to deliver people from their oppressors. Our nation has been blessed with great power that comes from God. Our nation holds hope for all the world. How we use this power, that promise, will not just effect our lives but the lives of all who live around us. Will we deliver hope, power, forgiveness and light to our darkened world? Or will we be a half finished edifice to our failure? How will we use the power of God?