Samson: A Promise Before His Birth

Long ago, the people of Israel were going through difficult days. The Philistines had power over them, and many families needed help.

But God had not forgotten his people.

In a place called Zorah lived a man named Manoah and his wife. They did not have any children.

Zorah stood among the hills, near the Philistine plain. Manoah's family belonged to the tribe of Dan and continued to trust God.

One day, the woman was out in the fields. The leaves moved in the breeze, and the birds were singing.

Suddenly, a visitor appeared.

He was an angel sent by God.

The woman looked at him in surprise. This was a very special meeting.

The angel told her something she had not expected:

“You are going to have a son. Even before he is born, he will be dedicated to God.”

A baby!

The woman listened carefully.

The angel explained that she should take care of herself and follow God's instructions. She should not drink wine or eat the foods God had said not to eat.

He also told her about the child:

“Do not cut his hair. He will begin to free Israel from the Philistines.”

His hair would be a sign that he was dedicated to God. It would not be magic hair. God would give him the strength to carry out his mission.

The woman went home to tell Manoah what had happened.

“A messenger from God came! He told me we are going to have a son.”

Manoah listened to the news in amazement.

They were going to have a baby!

But they had also been given an important job: to care for him and teach him to live for God.

Manoah wanted to learn how to do that.

So he prayed:

“My God, please send your messenger again. Teach us how to care for the child who will be born.”

He did not pretend to know everything. He asked for help.

God heard his prayer.

Another day, the angel appeared again while the woman was out in the fields.

This time, she hurried to find her husband.

“Come, Manoah! The messenger has returned.”

Manoah got up and walked with her to where the visitor was waiting.

He wanted to listen for himself.

“When the child is born, how should we care for him?” he asked.

The angel repeated the instructions he had already given the woman. She should follow what God had asked her to do.

Manoah wanted to thank the visitor. He invited him to stay while they prepared some food.

But the angel answered:

“If you prepare an offering, offer it to God.”

They still had not realized who this visitor was.

Manoah also asked his name. The angel said that his name was wonderful, more than they could understand.

Then Manoah prepared an offering to God on a rock.

He and his wife stood watching.

The fire began to burn.

The flames rose toward the sky.

And something extraordinary happened.

The angel went up in the flame from the altar!

Manoah and his wife bowed low to the ground, filled with wonder.

Now they understood that the visitor was an angel from God.

The angel did not appear again.

Manoah felt afraid. The meeting had been so amazing that he did not know what to think.

“We have seen God. What will happen to us?” he said, worried.

His wife spoke to him calmly.

“God has given us a promise. He has shown us what to do, and he has accepted our offering.”

She remembered everything God had shown them. His promise gave her hope.

Time passed.

And just as the angel had said, a baby was born.

His mother named him Samson.

Now they could hold the son they had been promised in their arms.

They cared for him tenderly. His hair grew, and they remembered that his life was dedicated to God.

Samson grew, too.

Caring for him also meant teaching him good habits from childhood. His parents were to help him care for his body and learn self-control, preparing him to serve God.

God blessed him, and his Spirit began to work in him.

He still had much to learn and many choices to make.

But his story had already begun with a promise and with parents who had asked God for help.

Soon we would discover what Samson would do with the strength God gave him.