Chosen by God
A long time ago, in a town called Zorah, there lived a man and his wife. The man's name was Manoah. We're not told what his wife's name was. For our story today, we'll just call her "Jaffa" (pronounced Ya-fah). For many, many years they prayed to God for a child to be given to them. But no child came for many years.
Then one day while Jaffa was working out in the fields, a handsome and beautiful young man came up to her and told her that God was going to answer their prayers for a child. This man told her that this child would be a special child, one dedicated to God and who would work for God.
The man gave Jaffa instructions about what she was to do. She was no longer to eat and drink certain categories of food and drink. For the child, the man gave instruction that this child's hair was to never be cut. The hair would be a sign of the child's specialness to God.
During this time, Manoah and Jaffa's people, the Israelites, were being treated badly by the Philistines. The Philistines were a neighboring nation who worshiped other gods. The Philistines were stronger than the Israelites. Many of the Israelites, because it looked like the Philistine gods were stronger than their God, began to worship the other gods instead of their true God. The man who came to Jaffa told her that God was going to use her child to show to the Israelites that their God really was the stronger God, and also to the Philistines that their gods were no match for Israel's God.
After the man left, Jaffa ran to her husband, Manoah, to tell him about the man and the news that he brought. "A man of God appeared to me," she said. "He looked like one of God's angels, terrifying to see," she continued. "I didn't ask where he was from, and he didn't tell me his name. But he told me, 'You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must refrain from wine and all alcoholic beverages, nor must you eat any forbidden foods. Your son will be set apart for God from the moment of pregnancy until the day of his death.'"
Manoah thought maybe his wife was confused and had seen and heard things that really weren't there. So he asked God that if his wife was really telling him what happened, that this man would come to them once again. God answered his prayer by sending the man again to Jaffa. She ran to tell her husband that the man had come. Manoah went to see the man and after speaking with him, was convinced that Jaffa wasn't confused and had heard correctly the first time.
Manoah asked for this man's name and the man just told Manoah that his name was too Wonderful for him to really understand. (Did you know that many years later, Jesus would be known as "Wonderful?") Manoah brought some sacrifices to offer to God. As the sacrifices burned upon the rock where Manoah had placed it, a wonder happened. The man that was talking with them entered the flames and rose up to heaven in it.
Both Manoah and Jaffa became scared and fell to the ground. They realized that this wasn't just a man -- it was God himself that had come to speak with them. Manoah thought he was going to die, but Jaffa pointed out to him that if God wanted to kill them, why would he have accepted their offering and showed them this wonderful miracle, and promised them a son?
They returned home and Jaffa followed the instructions of God carefully. About a year later a boy was born to Manoah and Jaffa. They named this boy Samson. He grew up strong, but he was not the most obedient child around. He wanted to do his own thing. Manoah and Jaffa tried to teach Samson about God and how to live life in a way that would please him, but it seemed that Samson didn't really listen nor want to do that.
I'm sure Manoah, and especially Jaffa, had many moments when they became discouraged and probably felt some disappointment with Samson. Here was a special child from God, but it didn't look like he wanted anything to do with getting to know God, to come to Him, to be with Him, and to walk with Him. Maybe there were times when they thought God had made a mistake about choosing Samson to be his special person.
Samson did eventually come back to God. In the book of Hebrews, we learn that Samson is listed as one of the heroes who had faith in God. But before that happened, Samson made lots of mistakes that eventually resulted in his enemies taking out both his eyes to make him blind. His parents never learned about Samson's return to God. His parents died wondering what would ever become of Samson.
Boys and girls, your parents, and especially your mother, are always concerned and worried about what kind of adults you'll become. It's always better to learn to please your mother, father, and God early in life instead of later. That can save you from a lot of troubles later in life. But remember that even if you choose not to love and please God, God still loves you. Even if you choose to ignore him, he won't ignore you. God will keep trying to get your attention and do everything he can in order to bring you to where you will want to choose to love and please him. [E.g., the story of Jacob and God's pursuit of him.]
Tomorrow is Mother's Day. You might have cards or flowers or gifts you are giving to your mother. I'm sure she'll appreciate these tokens and symbols of your love for her. But the very best gift of love you can give to your mother is a commitment to her that with God's help you'll train to become the kind of person that pleases both her and God.
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