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The Birth of Samson - The Book of Judges · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: For lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and
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  Speaker 1: no razor shall come upon his head. For the child
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  Speaker 1: shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb, and
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  Speaker 1: he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand
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  Speaker 1: of the Philistines. Judges 13.5 Dear Heavenly Father, Just like
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  Speaker 1: Samson in Judges 13, I know I too have been
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  Speaker 1: called to be set apart. I will not treat myself
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  Speaker 1: as common, because you've created me to be extraordinary. Like
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  Speaker 1: extraordinary athletes that require extraordinary training, I realize that my
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  Speaker 1: life is no exception. Therefore, when my feet touch the ground,
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  Speaker 1: I will first connect my heart and soul to your
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  Speaker 1: incredible power. I will shift my mind and increase my faith,
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  Speaker 1: because as I walk with you, all things become possible.
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  Speaker 1: I declare that I have been marked for greatness. I
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  Speaker 1: declare that the way I choose to live my life
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  Speaker 1: will be in proportion to the anointing and calling I'm
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  Speaker 1: stepping into. I will no longer compare myself to others,
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  Speaker 1: because what God is doing in my life cannot be imitated.
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  Speaker 1: I am one of a kind. I'm not afraid to
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  Speaker 1: be different and do different. if it means that I'll
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  Speaker 1: be able to experience a life completely different from others.
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  Speaker 1: I have been marked for greatness, and I accept that life.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name. Amen. Listening to these daily prayers strengthens
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  Speaker 1: your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the Lord by
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  Speaker 1: listening to today's Bible in a Year. Brought to you
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  Speaker 1: by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The birth of Samson. In our last story, we peered
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  Speaker 2: into the life of the outcast Jephthah. He was a
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  Speaker 2: forgotten bastard son who led Israel out of captivity from
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  Speaker 2: the Ammonites. However, he made a promise to God that
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  Speaker 2: he would sacrifice the first thing he saw after battle.
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  Speaker 2: Little did he know it would be his daughter. So
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  Speaker 2: Jephthah mourned and was remembered for his foolishness. In this story,
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  Speaker 2: we learn of Israel's disobedience and need for another hero.
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  Speaker 2: This time, God prepares the way for another hero, a
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  Speaker 2: hero that would be stronger than all the others combined.
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  Speaker 2: Yet his story would be a mixture of heroism and tragedy,
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  Speaker 2: inspired by the book of Judges.
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  Speaker 3: We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: a Year podcast today. The Bible in a Year podcast
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries. and can only come
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: to you each week through the support of listeners just
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: like you. Your support today is so important that we
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: want to thank you for your gift by giving you
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. It
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: is a powerful guide that shows how every book of
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word,
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: the truth of God's word, will transform your life. So
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: to get a copy of The Jesus Book, simply go
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's jackgraham.org slash Jesus. And thank
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: you for your support. In our last episode, we heard
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  Speaker 3: the tragic story of Jephthah, a mighty warrior who led
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  Speaker 3: Israel in victory against the Ammonites, but whose impulsive and
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  Speaker 3: foolish promise cost him his daughter, his only child. Though
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  Speaker 3: Jephthah is remembered as a hero of the faith in Hebrews,
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  Speaker 3: he is also remembered for this crazy vow and the
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  Speaker 3: high price that he paid and his family paid because
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  Speaker 3: he kept a vow that he should never have made.
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  Speaker 3: Today we'll hear how Israel disobeyed God again and needed
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  Speaker 3: a new hero to rescue them, a new deliverer, a
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  Speaker 3: judge by the name of Samson. Samson doesn't come onto
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  Speaker 3: the scene as a full-grown man ready to be the
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  Speaker 3: people's man, the people's hero. We'll get to see his
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  Speaker 3: story from the beginning, from his birth and how God
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  Speaker 3: chose him for a very special purpose. But more than anything,
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  Speaker 3: Today's story is one of grateful parents-to-be who seek God's
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  Speaker 3: wise counsel for how to raise the child they are
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  Speaker 3: about to bring into the world. So let's listen now
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  Speaker 3: to today's scripture.
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  Speaker 2: Like moths to a flame, Israel drew close to their sin.
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  Speaker 2: They had an insatiable appetite for idolatry. Their lewdness reflected
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  Speaker 2: a sickness that plagued man since the Garden of Eden.
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  Speaker 2: God would allow them to be held captive by the Philistines.
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  Speaker 2: Their captivity to the Philistines reflected a greater captivity in
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  Speaker 2: their hearts. Their own sin enslaved their souls, and the
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  Speaker 2: Philistines enslaved their bodies. For forty years they lived in misery.
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  Speaker 2: During this time there was a man of Zorah named Manoah.
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  Speaker 2: Manoah and his wife were childless, for his wife was barren.
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  Speaker 2: Yet God had a plan for them. An angel of
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  Speaker 2: God met Manoah's wife and said to her, You will
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  Speaker 2: conceive a son in due time, and when you do,
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  Speaker 2: he will live a life set apart for me. He
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  Speaker 2: will have no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
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  Speaker 2: No razor shall come upon his head, for he shall
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  Speaker 2: be a Nazarite of God. For I shall rise him
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  Speaker 2: up to be a conquering hero, and he will do
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  Speaker 2: great things to liberate Israel from the Philistines. The woman
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  Speaker 2: ran to her husband and told him of the visitation
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  Speaker 2: from a strange man. Manoah prayed to God for guidance
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  Speaker 2: and wisdom, imploring that the angel visit again to give
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  Speaker 2: them more insight. God answered, and the angel appeared again
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  Speaker 2: to the woman. She ran back to her husband, saying,' Look,
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  Speaker 2: the man from before is here.' So Manoah ran to
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  Speaker 2: go greet him. Are you the one who spoke to
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  Speaker 2: my wife before? Manoah asked. The angel of God nodded
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  Speaker 2: and said it was so. Manoah knelt before him and
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  Speaker 2: begged him to stay longer. How shall we raise our child?
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  Speaker 2: Manoah asked. For they had dreamed of being parents. And
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  Speaker 2: if their son was to be a hero, they wanted
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  Speaker 2: to be faithful. So God instructed Manoah as he did
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  Speaker 2: to his wife previously. He would have no wine or
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  Speaker 2: strong drink. He would eat clean foods and never cut
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  Speaker 2: his hair or face. God wanted to groom a warrior
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  Speaker 2: unlike any other before him. Please stay with us a while,
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  Speaker 2: Manoah asked. He will have a feast and make a
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  Speaker 2: burnt offering to you. And the angel of the Lord
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  Speaker 2: refused the food, but remained for the sacrifice made to
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  Speaker 2: the Lord. Manoah did not know he was speaking to
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  Speaker 2: God himself, so he asked the angel a simple question
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  Speaker 2: with profound implications.' What is your name?' Manoah asked. God
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  Speaker 2: looked upon Manoah as a father would a child.' Why
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  Speaker 2: do you ask me my name?' God asked.' It is Wonderful,'
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  Speaker 2: he said. The name Wonderful would be prophesied as the
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  Speaker 2: name of the Messiah hundreds of years later. Manoah and
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  Speaker 2: his wife laid an offering down at the altar of God.
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  Speaker 2: They watched as the flames danced in front of them.
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  Speaker 2: It was night, and the light of the fire drew
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  Speaker 2: them in close. Then, in a rush like the wind
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  Speaker 2: was pushing the flames upwards, the angel of the Lord
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  Speaker 2: rose up with the smoke and disappeared into the sky.
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  Speaker 2: Manoah and his wife fell on their faces, finally realizing
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  Speaker 2: who it was they were speaking to. The Lord will
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  Speaker 2: surely kill us since we have seen him, Manoah trembled.
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  Speaker 2: If he wanted to kill us, we would be dead,
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  Speaker 2: his wife replied. God would not visit them in this
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  Speaker 2: way again. the two conceived and bore a child. They
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  Speaker 2: named him Samson. The young boy grew into a strong man.
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  Speaker 2: God blessed Samson in everything, and his strength was unmatched
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  Speaker 2: by anyone in the land. Year by year God groomed him.
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  Speaker 2: He abstained from drinks that would dwindle his wits, and
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  Speaker 2: he abstained from foods that would weaken his body. He
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  Speaker 2: did not shave and lived in the land under the
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  Speaker 2: training and favor of God. For one day, He would
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  Speaker 2: be called upon to save all of Israel.
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  Speaker 3: We begin today's story with Israel once again in sinful
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  Speaker 3: rebellion against God. They turned to other gods, little gods,
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  Speaker 3: no gods at all, idols, and they began to do
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  Speaker 3: evil in the sight of the Lord. God gave them
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  Speaker 3: over to the Philistines for 40 years, but this time
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  Speaker 3: we don't hear the people crying for the help of God.
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  Speaker 3: So God begins preparing a mighty leader among them. And
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  Speaker 3: it starts with a couple who are unable to have children,
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  Speaker 3: and God chooses to bless them with a son. Manoah
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  Speaker 3: and his wife were clearly God-fearing, righteous people. They were
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  Speaker 3: about to be chosen to raise a boy who would
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  Speaker 3: become a great man in Israel. So when an angel
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  Speaker 3: from God appeared to Manoah's wife, she listened carefully to
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  Speaker 3: what he told her. It was joyous news. A child
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  Speaker 3: would soon come into their family. And he wouldn't be
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  Speaker 3: just any child. The angel gave her strict instructions for
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  Speaker 3: how she was to eat and drink while she carried
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  Speaker 3: the child, as well as how he was to be
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  Speaker 3: raised to be set apart as a Nazarite. Manoah's wife
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  Speaker 3: runs to tell her husband the amazing news and the
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  Speaker 3: instructions that she had received. His response is such a
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  Speaker 3: great example of for any expecting parent. We read it
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  Speaker 3: in Judges 3.8. Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said,
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  Speaker 3: O Lord, please let the man of God whom you
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  Speaker 3: sent come again to us and teach us what we
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  Speaker 3: are to do with the child who will be born.
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  Speaker 3: He had just received the best news of his life.
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  Speaker 3: Not only a child, but a son was coming. Manoah
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  Speaker 3: knew that his child would fulfill a very special purpose.
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  Speaker 3: So what does he do? He once again seeks God
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  Speaker 3: and asks for direction and instruction. What a wonderful thing
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  Speaker 3: it is for any parent to be to ask God
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  Speaker 3: for guidance and to pray that he would enable us
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  Speaker 3: to raise our children for a righteous purpose. That's exactly
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  Speaker 3: what Manoah and his wife did. And God honored their request,
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  Speaker 3: sending his angel once more to instruct them. Manoah invited
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  Speaker 3: the angel to stay and eat with them. And the
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  Speaker 3: angel told them that he would not eat, but would
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  Speaker 3: stay while they made a sacrifice to the Lord. Manoah
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  Speaker 3: then asked the angel his name so that they could
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  Speaker 3: honor this angel. And the angel's reply is prophetic, for
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  Speaker 3: he says his name is wonderful. It is a title
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  Speaker 3: that will be given one day to the Messiah, the
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  Speaker 3: wonderful counselor, the mighty God. the everlasting Father. So this
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  Speaker 3: was no angel. This was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: what we know in theology as a theophany, an appearance
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  Speaker 3: of God in the Old Testament. When the flames of
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  Speaker 3: the offering leap into the sky, Manoah and his wife
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  Speaker 3: watch as the angel goes up into the heavens with
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  Speaker 3: the flames. Realizing that they've seen God, they fall in adoration,
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  Speaker 3: the only proper response to an encounter with God. The
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  Speaker 3: child is born and his name is Samson. His parents
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  Speaker 3: follow all the instructions and he grows stronger and stronger
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  Speaker 3: and stronger. He will become a superhero of sorts, a legend,
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  Speaker 3: a strong man like no other. God will use Samson
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  Speaker 3: in a mighty way despite his failings and weaknesses. And
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  Speaker 3: we're going to hear more of his story the next time.
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  Speaker 3: Dear God, we do thank you for the example of
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  Speaker 3: Samson's parents, godly parents who sought you and your wisdom
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  Speaker 3: and guidance for the raising of their child. Help us
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  Speaker 3: to do the same as we want to bring up
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  Speaker 3: our children in the nurture and in the training of
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  Speaker 3: the Lord. Give us wisdom, Lord, to be faithful parents,
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  Speaker 3: to set the right example, and to bring up our
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  Speaker 3: children to love and serve you. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: And before we go, I wanted to let you know
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  Speaker 3: that the Bible in a Year podcast is an outreach
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come to you each
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: week through the support of listeners like you. Your support
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: today is so important that we want to thank you
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: for your gift by giving you a copy of my
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: book called The Jesus Book. This book is a powerful
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: guide that shows how every book in the Bible points
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: to Christ and how you can better read and understand
• 13:12
  Speaker 3: the Bible. And How God's Word Transforms Our Lives. So
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: to get your copy of the Jesus book, simply go
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: you for your support.