“So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.” Judges 13:24 (NKJV)
God fulfilled his promise to Manoah and his wife. While Manoah and his wife raised Samson as a Nazarite, he was very spoiled. He would pitch a fit to get his own way and his parents let him get by with it.
There were many steps downward in Samson’s life that might have been avoided had his parents disciplined him differently as a child. The Bible isn’t explicit in what the parents did or didn’t do in child-rearing. However, Judges 14 has recorded times where Samson definitely acted like a spoiled brat rather than as a judge of Israel.
What was the good of raising Samson as a Nazarite if he could behave so disrespectful toward his parents and toward God? This study is to ask what we can learn about the women in the Bible. What can we learn from Manoah’s wife in Chapter 14? Giving in to the wishes of a child (even a grown up child) never turns out good in the end.
I need to choose today that even though my son and grandchildren are grown beyond the age of accountability, I still have a responsibility to uphold God’s standards so that they will be reminded of God’s expectations from His children. They need to see my example of following God in all that I do or say.
Listen to Redd Harper as he sings “I’m Following Jesus.” The link plays the entire album, but the first song is the one that fits with today’s devotional.
Published on MyBibleRoom.com 1/29/25, 5:00 pm